An example of a rain shadow.

A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee back side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them.

As shown by the diagram to the right, the incoming warm and moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds towards the top of the mountains where it condenses and precipitates before it crosses the top. The air, without much moisture left, advances behind the mountains creating a dryer side called "rain shadow."

Description[link]

The condition exists because warm moist air rises through "orographic lifting" to the top of a mountain range. Because of decreasing atmospheric pressure with increasing altitude, the air has expanded and adiabatically cooled to the point that the air reaches its adiabatic dew point (which is not the same as its constant pressure dew point commonly reported in weather forecasts). At the adiabatic dew point, moisture condenses onto the mountain and it precipitates on the top and windward sides of the mountain. The air descends on the leeward side, but because of the process of precipitation, it has lost much of its initial moisture. Typically, descending air also gets warmer because of adiabatic compression (see Foehn winds) down the leeward side of the mountain, creating an arid region.^[1]

Regions of notable rain shadow[link]

The Tibetan Plateau (top), perhaps the best example of a rain shadow. Rain does not make it past the Himalayas, leading to an arid climate on the leeward side of the mountain range.

There are regular patterns of prevailing winds found in bands round the Earth's equatorial region. The zone designated the trade winds is the zone between about 30° N and 30° S, blowing predominantly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. The westerlies are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing predominantly from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere. The strongest westerly winds in the middle latitudes can come in the Roaring Forties between 30 and 50 degrees latitude.^{[citation needed]}

Examples of notable rain shadowing include:

Asia[link]

The Agasthiyamalai hills cut off Tirunelveli (India) from the monsoons, creating a rainshadow region

• The peaks of the Caucasus Mountains to the west and Hindukush and Pamir to the east rain shadow the Karakum and Kyzyl Kum deserts east of the Caspian Sea, as well as the semi-arid Kazakh Steppe.
• The Judean Desert and the Dead Sea are rain shadowed by the Judean Hills.
• The Dasht-i-Lut in Iran is in the rain shadow of the Elburz and Zagros Mountains and is one of the most lifeless areas on Earth.
• The Himalaya and connecting ranges also contribute to arid conditions in Central Asia including Mongolia's Gobi desert, as well as the semi-arid steppes of Mongolia and north-central to north western China.
• The Ordos Desert is rain shadowed by mountain chains including the Kara-naryn-ula, the Sheitenula, and the Yin Mountains, which link on to the south end of the Great Khingan Mountains.
• The Great Indian Desert or Thar desert is bounded and rain shadowed by the Aravalli ranges to the south-east, the Himalaya to the northeast, and the Kirthar and Sulaiman ranges to the west.
• Eastern Side of Sahyadri ranges on Deccan Plateau of India.

South America[link]

• The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest desert on Earth because it is blocked from moisture on both sides (by the Andes Mountains to the east and high pressure over the Pacific at a latitude which keeps moisture from coming in from the west).
• The Argentinian wine region of Mendoza is almost completely dependent on irrigation, using water drawn from the many rivers that drain glacial ice from the Andes. The nearby Chilean wine region of Valle Central on the other hand, is situated on the Chilean side of the Andes and experiences a maritime climate.
• Patagonia is rain shadowed from the prevailing westerly winds by the Andes range and is arid (e.g., in Santa Cruz few spots are capable of cultivation, the pastures being poor, water insufficient and salt lagoons fairly numerous).
• The Guajira Peninsula in northern Colombia is in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and despite its tropical latitude is almost arid, receiving almost no rainfall for seven to eight months of the year and being incapable of cultivation without irrigation.

North America and the Caribbean[link]

Most rainshadows in the western United States are due to the Sierra Nevada and Cascades,^[2] that intercept rain and snowfall that would otherwise reach a valley in the lee of the mid-latitude prevailing westerlies.

