The largest amount of precipitation, where and when it fell. Where does the most precipitation fall in Russia? In which city the maximum amount of precipitation falls

The amount of precipitation that falls in different parts of our planet is not the same, in some places it rains almost every day, while other regions suffer from drought. The article discusses the question of in which latitudes the greatest amount of precipitation falls.

Blue ball and latitude concept

Before proceeding to consider the question of in which latitudes the amount of precipitation falls the most, it is necessary to remember what our planet is and what latitude is.

Since our planet is a ball (strictly speaking, a geoid), angular coordinates are used to determine the location of objects on its surface: longitude and latitude.

Latitude is understood as the angle between the equator line and a specific point on the ground, while the apex of the angle is at the center of the Earth, and the arc drawn on the planet's surface between the point in question and the equator must run along the meridian, that is, be perpendicular to the equatorial line. This line divides the entire globe into two equal parts: the northern and southern hemispheres. The set of coordinates of one latitude on the planet's surface is usually called a parallel.

According to this definition, the equator line will have 0 o latitude, and the North and South poles will have +90 o and -90 o latitude, respectively. All parallels lying between latitude 23 o north (Tropic of Cancer) and 23 o south latitude (Tropic of Capricorn) form the so-called tropical climate zone. Parallels located between 23 o and 66 o latitude in each hemisphere refer to the temperate climate zone. Finally, the areas between 66 o and 90 o are the earth's polar zones.

The amount of solar radiation is the main factor that determines the level of precipitation

At what latitudes does the most precipitation fall? Of course, in places where there is high humidity. Precipitation, which is the fallout of water on the earth's surface in the form of rain or snow, can exist only when there is a high percentage of water vapor in the atmosphere, which, rising up and cooling, condenses into clouds and then returns to the ground.

To saturate the air with water vapor, enormous energy is needed to transfer water from a liquid to a gaseous state of aggregation. This energy on a terrestrial scale can only be obtained from the sun's rays. Therefore, answering the question of where the precipitation falls the most, it is safe to say that in the latitudes that receive the greatest amount of solar energy.

Equator and tropical zones of the planet

Since the planet Earth has a spherical shape, the rays from the Sun fall at different latitudes at different angles. At the equator, they are perpendicular to the surface, so low latitudes receive maximum radiation from our star. With increasing latitude, the angle of incidence of the rays becomes less and less, and the amount of solar energy decreases.

This means that the correct answer to the question, in which latitudes the precipitation is greatest, will be the following: in the tropical zone, that is, between the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer.

Note that inside the tropical zone, there are usually two types of climate:

• equatorial, which is characterized by average annual temperatures of 18-27 ° C and a lot of rain, which occurs here almost every day;
• actually tropical, here the temperature regime experiences stronger fluctuations throughout the year (10-30 ° C), and precipitation falls unevenly (there is a dry season and a rainy season).

Other factors affecting rainfall

In addition to solar radiation, which promotes the evaporation of water and the formation of clouds, the presence of this very water is necessary. The air masses that bring rain with them form over the oceans and seas. This means that the most precipitation falls due to rainfall in island states and countries that are located in the tropical zone near the coastline of continents. So, if you look at the map, you can see that countries such as Chad or Saudi Arabia (southern part) are located in the tropical zone, but since they are located far from the oceans, rains on most of their territory are rare.

In addition to the distance from the oceans, there are two more factors that can affect the level of precipitation:

• Monsoons. These are winds that blow from the ocean in summer and from the continent in winter, so in summer the amount of precipitation in the zones they reach increases.
• Mountainous terrain. When the sea air mass meets mountains on its way, it cannot overcome them. Moist air, gradually rising along the mountain slopes, cools, water vapor condenses in it and falls to the ground in the form of rain. That is why the greatest amount of precipitation falls in the foothills.

Specific areas with a lot of rain

As it was found above, the greatest amount of precipitation falls in tropical and equatorial latitudes. Below are examples of places on earth where it rains frequently:

• Vaialeale volcano, Hawaii. In this mountainous area, which intercepts all rain clouds passing through it, the level of precipitation is estimated at 11,500 mm per year.
• Milford Track, New Zealand. Hundreds of rivers, waterfalls and lakes are the main characteristic of the landscape of this place. The amount of precipitation averages 6000-8000 mm per year.
• Jungle Borneo, Malaysia. This jungle is virgin. Annual precipitation here is about 5000 mm.
• Yakushima, Japan. It is an island that is covered with dense forests. Here, from 4,000 to 10,000 mm of precipitation were recorded, depending on the year.
• Cherrapunji, India. For a long time, this Indian territory was considered the rainiest on the planet. Here, about 11,430 mm of precipitation are recorded per year.

