Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography.
1. Examine the various factors influencing spatial variation of rainfall. How does air pollution impact rainfall patterns in India? (250 words)
Difficulty level: Easy
Reference: Insights on India
Why the question:
The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about factors affecting rainfall and impact of air pollution.
Directive word:
Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving the factors that affect rainfall over an area.
Body:
In the first part write about the factors controlling the distribution of rainfall over the earth’s surface are the belts of converging-ascending air flow (see doldrums; polar front), air temperature, moisture-bearing winds, ocean currents, distance inland from the coast, and mountain ranges.
Next, Explain the change in pattern of rainfall – the erratic behaviour of monsoon rainfall, including the phenomenon of concentrated heavy rainfall on a small number of days, could, at least in part, be attributed to the rising air pollution. Explain that excess aerosols, suspended solid particles like dust, smoke and industrial effluents, in the atmosphere is changing cloud patterns.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward to mitigate the above.
