Study projects how mountain climate systems will change with rising carbon dioxide

Mountains create their own weather or climate systems by changing airflow and precipitation patterns. Orographic, or mountain-influenced, precipitation occurs as moisture-laden air rises over the high topography; the air cools, condenses, and releases water; and the atmosphere warms with latent heat. But as the world warms and emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) increase, predicting changes in mountain precipitation is becoming more complex.