• The deserts of the Basin and Range Province in the United States and Mexico, which includes the dry areas east of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington and the Great Basin, which covers almost all of Nevada and parts of Utah are rain shadowed.
• The east slopes of the Coast Ranges in central and southern California also cut off the southern San Joaquin Valley from enough precipitation to ensure desert-like conditions in areas around Bakersfield.
• San Jose, California is usually drier than the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area because of the rain shadow cast by the Santa Cruz Mountains.
• The Dungeness Valley around Sequim, Washington lies in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. The area averages 10–15 inches of rain per year, less than half of the amount received in nearby Port Angeles and approximately 10% of that which falls in Forks on the western side of the mountains.
• The dry precipitation regime of the Great Plains of Western Canada and the central USA can be attributed in large part to the rain shadow of the North American Cordillera.
• The Mojave, Black Rock, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts all are in regions which are rain shadowed.
• The aptly named Death Valley in the United States, behind both the Pacific Coast Ranges of California and the Sierra Nevada range, is one of the driest places on the planet.
• The Colorado Front Range is limited to the rainfall that makes it over the continental divide. While many places west of the divide receive as much as 40 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation throughout the year, some places on the east side, notably Evergreen, Colorado and Denver, Colorado only receive about 17-19 inches. Thus, the continental divide acts as a barrier for the precipitation. This effect only applies to west to east storms. When low pressure areas skirt the Rocky Mountains to the south, they can give high precipitation to the east side and none to the west side.
• In the islands of Hispaniola, Cuba and Jamaica, the southwestern sides are in the rain shadow of the trade winds and can receive as little as 400 millimetres (16 in) per year as against over 2,000 millimetres (79 in) on the northeastern, windward sides and over 5,000 millimetres (200 in) over some highland areas.

Europe[link]

• The Pennines of Northern England, the Welsh Mountains, and the Highlands of Scotland create a large rain shadow that covers almost the entirety of the Eastern United Kingdom, with Glasgow and Manchester for example receiving around double the rainfall of Edinburgh and York respectively. The contrast is even stronger further north, where Aberdeen gets around a third the rainfall of Fort William or Skye. The Fens of East Anglia receive similar rainfall amounts to Seville.^[3]
• The Cantabrian Mountains make a sharp divide between "Green Spain" to the north and the dry central plateau. The northern-facing slopes receive heavy rainfall from the Bay of Biscay, but the southern slopes are in rain shadow. The most evident effect on the Iberian Peninsula occurs in the Almería, Murcia and Alicante areas, each with an average rainfall of 300 mm and the driest spot in Europe (see Cabo de Gata) mostly a result of the mountainous range running through their western side, which blocks the westerlies.
• Some valleys in the inner Alps are also strongly rainshadowed by the high surrounding mountains.
• The Plains of Limagne and Forez in the northern Massif Central, France, are also relatively rainshadowed (mostly the plain of Limagne, shadowed by the Chaîne des Puys (up to 2000mm of rain a year on the summits and below 600mm on Clermont-Ferrand, which is one of the driest places in the country).
• The Piedmont wine region of northern Italy is rainshadowed by the mountains that surround it on nearly every side; Asti receives only 527 mm of precipitation each year, making it one of the driest places in mainland Italy.^[4]
• The valley of the Vardar River from Skopje to Athens is in the rain shadow of the Prokletije, which on its windward side has the highest rainfall in Europe at around 5,000 millimetres (200 in) with small glaciers even at mean annual temperatures well above 0 °C (32 °F), but on its leeward side receives as little as 400 millimetres (16 in).
• The Scandinavian Mountains create a rain shadow for lowland areas east of the mountain chain and prevents the Oceanic climate from penetrating further east; thus Bergen west of the mountains receives 2,250 mm precipitation annually while Oslo receives only 760 mm, and Skjåk, a municipality situated in a deep valley, receives only 280 mm.

Africa[link]

• The windward side of the island of Madagascar, which sees easterly on-shore winds, is wet tropical, while the western and southern sides of the island lie in the rain shadow of the central highlands and are home to thorn forests and deserts. The same is true for the island of Réunion.
• In Western Cape Province, the Breede River Valley and the Karoo lie in the rain shadow of the Cape Fold Mountains and are arid; whereas the wettest parts of the Cape Mountains can receive 1,500 millimetres (59 in), Worcester receives only around 200 millimetres (8 in) and is useful only for grazing.
• The formation of the Atlas Mountains has been deemed at least partially responsible for the climatic change which eventually created the Sahara. There is a strong rain shadow effect to the south side of the mountains.

Oceania[link]

