JAC Class 9 Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 4 Climate

JAC Board Class 9th Social Science Important Questions Geography Chapter 4 Climate

I. Objective Type Questions

India has which type of climate?
(a) Monsoon
(b) Tundra
(c) Savanna
(d) Mediterranean.
Answer:
(a) Monsoon

2. The major factor/factors controlling the climate of any region is/are:
(a) latitude
(b) altitude
(c) pressure and wind system
(d) all of these.
Answer:
(d) all of these.

3. The climate of India is strongly influenced by:
(a) local winds
(b) monsoon winds
(c) westerlies winds
(d) none of these.
Answer:
(b) monsoon winds

4. How many seasons can be indentified in India?
(a) Four
(b) Five
(c) Two
(d) Six.
Answer:
(a) Four

5. Which is the most rainy place in the world?
(a) Jaipur
(b) Leh
(c) Mawsynram
(d) Mumbai.
Answer:
(c) Mawsynram

II. Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Define weather and climate.
Answer:
Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time, while climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area for a longer period of time.

Question 2.
Define Monsoon.
Answer:
The word ‘Monsoon’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘Mausim’, which literally means season. Monsoon refers to the seasonal reversal in the wind direction during a year. It reveals the rhythm of season and changes in direction of wind.

Question 3.
What is extreme climate?
Answer:
The climate which has high annual range of temperature and great variation in the amount of rainfall over the year is known as extreme climate. It is also called continental or interior climate. Example Jodhpur, Delhi.

Question 3.
Mention major factors affecting the climate of our country.
Answer:

1. Location,
2. Latitude,
3. Altitude,
4. Pressure and winds,
5. Relief.

Question 4.
Which physical feature of India acts as an influential climate divide between India and Central sea?
Answer:
The Himalayas.

Question 5.
Name the planatery winds that blow from the subtropical high pressure zone to the equatorial low pressure zone.
Answer:
Trade winds.

Question 6.
What are trade winds?
Answer:
Trade winds are planetary winds blowing constantly from the sub-tropical high pressure zones towards the ‘Equatorial low pressure zones’. Their direction is from North-east to South-west in the North Hemisphere and from South-east to Northwest in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 7.
Define the term season.
Answer:
The predominance of an element of weather, such as temperature, rainfall and cloudiness over a period of a few months is called season.

Question 8.
What do you understand by coriolis force?
Answer:
Coriolis force is an apparent force caused by the earth’s rotation. The coriolis force is responsible for deflecting winds towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere and towards the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This is also known as ‘Ferrel’s Law’.

Question 9.
Which are the most constant jet streams?
Answer:

1. Mid latitude jet stream,
2. Subtropical jet stream.

Question 10.
What are cyclones?
Answer:
Cyclones are the speedy elliptical wind arrangements having low pressure at their centre and the winds moving towards centre from outside.

Question 11.
From where the western disturbances originated?
Answer:
The western disturbances originated over the Mediterranean Sea.

Question 12.
What is ITCZ?
Answer:
The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a broad trough of low pressure in equatorial latitudes. This is where the north-east and the south-east trade winds converge. This convergence zone lies more or less parallel to the equator but moves north or south with the apparent movement of the sun.

Question 13.
What is the influence area of the monsoon?
Answer:
Regions between 20° N and 20° S latitudes.

Question 14.
How is the intensity of monsoons predicted?
Answer:
The difference in pressure over yahiti (Pacific Ocean, 18°S/14.9°W) and Darwin in Northern Australia (Indian Ocean, 12°30’S/131°E) is computed to predict the intensity of the monsoons. If the pressure differences are negative, it would mean below average and late monsoons.

Question 15.
Name the two branches in which the peninsular India divide the monsoon winds.
Answer:

1. The Arabian Sea Branch, and
2. The Bay of Bengal branch.

Question 16.
Name two branches in which the Bay of Bengal branch splits into.
Answer:

1. The western branch,
2. The north-east branch.

Question 17.
What is burst of monsoon?
Answer:
Burst or break of the monsoon is sudden setting-in of rainfall, the rainfall without warning. This occurs when the monsoon branches and the jet streams come into contact with each other all of a sudden.

