Shift It! Let's meet Monsoon!

A monsoon is known as a seasonal wind shift. A monsoon is caused by the movement northward from winter to summer of the huge upper level subtropical high pressure system, specifically known as the Bermuda High, and the intense heating of the Mohave Desert creates rising air and surface low pressure, called a thermal low. These two features combine to create strong southerly flow over Arizona. The southerly low-level winds help to bring in moisture from Mexico, originally coming from a combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of California, and the Pacific Ocean. When this moisture encounters the higher terrain of Arizona, it gets lifted and forms thunderstorms. These thunderstorms can contain very heavy rainfall, hail, strong gusty winds, or a combination of these conditions, which killed more than 240 people in southern India after four days of heavy rainfall at the end of their monsoon season. The sudden rains, coming after a severe drought, deluged villages and caused widespread disruption in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Within the months of May and June tend to be very dry and warm months in Arizona. By the end of June, afternoon clouds can be seen building over the higher terrain of northern Arizona, and by the beginning of July, the skies typically begin to release its store of moisture. The monsoon circulation does not produce thunderstorms every day during the months of July-September.

I believe that monsoons are dangerous because they can cause thunderstorms and floods.

1. What is a monsoon?

2. What 2 major factors cause monsoons?

3. Give 2 reasons why monsoons could be considered a good thing.

4. Give 2 negatives of monsoons.

5. Why did so many people die here? What exactly happened? Please be complete :)

6. After everything that you have read about monsoons, what do you think? Are they good or bad? Why?