• Hawaii also has rain shadows, with some areas being desert, much to the surprise of many tourists.^{[citation needed]} Orographic lifting produces the world's second-highest annual precipitation record, 12.7 meters (500 inches), on the island of Kauai; the leeward side is understandably rain-shadowed.^[1] The entire island of Kahoolawe lies in the rain shadow of Maui's East Maui Volcano.
• New Caledonia lies astride the Tropic of Capricorn, between 19° and 23° south latitude. The climate of the islands is tropical, and rainfall is brought by trade winds from the east. The western side of the Grande Terre lies in the rain shadow of the central mountains, and rainfall averages are significantly lower.
• On the South Island of New Zealand is to be found one of the most remarkable rain shadows anywhere on Earth. The Southern Alps intercept moisture coming off the Tasman Sea, precipitating about 6,300 mm (250 in) to 8,900 mm (350 in) liquid water equivalent per year and creating large glaciers. To the east of the Southern Alps, scarcely 50 km (30 mi) from the snowy peaks, yearly rainfall drops to less than 760 mm (30 in) and some areas less than 380 mm (15 in).
• In Tasmania, one of the states of Australia, the central Midlands region is in a strong rain shadow and receives only about a fifth as much rainfall as the highlands to the west.
• In New South Wales and Victoria (both states of Australia), the Monaro is shielded by both the Snowy Mountains to the northwest and coastal ranges to the southeast. Consequently, parts of it are as dry as the wheat-growing lands of those states.
• Also in Victoria, the western side of Port Phillip Bay is in the rain shadow of the Otway Ranges. The area between Geelong and Werribee is the driest part of southern Victoria: the crest of the Otway Ranges receives 2,000 millimetres (79 in) of rain per year and has myrtle beech rainforests much further west than anywhere else, whilst the area around Little River receives as little as 425 millimetres (16.7 in) annually, which is as little as Nhill or Longreach and supports only grassland.
• Western Australia's Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions are shielded by the Darling Range to the west: Mandurah, near the coast, receives about 700 millimetres (28 in) annually. Dwellingup, 40 km inland and in the heart of the ranges, receives over 1,000 millimetres (39 in) a year while Narrogin, 130 km further east, receives less than 500 millimetres (20 in) a year(365 days).

See also[link]

• Orographic precipitation
• Foehn wind
• Lake effect

References[link]

External links[link]

• USA Today on rain shadows
• Weather pages on rain shadows

Tigran Hamasyan
Background information
Born	(1987-07-17)July 17, 1987 Gyumri, Armenia
Genres	Jazz
Instruments	Piano
Years active	2001
Website	tigranhamasyan.com

Tigran Hamasyan (born July 17, 1987) is an Armenian jazz pianist. He plays mostly original compositions, which are strongly influenced by the Armenian folk tradition, often using its scales and modalities. In addition to Tigran's folk influence, he is much influenced by American jazz tradition and to some extent, as on his album Red Hail, by progressive rock. His most recent album, entitled A Fable, which is a solo album, is most strongly influenced by Armenian folk music. Even on his most overt jazz compositions and renditions of well-known jazz pieces, his improvisations often contain embellishments based on scales from Middle Eastern/South Western Asian traditions.

Awards[link]

• 2002: 3rd Prize Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal (Paris).
• 2003: 1st Prize Jazz à Juan Révélations in the jazz instrumental category.
• 2003: 1st Prize Prix de la Critique et du Public, Concours de Piano du Montreux Jazz Festival.
• 2005: 3rd Prize Concours de Piano-Jazz de Moscou.
• 2005: 1st Prize 8ème Concours de Solistes de Jazz de Monaco.
• 2006: 1st Prize Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.^[1]
• 2006: 2nd Prize Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal.

Discography[link]

As leader

• World Passion (2006) Nocturne
• New Era (2007) Plus Loin Music
• Arrata Rebirth: Red Hail (2009) Plus Loin Music
• A Fable (2011) Verve
• EP No. 1 (2011) Released exclusively on vinyl and digital download

As sideman

• Abu Nawas Rhapsody (2010) Jazzland Records, with Dhafer Youssef,

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. It includes attribution to IMDb, which may not be a reliable source for biographical information. Please help by adding additional, reliable sources for verification. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2010)

Heather Mitchell (born 1958), is an Australian actress, appearing in Australian productions of Stage, television and film. She is a graduate of NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art). She is best known as the lead-actress in the 1990s television show – Spellbinder.

Career[link]

Television[link]

Mitchell is well known for her performance as "Ashka" in the Australian/Polish co-productions of Spellbinder, and Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord. The series was a popular children's fantasy program first broadcast in 1995.

Other television series include: Five Mile Creek, the miniseries Bodyline (1984), I Can't Get Started (1985), Land Of Hope (1986) as Helen Davies (10 episodes), Embassy and A Country Practice. In 1998, she starred in the miniseries drama The Day of the Roses, in which she played a victim of the 1977 Granville railway disaster.

Tele-movies[link]

Mitchell starred in Cody I: A Family Affair (1994), Cody II: Bad Love (1994), Cody III: The Tipoff (1994), Cody VI: The Wrong Stuff (1994).

