How It Works

The engine is simple: land and ocean heat at different speeds.

• Summer: Land warms fast and forms low pressure. Moist sea air rushes in and dumps rain.
• Winter: Land cools fast and forms high pressure. Dry air flows back out to sea.

This is not just an Asian story. West Africa, northern Australia, and the American Southwest run on the same land-sea temperature contrast. Mountains then sharpen the effect by forcing rising air to drop its water.