As can be seen from the above list, the largest amount of precipitation falls in equatorial latitudes on islands with mountainous relief.

The rainiest place on earth

Choco is a Colombian department located in the northwest of the country on the Pacific coast. The largest amount of precipitation falls here, according to some estimates, it is 13,000 mm per year. The reasons why it rains here, according to local residents "35 days a month", are not only the proximity of Choco to the equator and the Pacific Ocean, but also the fact that the department is in a zone of low air pressure, which attracts many sea air masses.

There are very rainy places on Earth and below are some kind of precipitation records ever recorded by meteorologists. So,

The largest amount of precipitation for various time periods

Most rainfall per minute

The largest amount of precipitation in one minute is 31.2 millimeters. This record was recorded by American meteorologists on July 4, 1956 in the vicinity of the city of Unionville.

Maximum rainfall per day

A real universal flood happened on the island of Reunion located in the Indian Ocean. During the day from 15.03 to 16.03 1952, 1870 millimeters of precipitation fell there.

Most rainfall per month

The record for monthly precipitation is 9299 millimeters. He was observed in the Indian city of Cherrapunji in July 1861.

The largest amount of precipitation in a year

Cherrapunji is also the champion of the highest annual rainfall. 26 461 millimeters - such a number of them fell in this Indian city from August 1860 to July 1861!

Highest and lowest average annual rainfall

Tutunendo, Colombia, is the rainiest area on Earth with the highest annual average rainfall. The average annual rainfall there is 11,770 millimeters.
The antipode of Tutunendo is the Chilean Atacama Desert. The outskirts of the city of Kalama, located in this desert, have not been irrigated for more than four hundred years.

Precipitation- water in a liquid or solid state, falling out of clouds or deposited from the air on the earth's surface.

Rain

Under certain conditions, cloud droplets begin to merge into larger and heavier ones. They can no longer be held in the atmosphere and fall to the ground in the form rain.

Hail

It happens that in summer the air rises quickly, picks up rain clouds and carries them to a height where the temperature is below 0 °. Raindrops freeze and fall out as hail(fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Origin of the city

Snow

In winter, in temperate and high latitudes, precipitation falls in the form snow. Clouds at this time do not consist of water droplets, but of the smallest crystals - needles, which, joining together, form snowflakes.

Dew and frost

Precipitation falling on the earth's surface not only from clouds, but also directly from the air is dew and frost.

The amount of precipitation is measured by a rain gauge or a rain gauge (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. The structure of the rain gauge: 1 - outer case; 2 - funnel; 3 - container for collecting oxen; 4 - dimensional tank

Classification and types of precipitation

Precipitation is distinguished by the nature of precipitation, origin, physical condition, seasons of precipitation, etc. (Fig. 3).

By the nature of precipitation, precipitation is heavy, heavy and drizzling. Heavy rainfall - intense, short, cover a small area. Overhead precipitation - medium intensity, uniform, long-term (can last for days, capturing large areas). Drizzling precipitation - fine-droplet precipitation falling on an insignificant area.

Precipitation is distinguished by origin:

• convective - characteristic of the hot zone, where heating and evaporation are intense, but often occur in the temperate zone;
• frontal - are formed when two air masses with different temperatures meet and fall out of warmer air. Typical for temperate and cold zones;
• orographic - fall on the windward slopes of the mountains. They are very abundant if the air comes from the warm sea and has a high absolute and relative humidity.

Rice. 3. Types of precipitation

Comparing the annual amount of atmospheric precipitation on the Amazonian lowland and in the Sahara desert on a climate map, one can be convinced of their uneven distribution (Fig. 4). How can this be explained?

Precipitation brings moist air masses that form over the ocean. This is clearly illustrated by the example of territories with a monsoon climate. The summer monsoon brings a lot of moisture from the ocean. And there are continuous rains over land, like on the Pacific coast of Eurasia.

