11. A geographical grid has: 1. Lines that run east to west around the g

A geographical grid has:

  • 1. Lines that run east to west around the globe to mark latitude
  • 2. Lines that run north to south from north pole to south pole indicate longitude

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2023
A geographical grid is formed by the intersection of lines of latitude and longitude. Lines of latitude are imaginary circles running horizontally around the globe, parallel to the Equator, measuring distance north or south of the Equator (0°). Lines of longitude are imaginary semi-circles running vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole, measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian (0°). Therefore, both statements are correct in describing the components of a geographical grid.
A geographical grid is defined by the network of intersecting lines of latitude (east-west) and longitude (north-south), used for pinpointing locations on Earth.
Latitude lines are called parallels, and longitude lines are called meridians. The latitude of the equator is 0°, the North Pole is 90° N, and the South Pole is 90° S. The Prime Meridian is 0°, and longitude is measured up to 180° East or West.

12. While watching news, you hear about a place, of which you had never he

While watching news, you hear about a place, of which you had never heard earlier. You want to know more about the place and you want to locate it on the map. Which of the following is/are required for you to be able to locate the place on the map?

Only latitude of the place
Only longitude of the place
Both longitude and latitude of the place
Latitude, longitude and altitude of the place
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
The correct answer is C) Both longitude and latitude of the place.
To precisely locate any point on the Earth’s surface on a 2D map, you need a system of coordinates. The most common system uses latitude and longitude. Latitude measures the angular distance north or south of the equator, and longitude measures the angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian. The intersection of a specific latitude and a specific longitude provides a unique location on the map. Altitude (height above sea level) describes the vertical position and is not needed to locate a point horizontally on a standard map.
Latitude lines (parallels) run horizontally around the globe, parallel to the equator. Longitude lines (meridians) run vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole. Together, they form a grid system allowing for the precise identification of any location on Earth. GPS devices use latitude, longitude, and altitude data to determine a user’s position. However, for locating a place on a map, only latitude and longitude are required for the horizontal coordinates.

13. Which one of the following cities is situated to the East of Great Div

Which one of the following cities is situated to the East of Great Dividing Range?

Adelaide
Sydney
Forrest
Broken Hill
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Geoscientist – 2022
Sydney is located on the southeastern coast of Australia, significantly to the east of the Great Dividing Range. Most of Australia’s major cities are located along the coast, east of the range.
The Great Dividing Range is Australia’s most substantial mountain range, running roughly parallel to the eastern coast of the continent. Cities located on the coastal side are to the east of the range, while many inland settlements are to the west.
Adelaide is located much further west on the southern coast. Forrest and Broken Hill are inland cities, situated to the west of the Great Dividing Range.

14. You are located at 40° N latitude and 90° W longitude. You travel due

You are located at 40° N latitude and 90° W longitude. You travel due North 40°, then due East 60°. What are your new coordinates?

30° N and 80° E
80° S and 30° E
80° N and 30° W
80° N and 30° E
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Geoscientist – 2022
Starting coordinates: (40° N, 90° W).
1. Travel due North 40°: Moving north increases latitude. Starting at 40° N and moving 40° further north results in a new latitude of 40° N + 40° = 80° N. The longitude remains unchanged. Intermediate coordinates: (80° N, 90° W).
2. Travel due East 60°: Moving east changes longitude. Starting at 90° W and moving 60° east means reducing the westward longitude value towards the Prime Meridian (0°). The new longitude is 90° W – 60° = 30° W. The latitude remains unchanged. Final coordinates: (80° N, 30° W).
– Movement purely north or south changes only latitude.
– Movement purely east or west changes only longitude (assuming travel along a latitude line, though the question specifies ‘due East’ implying change in longitude).
– Longitudes West of the Prime Meridian are typically negative or marked ‘W’. Moving East from West longitudes reduces the westward value.
Latitude lines are parallel to the equator, ranging from 0° at the equator to 90° N or S at the poles. Longitude lines run from the North Pole to the South Pole, ranging from 0° at the Prime Meridian to 180° E or W. 180° longitude is roughly the International Date Line.

15. Which of the following pairs of Isolines and its properties are correc

Which of the following pairs of Isolines and its properties are correctly matched ?

  • 1. Isonif : Snowfall
  • 2. Isohel : Sunshine
  • 3. Isohaline : Salinity
  • 4. Isohypse : Cloudiness

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1, 2 and 3
2, 3 and 4
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 4
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2023
The correct option is A because the pairs 1 (Isonif : Snowfall), 2 (Isohel : Sunshine), and 3 (Isohaline : Salinity) are correctly matched. Pair 4 (Isohypse : Cloudiness) is incorrectly matched.
– Isonif are isolines connecting points of equal snowfall.
– Isohel are isolines connecting points of equal duration of sunshine.
– Isohaline are isolines connecting points of equal salinity in water bodies, especially oceans.
– Isohypse are isolines connecting points of equal altitude or elevation above a given reference level (often mean sea level), also known as contour lines. Lines of equal cloudiness are called Isonephs.
Isolines are lines on a map, chart, or graph connecting points having the same value of a specified variable. They are crucial tools in cartography and various scientific fields for visualizing spatial distributions of data like temperature (Isotherms), pressure (Isobars), rainfall (Isohyets), etc.