Name the types of rainfall and explain convectional rainfall in detail.
Answers
There are three common types of rainfall, all of which occur in the United Kingdom. All have the common theme of air being forced to rise.
As air rises it cools it cannot hold as much moisture as it could when it was warmer. Eventually the rising air reaches a point where it is 100% saturated, in other words it cannot hold any more water. This is called dew point, and it is above this point that condensation occurs.
Condensation is the process by which the water vapour (a gas) held in the air is turned back into water droplets (a liquid), which fall as rain.
Convectional rainfall
Very common in areas where the ground is heated by the hot sun, such as the Tropics. This is why those areas experience heavy rainfalls most afternoons. The United Kingdom does experience some convectional rainfall during the summer, particularly in the South East of the country.
Convectional rainfall occurs when:
The surface of the earth is heated by the sun.
The warm surface heats the air above it. Hot air always rises so this newly heated air does so.
As it rises the air-cools and begins to condensate.
Further rising and cooling causes a large amount of condensation to occur and rain is formed.
Convection tends to produce towering cumulo-nimbus clouds, which produce heavy rain and possible thunder and lightning.
There are three common types of rainfall, all of which occur in the United Kingdom. All have the common theme of air being forced to rise.
As air rises it cools it cannot hold as much moisture as it could when it was warmer. Eventually the rising air reaches a point where it is 100% saturated, in other words it cannot hold any more water. This is called dew point, and it is above this point that condensation occurs.
Condensation is the process by which the water vapour (a gas) held in the air is turned back into water droplets (a liquid), which fall as rain.
Convectional rainfall
Very common in areas where the ground is heated by the hot sun, such as the Tropics. This is why those areas experience heavy rainfalls most afternoons. The United Kingdom does experience some convectional rainfall during the summer, particularly in the South East of the country.
Convectional rainfall occurs when:
The surface of the earth is heated by the sun.
The warm surface heats the air above it. Hot air always rises so this newly heated air does so.
As it rises the air-cools and begins to condensate.
Further rising and cooling causes a large amount of condensation to occur and rain is formed.
Convection tends to produce towering cumulo-nimbus clouds, which produce heavy rain and possible thunder and lightning.
CONVECTIONAL RAINFALL Convectional rain is caused by convection where the surface layer of the atmosphere is heated causing the moisture laden air to rise. As it rises it cools to form clouds. The unequal heating of the earth's surface causesconvection.
