rain shadow
1
6.7
- noun
- /reɪn ˈʃædoʊ/
- Specialized
:
sombra de lluvia
- These differences probably result from the location of the Andes barrier on the western side of South America in the belt of westerly winds, which leaves much of the continent in the rain shadow.
- rain shadow effect
Examples
-
The farmer had to adapt his crops to thrive in the rain shadow, where rainfall was scarce.
-
A rain shadow, Maggie explained: the upper slopes took all the moisture.
Fiction book (2001) -
We're in the rain shadow of the Cascades; most of the moisture usually drops on the west slope before crossing the divide.
Blog text (16) -
The third principal region of Nepal, the inner valleys, lies north of the high Himals in the rain shadow of the mountains.
Academic text (1990) -
These valleys are found in the total rain shadow north of the Himalayan chain and are based on irrigated agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade.
Academic text (1990) -
The eastern region has a noticeable rain shadow because the mountains block the moisture-laden winds.
-
In the rain shadow of the Rockies, the landscape is much drier than on the western slopes.
Antonyms
How Dry
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound links 'rain' and 'shadow' metaphorically so that a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer it refers to an area with reduced rainfall (a 'shadow' cast with respect to rain). However, the precise meteorological mechanism (sheltering by mountains on the leeward side) is technical and not fully predictable from the literal constituents, making the term partially but not fully transparent.
Etymology
Rain shadow comes from a simple picture: mountains block the rain, so the land behind them sits in a kind of shadow and gets 'little rain'. That's why a rain shadow means an area with 'little rain'.