Climate of the Alps
The climate of the Alps is the climate, or
average weather conditions over a long time,
f the central Alpine region of Europe.
It is well known that as we rise from sea level
into the upper regions of the
atmosphere]] the temperature adiabatic cooling
|decreases]]. The effect of mountain chains
on prevailing winds is to carry warm air
belonging to the lower region into an upper
zone, where it expands in volume at the
cost of a proportionate loss of heat,
often accompanied by the precipitation
of moisture in the form of snow or rain.
of thThe position of the Alps about the centre
European continent has profoundly modified the climate
of all the surrounding regions. The accumulation of
vast masses of snow, which have gradually been
converted into permanent glaciers, maintains
joupa gradation of very different climates within
the narrow space that intervenes between the foot
of the mountains and their upper ridges; it cools
the breezes that are wafted to the plains on
either side, but its most important function is
to regulate the water supply of the large
region which is traversed by the streams of the
Alps. Nearly all the moisture that is precipitated
during six or seven months is stored in the form
of snow, and is gradually diffused
Referenced By
Alps | List of Conservation topics | List of sustainable agriculture topics | WikiProject Conservation worldwide
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