Question 1

Question 14State in brief a few important features of the Tropical Monsoon Climate.

Accepted Answer

A few important features of the Tropical Monsoon Climate are:Seasonal reversal of winds is the chief feature.Temperature ranges from 15°C in the cool season to 32°C in hot season.Three distinct seasons can be identifiedCool dry season (Nov to Feb)Hot dry season (March to May)Hot wet season (June to Oct)Great variation in rain takes place from 12 cm in the deserts to 200 cm in coastal regions

Question 2

Question 15What are the characteristics of the climate of hot deserts?

Accepted Answer

The characteristics of the climate of hot deserts are:Rain rarely falls and average rainfall is usually below 12 cm. Sometimes there may be a sudden torrential downpour due to depression which may cause temporary floods.The average temperature varies from 29°C in hot season to 10°C in cool season.Absence of clouds causes temperature to rise upto 49°C at times. At night, because of clear skies, radiation is rapid and temperature may fall to 15°C to 5°C. Thus diurnal range of temperature is very high.

Question 3

Question 18Point out the important features of the Tropical Deserts.

Accepted Answer

The important features of the Tropical Deserts are:Annual range of temperature is high as summers are hot and winters are moderate.Rainfall is scanty (less than 12 cm).Relative humidity is only 10%Days are hot and nights are cold. Therefore, the diurnal range of temperature is high.Vegetation consists of xerophytic plants.

Question 4

Question 19Point out the location of the hot desert region of the world naming the areas and the countries.

Accepted Answer

Most of the world's hot deserts lie within the latitude 15°N to 30°N and south. They occupy the western margins of the continent in the belt of permanent trade winds. The only exception is Sahara desert, which extends from west coast right across the continent into South-West Asia.The most important regions having hot deserts are Sahara Desert, the Arabian, Iranian and Thar Desert, Australian Desert, the Kalahari and Namibia Deserts, the Atacama Desert and the California and Mexico Desert.

Question 5

Question 20What is the main feature of the Mediterranean climate?

Accepted Answer

The warm dry summer and mild rainy winters with plenty of rainfall is the main feature of the Mediterranean climate.

Question 6

Question 21When do Mediterranean regions receive their rain and why?

Accepted Answer

In the northern hemisphere the maximum rainfall is received during winter between December to March while in southern hemisphere the rainy season last from May to August. This is because of the shifting of the pressure belts. These regions come under the influence of Westerlies. Onshore Westerly winds blow in the winter bringing cyclonic rain.

Question 7

Question 22What are the main characteristics of Mediterranean vegetation?

Accepted Answer

The main characteristics of Mediterranean vegetation are:The plants in this region have adapted themselves to the summer drought, by storing water obtained from winter rains, e.g. bulbous roots.They have thick wooden stem with thick needle type of spiny leaves to cut down rate of transpiration.Other plants have tap roots which can reach down to the moist rock layer below the surface.In the drier forests the vegetation is scrub like and consists of sweet smelling herbs and shrubs such as Oleander, Rosemary, Thyme and Lavender.In the wetter parts, coniferous trees are found on mountain slopes.

Question 8

Question 23Name the principal trees which grow on lands.

Accepted Answer

Some trees that grow on land are teak, sheesham, oak, eucalyptus and fruit trees like mango, guava etc.

Question 9

Question 24Name a few local winds found in Mediterranean region.

Accepted Answer

Few local winds of Mediterranean region are:Sirocco — a hot dusty, dry wind which blows from Sahara desert during summer across Mediterranean.Mistral — intensely strong cold wind which blows in winter down the Rhone valley from the North reaching Mediterranean coast.Bora — winter wind blowing south across Yugoslavia to the Adriatic Sea.

Question 10

Question 25Name any four climate types of the world.

Accepted Answer

Four climate types of the world are:Mediterranean typeTemperate grasslandsTropical desertTropical monsoon

Question 11

Question 26Give an account of the winter conditions in the Taiga region.

Accepted Answer

The winters are very long in the Taiga region. Long and cold winters last from October to April and temperature can fall to -30°C or less. During winter precipitation is received in the form of snowfall because winter temperatures are generally below freezing point.

Question 12

Question 27What is the location of the Tundra region?

Accepted Answer

The Tundra lies beyond the Arctic circle (66°30'N) in the Northern Hemisphere. There is no tundra region in he Southern Hemisphere as there is no landmass present within this latitude. Northern coastal region of Alaska and Canada are in Tundra region.

