Z For Zachariah Analysis

In the novel Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien, Ann lives in a valley with a self-contained weather system, referred to in the story as a "meteorological enclave." This valley is completely unaffected by the weather outside; therefore, it is protected from the radiation fallout after the nuclear war. After reading the novel, a question that rose was whether a meteorological enclave was theoretically possible? I concluded that that a theoretical meteorological enclave is possible, after researching the idea. A valley is made by erosion and rivers. One of the conditions for a meteorological enclave is that it must be closed on all sides up to the tropopause, The tropopause is the boundary in the Earth's atmosphere between the troposphere and the stratosphere. The side must reach the tropopause completely would need to be about 10 kilometres over the poles or over 18 kilometres above the equator. On Earth, there are not mountains that high, but on other planets there are. Furthermore on Earth, most valleys are made by erosion and rivers. If a valley is entirely closed, it cannot be a result of erosion, but …show more content…
In addition, differing soils can be affected by frost, making the location a micro-climate. This acts similarly to how pavement traps heat and moderating temperatures making the pavement extremely hot. However, in this case making the soil would trap in the radiation or another sort of substance, not allowing it to go in the valley, then one day it will evaporate and go in the beyond atmosphere. This is why as in the novel; the valley is in toured by a forest which contains a great deal soil, making it a meteorological enclave. However, soil may not be able to push away everything. According to scientists, 0.01 to 5 percent of substances are not pushed away. However, with luck most substances will be pushed away, hence, the area is classified as a meteorological