Climate And Weather In Indian Geography — Part 2 MCQs with Explanations

Rainfall from the south-west monsoon reaches Delta region of Mahanadi. Mahanadi River Delta in India is a basin of deposit that drains a large land mass of the Indian subcontinent into the Bay of Bengal. The alluvial valley is wide and relatively flat with a meandering river channel that changes its course.

North-eastern Rajasthan receives comparatively least amount of annual rainfall. The eastern regions of the Rajasthan receives the total 100 cm annual rainfall.

The winter rain in Chennai is caused by North-East Monsoons. Tamil Nadu receives winter rainfall because of the retreating monsoon and the North-east Monsoon winds which pass over the Bay of Bengal, they get moisture and when they reach the Tamil Nadu coasts they cause rainfall there.

The place in India receiving the lowest rainfall is Leh. The average annual precipitation in these regions is less than 50 cms. The cities like Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and Leh in Ladakh receives the least rainfall.

Nagpur lies in interior Maharashtra towards the leeward side of Sahyadri Mountains. Most of the precipitation occurs to the west of Sahyadris. As winds pass over these mountains they become dry after shedding most of their moisture while rising against their high elevated peaks.

The north-western India receives substantial rainfall during winter months because of Westerly disturbances. Western Disturbance is an extra tropical storm, which give rain to North and Northwest India during winter.

Ajmer and Shillong have most marked difference in total rainfall per annum even though located approximately along the same latitude. There is not much rainfall in Ajmer all year long. The average annual temperature is 24.7° C in Ajmer. The average annual rainfall is 557 mm. The average annual temperature in Shillong is 17.1° C. Precipitation here averages 3385 mm.

Dust storms occur most frequently over deserts and regions of dry soil, where particles of dirt are loosely bound to the surface. Dust storms in summer decreases the temperature.

Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats both receive sufficient rainfall but Deccan Plateau receives scanty rainfall because it is a rain shadow area. Deccan plateau falls on the leeward side of western ghats so the rainfall is very scanty in this area.

The place which experiences minimum and maximum temperature of - 28.3°C and 15°C respectively is Leh.

Monsoon retreat is marked by clear sky. North east monsoon winds bring rainfall over the coastal region of Tamil Nadu while the retreating monsoon is marked by clear skies and rise in temperature.

The Western Ghats are more elevated and continuous as compared to Eastern Ghats, that is why they (Western Ghats) block the moisture containing winds and receive more rainfall. They also lie opposite to moisture laden monsoon winds.

The rains along the western coast of India are orographic. Orographic or relief rainfall is caused when masses of air are forced up the side of elevated land formations, such as large mountains (often referred to as an upslope effect). The lift of the air up the side of the mountain results in adiabatic cooling, and ultimately condensation and precipitation.

There is heavy rainfall on the western coast of India but very little in the Deccan because the Deccan plateau is situated in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats. The Deccan Plateau to the east of the Western Ghats receives significantly less rainfall than the coasts. As the summer (wet) monsoons approach the West Coast of India, they rise up the western Ghats (mountains) and the air cools. This cool air is less able to hold moisture and it is released as rainfall.

Mumbai and Pune have the largest annual average rain difference as compared to the other three pairs. Mumbai/ Bombay receives on balance 2168 mm (85.4 in) of rainfall per year, or 180.7 mm (7.1 in) per month. In Pune, the monsoon lasts from June to October, with moderate rainfall and temperatures ranging from 22 to 28° C (72 to 82° F).

Delhi gets winter rainfall due to Western distubances. Western disturbances, specifically the ones in winter, bring moderate to heavy rain in low-lying areas and heavy snow to mountainous areas of the Indian Subcontinent. During the winters, the low pressure belt of temperate zone slides down over the Northern India. Due to which the feeble temperate cyclones originating over Mediterranean Sea move along western jet stream strikes North India.

0.35% of Indian terrain receive annual rainfall below 75 cm. The proportion of area which receives annual rainfall less than 75 cm. is one third. Major part of country included in this proportion are subtropical arid and subtropical semi arid regions of India. e.g. Gujarat, Rajasthan, parts of Punjab

Farmer plough his fields in summer to prevent the surface from becoming hard. Summer ploughing improves soil structure due to alternate drying and cooling. Tillage improves soil aeration which helps in multiplication of micro-organisms.

Punjab receives substantial rain during the winter month of January. It also receives rain from the retreating monsoons. In addition to this it also receives rain from the North East Monsoons in winter, but the total amount of rain received is comparatively less as these winds are less forceful and carry less water.

Due to excessive heating in north-western India in summer season, a low pressure zone is created over north-western India. As air travels from high pressure area to low pressure area southwest monsoon winds are attracted towards this part from adjacent Indian ocean.

During the month of October as the monsoon retreats, the feeble high pressure builds up over North India symbolizing clear skies, due to which the temperatures rises again and as the whole area has been drenched by recent rainy season the humidity also rises which becomes unbearable for people to sustain the combined effect of both.

Earth receives its heat from sun in the form of Insolation (short wavelength) and radiates it back in the form of long wavelength waves. Our atmosphere is transparent to short wave radiations but traps long wave radiations that is why it is heated from below.

In Tamil Nadu, retreating monsoon has more effect. When the retreating monsoon blows from the northeast across the Bay of Bengal, it picks up a significant amount of moisture, which is subsequently released after moving back onto the peninsula.

During the South-West Monsoon, Tamil Nadu remains dry because it is located in rain shadow area. Tamil Nadu has rain during the monsoon season due to the southwest trade winds which blow towards the northern hemisphere. Tamil Nadu receives rainfall in the winter season due to northeast trade winds.

