Environments and People - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 37

on climate. In other words, if you live near a coast, win-
ters will be somewhat warmer and summers will be some-
what cooler. If you live in the interior of a large continent
you will probably be either freezing or frying depending,
of course, on elevation and latitude.
Now , for a more scientific description. The interior
of Asia is far removed from modifying maritime influ-
ences. Therefore, in winter, it is dominated by a high-
pressure anticyclone while the central area of the Indian
Ocean is dominated by the equatorial low-pressure
trough known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ). Winds blow from zones of high pressure to
zones of relatively lower pressure. Consequently , cold,
dry winds blow from the continental interior to the pe-
riphery , dessicating (drying) the landscape in the
process. T emperatures average between 60

cell emerges over the Indian Ocean. As hot air sweeps
outward across the ocean' s surface, it quickly evaporates
water. This huge, thunderous, sodden air mass moves
into the lower-pressure ITCZ, bringing voluminous rains
to the area south of the Himalayas. Precipitation is high-
est in coastal areas and on the windward slopes of moun-
tains. As air masses move inland, available moisture
diminishes and less precipitation is experienced.
Mountains and other areas of raised relief are highly
influential as topographic barriers. The Himalayas, for
example, provide a physical barrier to incoming air
masses, channeling them westward across the Indo-
Gangetic Plain. As moisture-loaded air meets this topo-
graphic barrier, it is forced to rise, cool, and condense,
providing orographic precipitation. As a result, the
windward slopes of the Himalayas receive abundant rain-
fall. The subsequently dry air masses flow over the crest
and down the leeward slope, warming and drying the
landscape in its path. Consequently , protected leeward
slopes, or rainshadow areas, are comparatively dry .
Cherrapunji, India, situated at 4,309 feet (1,313 m)
in the foothills of the Himalayas (just north of
Bangladesh), is the record holder for most precipitation
in a single year. T Toronto, Canada, averages 30.1 inches
(76 cm); Atlanta, Georgia, 50.4 inches (128 cm); and
Singapore 89.3 inches (227 cm). In contrast, Cherrapunji
averages 37.5 feet (1,143 cm) of precipitation a year.
Such torrential rains, sweeping against the mountains
from the Bay of Bengal, have caused the deaths of hundreds
of thousands of people.

and 68 F

(16 C) at lower elevations.

Cold increases with elevation. The normal lapse rate
is 3.5

and 20

C per 1,000 m). The impact
of cold is worsened with the wind-chill factor, whereby
body heat is lost more rapidly with stronger winds. Fur-
ther, because of diminished atmospheric density at
higher altitudes, the air' s ability to absorb and radiate
heat is reduced. Exposure to the sun' is ultraviolet energy
is intensified. While high elevations can produce oxygen
deprivation and sunburn, exposure to extreme cold can
induce hypothermia —frostbite with subsequent loss of
body parts, or freezing to death.
Extremely cold temperatures, while found in the
mountains and near the poles, can be experienced in low-
land areas as well. One January , I was in a New Delhi train
station. The platforms were overflowing with hundreds of
homeless individuals and families huddled under blankets
seeking escape from the bitter cold. A newspaper reported
that 17 people had frozen to death in the streets overnight.
With desiccating winds and the coming of summer,
the period of March to June becomes very hot. The winds
begin to shift, and people pray and prepare for the com-
ing of the wet monsoon. Ideally , the wet season occurs
between June and September, but one sure thing about
the monsoon is its unpredictability . If it is early , seeds can
be washed away; if it is late, crops can wither and die.
This explains the many ceremonies and festivals at this
time of year to propitiate various gods and spirits associ-
ated with these essential rains.
At the time of the wet monsoon, continentality
causes a low-pressure zone to develop in the interior.
The ITCZ shifts northward toward the T Tropic of Cancer.
Solar radiation heats the landmass, leaving the surround-
ing waters relatively cooler. A subtropical high-pressure

F per 1,000 feet (6.4

Tropical Cyclones

Another messenger of destruction is the tropical cyclone,
termed a typhoon in the Pacific. T Tropical cyclones typically
develop between the latitudes of 8 and 15 , when sea tem-

peratures rise above 80 C). Beginning as a weak, low-

pressure cell, the typhoon funnels as a deep, circular low .
Moving with prevailing wind systems, it intensifies further
and delivers violent storms. Depending on the location,
typhoons generally strike between May and September.
Here are some details on Asia' s more recent cyclone
disasters.

F (28

• 1991, Bangladesh and India: 138.000 deaths;

2 million displaced

• 1997, Vietnam (Typhoon Tina): 4,000 deaths—

mostly fishermen; 3,000 boats destroyed

• 1999, Orissa State in Eastern India: estimated

10,000 deaths