Deserts caused by a rain shadow occur on the east (leeward) side of the Sierra Nevada range in California. Why does the desert exist on the east side, but not the west side of the range?
A)Warm, moist air coming off the ocean rises as it encounters the mountain range and releases all its water as it moves up the mountain and the air cools. Dry air moving down the other side of the mountain causes arid desert.
B)The air cools as it goes over the mountain and the dry air pulls moisture from the ground on the east side of the mountain.
C)The soil at the top of the mountains is cool so all the water is frozen in the soil and it cannot evaporate into the air to be carried to the east side of the mountain.
D)Lakes on the east side of the mountain keep enough moisture in the air to prevent moist air from releasing its water when it moves to the east side.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Warm, moist air coming off the ocean rises as it encounters the Sierra Nevada mountain range, causing it to release its water. This results in wet conditions on the west (windward) side of the range. As the air moves over the top of the mountains and descends on the east (leeward) side, it becomes dry, resulting in arid desert conditions.

Deserts Caused by a Rain Shadow Occur on the East