Movies[link]

Films in which she appeared, include:

• Malcolm (1986),
• The Place at the Coast (1987),
• The Everlasting Secret Family (1988),
• Proof (1991),
• Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997),
• Seven Deadly Sins (1993),
• Muriel's Wedding (1994),
• Children of the Revolution (1996),
• A Little Bit of Soul (1998),
• The Love Of Lionel's Life (2000),
• On the Beach (2000),
• Black And White (2002),
• Travelling Light (2003),
• The Brush-Off (2004)
• Rogue (2007)
• Griff the Invisible (2011)

She appeared in the 2006 Australian tele-movie The Society Murders as Sally Wales, starring alongside Georgie Parker. Other tele-movies she has appeared in include Emerald Falls.

Stage Appearances[link]

Theatre productions include 'The White Devil' (August 2000), 'Bye Bye Birdie' (March 2001)
Mitchell played Hamlet's mother Gertrude in "Bell Shakespeare's Hamlet" at the Playhouse, Arts Centre, Melbourne, in July 2008. [1] She also recently appeared as the annoyingly adorable character in Belvoir St Theatre's 'Neighbourhood Watch'.

Private life[link]

Attended Camden High School in Camden, New South Wales between 1971–1976 and was School Captain in her final year.

External links[link]

• Heather Mitchell at the Internet Movie Database
• Photo of Heather Mitchell and Colin Friels

This article about an Australian actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2010)

Kathryn Tickell
Background information
Born	(1967-06-08) 8 June 1967 (age 45) Northumbria, England
Genres	English folk music
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Northumbrian smallpipes, fiddle
Years active	1986–present
Associated acts	The Kathryn Tickell Band
Website	www.kathryntickell.com

Kathryn Tickell (born 8 June 1967) is an English player of the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle.^[1] She has recorded over a dozen albums, and toured widely.

Life and career[link]

Tickell took up the smallpipes aged nine, inspired by her family—especially her father Mike, who was heavily involved in the local traditional music scene—and by the music of an older generation of traditional musicians such as Willie Taylor, Will Atkinson, Joe Hutton, Richard Moscrop, Billy Pigg and Tom Hunter. By the time she turned thirteen in 1980, Kathryn had won all the traditional open smallpipes competitions, and was also making a name as an accomplished player of the Shetland fiddle style which she learned from the Shetland fiddle master Tom Anderson at Stirling University's traditional folk summer school.^[2] Tickell has also incorporated the Border pipes into her traditional ensemble.^[3] Her family is from the North Tyne Valley area of Northumberland.^[1]

Her first album, On Kielder Side, was released in 1984. In the same year she was named the official piper for the Lord Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Tickell turned professional in 1986. She has since toured Europe regularly and has recorded with international performers such as The Chieftains, The Boys of the Lough, and Sting.

In 1990 she formed the Kathryn Tickell Band. As of 2005, the band consisted of her father's stepson Peter Tickell (fiddle), Julian Sutton (melodeon), Ian Stephenson (guitar, acoustic bass guitar), and herself (Northumbrian pipes and fiddle).

Two ex-members of the north-eastern traditional music group the High Level Ranters have appeared on her albums: Tom Gilfellon on On Kielder Side and Alistair Anderson on Borderlands (1986). The latter album included to a tribute to Wark football team.

Several other pipers have appeared on her albums: Troy Donockley on Debatable Lands, Patrick Molard on The Gathering and Martyn Bennett on Borderlands. Debatable Lands included "Our Kate", a composition by Kathryn Tickell dedicated to Catherine Cookson. Jazz saxophonist Andy Sheppard wrote a piece with her in 2001. It was premiered at the opening of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.

In 2002 Tickell became director of "Folkestra North", a project to develop young talented musicians, aged between 14 and 19.

In 2009, she was awarded The Queen's Medal for Music.

Discography[link]

• On Kielder Side (1984)
• From Sewingshields to Glendale (1986) compilation album with Alistair Anderson, Joe Hutton, Willy Taylor, Will Atkinson, Mike Tickell and others
• Borderlands (1987)
• Common Ground (1989)
• The Kathryn Tickell Band (1991)
• Signs (1993)
• The Gathering (1997)
• The Northumberland Collection (1998)
• Debatable Lands (1999)
• Ensemble Mystical (2000)
• Music for a New Crossing (2001)
• Back to the Hills (2002)
• Air Dancing (2004)
• The Sky Didn't Fall (2006)
• Strange But True (2006)
• Instrumental (2007)
• Durham Concerto (2008, with Jon Lord)
• What We Do (2008, with Peter Tickell)

References[link]

External links[link]

• The official Kathryn Tickell website
• Kathryn Tickell's Record Label