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MPSC Rajyaseva 2025

Daily Class Notes

Geography

Lecture – 05
तापमान, हवेचा दाब, वारे व वाऱ्याचे प्रकार
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तापमान, हवेचा दाब, वारे व वाऱ्याचे प्रकार

Index:
❖ Temperature, Air Pressure, Winds and Types of Winds
Global Pressure Systems
The distribution of temperature influences the creation of pressure belts around the [Link] pressure
systems regulate wind patterns, precipitation, and overall weather
Conditions.
A. Equatorial Low Pressure Belt (Doldrums)
➢ Located near the Equator this belt experiences intense solar heating, causing air to rise and create
a zone of low pressure.
➢ Known as the Doldrums, this region has light, unpredictable winds and frequent thunderstorms.
➢ The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) shifts with the seasons, affecting monsoons and tropical
storms.
B. Subtropical High Pressure Belt
➢ Located around 30° latitude in both hemispheres, this region experiences descending air, creating
a zone of high pressure.
➢ Characterized by clear skies and dry conditions leading to the formation of deserts like the Sahara
and Arabian Desert.
C. Subpolar Low Pressure Belt
➢ Located around 60° latitude, this belt experiences rising air due to the meeting of cold polar winds
and warm air from lower latitudes.
➢ This causes frequent cyclonic storms and cloudy, wet conditions.
D. Polar High Pressure Belt
➢ Found near the poles, this belt is characterized by cold, dense air that sinks, creating a zone of high
pressure.
➢ This leads to cold, dry conditions, with very little precipitation
1. Planetary Winds
➢ Planetary winds are
large-scale winds that
blow in a consistent
direction across the
Earth's surface. These
winds are created due
to differences in air
pressure, which are
caused by the uneven
heating of the Earth
by the sun. The
rotation of the Earth
and the Coriolis effect
further modify these
winds, resulting in
the formation of major wind belts
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Key Characteristics:
➢ Origin: They arise
from the pressure
gradient force,
which causes air to
move from high-
pressure areas to
low-pressure areas.
➢ Coriolis Effect: The
Earth's rotation
deflects the
direction of these
winds, causing them
to curve. This
deflection is
strongest at the
poles and weakest at
the equator.
Three Main Wind Belts:
1. Trade Winds
2. Westerlies
3. Polar Easterlies
Detailed Importance:
❖ Global Climate Influence: Planetary winds play a major role in regulating global climate patterns by
redistributing heat and moisture.
❖ Monsoon Circulation: These winds influence the monsoon systems, which are critical for regions like
India.
❖ Ocean Currents: Planetary winds also influence the formation of ocean currents, which affect climate
zones.
2. Trade Winds
(Easterlies)
➢ Trade winds are
steady, persistent
winds that blow
from the
subtropical high-
pressure belt
towards the
equatorial low-
pressure belt. These
winds are named
for their historical
importance in sea
trade as they enabled ships to sail across oceans efficiently.
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Key Features:
Direction:
❖ In the Northern
Hemisphere: Blow
from the northeast to
the southwest
❖ In the Southern
Hemisphere: Blow
from the southeast to
the northwest.
Westerlies
❖ The westerlies are
winds that blow from
the subtropical high-
pressure belt to the
subpolar low-pressure
belt. They are predominantly between 30° and 60° latitudes in both hemispheres.
Key Features:
Direction:
❖ In the Northern Hemisphere: Blow from the southwest to the northeast
❖ In the Southern Hemisphere, Blow from the northwest to the southeast.
4. Polar Easterlies
➢ Polar easterlies are cold winds that blow from the polar high-pressure areas towards the subpolar
low-pressure belts.
Key Features:
Direction:
❖ Blows from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern
Hemisphere.
Cold and Dry:
❖ These winds are characterized by their cold, dry nature as they originate from the poles.
Less Consistent:
❖ Unlike trade winds or westerlies/polar easterlies are not very consistent and tend to vary in strength.
Local Winds
❖ Local winds are influenced by specific geographical features like mountains, valleys, seas, and deserts.
They are driven by differences in temperature and pressure over short distances. Unlike planetary
winds, local winds have a short duration and usually cover smaller areas.
Characteristics:
❖ Smaller Scale: Local winds generally affect regions like coastal areas, mountains, and deserts, rather
than large continents.
❖ Formation: These winds result from the localized heating of land and water or altitude differences. For
example, the heating and cooling cycle between land and sea, or the differences in temperature between
mountains and valleys.
❖ Impact: Local winds have a direct impact on agriculture, daily weather conditions, and human activities
such as fishing, farming, and transportation.
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2. Land and Sea Breezes

