Climate and weather systems — UPSC Prelims PYQs

Which of the following statements with regard to India's indigenous new high resolution weather model, the 'Bharat Forecast System,' is/are correct? 1. Its objective is to generate forecasts at the Panchayats cluster level. 2. It was developed by IIT Delhi. Select the answer using the code given below:

With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate. 2. It receives rainfall from both South-west monsoon and North-east monsoon. 3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May. Select the answer using the code given below:

The World Bank warned that India could become one of the first places where wet-bulb temperatures routinely exceed 35 °C. Which of the following statements best reflect(s) the implication of the above-said report? I. Peninsular India will most likely suffer from flooding, tropical cyclones and droughts. II. The survival of animals including humans will be affected as shedding of their body heat through perspiration becomes difficult. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Consider the following description: 1. Annual and daily range of temperatures is low. 2. Precipitation occurs throughout the year. 3. Precipitation varies between 50 cm – 250 cm. What is this type of climate?

On June 21 every year, which of the following latitude(s) experience(s) a sunlight of more than 12 hours? 1. Equator 2. Tropic of Cancer 3. Tropic of Capricorn 4. Arctic Circle Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Which of the following is/are correct inference/inferences from isothermal maps in the month of January? 1. The isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent. 2. The presence of cold ocean currents, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift make the North Atlantic Ocean colder and the isotherms bend towards the north. Select the answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Thickness of the troposphere at the equator is much greater as compared to poles. Statement-II: At the equator, heat is transported to great heights by strong convectional currents. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

With reference to "water vapour", which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. It is a gas, the amount of which decreases with altitude. 2. Its percentage is maximum at the poles. Select the answer using the code given below:

Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Rainfall is one of the reasons for weathering of rocks. Statement-II: Rain water contains carbon dioxide in solution. Statement-III: Rain water contains atmospheric oxygen. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

With reference to the Earth’s atmosphere, which one of the following statements is correct?

In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year normally occurs in the:

Consider the following statements: 1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth. 2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause a warming effect. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements 1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only. 2. Only some cyclones develop an eye. 3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C less than that of the surroundings. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?

On 21st June, the Sun:

In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason?

Consider the following statements: 1. The winds which blow between 30 N and 60 S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies. 2. The moist air masses that cause winter rains in North- Western region of India are part of westerlies. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

“Each day is more or less the same, the morning is clear and bright with a sea breeze; as the Sun climbs high in the sky, heat mounts up, dark clouds form, then rain comes with thunder and lightning. But the rain is soon over.” Which of the following regions is described in the above passage?

The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of

During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the: 1. Meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky. 2. Lightning that separates the nimbus clouds. 3. Violent upward movement of air and water particles. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Rainbow is produced when sunlight falls on drops of rain. Which of the following physical phenomena are responsible for this? 1. Dispersion 2. Refraction 3. Internal reflection Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What is/ are the reason/reasons? 1. Thermal difference between land and water 2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans 3. Presence of strong winds in the interior 4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The known forces of nature can be divided into four classes, viz., gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. With reference to them, which one of the following statements is not correct?

Consider the following statements: 1. The duration of the monsoon decreases from southern India to northern India. 2. The amount of annual rainfall in the northern plains of India decreases from east to west. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Normally, the temperature decreases with the increase in height from the Earth’s surface, because 1. The atmosphere can be heated upwards only from the Earth’s surface 2. There is more moisture in the upper atmosphere. 3. The air is less dense in the upper atmosphere. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Which one of the following is the characteristic climate of the Tropical Savannah Region?

Electrically charged particles from space traveling at speeds of several hundred km/sec can severely harm living beings if they reach the surface of the Earth. What prevents them from reaching the surface of the Earth?

The surface of a lake is frozen in severe winter, but the water at its bottom is still liquid. What is the reason?

La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino? 1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in the equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Niño is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. 2. El Nino has adverse effects on the south-west monsoon of India, but La Niña has no effect on monsoon climate. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Westerlies in the southern hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in northern hemisphere. Why? 1. Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to northern hemisphere. 2. Coriolis force is higher in southern hemisphere as compared to northern hemisphere. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The jet aircraft fly very easily and smoothly in the lower stratosphere. What could be the appropriate explanation? 1. There are no clouds or water vapour in the lower stratosphere. 2. There are no vertical winds in the lower stratosphere. Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context?

Among the following States, which one has the most suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of a large variety of orchids with minimum cost of production, and can develop an export oriented industry in this field?

Human activities in the recent past have caused the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but a lot of it does not remain in the lower atmosphere because of 1. Its escape into the outer stratosphere. 2. The photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the oceans. 3. The trapping of air in the polar ice caps. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

What could be the main reason/reasons for the formation of the African and Eurasian desert belt? 1. It is located in the sub-tropical high-pressure cells. 2. It is under the influence of warm ocean currents. Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context?