The Arabs introduced the term 'monsoon'. The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word 'mausim', meaning season. It was first used by Arabic navigators to describe the seasonal winds of the Arabian Sea. Although the term monsoon actually means a seasonal wind, it is often used to refer to the torrential rainfall associated with these winds.

The withdrawal of monsoon from the northern region and then from the whole nation gradually is termed as monsoon retreat. During the monsoon retreat it rains heavily in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as cyclonic formation in Baengal are confined to this region.

Tropical Moist-deciduous forests is referred as Monsoon forest. The tropical deciduous forests are also called monsoon forest because the trees in these forests shed their leaves during dry season and re-grow during monsoon.

Although the Andaman & Nicobar Islands receive monsoon as early as mid-May, the southwest monsoon enters the subcontinent’s mainland through the Kerala coast. The monsoon then gets divided into two parts: the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. It normally reaches Mangalore on the west coast and Vishakhapatnam on the east coast within four days. Both the branches move to reach Mumbai and Kolkata on average between June 10 and 13. The monsoon crosses Varanasi, Ahmedabad and Bhopal by June 15. Agra has to wait for another five days and Delhi by June 29. The two branches merge over Punjab and Himachal. By mid-July, the southwest monsoon engulfs the entire subcontinent.

The retreating monsoon withdraws from the North-west India to Bengal.

The monsoon is caused by the seasonal reversal of winds . During summer, landmasses tend to heat up more quickly than oceans, creating a low-pressure area over the land. Meanwhile, oceans retain their relatively cooler temperatures, creating a high-pressure area. This pressure gradient causes winds to blow from the ocean towards the land, bringing moisture-laden air. This is known as the summer monsoon . In winter, the situation reverses. Landmasses cool down more rapidly than oceans, creating a high-pressure area over the land and a low-pressure area over the ocean. This reversal in pressure causes winds to blow from the land towards the ocean, leading to the winter monsoon . Option A: Temperature changes While temperature changes are a factor in monsoon dynamics, the primary cause of the monsoon is the seasonal reversal of winds, not just temperature changes. Option C: Humidity difference Humidity difference plays a role in the monsoon, but it's not the primary cause. The direction of the winds, influenced by pressure differences, is the key factor in the monsoon phenomenon. Option D: Pressure differences Pressure differences indeed play a crucial role in causing monsoons. The seasonal reversal of winds is a result of pressure differences between landmasses and oceans, leading to the monsoon phenomenon. Therefore, the correct answer is option B: Seasonal reversal of winds .

The retreating monsoon withdraws itself from North-West India to Bengal and then to Kerala. When the retreating monsoon blows from the northeast across the Bay of Bengal, it picks up a significant amount of moisture, which is subsequently released after moving back onto the peninsula.

In May-June each year, the monsoon winds approach the southern tip of India from South-westerly direction because winds blow from high to low pressure, warm moisture-laden air moves south-westerly direction from the sea over to India in the north and North East and is deflected by the Coriolis force as the Earth spins. It is this moist air current which is popularly known as the south-west monsoon.

The premonsoon mango showers occur predominantly in Kerala and Karnataka . These showers are a meteorological phenomenon that marks the onset of the southwest monsoon season in India. The southwest monsoon winds bring moisture-laden air from the Arabian Sea to the Indian subcontinent. As this moist air encounters the Western Ghats, it is forced to rise, cool, and condense, leading to the formation of premonsoon showers. Kerala and Karnataka are the states located along the western coast of India, adjacent to the Western Ghats. The geography of this region, with the presence of the Western Ghats, makes it conducive for the occurrence of these early rain showers before the onset of the full-fledged monsoon. These showers are vital for agricultural activities, especially for the cultivation of crops like mangoes.

The main reasons for the origin of the south-west monsoon in India are Development of a low pressure in north-west India and Deflection of trade winds. These winds originate in the Southern Hemisphere, cross the Equator (trade winds) and gets deflected to the right by the Coriolis force in the Northern Hemisphere.

Indian monsoon is marked by seasonal shift caused by differential heating of land and sea. The climate of India depends greatly on monsoon winds. The monsoons usually happen due to the differential heating of land and water. Normally, there is high pressure in the tropical eastern-south Pacific Ocean and low pressure in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean.

The onset of the monsoon in India typically begins with the arrival of the southwest monsoon over the southernmost state, Kerala, and then progresses northwards. West Bengal (3) : West Bengal, being located in the eastern part of India, usually experiences the onset of the monsoon earlier than states further west or north. Kerala (2) : Kerala, situated in the southern part of India, is usually the first state to experience the onset of the southwest monsoon. Uttar Pradesh (1) : Uttar Pradesh, being located in the northern part of India, typically experiences the onset of monsoon after West Bengal and Kerala but before states further west like Rajasthan. Rajasthan (4) : Rajasthan, being situated in the western part of India, usually experiences the onset of monsoon after other states due to its geographical location. Therefore, the correct order of the states based on ascending dates of the onset of monsoon is Option B: 3-2-1-4 .

The statement that is true with regard to the erratic behaviour of Indian monsoons is Uncertain date of onset and withdrawal as well as varying amounts of rainfall during different years.

Gujarat accounts for over 70% of the production in country. The availability of favourable conditions such as arid climate with low rainfall and low relative humidity contributes largely towards salt production in the region. e.g. Sambhar Lake.

National Flood Commission also called as "Rashtriya Barh Ayog" was established in 1976 to evolve a coordinative, integral and scientific approach to the problems arising in controlling floods in the country and to strategise a national plan to fix priorities so as to implement them in the future.

The correct sequence in the decreasing order of contribution to the forest cover on India is Open forest - Dense forest - Mangrove forest.