Why do clouds form near mountains?
Clouds form when damp air is forced upwards to pass over a mountain range. Air is forced up the face of the mountain because it is unable to go around it. There is usually a high wind on the top of the mountain. As it rises, the air becomes cooler and the moisture in the air condenses to form water droplets, resulting in the formation of clouds. This explains why there is often high rainfall and snow in mountainous regions.
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What is a rockslide?
Rock is broken away from the mountainside by the effects of freezing. Rainwater enters cracks in the rock and as it freezes, it expands and opens the crack wider. As the thaw begins the pieces of rock splinter and separate from the bedrock. Loose rock builds up continuously on a mountainside, but usually only small pieces slide down. This loose broken rock is called scree.
A rockslide takes place when the mass of broken pieces of rock slides down the side of a mountain. This usually happens in very wet weather, when rain lubricates the rock and allows it to slide freely down the mountainside, mixed with a torrent of mud.
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