Terrain cross-section of the Americas: windward and leeward slopes

GeographyRegions & CountriesAges 12–13

Choose a cross-section through North America (about 40°N) or South America (about 20°S) to see three north–south belts of relief: high mountains in the west (the Cordillera, the Andes), plains in the middle, and older mountains or plateaus in the east. Press Run to send a moist air mass along the wind's path: it cools and drops rain as it climbs the windward slope, then dries out and warms as it descends the leeward slope, creating a desert right next to a wet region. The rainfall bars below the cross-section show the relative rainfall at each point.