ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank Chapter 4 Climate of India
Question Based on climate of India
I. Give Reasons for the following:
Question 1.
Mumbai is warmer than Kanpur in December.
Answer:
Mumbai is warmer than Kanpur in December because Mumbai is located within the moderating influence of the sea while Kanpur is far away from the sea and hot within the moderating effect of the sea.
Question 2.
Punjab gets winter rainfall.
Answer:
Punjab gets winter rainfall due to westerly depressions originating in the Mediterranean region.
Question 3.
The Himalayas act as a perfect climatic divide.
Answer:
The Himalayas act as a perfect climatic divide as they separate the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia. On one hand they prevent the chilly cold winds from Central Asia from entering the Subcontinent and force the South-West monsoon winds for rain on the other.
Question 4.
The Indo Gangetic Plain gets some rainfall in the months of December and January.
Answer:
Because of offshore winds, the Indo Gangetic plain gets some rainfall in the months of December and January.
Question 5.
Chennai has more rainy season months but less rain than Mumbai.
Answer:
Chennai receives most of the rainfall from the North-East monsoon with less moisture thereby causes less rain while Mumbai receives rainfall from the South-West monsoon laden with plenty moisture thereby causes heavy rain.
Question 6.
It is cooler on the mountain slopes than on the plains during summer.
Answer:
It is cooler on the mountain slopes than on the plains during summer due to high altitudes as there is a drop of 6°C for every ascent of 1000 metres.
Question 7.
The monsoon rain is unevenly distributed over India.
Answer:
The amount of rain received by an area depends on its releif, for example, windward side of the mountains receives more rain while leeward side receives less rain. That is why, the monsoon rain is unevenly distributed over India.
Question 8.
Excessive cold in north India during winter season.
Answer:
The excessive cold in north India during winter season is due to the following reasons:
(a) In the month of February, the cold winds from the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan bring cold wave over the northwestern parts of India.
(b) Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan experience continental type of climates as they are located far away from the sea to experience its moderating influence; and
(c) The snowfall in the nearby Himalayan ranges creates cold wave situation.
Question 9.
Tamil Nadu Coast remains dry during the South-west monsoon season.
Answer:
The Tamil Nadu coast remains dry during monsoon season. This is because the Tamil Nadu coast is located parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch of the south-west monsoon. Further, it lies in the rainshadow area of the Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon.
II. Short Answer Questions.
Question 1.
Name the place in India which receives the heaviest rainfall and in which States does this place belong?
Answer:
Cherrapunjee receives the heaviest rainfall in India and it belongs to Meghalaya.
Question 2.
Describe the process of retreat of the Summer Monsoon.
Answer:
The process of retreat of the Summer Monsoon is opposite of the onset of the Summer Monsoon but it is a gradual process. The South-West Summer Monsoon retreats toward the south.
The low pressure area over the North-Western part of India weakens due to the aparent movement of the-sun towards the south of the Equator. This results in the withdrawal of the South West monsoon. It withdra was from Rajasthan by the beginning of September then from Punjab and Haryana.
The monsoon retreat from most parts of North India by the first week of October. Then it withdraws from Central India. When it approaches the eastern coast, it is checked by the Southern range of the Eastern Ghats and causes rain to the eastern part of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
Question 3.
Why is western part of India a desert region?
Answer:
Thar is desert due to following reasons:
- Thar experiences very little summer rain.
- By the time, the Bay of Bengal branch of the South-West Monsoon reaches Thar after passing through the Ganga Valley, it has little or no moisture. Only windward side of the Aravalli Hills receive a little rain but no rain in Thar as it is in rain shadow area.
- As the Aravalli Hills lie parallel to the Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon, so it does not give much rainfall.
- North-East monsoon does not give much winter rainfalls.
- Thar lacks water sources and humidity is very low is summer.
Question 4.
What is meant by ‘Burst of Monsoon’?
Answer:
The sudden violent onset of rainfall during the period of ‘Monsoon’ is called the ‘Burst of Monsoon’.
Question 5.
What is the direction of the summer monsoon on the Indo-Gangetic Plain?
Answer:
The summer monsoon moves from east to west direction on the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
Question 6.
Name two regions, which get very little rain from the summer monsoon.
Answer:
The rain shadow region of the Western Ghats (the leeward side) and Western Rajasthan get very little rain from the summer monsoon.
Question 7.
Name the place in Southern India which receives highest rainfall from the summer monsoon.
Answer:
Mahabaleshwar receives the highest rainfall in South India from the summer monsoon.
Question 8.
Why does Coromandel coast receive most of its rain during the winter?
Answer:
The Northeast Monsoon winds blow over the Bay of Bengal. Before reaching the Coromandel coast they become moisture laden and give rain to this area during winter season (December- February).