Question 18.
Name the four seasons of India.
Answer:

1. Winter season (December to February)
2. Summer season (March to May)
3. Advancing monsoon (June to mid-September)
4. Retreating monsoon (mid-September to November).

Question 19.
Where is high pressure found during winter?
Answer:
In the Northern plains.

Question 20.
Name the winds that blow in India during winter.
Answer:
North-east trade winds.

Question 21.
Which hot wind blows during summers in the northern plains?
Answer:
Loo.

Question 22.
What is Loo?
Answer:
Loo are local hot winds which blow during summer afternoons in the north-west and the Ganga valley regions.

Question 23.
What is Kaal Baisakhi?
Answer:
Localised thunderstorms associated with violent winds, torrential downpour, and often accompanied by hails during summer months in West Bengal are known as Kaal Baisakhi, meaning calamity for the month of Baisakh.

Question 24.
What are mango showers?
Answer:
The pre-monsoon showers occuring on the coastal regions of Kerala and Karnataka which help early ripening of mango fruit, are called mango showers.

Question 25.
What type of rainfall does the North-east Branch cause?
Answer:
Heavy rainfall.

Question 26.
Define precipitation.
Answer:
Precipitation is the moisture shed by the moisture-laden winds on the surface of the earth. Precipitation includes rainfall, snowfall, hail, sleet etc.

Question 27.
Mention the two heaviest rainfall areas of the country.
Answer:

1. The windward slopes of the Western Ghats.
2. The Meghalaya plateau.

Question 28.
Name the place where the heaviest rainfall of the world occurs.
Answer:
Mawsynram (1080 cm).

Question 29.
Which monsoon winds cause rains generally on the Tamil Nadu coast?
Answer:
Retreating monsoon winds and north-east monsoon winds.

Question 30.
What is known as ‘October Heat’?
Answer:
Conditions of high temperature, humidity and lack of air movement lead to oppres¬sive weather conditions in the half of the October. This is known as October Heat.

III. Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What is the coriolis force? State its effects on the world climate.
Answer:
Meaning of Coriolis Force: It is an apparent force caused by the Earth’s rotation. It is responsible for deflecting winds towards the right in the Northern hemisphere and towards the left in the Southern hemisphere.

Effect of Coriolis Force on the World Climate: Under the effect of coriolis force, the trade winds moving from sub-tropical high-pressure belts to equatorial low-pressure belts become North-East trade winds in the Northern hemisphere and South-East trade winds in the Southern hemisphere. As a result, they bring heavy rainfall to the Eastern Coast, while the Western Coast remains dry.

Question 2.
The pressure and wind conditions over India are unique’. Explain.
Answer:

1. During winter, there develops a high pressure area in the north of the Himalayas, cold dry winds blow from this region to the low pressure areas over the ocean to the south.
2. In summer, a low pressure area develops over interior Asia as well as over north western India. This causes a complete reversal of the direction of winds during sum¬mer. These winds are known as south-west monsoon winds. These bring widespread rainfall over the mainland of India.

Question 3.
What are western cyclonic disturbances? Describe its effect on the Indian climate. Answer:The western cyclonic disturbances are weather phenomena brought in by westerly flow from the Mediterranean region. They occur in the month of winter and cause rainfall in North and North-Western part of India. They affect the climate of India in the following ways:

1. By causing cyclonic rainfall in the month of winter, which is otherwise dry, western disturbance influences the weather of the North and North-Western India.
2. Although the amount of rainfall is scant, it is highly favourable to the Rabi crops, especially wheat.
3. They cause snowfall in the mountains.

Question 4.
What do you understand by the southern oscillation?
Answer:
The pressure systems of Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean are inter-related. When the surface pressure is high in the sub-tropical region of the Pacific Ocean, in the Northern Hemisphere, the pressure over the southern part of the Indian Ocean tends to be low and vice- versa.

This results in shifting of winds across the Equator. The south-eastern trade winds of the Southern Hemisphere are attracted towards the low pressure of Northern Tropics. These winds often crossing the Equator become south-western monsoons. This is called southern oscillation.

