While visiting the South Island of New Zealand,you notice that conditions vary sharply across the island.The West Coast is very wet and receives between 600 and 1600 mm of rainfall per year,while the East Coast only receives about 640 mm of rain per year and is very dry.What best explains this regional difference in precipitation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of mountains along the West Coast is likely to be responsible for the difference in rainfall between the East and West Coasts. Mountains can cause "orographic precipitation," which occurs when moist air is lifted up and over mountains, leading to cooling and precipitation on the windward side of the mountains. In this case, the West Coast is the windward side and receives more rainfall, while the East Coast is in the rain shadow and receives less rainfall.

While Visiting the South Island of New Zealand,you Notice That