What occurs when a moist air mass encounters a mountain range?

When a moist air mass encounters a mountain range, it is forced to rise due to the topography of the landscape. As the air rises, it cools at higher altitudes because the temperature decreases with elevation. This cooling causes the moisture in the air to condense into clouds and ultimately fall as precipitation, typically on the windward side of the mountain. This process is known as orographic lift.

Once the air mass has crossed over the mountain and descends on the leeward side, it warms up and becomes drier. This phenomenon can lead to the creation of a rain shadow effect, whereby the area on the leeward side receives significantly less precipitation compared to the windward side. As a result, regions in the rain shadow may experience arid or semi-arid conditions.

In summary, the correct answer highlights the relationship between elevation changes caused by mountains and the resulting weather patterns associated with moist air masses encountering those mountains.