Question 5.
Distinguish between Wind and Jet Streams. Answer:Differences between Wind and Jet Streams are:

Wind	Streams
1. Winds are moving air from high pres¬sure to low pressure areas.	1. Jet streams are fast moving mass of air in the upper troposphere.
2. They move horizontally on the surface of the earth.	2. They move horizontally in the troposphere.
3. Their speed is upto 75 km per hour.	3. Their speed exceeds 200km/hour.
4. Winds are divided as dry winds, moist winds, cold winds and hot winds.	4. Jet streams are divided into western and eastern jet streams.

Question 6.
What is EL Nino? Mention two features of this.
Answer:
EL Nino: The periodic development of warm ocean current along the coast of Peru as a temporary replacement of the cold peruvian current is called EL-Nino. Features of EL-Nino:

1. The presence of the EL-Nino leads to an increase in sea surface temperatures.
2. It weakens the trade winds in the regions and causes heavy rainfall, floods or droughts in different regions of the world.

Question 7.
What is monsoon? Name the two branches of monsoon and briefly explain any one.
Answer:
Monsoon:
it refers to the seasonal reversal in the wind direction during a year. Bay of Bengal Branch.
(a) This branch of monsoon moves along the Bay of Bengal. It advances rapidly and arrives in the North-Eastern part of the country in first week of june.

(b) The lofty mountains cause this branch of monsoon winds to deflect towards the west over the Ganga plain.

(c) It merges with the Arabian Sea branch over the North-Western part of the Ganga plains.

Question 8.
Differentiate between cold weather season and hot weather season of India.
Answer:
Differences between cold and hot weather season are:

Cold Weather Season	Hot Weather Season
1. It begins from mid November in northern India and stays till February.	1. It begins from March and stays till May.
2. The temperature decreases from South to North.	2. Experiences rising temperature and falling air pressure in North India.
3. Days are warm and nights are cold.	3. Hot and dry winds called ‘loo’ blow during the day.
Cold Weather Season	Hot Weather Season

Question 9.
Describe the features of the hot weather season.
Answer:
The main features of the hot weather season are as given under:

1. It lasts from March to May.
2. Intense low pressure develops over the north-western part of India at the end of this season.
3. High temperature around 48°C prevails in this season.
4. Hot dry winds, i.e., Loo blow in the afternoon. They may continue even up to midnight.
5. Dust stroms are common during May in Punjab, Haryana, eastern Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh.
6. Local storms of great intensity are also common. These local storms are associated with violent winds, torrential rains and even hailstorms, e.g., Kaal Bai- sakhi in West Bengal and Assam.

Question 10.
Define Kaal Baisakhi, Loo and Mango Showers.
Answer:

1. Kaal Baisakhi: These are the local thunderstorms associated with violent winds, torrential downpours, often accompanied by hail. They occur in West Bengal.
2. Loo: These are stormy, hot, dry winds blowing during the day over the North and North-Western India.
3. Mango Showers: The pre-monsoon showers which help in the ripening of mangoes in coastal Kerala and Karanataka are known as Mango Showers.

Question 11.
Why do Western Ghats receive more rainfall than Eastern Ghats?
Answer:
Western Ghats receive more rainfall than Eastern Ghats because Western Ghats receive rainfall from the Arabian Sea monsoon winds. They does not allow these winds to cross over without shedding their moisture on the western slopes. A part of these winds that reaches the Eastern Ghats is almost dry.

Question 12.
Describe the features of the Advancing Monsoon season.
Answer:
Advancing monsoon season is also known as the hot wet weather season or rainy season.
The features of the Advancing Monsoon season are:

1. It lasts from June to September.
2. 75% to 90% of the total annual rainfall is concentrated over this period.
3. Distribution of rainfall is very largely governed by the relief.
4. The monsoon rains occur in wet spells.
5. The wet spells are interspersed with rainless dry spells.
6. The alternation of dry and wet spells keeps on varying in intensity, frequency and duration.

Question 13.
Where is Mawsynram located? Why does it receive the highest amount of rainfall?
Answer:
Mawsynram is located in the Southern ranges of the Khasi hills in Meghalaya at a height of 1500 metre above the sea level. It receives the highest (annual 1140 cm) rainfall in the world. Mawsynram receives the highest amount of rainfall because:

1. This place is enclosed by hills on three sides.
2. The relief features give this place tunnel-shaped location.
3. The Bay of Bengal monsoon is trapped in these hills. These winds try to get out of there, but are forced to cause heavy rainfall there.

III. Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What are the major controls of the climate of any place? Explain.
Answer:
There are six major controls of the climate of any place. They are:
1. Latitude:
Due to the curvature of the earth, the amount of solar energy received varies according to latitude. As a result, air temperature generally decreases from the equator towards the poles.

2. Altitude:
As one goes from the surface of the earth to higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes less dense and temperature decreases. The hills are therefore cooler during summers.

3. Pressure and wind system:
The pressure and wind system of any area depend on the latitude and altitude of the place. Thus, it influences the temperature and rainfall pattern.

4. Distance from the sea:
The sea exerts a moderating influence on climate. As the distance from the sea increases, its moderating influence decreases and the people experience extreme weather conditions.

5. Ocean currents:
Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the climate of the coastal areas. For example, any coastal area with warm or cold currents flowing past it, will be warmed or cooled if the winds are onshore.

6. Relief:
Relief play a major role in determining the climate of a place. High mountains act a barriers for cold or hot winds. They, may also cause precipitation if they are high enough and lie in the path of rain-bearing winds. The leeward side of mountain remains relatively dry.

Question 2.
How is the climate of India governed by the atmospheric conditions?
Answer:
The climate of India is governed by the following atmospheric conditions:
1. Pressure and surface winds:
The surface winds below from region of high pressure to the region of low pressure. During winter, the high pressure area lies in the north of the Himalayas. Over the ocean in the south, there is low pressure, so, wind blow from land toward sthe sea. The reverse occurs during summer.

2. Upper air circulation:
The north-easterly winds originate in sub-tropical high pres-sure belt of northern hemisphere. They blow southwards and get deflected towards right (due to coriolis force) over the low-pressure area of the Indian sub-continent. They are dry and cold and cause no rainfall. Sub-tropical westerly jet stream brings western cyclonic disturbances in north and north-western India during winter.

3. Western cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones:
They are a part of easterly flow. They cause heavy to very low rainfall in Eastern coast of India during the monsoon as well as in October-November.

Question 3.
Describe the main characteristics of Retreating Monsoon.
Answer:
Main Characteristics of Retreating Monsoon : Main characteristics of retreating Monsoon are the following:

1. October and November are the months of retreating monsoon.
2. During this time, low monsoon trough becomes weak and is replaced by high pressure. Thus, monsoon begins to retreat. By the beginning of October, it retreats completely from the Northern Plains.
3. This period is the period of transition from hot rainy season to cold winter season. It is marked by clear sky, moist ground and high temperatures giving birth to October heat.
4. Low pressure trough shifts to the Bay of Bengal. They give rise to cyclonic depressions which cause havoc on the eastern coasts, especially the coasts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, with very strong storms and rains. The super cyclone of 1999 will remain in the memories of millions of people forever, who lost their near and dear ones alongwith their property.

Question 4
Differentiate between South-west Monsoon and North-east Monsoon.
Answer:
Difference between South-west Monsoon and North-east Monsoon:

South-west Monsoon	North-east Monsoon
1.The winds blowing from South-west to North-east direction during the months of June to September are called South west Monsoon winds.	1. The winds blowing in India from North-east to South-west direction during the months of December to February are called North-east Monsoon winds.
2. These winds blow from South-west towards low pressure region.	2. These winds blow from the high pressure region towards the seas.
3. They are moisture-laden and hot.	3. They are dry and cold.
4. These winds cause 75 to 90% of the total annual rainfall during the reason of south-west monsoon.	4. They cause rainfall on the Tamil Nadu coast during winter.
5. The South-west Monsoon has two branch the Arabian Sea branch and I the Bay of Bengal branch.	5. They do not have branches.
6. Rainy days, soothing winds and overcast sky are the characteristic features of’ the South-west Monsoon.	6. Clear sky, low temperature, gentle breeze and rainless fine weather are the major features of the North-east Monsoon.

Locate & Labelling Meteorological stations cities to locate: Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Jodhpur, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Leh, Shillong, Delhi, Nagpur.
Answer:

JAC Class 9 Social Science Important Questions