The Olympic Peninsula Rain Forest

The Olympic Peninsula is West of Seattle. It contains mountains and a temperate rain forest. West of the Olympic Peninsula is the Pacific Ocean.

Answer all questions on a sheet of paper.

• How does a temperate rain forest differ from a tropical rain forest?
• What effect do the mountains have on rainfall in the region surrounding the Olympic Peninsula?
• Look at a precipitation map of Washington State.
• Which areas get the greatest amount of rain? How much?
• Which areas get the least amount of rain? How much?
• Why is there such a difference?

You have seen some examples of the phases of the water cycle. You know that in the water cycle, water evaporates into the atmosphere where it undergoes condensation and then returns to the earth's surface as precipitation (rain, snow, or hail). The water can be stored temporarily in lakes, glaciers, or underground. Water can also be stored in living things. The water then moves from these storage places into streams and rivers and returns to the oceans, or is evaporated directly back to the atmosphere.

Now look at a rainfall map of the Sequim area.

Do you think it is raining in the Sequim area right now? Give a reason to support your conclusion. Check your prediction.

• Examine the average precipitation for this month over the past few years. What is the likelihood of rain on any given day (give as a percentage)?

Forks is a town on the West coast of the Olympic Peninsula. Do you think it is raining in the Forks area right now? Give a reason to support your conclusion. Check your prediction. NEXRAD data

• Examine the average precipitation for this month over the past few years. What is the likelihood of rain on any given day (give as a percentage)?
• Why is there such a difference in rainfall between Sequim and Forks?
• What phases of the water cycle are represented by rainfall maps and rainfall data?
• Give at least two characteristics of the Olympic Peninsula that contribute to the differences in rainfall. Look at a relief map of the Peninsula for some clues.
• Where does the precipitation that falls on the Olympic Peninsula go?
• How does the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State demonstrate the Water Cycle?

• Water, A Never Ending Story (this module's first page)
• The Water Cycle (this module's second page)
• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Precipitation
• Saturation
• Where Does The Water Go?
• The Whole Water Cycle
• Teacher's Reference Page