➢ Mechanism: During the day, the land heats up faster than the sea due to the lower heat capacity of
land. The warm air over the land rises, creating a low-pressure zone. Cooler, denser air from the
sea moves in to replace the rising air, resulting in a sea breeze.
➢ Strength: Sea breezes can vary in strength depending on the temperature difference between the
land and sea. They are stronger in summer when the temperature contrast is larger.
➢ Influence on Weather: Sea breezes provide relief in coastal areas by bringing cooler, moist air
inland. In tropical regions, they may cause thunderstorms in the late afternoon.
➢ Example: The coastal regions of Mumbai and Chennai frequently experience sea breezes, which
moderate the temperatures during hot summer days.
Land Breeze:
❖ Mechanism: At night, the land cools faster than the sea, causing the air over the land to cool and become
denser. This cooler air moves toward the sea, replacing the warmer air over the water. This movement
forms a land breeze.
❖ Impact on Marine Life: Land breezes cool the nearshore waters and can affect fishing activities, as cold
water brings nutrients to the surface, attracting fish.
Example: Land breezes are common along the Konkan coast of India,influencing the local climate and
fishing economy.
3. Mountain and Valley Breezes
Valley Breeze:
➢ Mechanism: During the day, the valley floor heats up faster than the mountain slopes. Warm air
rises along the slopes, creating an upslope wind.
➢ Cloud Formation: The rising air can cool at higher altitudes, leading to the formation of cumulus
clouds and sometimes afternoon thunderstorms.
Example: Valley breezes are common in Himalayan valleys, especially in places like Manali and Kullu.
Mountain Breeze:
➢ Mechanism: At night, the mountain slopes cool quickly. Cold, dense air flows downslope into the
valley, forming a mountain breeze. This wind can bring cool temperatures to the valley floors,
leading to frost during colder months.
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Example: Mountain
breezes are common in
regions like Kashmir
and Leh, where
nighttime temperatures
drop significantly due to
these winds.
Cyclonic Winds:
❖ Meaning: Cyclonic
winds are strong
rotating winds that
move around a central
low- pressure area.
❖ Formation: Cyclones
form over warm ocean
waters, where the rising moist air creates a low-pressure system. The Coriolis Effect causes the air to
rotate around the center.
❖ Characteristics: Cyclones bring intense winds, heavy rains, and can cause severe flooding
Cyclone:
❖ Destructive storms are usually called cyclones. Cyclones move towards coastal areas and are usually
known for heavy rainfall and destruction due to aggressive winds.
❖ These storms are known as 'cyclone' in the Indian Ocean; 'hurricane' in the Atlantic Ocean; 'typhoon' in
the West Pacific Ocean and South China Sea; 'Taifu' in Japan and 'Willy-Willys' in Western Australia.
❖ These storms do not arise at the equator, where the Coriolis force is ineffective.
There are two types of cyclones –
1. Tropical Cyclones: Storms that originate in the oceans of tropical regions (i.e. areas between 23°N
-23°S latitude). India is particularly affected by such cyclones.
2. Extra-Tropical or Temperate cyclones: Cyclones that develop away from the tropics, in middle and
high latitudes (between 35° N - 65° N and 35° S - 65° S latitudes) are called extra-tropical or
temperate
cyclones. These
cyclones are
generally not
destructive.
➢ The air pressure
is the lowest in
the central part
of a cyclone. The
atmosphere
remains calm
here and the
wind speed is
also low.
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➢ There are no clouds in this part and the temperature remains high here. These storms become more
powerful due to the continuous supply of moisture from the oceans.
➢ Since the supply of moisture stops after reaching the land, these storms weaken and end. The
characteristic of a fully developed tropical cyclone is the circulation of strong spiral winds around
its center. The diameter of this circulation system can be from 150 to 250 km.
D) Anti-Cyclonic Winds:
➢ Meaning: Anti-cyclonic winds rotate around a central high-pressure area.
➢ Formation: Anti-cyclones form when cold air sinks, creating a high-pressure system.
➢ Characteristics: Anti-cyclonic conditions result in calm, stable weather with little to no
precipitation.
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