The Role of Mountain Flows in Making Clouds

Abstract

Mountains disrupt basic airflows to force ascending air currents and initiate clouds. Clouds are produced when air becomes saturated and water condenses. Air can be brought to saturation by evaporation, by cooling, or by expansion from adiabatic lifting---adiabatic lifting being the most important process in the atmosphere. Mountains produce rising motion and adiabatic ascent in two ways, forced ascent and convergence caused by the heating of elevated topography.