Question 1: Choose the correct answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which one of the following places receives the highest rainfall in the world?
- A. Mawsynram
- B. Cherrapunji
- C. Agartala
- D. Itanagar
(ii) The wind blowing in the northern plains in summers is known as:
- A. Loo
- B. KalBaisakhi
- C. Trade winds
- D. None of the above
(iii) Monsoon arrives in India approximately in:
- A. December
- B. June
- C. September
- D. November
(iv) Which one of the following characterizes the cold weather season in India?
- A. Hot and humid weather
- B. Dry weather with clear skies
- C. Scanty rainfall
- D. Retreating monsoon
(i) A. Mawsynram
(ii) A. Loo
(iii) B. June
(iv) B. Dry weather with clear skies
Question 2: Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) What are the controls affecting the climate of India?
(ii) Why does India have a monsoon type of climate?
(iii) Which part of India does experience the highest diurnal range of temperature and why?
(iv) Which winds account for rainfall along the Malabar coast?
(v) What are Jet streams and how do they affect the climate of India?
(vi) Define monsoons. What do you understand by "break" in monsoon?
(vii) Why is the monsoon considered a unifying bond?
(i) There are six major controls of the climate of any place: latitude, altitude, pressure and wind system, distance from the sea (continentality), ocean currents, and relief features.
(ii) The monsoon winds play an important role in the climate of India. Therefore, it is called the monsoon type of climate.
(iii) The north-western part of India experiences the highest diurnal range of temperature. In the Thar desert, the day temperature may rise to 50°C and drop down to near 15°C the same night. On the other hand, there is hardly any difference in day and night temperatures in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands or in Kerala.
(iv) The south-west monsoon winds are responsible for the rainfall along the Malabar coast.
(v) Jet streams are a narrow belt of high-altitude westerly winds in the troposphere. They affect the climate of India by influencing the movement of monsoon winds.
(vi) Monsoons are moisture-laden winds from the southwest that bring heavy rainfall to southern Asia in summer. A "break" in the monsoon means alternate wet and dry spells, where the rains occur for a few days at a time, interspersed with dry spells.
(vii) The seasonal alteration of the wind systems and the associated weather conditions provide a rhythmic cycle of seasons. Monsoon rains are unevenly distributed and typically uncertain, yet they play a crucial role in various aspects of life in India, making the monsoon a unifying bond.
Question 3: Why does the rainfall decrease from the east to the west in Northern India?
Rainfall decreases from the east to the west in Northern India because there is a decrease in the moisture of the winds. As the moisture-bearing winds of the Bay of Bengal branch of the southwest monsoon move further inland, the moisture gradually decreases and results in low rainfall when moving westwards. Consequently, states like Gujarat and Rajasthan in western India get very little rainfall.