Constant winds also play a large role in the distribution of precipitation. For example, trade winds blowing from the continent bring dry air to northern Africa, where the largest desert in the world, the Sahara, is located. Western winds bring rains to Europe from the Atlantic Ocean.

Rice. 4. Average annual distribution of precipitation on the Earth's land

As you already know, sea currents affect precipitation in the coastal parts of the continents: warm currents contribute to their appearance (Mozambique current off the eastern coast of Africa, Gulf Stream off the coast of Europe), cold, on the contrary, prevent precipitation (Peruvian current off the western coast of South America) ...

The relief also affects the distribution of precipitation, for example, the Himalayan mountains do not allow wet winds blowing from the Indian Ocean to the north. Therefore, their southern slopes sometimes receive up to 20,000 mm of precipitation per year. Wet air masses, rising along the slopes of the mountains (ascending currents of air), are cooled, saturated, and precipitation falls out of them. The territory north of the Himalayan mountains resembles a desert: there is only 200 mm of precipitation per year.

There is a relationship between the belts and the amount of precipitation. At the equator - in the low-pressure belt - constantly heated air; rising up, it cools and saturates. Therefore, in the area of ​​the equator, many clouds form and there is heavy rainfall. A lot of precipitation also falls in other regions of the world, where low pressure prevails. At the same time, the air temperature is of great importance: the lower it is, the less precipitation falls.

Downward air currents prevail in high pressure belts. As the air descends, it heats up and loses its saturation state. Therefore, at latitudes of 25-30 °, precipitation is rare and in small quantities. There is also little rainfall in high pressure areas near the poles.

Absolute maximum precipitation registered on about. Hawaii (Pacific Ocean) - 11,684 mm / year and Cherrapunji (India) - 11,600 mm / year. The absolute minimum is in the Atacama Desert and in the Libyan Desert - less than 50 mm / year; sometimes precipitation does not fall for years at all.

The characteristic of the territory moistening is moisture factor- the ratio of annual precipitation and evaporation for the same period. The moisture coefficient is designated by the letter K, the annual precipitation is by the letter O, and the evaporation is by I; then K = O: I.

The lower the moisture coefficient, the drier the climate. If the annual amount of precipitation is approximately equal to the evaporation rate, then the moisture coefficient is close to unity. In this case, moisture is considered sufficient. If the moisture index is more than one, then the moisture excess, less than one - insufficient. With a humidification coefficient less than 0.3, humidification is considered meager... Areas with sufficient moisture include forest-steppe and steppes, areas with insufficient moisture - deserts.

Many factors determine how much rain or snow falls on the earth's surface. These are temperature, altitude, location of mountain ranges, etc.

Probably one of the rainiest places in the world is Mount Waialeale in Hawaii, on the island of Kauai. The average annual rainfall is 1,197 cm.

The town of Cherrapunji, which is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, may have the first place in terms of rainfall - 1,200 cm. Once 381 cm of rain fell here in 5 days. And in 1861 the amount of precipitation reached 2,300 cm!

The driest place in the world is in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The drought has been going on here for over four centuries. The driest place in the United States is Greenland Ranch in Death Valley. There, the average annual rainfall is less than 3.75 cm.

In some regions of the Earth, heavy rainfall occurs all year round. For example, almost every point along the equator receives 152 cm and more precipitation each year (from the children's encyclopedia; 143 ff.).

Objective to the text

1. Determine the style and type of speech.

2. Make a plan for the text.

Indicative plan

1. Factors that affect the amount of precipitation.

2. The rainiest places.

3. The driest place.

4. Precipitation at the equator.

Write down and explain the spelling of words. Waialeale, Kauai, Cherrapunji, foothills, Atacama, driest, Greenland, equator.

4. Question to the text.

What factors influence the amount of precipitation?

What is the place in the world with the most rain in a year?

Which is the driest city in the world?

Where it is located?

Tell us about the amount of precipitation at the equator.

5. According to the drawn up plan To present the text.

They are moisture that falls to the surface of the Earth from the atmosphere. They accumulate in the clouds, but not all of them allow moisture to fall on the planet's surface. To do this, it is necessary that the drops or crystals can overcome the air resistance, gaining enough mass for this. This happens due to the connection of drops with each other.

