Types of Precipitation

Type of Precipitation

Precipitation is often classified according to the factors responsible for the air mass lifting. There are three main types of Precipitation,

• Orographic Precipitation
• Convective Precipitation
• Cyclonic Precipitation

Orographic Precipitation: 

This type of precipitation occurs when moist air mass may get lifted up to higher altitude due to presence of mountain barriers because they can not move forward. Due to rise, air undergo cooling, condensation and precipitation 

Convective Precipitation: 

It is caused due to pocket of air is warmer than the surrounding air. The warmer air is lesser dense in comparison to colder one. Due to localized heating, air becomes warm and rises up and air from colder area flow towards to fill the void. The warmer air continue to rise, undergo cooling and result in precipitation.

Convective precipitation occurs in the form of shower of high intensity and short duration.

Cyclonic Precipitation: 

A cyclone is a large low pressure low pressure region with circular wind motion.  In low pressure area, air will flow horizontally from the surrounding area, causing the air in the low pressure area to lift causing precipitation.

Types of Cyclone :

• Frontal Cyclone
• Tropical Cyclone
• Extra Tropical Cyclone
• Anti Cyclone

Frontal Cyclone :

It is formed due to cold air and warm air mass meet under opportune ( favourable) condition. As we know cold air having high density as compare to warm air so cold air settle down and warm air is lifted up.

Tropical Cyclone :

In this type of cyclone isobars are closely spaced and winds are anticlockwise in northern hemisphere. Here pressure increases towards outer edge of cyclone. 

Extra Tropical Cyclone :

These type of cyclone are formed at outside the tropical zone. This cyclones have strong counter clockwise wind circulation in the northern hemisphere. 

Anti Cyclone :

In this type of cyclone wind circulation is clockwise in the northern hemisphere.