Chapter 4: CLIMATE
Q1. Distinguish between weather and climate.
Ans: Weather: It refers to the state of atmosphere over an area at any point of
time. It is a short period phenomena.
Climate: It refers to the sum total of the weather conditions and variations over
a large area for a long period of time. (30-35 years)
Q2. Distinguish between equable and extreme climate.
Ans:
Equable climate Extreme climate
1. The range of temperature is low. 1. The range of temperature is high.
2. It is found near coastal [Link]: 2. It is found in places away from the
Mumbai. [Link]: Delhi.
[Link] range of temperature.
Ans: It is the difference between maximum and minimum temperature.
Q4. What are the elements of weather and climate?
Ans:
1. Temperature
2. Atmospheric pressure
3. Precipitation
4. Wind
5. Humidity
[Link] the regional variations of the climatic conditions of India with the
help of suitable examples.
Ans: A- Variation in precipitation
1. Form of precipitation-Most of India receives precipitation in the form of
rainfall while the places in Himalayas get precipitation in the form of snowfall.
2. Time of precipitation-Most parts of India get rainfall from June to September
but Punjab and Tamil Nadu get winter precipitation.
3. Quantity of precipitation: The annual precipitation varies from 400cm in
Meghalaya to less than 10cm in Ladakh and western Rajasthan.
B-Variation in temperature:
1. Winters: Temperature in Drass (Jammu and Kashmir)may fall as low -
45°C and in Thiruvananthapuram, the temperature is about 22°C
2. Summers: In summers, the temperature as high as 50°C in some parts of
Rajasthan whereas it may be around 20°C in Pahalgam
(Jammu & Kashmir).
3. Day and Night: In the Thar desert there is a vast difference in the day and
night temperature. The day temperature may rise to 50°C and drop down
to nearly 15°C the same night.
Q6. Explain the six major climatic controls of any place.
Ans:
1) Latitude: Due to curvature of the earth the amount of solar energy
received varies according to latitude. As a result air temperature
generally decreases from the equator towards the poles.
2) Altitude: As one goes from the surface of the earth to higher altitudes,
the atmosphere becomes less dense and temperature decreases. The
hills are therefore cooler during summers.
3) Pressure and conditions: The pressure and wind system of any area
depend on the latitude and altitude of the place. Thus it influences the
temperature and rainfall pattern.
4) Distance from the sea: The Sea exerts a moderating influence on
climate: As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating
influence decreases and the people experience extreme weather
conditions. This condition is known as continentality (i.e. very hot
during summers and very cold during winters).
5) Ocean currents: Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the
climate of the coastal areas, For example, any coastal area with warm
or cold currents flowing past it, will be warmed or cooled if the winds
are onshore.
6) Relief: Relief too plays a major role in determining the climate of a
place. High mountains act as barriers for cold or hot winds; they may
also cause precipitation if they are high enough and lie in the path of
rain-bearing winds. The leeward side of mountains remains relatively
dry.
Q7. What are the factors affecting India’s climate?
Ans:
1) Latitude
a. The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country
from the Rann of Kuchchh in the west to Mizoram in the east.
b. Almost half of the country, lying south of the Tropic of Cancer,
belongs to the tropical area.
c. All the remaining area, north of the Tropic, lies in the sub-tropics.
d. Therefore, India’s climate has characteristics of tropical as well as
subtropical climates.
2) Altitude
a. India has mountains to the north, which have an average height of
about 6,000 metres.
b. India also has a vast coastal area where the maximum elevation is
about 30 metres.
c. The Himalayas prevent the cold winds from Central Asia from
entering the subcontinent.
d. It is because of these mountains that the subcontinent experiences
comparatively milder winters as compared to central Asia.
3) Pressure and Winds
The climate and associated weather conditions in India are governed by
the following atmospheric conditions:
• Pressure and surface winds
• Upper air circulation; and
• Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones.
[Link] are the factors affecting the mechanism of Indian monsoon?
Ans: (a) The differential heating and cooling of land and water creates low
pressure on the landmass of India while the seas around experience
comparatively high pressure.
(b) The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in
summer, over the Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned
about 5°N of the equator. It is also known as the monsoon trough during the
monsoon season).
