Insights Static Quiz -248, 2019–Geography

Solution: c)

Kochi is a major port city on the south-west coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. Called the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the west coast of India from the 14th century onward.

Solution: d)

The factors affecting Ocean Salinity are:

·         The salinity of water in the oceans depend mainly on evaporation and precipitation. Precipitation is inversely related to salinity. Higher the precipitation, lower the salinity and vice-versa.

• Wind influences salinity of an area by transferring water to other areas.
• Salinity in coastal regions is influenced by the fresh water flowfrom rivers, and in Polar Regions by the processes of freezing and thawing of ice.
• The ocean currents also contribute to the salinity variations.

Solution: a)

There are three main reasons for the excessive cold in north India during this season :

(i) States like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan being far away from the moderating influence of sea experience continental climate.

(ii) The snowfall in the nearby Himalayan ranges creates cold wave situation; and

(iii) Around February, the cold winds coming from the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan bring cold wave along with frost and fog over the north-western parts of India.

Solution: a)

The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), known by sailors as the doldrums, is the area encircling Earth near the Equator, where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge.

The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a low pressure zone located at the equator, it is a zone where air tends to ascend. In July, the ITCZ is located around 20°N-25°N latitudes (over the Gangetic plain), sometimes called the monsoon trough. This monsoon trough encourages the development of thermal low over north and northwest India. Due to the shift of ITCZ, the trade winds of the southern hemisphere cross the equator between 40° and 60°E longitudes and start blowing from southwest to northeast due to the Coriolis force. It becomes southwest monsoon. In winter, the ITCZ moves southward, and so the reversal of winds from northeast to south and southwest, takes place. They are called northeast monsoons.

Solution: d)

Mountains also cause air to rise. As the wind blows across a mountain range, air rises and cools and clouds can form on the windward side. This is why windward sides of mountain ranges tend to get heavy precipitation.

When the air sinks on the leeward side of the mountain range, it is usually much drier and warmer than it was to begin with.