Briefly mention the alignment of major mountain ranges of the world and explain their impact on local weather conditions, with examples. (Answer in 250 words)

Major mountain ranges generally follow tectonic belts and strongly modify temperature, pressure, winds and precipitation through altitude and orography.

Major alignments

• The young fold belt runs from the Alps through the Caucasus and Himalayas to Southeast Asia, broadly west–east.
• The Andes run north–south along western South America; the Rockies run north–south along western North America.
• Older ranges such as the Appalachians, Urals, Great Dividing Range and Eastern Ghats reflect ancient structures with different relief and climatic effects.

Weather impacts

• Windward uplift causes orographic rain; leeward descent produces rain-shadow aridity, as in the Atacama east of the Andes and the Tibetan Plateau north of the Himalayas.
• Ranges channel or block winds, influencing monsoon penetration and local rainfall distribution.
• Altitude lowers temperature, creates vertical climatic zones and sustains snow and glaciers.
• Mountain–valley breezes, föhn/Chinook-type downslope winds and temperature inversions affect settlements and agriculture.

Thus alignment determines which air masses are intercepted, while slope orientation and elevation explain sharp local contrasts within short distances.