Question 13

Question 28Describe the summer conditions in Tundra region.

Accepted Answer

Summers in Tundra region are cool and short. They last only for about 2-3 months and the temperature may vary between 2°C to 10°C. Although during summer the area is blessed with continuous sunlight, the sun hardly comes up the horizon.

Question 14

Question 29What is meant by the term Aurora Borealis? Where do they occur?

Accepted Answer

Aurora Borealis or polar lights are a natural phenomenon in which there is a display of brilliant colors in sky. They occur when charged particles from the sun interact with gases in the earth's atmosphere. They occur in latitudes beyond 65° in northern hemisphere.

Question 15

Question 17Assertion (A): The relation between climate and human activities is striking in regions where the primary activities like agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry are dominant.Reason (R): These activities are governed directly by the climatic conditions.Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.Both A and R are true but R does not explain A.A is true but R is false.A is false but R is true.

Accepted Answer

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.Explanation — Activities like agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry are directly influenced by climate (temperature, rainfall, humidity, etc.). Therefore, in regions where these activities dominate, the impact of climate on human activity is most visible.

Question 16

Question 6There is no vegetation found in Southern Hemisphere beyond 66.5°S.

Accepted Answer

Due to extreme weather conditions characterised by very low beyond freezing point temperatures, strong winds, a polar desert environment and presence of a very small landmass, the Antarctic region beyond 66.5°S in Southern Hemisphere has no vegetation.

Question 17

Question 1On an outline map of the world, mark the following regions:Equatorial RegionsTropical Monsoon RegionsMediterranean RegionsMid-Latitude Deserts

Accepted Answer

Equatorial RegionsTropical Monsoon RegionsMediterranean RegionsMid-Latitude Deserts

Question 18

Question 9What local conditions produce variation in the Mediterranean Type of climate?

Accepted Answer

As the Mediterranean region lies between the Tropical Deserts on the equatorward side and Cool Temperate West Margin region on the poleward side, it shares the summer drought conditions of the deserts at lower latitudes and rain in winter.Many local variations are produced in the Mediterranean region-In the Mediterranean region, considerable East-West extent of the sea allows the westerly influence of winds to penetrate deep into the Afro-Asian landmass.On account of the local conditions and indented coastline, many local variations of the winds are produced.The Westerlies and the temperate cyclones travel from west to east and bring rainfall in decreasing order.In addition, cold Polar winds in winter are also sometimes drawn into the circulation of depressions like Mistral in the Rhone valley and Bora in the northern Adriatic Sea region. They cause great devastation.Southern winds like Sirocco in North Africa are hot and dry. They cause considerable damage to crops.Such weather patterns also occur in Oregon in USA, California, Cape Town in South Africa and central Chile.

Question 19

Question 11What type of vegetation is found in the Mediterranean region?

Accepted Answer

The vegetation in the Mediterranean region is of deciduous type. It is adapted to withstand a long period of summer drought. So the trees in this region have long roots and thick barks to retain moisture in the dry summer months. Short stature, moisture retentive trees grow here specially citrus fruits.The dominant trees of Mediterranean region of Europe include oak, laurel, cork, oleander, beech and ash. Olive is the most common tree.The North American Mediterranean region has dominant species of chestnut, maple and hemlock. Redwood trees of California forests are famous.Towards the Polar regions and in highlands, coniferous evergreen trees are found. Cedar, pine, fir and cypress are the common varieties.

Question 20

Question 1(c)Give a reason for each of the following:(i) There is a uniformly high temperature in the Equatorial region.(ii) Though Mt. Kilimanjaro is located close to the Equator, yet its peaks remain covered with snow throughout the year.(iii) The Equatorial region is also called the 'Lungs of the World'.

Accepted Answer

(i) There is a uniformly high temperature in the Equatorial region because this region lies in the Torrid belt. At and near the equator, the sun's rays are almost vertical and have a high angle of incidence which varies between 66½° and 90° during the year.(ii) Though Mt. Kilimanjaro is located close to the Equator, yet its peaks remain covered with snow throughout the year because of its high elevation. It is located at the height of 5,895 meters and we know that the temperature decreases with an increase in height. Hence, its peak has considerably lower mean temperature and rainfall.(iii) The Equatorial region is also called the 'Lungs of the World' because the rainforests function as a giant machine that absorb a large amount of carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

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