22 FE. Loomis—Contributions to Meteorology. 
nent, prevents the eastward extension of this desert. But 
while the chain of the Rocky Mountains limits the desert 
region on the east, the desert is extended northward to Salt 
Lake by the influence of the mountain ranges on the east and 
west arse oH eis in the mode already explained in the case 
of the des 
The dotlowiive are believed to be the principal causes of 
excessive rain-fa 
e meeting “of the northeast and southeast aeigy winds 
resulting in a great rain-belt surrounding the glo 
. The irregular barometric depressions of the ida lati- 
tudes. The average track of great barometric depressions is 
not as distinctly marked by an excess of rain-fall as might 
expected; nevertheless storm tracks exhibit a tendency “i 
incline veeanes districts where the rain-fall is unusually great, 
undland, Iceland, coast of Norway, North Italy, ete. 
3. Mountain ranges causing increased rain-fall on the side 
from which the prevalent wind proceeds, as shown on pages 
16-18. 
4. Proximity to the ocean, especially when the prevalent 
wind comes from the ocean, e. g. Western Europe; eastern 
coast of South America, Africa and Australia. 
5. Capes and headlands projecting considerably into the 
ocean generally receive a greater rain-fall than neighboring dis- 
tricts, e. g. Cape Hatteras, Newfoundland, abaigiches coast of 
Ireland and England, Cape of Good Hope, e 
The following are some of the causes of aedciers rain-fall : 
nearly uniform direction of the winds throughout the 
year, such as prevails within a portion of the system of the 
trade winds, Lata Py in mid-ocean, and to some extent over 
the continents g. Ascension Island, the Sahara, Southern 
a South. Kiica and Australia 
he prevalent wind, aveon jase 2a ver a range of ele- 
ae mountains, descends upon the pale side, e. g. desert 
of Gobi, Tartary, Chili, North America east of the Rocky 
Mountains, central portion of Spain, ete. 
3. Ranges of mountains so situated as to obstruct the free 
phone of the surface winds toward a central region, e. g- 
Soveta f Gobi, Tartary, Southern California, Salamanca in 
ain 
Pe Re eenathcueal from the ocean measured in the direction from 
which the prevalent wind proceeds. There is a marked dimi- 
nution in the mean annual rain-fall as we advance eastward 
from Western Europe. A similar effect is noticeable in many 
other parts of the lee but it is generally complicated by the 
combination of other causes 
5. High latitude. Gisdud the parallel of 60° N. latitude, at 
