Chapter 11, Problem 142RQ

When warm, moist air sweeps in from the ocean and rises over a mountain range, it expands and cools. Explain how this cooling is related to the attractive forces between gas molecules. Why does this cause rain to form? When the air drops down the far side of the range, its pressure rises as it is compressed. Explain why this causes the air temperature to rise. How does the humidity of this air compare with the air that originally came in off the ocean? Now explain why the coast of California is lush farmland, whereas valleys (such as Death Valley) that lie to the cast of the tall Sierra Nevada mountains are arid and dry.