It is speculated that the very high winds of the Andes Mountains lead to acoustic waves, a wave that transmits sound. The acoustic waves eventually heat up the atmosphere at very tremendous rates. Observations of the Andes Mountains show that certain peaks of the mountains are as high as 400 degrees Celsius. The type of pressure most commonly found throughout the whole mountain range of the Andes is thermal pressure. Precipitation in the Andes displays a clear cut diurnal flow, meaning it runs 24 hours. The minimum amount of precipitation in the Andes happens in the morning no matter the season or location in Andes. The highest amount of precipitation occurs near midnight, close to the Cordillera, one of the volcanoes located in the Andes.
This is a radar image of one of the Andean peaks. It illustrates how the atmosphere above the peak reaches extremely high temperatures.
CLIMATE
The Andes Mountains climate changes drastically depending on what part of the Andes you are located in. In some parts of the Andes there are tropical rain forests, while just some miles away, there is a snowy peak. In the Koppen climate classification, the Andes start out at Af, in Colombia, where there are rain forest climates. The Andean "cloud forests" are found here, named because the area is covered in mist and clouds year round, as a result of the warm rain forest air meeting the cold mountain air. The Andes Mountains in Ecuador are classified as Aw meaning that tropical climate surrounds this area and it is very dry. In Bolivia, the Andes Mountains are classified as Bwh meaning that it consists of dry, desert like climates. Chile has two classifications, Csb and Cfb meaning it has warm temperatures, very dry and with precipitation. In Argentina, the Amdes' classification is Bwk which means the climate is just dry year round. All of these different climates are due to the different biomes found in the Andes.
Cloud forests are usually found on mountain ranges in the tropics, only in places that get 20 to 400 inches of rain a year. The warmness and humidity allow for many types of plants to grow here, as well as many species of birds. An abundance in orchids is also observed in the Andean cloud forest.
