Final answer:
The type of precipitation causing a rain shadow is orographic precipitation. It occurs when moist air ascends over mountains, releasing most of its moisture on the windward side and resulting in drier conditions on the leeward side.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of precipitation that involves the rain shadow effect is known as orographic precipitation.
Orographic precipitation occurs when moist air is forced to rise over a mountain range. As it rises, the air cools, causing its water vapor to condense and fall as precipitation on the windward side of the mountains. This results in abundant rainfall in this area. Upon reaching the crest, the air descends the leeward side as drier air, warming as it compresses, which inhibits cloud formation and leads to reduced precipitation. This explains why the leeward side of a mountain range is often much drier, creating a rain shadow with semi-arid or arid conditions.
Examples of rain shadow effects around the world include the western United States' Great Plains, the Atacama region of northern Chile, and the leeward side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. These effect transform regions into type B climates, characterized by limited precipitation and often semi-desert or desert conditions due to the lack of moist air beyond the mountain barrier that has already dispensed its moisture on the windward side.