Question 9.
Name any two local winds which blow in India in the summer season.
Answer:
First local wind is known as ‘ 100’ (hot wind) along the northern plain of India due to extremely rising temperatures pushed by the trade winds. Second local wind is known as ‘Kal-Baisakhi’ (The month of April causing death) in W.Bengal and Assam, where due to rapid cyclonic winds with high speed cause maximum los and deaths in this area. These are called norwesters in geographical term, as the winds come very fast from northwestern direction towards the eye of the cyclones.
Question 10.
Name any two states that receive rain in January- February.
Answer:
Jammu and Kashmir and partially Punjab receive rain in January- February.
Question 11.
What causes the winter rain of Northern India?
Answer:
The winter rain at Northern India is caused by westerly disturbances moving eastwards from the Mediterranean sea.
Question 12.
Name an area, which gets sufficient rainfall in the winter monsoon.
Answer:
The Coromandel coast in Tamil Nadu gets sufficient rainfall in the winter season due to the retreating north-east monsoon.
Question 13.
Name on region, which gets rainfall from the Retreating Monsoons.
Answer:
Coastal area of Tamil Nadu gets rainfall from the Retreating Monsoons.
Question 14.
Name two areas, which get more than 200 cm of rainfall in India.
Answer:
The Western coastal plains and mainly the western slopes of the western Ghats get more than 200 cm of rainfall in India.
Question 15.
Name the winds that bring rain to the Tamil Nadu coast in winter season.
Answer:
North-East monsoon winds bring rain to the Tamil Nadu coast in winter.
Question 16.
Which winds is responsible for the rainfall experienced over the greater part of India?
Answer:
South-West monsoon winds is responsible for the rainfall experienced over the greater part of India.
III. Structured Questions
Study the data of temperature and rainfall for two places X (Altitude 219 m) and Y (Altitude 6.7 m).
(a) Give the annual rainfall at both places.
(b) What are the annual ranges of temperature for the places XandY?
(c) Name the winds bringing rain to the above places.
(d) Name a city where the above temperature and rainfall conditions are likely to be found.
(e) Justify your choice of the city.
Answer:
(a) X – 68.2 cm Y -124.7 cm rainfall
(b) X -Annual range is 36.6°C Y – Annual range is 33.8°C
(c) X gets rainfall from S. W. Monsoon
Y gets rainfall from S.W. Monsoon and Retreating monsoon
(d) X- Chandigarh
Y- Vishakhapatnam
(e) X – The Temperature and rainfall conditions tally with Chandigarh.
Y – The conditions match with Vishakhapatnam.
Question 2.
Despite the broad climate unity, the climate of India has many regional variations, Justify this statement giving suitable examples.
Answer:
Despite the borad unity of the monsoon type of climate, variations in climate occur in different regions of the country. For example, the climate of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in the north are so different from that of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the south, yet all of these States have a similar monsoon type of climate. These variations are expressed in the pattern of winds, temperature and rainfall, rhythm of seasons and the degree of wetness or dryness. These regional diversities are known as the sub-types of monsoon climate.
Question 3.
With reference to the climate conditions in India, briefly answer the following questions:
(a) Why does Kanyakumari experience an equable climate? [1998]
Answer:
Kanyakumari is located at 8 degree North. It is also closer to the Equator. It receives vertical rays of the sun at the Equator hence, there is not much difference in temperature here. So we can say Kanyakumari experiences equable/oceanic/ maritime influence.
(b) Why has Chennai a lower annual range of temperature than Lucknow.
Answer:
Chennai experiences equable or oceanic climate because it has the influence of the sea; while Lucknow lies in the interior and experiences the continental climate/extreme climate. Hence the annual range of temperature is more in Lucknow than in Chennai.
(c) Give one reason to justify that the Himalayas act as a ‘Climatic Divide’. [1998]
Answer:
There are two reasons to justify that the Himalayas act as a Climatic Divide:
- The Himalayas trap the rain bearing winds and stop them form leaving our country and cause them to shed their moisture in India.
- The Himalayas protect India from the bitter cold winds from Central Asia and stop them from entering India so that our winters are warmer, than they otherwise would be.
(d) What is the cause of winter showers in western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab? [1998]
Answer:
Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh get rainfall in winter due to the westerly depression or western disturbances/temperate, cyclones/cyclones originating from the Mediterranean Sea.
(e) Why does most of central Maharashtra have only light rainfall? [1995 & 98]
Answer:
Most of central Maharashtra has only light rainfall because it lies in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats.
Question 4.
With reference to the Retreating Monsoon, answer the following questions:
(a) What is meant by the season of retreating monsoons? [1992]
Answer:
During the period of the withdrawal, southwards of the southwest monsoon from the Subcontinent during October- November or also due to apparent migration of the Sun towards the south-a high pressure center begins to build up over the entire land mass. The months are October and November.
