Why do western slopes of Western Ghats receive orographic rainfall and precipitation different from other parts of the water cycle?
As the summer monsoons approach the West Coast of India, they rise up the Western Ghats and the air cools. This cool air is less able to hold moisture and it is released as rainfall. Precipitation is water that falls from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. Infiltration is precipitation that soaks into the soil. Runoff is precipitation that does not soak into the soil but instead moves on the Earth's surface toward streams. The Western Ghats block rain-bearing winds which cause rainfall on the western slopes. Whereas South-west monsoon moves parallel to the Eastern Ghats, which cause less rainfall because in the Eastern Ghats unable to block moisture-laden winds. The Western Ghats block rain-bearing winds which cause rainfall on the western slopes. Whereas South-west monsoon moves parallel to the Eastern Ghats, which cause less rainfall because in the Eastern Ghats unable to block moisture-laden winds.
Western Ghats receive more rainfall than the Eastern Ghats because (i) Western Ghats receive rainfall from the Arabian Sea monsoon winds. As these winds blow over warm oceans, they bring abundant moisture. (ii) The Ghats do not allow the winds to cross over without shedding their moisture on the Western slopes. The Western Ghats receive rainfall through Mountain type of precipitation. The winds from the Arabian Sea climb the slopes of the Western Ghats from 900-1200 m. Soon, they become cool, and as a result, the windward side of the Western Ghats receives very heavy rainfall ranging between 250 cm and 400 cm. Due to orographic rainfall, the western side of the Western Ghats receives heavy rainfall, more than 250cm rainfall per year. The Western Ghats block rain-bearing winds which cause rainfall on the western slopes. Whereas South-west monsoon moves parallel to the Eastern Ghats, which cause less rainfall because in the Eastern Ghats unable to block moisture-laden winds. Winds from the Arabian Sea ascend from 900 to 1200 m up the slopes of the Western Ghats. They soon become cool and as a result, very heavy rainfall ranging from 250 cm to 400 cm occurs on the windward side of the Western Ghats. These winds descend and get heated up after crossing the Western Ghats. The high montage forest ecosystems influence the Indian monsoon weather pattern. The Ghats act as a key barrier, intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer. In orographic rainfall, the windward slope of the mountain receives maximum rain and the leeward slope remains generally drier and is known as the rain shadow area.