Why is rainfall unevenly distributed on Earth’s surface?

Question

Why is rainfall unevenly distributed on Earth’s surface? Which regions tend to have a lot of rainfall, and why? Which regions are dry and why?

Obviously I understand there is a unequal distribution in rain. But I'm asking why? What causes rain clouds to form in certain areas while they are non existent in others.

Answer 1

The most important reason is the Hadley circulation. Warm moist air rises near the equator, cools and precipitates rain, them spreads outward toward the poles and descends near 30 degrees north and south. The descending air gets hotter and dryer, and almost all of the world's great deserts lie in that area. Further north or south, the circulation proceeds in the opposite direction, so the temperate regions get more rainfall. Still further north, you have descending air over the poles, so the polar regions get very little precipitation.

Answer 2

The simplest answer is the atmospheric circulation. There is a belt of low pressure around the equator, a belt of high pressure about 30-40°N and S, another belt of low pressure associated with the polar front and high pressure at the poles. Air rises in low pressure areas and produces cloud. Air descends in high pressure areas and does not produce cloud.

Have a look at a globe or an atlas and determine where all the non-polar deserts are. You will find them all around 30-40° N and S under the sub-tropical ridge. No cloud - no rain.

There are many other factors involved of course but that is the basic reason.

Answer 3

in case you think of approximately it, warmth capability is incredibly temperature. components on the equator are warm because of the fact they're closer to the sunlight, and recive extra daylight hours by way of the day. additionally components such because of the fact the tropics of maximum cancers and caprincorn are warm becaue warm air rises from the equator and is blown there, via the time it gets there is its dry. components like the united kingdom dont recive as lots sunlight, thefore are less warm, plus humidity is a ingredient beacuse clouds can save in warmth, or mirror it out

Answer 4

Is this a joke? Due to proximity to oceans, local topology, local soil, etc...........rainfall is unevenly distributed because water, tectonic plates, and soil is not homogeneous across the planet.

Answer 5

I believe so.. In LA we barely have any rain while somewhere they have. I think is that the earth had change to become warmer.