Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
result from the great contrasts in air masses which develop in the confluence zone in
the lee of the Rockies (Jeglum et al. 2010).
The splitting of the jet streams by the Himalaya has the effect of intensifying the
range's barrier effect and produces a stronger climatic divide. The presence of the Him-
alaya also reverses the direction of the jet streams in early summer. The Tibetan High-
lands act as a “heat engine” in the warm season, with a giant chimney in their south-
eastern corner through which heat is carried upward into the atmosphere. During the
spring, this causes a gradual warming of the upper air above the Himalaya, which weak-
ens and finally eliminates the subtropical westerly jet. The easterly tropical jet then re-
places the subtropical jet during the summer. Thus, the Himalayas are intimately con-
nected with the complex interaction of the upper air and the development of the Indian
monsoon (Xu et al. 2010).
TABLE 3.2
Average Water-Vapor Content of Air with Elevation in the Middle Latitudes
Search WWH ::
Custom Search