Variety of precipitation

Depending on how the sediments look and from what state of water they are formed, it is customary to divide them into six types. Each of them has its own physical characteristics.

Main types:

• rain - water droplets from 0.5 mm in size;
• drizzle - water particles up to 0.5 mm;
• snow - hexagonal ice crystals;
• snow groats - rounded kernels with a diameter of 1 mm or more, which can be easily squeezed with your fingers;
• ice crumbs - rounded cores covered with an ice crust, which jump when falling to the surface;
• hail - large rounded ice particles, which sometimes can weigh more than 300 g.

Distribution on Earth

There are several types of precipitation depending on the annual variation. They have their own characteristics.

• Equatorial. Uniform rainfall throughout the year. The absence of dry months, the least amount of moisture falling falls on the equinox and solstice, which occur at 04, 10, 06, 01
• Monsoon. Uneven precipitation - the maximum amount falls in the summer season, the minimum in the winter season.
• Mediterranean. The maximum precipitation is recorded in winter, the minimum is in summer. It is found in the subtropics, on the western coasts and in the middle of the continent. There is a gradual decrease in quantity as we approach the central part of the continent.
• Continental. There is more precipitation in the warm season, and with the arrival of cold weather it becomes less.
• Nautical. Uniform moisture distribution throughout the year. An insignificant maximum is observed in the autumn-winter period.

What affects the distribution of precipitation on Earth

In order to understand where the maximum amount of precipitation occurs on Earth, it is necessary to understand what this indicator depends on.

Precipitation is unevenly distributed over the Earth throughout the year. Their number decreases geographically from the equator to the poles. We can say that their number is influenced by the geographic latitude.

Also, their distribution depends on air temperature, movement of air masses, relief, distance from the coast, sea currents.

For example, if warm, humid ones meet mountains on their way, they, rising along their slopes, cool and give out precipitation. Therefore, the maximum amount of them falls on the mountain slopes, where the wettest areas of the Earth are located.

Where the maximum amount of precipitation falls

The territory of the equator is the leader in the amount of precipitation per year. Average rates are 1000-2000 mm of moisture throughout the year. There are areas on certain mountain slopes where this figure rises to 6000-7000. And on the volcano Cameroon (Mongo ma Ndemi), the maximum amount of precipitation falls within 10,000 mm or more.

This is explained by the high air temperature, high humidity, and the predominance of ascending air currents.

It has long been noted that at a geographical latitude from the equator 20º to the south and 20º to the north, almost 50% of all precipitation falls on the Earth. Observations over many decades prove that the maximum amount of precipitation falls at the equator, especially in mountainous areas.

Distribution of the amount of precipitated moisture to the total amount by continents

After making sure that the maximum amount of precipitation falls at the equator, you can consider the percentage of precipitation by continent.

Maximum annual precipitation

The wettest place on the planet is Mount Wamaleale (Hawaii). It rains for 335 days here throughout the year. The opposite situation can be traced in the Atacama Desert (Chile), in which it may not rain at all during the year.

With regard to the highest indicator of moisture dropped out for the year on average, the highest indicators are in the Hawaiian Islands and India. On Mount Wyville (Hawaii), the maximum amount of precipitation falls up to 11,900 mm, and at Cherrapunji station (India) - up to 11,400 mm. These two regions are the richest in moisture precipitation.

The driest regions are Africa and For example, in the Khara oasis (Egypt), on average, less than 0.1 mm of moisture falls per year, and in the town of Arica (Chile) - 0.5 mm.

Maximum indicators in the world

It is already clear that most of the moisture falls on the equator. As for the maximum indicators, they were recorded at different times and on different continents.

So the maximum amount of moisture within a minute fell in the city of Unionville (USA). It happened on 07/04/1956. Their number per minute was 31.2 mm.

Continuing the topic, the maximum daily rainfall was recorded in the city of Silaos in the Indian Ocean). From 04/15/1952 to 04/16/1952, 1870 mm of water fell.

The maximum for a month belongs to the already well-known city of Cherrapunji (India), where 9299 mm of rain fell in July 1861. In the same year, the maximum indicator was recorded here, which amounted to 26461 mm per year.

All data presented are not final. Observations of weather conditions show many new records, including those regarding moisture falling out. So, the record for the heaviest rain was broken 14 years later on the island of Guadeloupe. It differed from the previous indicator by a few mm.