(c) The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar, approximately
at 20°S over the Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure
area affects the Indian Monsoon.
(d) The Tibetan plateau gets intensely heated during summer, which results in
strong vertical air currents and the formation of low pressure over the plateau at
about 9 km above sea level.
(e) The movement of the westerly jet stream to the north of the Himalayas and
the presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during
summer.
[Link] a short note on Inter Tropical Convergence zone.
Ans: The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ,) is a broad trough of low
pressure in equatorial latitudes. This is where the northeast and the southeast
trade winds converge. This convergence zone lies more or less parallel to the
equator but moves north or south with the apparent movement of the sun.
[Link] is El Nino?
Ans: El Nino is a name given to the periodic development of a warm ocean
current along the coast of Peru as a temporary replacement of the cold Peruvian
current.
[Link] is Coriolis force?
Ans: Coriolis force is an apparent force caused by the earth’s rotation. The
Coriolis force is responsible for deflecting winds towards the right in the
northern hemisphere and towards the left in the southern hemisphere. This is
also known as ‘Ferrel’s Law’.
Q12. Define Jet Stream.
Ans: These are a narrow belt of high altitude (above 12,000 m) westerly winds
in the troposphere. Their speed varies from about 110 km/h in summer to about
184 km/h in winter.
[Link] are Western cyclonic disturbances?
Ans: The western cyclonic disturbances are weather phenomena of the winter
months brought in by the westerly flow from the Mediterranean region. They
usually influence the weather of the north and north-western regions of India.
Q14. ‘The pressure and wind conditions over India are unique'. Explain.
a. The pressure and wind conditions over India are unique. During
winter, there is a high-pressure area north of the Himalayas. Cold
dry winds blow from this region to the low-pressure areas over the
oceans to the south.
b. In summer, a low-pressure area develops over interior Asia as
well as over north-western India. This causes a complete reversal
of the direction of winds during summer.
c. Air moves from the high-pressure area over the southern Indian
Ocean, in a south-easterly direction, crosses the equator, and turns
right towards the low-pressure areas over the Indian subcontinent.
d. These are known as the Southwest Monsoon winds. These winds
blow over the warm oceans, gather moisture and bring widespread
rainfall over the mainland of India.
Q15. Distinguish between cold weather and hot weather season.
Ans:
Cold weather season Hot weather season
1. It begins from mid-November to 1. It is from March to May.
February.
2. Temperature decreases towards the 2. Temperature increases towards the
north. north.
3. There is a high pressure area over 3. There is a low pressure area over the
the land and low pressure area over the sea. Therefore winds blow from sea to
sea. North east trade winds blow from land and are moisture bearing.
land to sea and they are dry.
4. Days are short and warm and nights 4. Days are hot and long and nights are
are long and cold. warm and short.
5. Punjab gets rain from western 5. Kerala and Karnataka get rain from
disturbances and Tamil Nadu from mango showers while Assam and west
north east trade winds. Bengal get rain from Kaal Baisakhi.
[Link] between advancing and retreating monsoon.
Ans:
Advancing monsoon Retreating monsoon
[Link] parts of India get rainfall from [Link]-east monsoons are dry, but a
the south-west monsoon. section of these winds blows over the
Bay of Bengal and results in rainfall in
the Coromandel coast.
[Link] blow during June to 2. They blow during winter from
September. October-November.
[Link] blow from high pressure area 3. They blow from high pressure area
over the sea towards low pressure area over the land towards low pressure
over the land. area over the sea.
[Link] experiences high temperature [Link] experiences low temperature
low pressure and high humidity. high pressure and low humidity.
[Link] is monsoon considered to be a unifying bond?
Ans:
a. The unifying influence of the monsoon on the Indian subcontinent
is quite perceptible
b. The Indian landscape, its animal and plant life, its entire
agricultural calendar, and the life of the people, including their
festivities, revolve around this phenomenon.
c. Year after year, people of India from north to south and from east
to west, eagerly await the arrival of the monsoon. These monsoon
winds bind the whole country by providing water to set the
agricultural activities in motion.
d. The river valleys which carry this water also unite as a single river
valley unit.
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