(b) An Inter-School Football Match at Vishakhapatnam from November 1 to 3 had to be cancelled because of bad weather. Give an explanation for this happening. You explanation should provide the technical name of this season in India, the pressure conditions over the Bay of Bengal.
Answer:
The match is cancelled due to rainy weather. The name of the season is the Retreating monsoon and the low pressure conditions are over the Bay of Bengal.
Question 5.
What is meant by ‘rain shadow area’? Give an example and state the mountains which are responsible for the rain shadow area.
Answer:
The area which experiences scanty rainfall due to the existence of the mountains parallel to the monsoon winds is called ‘rain shadow area’. The part of the western Rajasthan is the rain shadow area as it is located at the Aravali ranges lying parallel to the direction of the moisture containing winds.
Question 6.
What is the economic importance of the following:
(a)Kalbaisakhis in West Bengal and Assam.
Answer:
Kalbaisakhis in West Bengal and Assam: This type of rainfall is good for the rice and jute crops in West Bengal and the tea crop in Assam.
(b) Mango showers in Kerala and Karnataka.
Answer:
Mango showers in Kerala and Karnataka: These rain showers are good for the mango trees.
(c) Cyclonic rainfall in Punjab.
Answer:
Cyclonic rainfall in Punjab: Cyclonic rainfall in Punjab is good for rabi crops like wheat and barley. It helps to swell the grains.
(d) Relief rainfall on the Coromandel Coast.
Answer:
The Coromandel coast, being in the leeward side of the western Ghats, does not receive much rain from South- West monsoon during summer season. But it receives most of its rain during winter season when North-East monsoons blowing over the Bay of Bengal meet with moisture laden winds of the retreating summer monsoon and blow over the coromandel coast after crossing the Bay of Bengal.
Question 7.
State important characteristic features of monsoon rainfall in India. [1998]
Answer:
Following are the characteristic features of monsoons:
- Most of the rainfalls during the months of June-September.
- During the season it also causes heavy downpours. Such heavy downpour results in soil erosion.
- Our monsoons are unreliable, uncertain, erratic, undependable.
- It is orographic in nature.
Question 8.
Explain the role of the Himalayas in determining the climate of India during:
(a) The hot weather season.
(b) The S.W. Monsoon season.
(c) The cold weather season.
Answer:
(a) During the hot weather season – Firstly, it protects the expansion of Middle Asian desert towards the Indian peninsula, being standing errect in between two physical formations. Secondly, it cools the climatic condition as having the higher altitudes and moderating also the land breezes more cooler blowing towards the sea upon the Indian plain land. Further, more the humid, water vapour containing monsoon winds, being originated from the low-pressure region upon the Bay of Bengal, have been confronted by the Himalayas and cause a considerable amount of rainfall on vast region.
(b) The Himalayas traps the South-West monsoon winds, causing torrential rains in India.
(c) During the cold weather season – The Himalayas blocks the chilly winds coming from northern Asia and saves the Indian Sub-continent from the extreme continental weather attributes hence moderating the severity of cold winters.
Question 9.
Give two reasons as to why Thar is desert area. [1996]
Answer:
The two reasons are:
- In winter the winds are off-shore winds.
- It lies on the leeward side of the Aravalis which are very low and these winds run parallel to the Aravalis and get dry when they reach the other side.
Question 10.
What are the main characteristics of the rainfall in India?
Answer:
Main features of the rainfall in India are:
- There is rainfall over three months and the rest of the year is mostly dry. Seventy per cent of annual rainfall occurs in the rainy season.
- The rains are mainly of relief type. The windward slopes of the mountains get more rainfall than the leeward side.
- Only a small portion of the rainfall is received from sources other than the monsoon, like cyclonic rainfall and convectional rainfall.
- The quantity and the time of occurrence of rainfall cannot be predicted as the rainfall is erratic. It is because of this uncertainty that sometimes there are floods; and sometimes droughts.
- India has an agrarian economy dependent on rainfall. As such rainfall affects the economy of the country.
Question 11.
With reference to the climatic conditions in India briefly answer the following questions:
(a) Name the seasons during which the North-East Trade Winds dominate.
(b) How are the sources of rianfall in the North-West part of India different from the rainfall experienced on the coastal areas of Eastern India in Winter?
Answer:
(a) The North-East Trade winds dominate the Indian Sub-continent during winter season.
(b) The rainfall in the North-West part of India is mainly caused due to Arabian Sea-branch of South-West summer monsoon while the rainfall experienced on the coastal areas of Eastern India in caused by the cyclonic winds of North-East monsoons.
ICSE Geography Class 10 Question Bank