Mawsynram
Encyclopedia
Mawsynram is a village in the East Khasi Hills district
of Meghalaya
state in north-eastern India
, 56 kilometers from Shillong
. It is reportedly the wettest place on Earth, with an annual rainfall of 11872 millimetres (467.4 in). According to the Guinness Book of World Records
Mawsynram received an incredible 26000 millimetres (1,023.6 in) in 1985.
Oxford geographer Nick Middleton
's book on people who live in extreme climates, Going to Extremes (ISBN 0-330-49384-1), chronicles his visit to the village, and describes how the inhabitants cope with such extreme precipitation.
, on the Khasi Hills
. Name of village contains Maw, a Khasi
word meaning stone and thus might refer to certain megalith
s in surroundings. Khasi Hills are rich with such megaliths - Khasi monoliths erected fairly recently to commemorate important events and people.
(India
) appears to be the wettest place in the world or the place with the highest average annual rainfall. However, the village does not have a proper meteorological station and NOAA
indicates Lloró
in Colombia
as the wettest place on Earth. Mawsynram, receives nearly 12 m of rain in an average year, and a vast majority of it falls during the monsoon months. A comparison of rainfalls for Cherrapunji and Mawsynram for some years is given in Table 1.
Table 1: Comparison of rainfalls for Cherrapunji and Mawsynram for some years.
Three reasons can be cited for high rainfall at Mawsynram:
1. The warm moist winds of the northward-moving air from the Bay of Bengal
during the monsoon, which cover an extensive area but are forced to converge into the narrower zone over the Khasi Hills, thus concentrating their moisture.
2. The alignment of the Khasi Hills (east to west) places them directly in the path of the airflow from the Bay of Bengal, producing a significant uplift
(plus cooling, further condensation and thus more rain).
3. Finally, uplift over the Khasi Hills is virtually continuous in the monsoon period because the lifted air is constantly being pulled up by vigorous winds in the upper atmosphere
, hence the rainfall is more or less continuous.
s - breast-shaped stalactite over a massive stalagmite which is shaped by nature into a Shivalinga. Also found here is loaf-shaped rocky dome with a nearly flat top among the hillocks. It is called Symper Rock.
East Khasi Hills district
East Khasi Hills is an administrative district in the state of Meghalaya in India. The district headquarters are located at Shillong. The district occupies an area of 2752 km² and has a population of 660,994...
of Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
state in north-eastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 56 kilometers from Shillong
Shillong
-Connectivity:Although well connected by road, Shillong has no rail connection and a proper air connection. Umroi Airport exists but has only limited flights.-Roadways:Shillong is well connected by roads with all major north eastern states...
. It is reportedly the wettest place on Earth, with an annual rainfall of 11872 millimetres (467.4 in). According to the Guinness Book of World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
Mawsynram received an incredible 26000 millimetres (1,023.6 in) in 1985.
Oxford geographer Nick Middleton
Nick Middleton
Nick Middleton is a physical geographer and supernumerary fellow of St Anne's College, Oxford. He specialises in desertification.Nick Middleton was born in London, England. As a geographer he has travelled to more than 50 countries...
's book on people who live in extreme climates, Going to Extremes (ISBN 0-330-49384-1), chronicles his visit to the village, and describes how the inhabitants cope with such extreme precipitation.
Location
Mawsynram is located at 25º 18' N, 91º 35' E, its altitude is about 1400 metres (4,593.2 ft).Mawsynram is located about 16 km west of CherrapunjiCherrapunji
Cherrapunji , is a subdivisional town in the East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya. It is credited as being the second wettest place on Earth...
, on the Khasi Hills
Khasi Hills
The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in the Indian state of Meghalaya, and is part of the Patkai range and of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion...
. Name of village contains Maw, a Khasi
Khasi language
Khasi is an Austro-Asiatic language spoken primarily in Meghalaya state in India by the Khasi people. Khasi is part of the Austroasiatic family of languages, and is fairly closely related to the Munda branch of that family, which is spoken in east&endash;central India.Although most of the 865,000...
word meaning stone and thus might refer to certain megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
s in surroundings. Khasi Hills are rich with such megaliths - Khasi monoliths erected fairly recently to commemorate important events and people.
Rainfall
Based on the data of a recent few decades, Mawsynram, located about 15 km north-west of Cherrapunji in the state of MeghalayaMeghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
(India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) appears to be the wettest place in the world or the place with the highest average annual rainfall. However, the village does not have a proper meteorological station and NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
indicates Lloró
Lloró
Lloró is a municipality and town in the Chocó Department, Colombia. It holds the world record for highest average annual precipitation, estimated at 523.6 inches . If accurate, that would make it the wettest place in the world. The Spanish verb llorar "to cry" can also be used as a metaphor for...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
as the wettest place on Earth. Mawsynram, receives nearly 12 m of rain in an average year, and a vast majority of it falls during the monsoon months. A comparison of rainfalls for Cherrapunji and Mawsynram for some years is given in Table 1.
Table 1: Comparison of rainfalls for Cherrapunji and Mawsynram for some years.
| Year | Cherrapunji Rainfall (mm) | Mawsynram Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 12,262 | 11,300 |
| 2001 | 9,071 | 10,765 |
| 2000 | 11,221 | 13,561 |
| 1999 | 12,503 | 13,444 |
| 1998 | 14,536 | 16,090 |
Three reasons can be cited for high rainfall at Mawsynram:
1. The warm moist winds of the northward-moving air from the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
during the monsoon, which cover an extensive area but are forced to converge into the narrower zone over the Khasi Hills, thus concentrating their moisture.
2. The alignment of the Khasi Hills (east to west) places them directly in the path of the airflow from the Bay of Bengal, producing a significant uplift
Tectonic uplift
Tectonic uplift is a geological process most often caused by plate tectonics which increases elevation. The opposite of uplift is subsidence, which results in a decrease in elevation. Uplift may be orogenic or isostatic.-Orogenic uplift:...
(plus cooling, further condensation and thus more rain).
3. Finally, uplift over the Khasi Hills is virtually continuous in the monsoon period because the lifted air is constantly being pulled up by vigorous winds in the upper atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
, hence the rainfall is more or less continuous.
Natural landmarks
Located in Mawsynram, is a cave named Mawjymbuin. Inside this cave is a pair of notable speleothemSpeleothem
A speleothem , commonly known as a cave formation, is a secondary mineral deposit formed in a cave. Speleothems are typically formed in limestone or dolostone solutional caves.-Origin and composition:...
s - breast-shaped stalactite over a massive stalagmite which is shaped by nature into a Shivalinga. Also found here is loaf-shaped rocky dome with a nearly flat top among the hillocks. It is called Symper Rock.