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Monsoon Definition: a seasonal gradient wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet and rainy part), or from the northeast between October and April (the dry part ).

How are they caused?: Monsoons are caused by temperature differences in the air over land and sea. They blow from colder to warmer areas. In a monsoon region in summer the land and the air above become super hot. The nearby sea and the air above it are cooler. Hot air is lighter than cold air, so the hot air over the land rises. The cooler sea air then rushes in to replace the air that has risen. This is the summer monsoon. The monsoon winds are heavy with moisture from water that evaporated from the sea. The moisture is dropped over the land in the form of heavy rains. In winter the situation is just the opposite. The air above the land cools to a temperature lower than that of the air above the sea. The warmer sea air rises, and the cooler air blows from the land to the sea to take its place. This is the winter monsoon. Because the winds coming from dry land carry little water, the monsoon region has a dry winter.

Where do they come from: Most summer monsoons come from the west, and most winter monsoons come from the east. In South Asia the summer monsoon blows from the southwest to the northeast,from the Indian Ocean to India.In Southeast Asia the source of water for monsoon rains is the South China Sea.And in West Africa it is the Atlantic Ocean.

How much rain can they produce: well some of Earth’s rainiest places are in the path of the Indian monsoon, and in the town of Cherrapunji, in northeastern India, the an average rainfall during a monsoon is about 107 inches!And that's just for July! In Southeast Asia the source of water for monsoon rains is the South China Sea. In West Africa it is the Atlantic Ocean.

Are these good for ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING!: Monsoons are very important to farming in India and other places. Farmers depend on the monsoon rains to grow their harvests. But the amount and the timing of the rains can change greatly from year to year, so the farmers have to plant them at the exact right time or else the harvest could be over or under watered.