| Monsoon circulation occurs in the
Indian Ocean and southern Asia area. This area is different from the
Atlantic and Pacific because the northern hemisphere is land and the
southern hemisphere is ocean. This creates a heating difference that
creates severe weather patterns. Monsoons cause flooding of key
agricultural land in the southern Asian countries. It causes thousands
of deaths every year because of the fury of monsoons.
Air pressure is one of the primary factors for
monsoons. In the summer, a high pressure area lies over the Indian
Ocean while a low exists over the Asian continent. The air masses move
from the high pressure over the ocean to the low over the continent,
bringing moisture-laden air to south Asia.
During winter, the process is reversed and a low
sits over the Indian Ocean while a high pressure area lies over the
Tibetan plateau so air flows down the Himalaya and south to the ocean.
The migration of trade winds and westerlies also contributes to
the monsoons. |
