World Climate

11. The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is h

The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What is/are the reason/reasons?

  • Thermal difference between land and water
  • Variation in altitude between continents and oceans
  • Presence of strong winds in the interior
  • Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

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1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2013
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The primary reason for the high annual range of temperature in the interior of continents compared to coastal areas is the thermal difference between land and water. Land heats up and cools down much faster than water. Coastal areas benefit from the moderating influence of the ocean, which absorbs and releases heat slowly, reducing temperature extremes throughout the year. Interior regions, lacking this moderating effect, experience greater variations between summer highs and winter lows.
Specific heat capacity and heat transfer mechanisms cause land to heat and cool more rapidly than water. This differential heating/cooling leads to continental climates having larger temperature ranges (diurnal and annual) than maritime climates.
Statement 2 is generally not true as a universal reason for the difference in range; altitude affects absolute temperature, not primarily the range between interiors and coasts in a general sense. Statements 3 and 4 describe potential local weather phenomena but are not the fundamental climatic reason for the large annual temperature range in continental interiors compared to coasts. Interior areas often experience low humidity and less cloud cover, which further contributes to faster heating and cooling.

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12. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The jet stream

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  • 1. The jet streams are high altitude easterly winds.
  • 2. El Niño is a warm ocean current.
  • 3. El Niño appears along the Peru coast.

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1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
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The correct option is B. Statements 2 and 3 are correct, while statement 1 is incorrect.
– Statement 1: The jet streams are high altitude winds, but they are typically strong, narrow currents of *westerly* winds in the upper troposphere. While there are tropical easterly jet streams, the general description of “the jet streams” refers to the dominant westerly flow at high altitudes. Therefore, stating they are “easterly winds” as a general characteristic is incorrect.
– Statement 2: El Niño is indeed a warm ocean current. It refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming of the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
– Statement 3: El Niño appears along the Peru coast. The warming associated with El Niño is most prominent in the eastern equatorial Pacific, off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru.
– Jet streams play a significant role in influencing weather patterns globally.
– El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern. Its opposite phase, La Niña, is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the same region.
– El Niño events have significant global climatic consequences, affecting rainfall patterns, temperatures, and extreme weather events in many parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent (often associated with weaker monsoons).

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13. Which of the following cities experience the warm temperate Mediterran

Which of the following cities experience the warm temperate Mediterranean climate?

  • 1. Cape Town
  • 2. Los Angeles
  • 3. Adelaide
  • 4. Santiago

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1 and 2 only
3 and 4 only
1, 2 and 3 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
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The correct answer is D) 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The warm temperate Mediterranean climate is typically found on the western margins of continents between 30° and 45° latitudes in both hemispheres. It is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. All four listed cities are located in regions that experience this type of climate.
Cape Town (South Africa, ~34°S), Los Angeles (USA, ~34°N), Adelaide (Australia, ~35°S), and Santiago (Chile, ~33°S) are classic examples of cities with Mediterranean climates. These regions benefit from subtropical high-pressure systems during summer, leading to dry conditions, and are influenced by westerlies and frontal systems during winter, bringing precipitation.

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14. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below

List I (Climate type in letter code)List II (Major area)
A. Aw1. Central California
B. Af2. Indian Sub-Continent
C. Cs3. North and South of Amazon Forests
D. Am4. Western Equatorial Africa

Code :

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3 1 4 2
2 4 1 3
3 4 1 2
2 1 4 3
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UPSC CAPF – 2016
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The correct match is A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2, which corresponds to option C.
– Aw climate (Tropical Savanna) is found poleward of the equatorial regions, often bordering rainforests, characterized by wet and dry seasons. Areas like the Cerrado region south of the Amazon fit this.
– Af climate (Tropical Rainforest) is characterized by high temperature and rainfall year-round, typical of equatorial regions. Western Equatorial Africa (Congo basin) is a major example.
– Cs climate (Mediterranean) has dry, hot summers and mild, wet winters, found on west coasts in mid-latitudes. Central California has this climate.
– Am climate (Tropical Monsoon) has a strong seasonal pattern of rainfall influenced by monsoon winds, with a distinct wet and dry season. The Indian Sub-Continent is a prime example.
The climate classifications used are based on the Köppen-Geiger system. Aw is specifically a tropical savanna climate with a dry winter (‘w’). Af is a tropical rainforest climate (‘f’ for fully humid). Cs is a Mediterranean climate with a dry summer (‘s’). Am is a tropical monsoon climate, often considered a transition between Af and Aw.

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15. Which one of the following cities has greater annual range of temperat

Which one of the following cities has greater annual range of temperature ?

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Kuala Lumpur
New Delhi
Shanghai
Ulaanbaatar
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UPSC CAPF – 2016
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Ulaanbaatar has the greater annual range of temperature among the given cities.
Annual range of temperature is the difference between the average temperature of the warmest month and the coldest month. This range is typically largest in locations far from moderating influences like large bodies of water (continental effect) and at higher latitudes where seasonal differences in solar insolation are more pronounced.
– Kuala Lumpur is near the equator, experiencing a consistently tropical climate with a small annual temperature range.
– New Delhi is in a subtropical continental climate zone, experiencing hot summers and relatively cold winters, leading to a significant annual range.
– Shanghai is in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, also experiencing seasonal variations but its coastal location provides some moderation compared to inland areas.
– Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is located deep inland in a high-latitude region (around 47°N). It experiences an extreme continental climate with very cold, long winters and relatively warm summers, resulting in one of the largest annual temperature ranges among capital cities worldwide.

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16. Which one of the following does not control climate ?

Which one of the following does not control climate ?

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Latitude
Altitude
Longitude
Forest cover
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UPSC CAPF – 2009
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Longitude does not directly control climate.
Climate is primarily controlled by factors that affect the distribution of solar radiation and heat transfer in the atmosphere and oceans. These include Latitude (influences angle of sun’s rays), Altitude (affects temperature and pressure), Proximity to water bodies, Ocean Currents, Prevailing Winds, Topography, and Vegetation Cover. Longitude primarily relates to position east-west and time zones and does not have a direct causal influence on climate.
While locations at similar longitudes might share similar climates if other factors are constant (e.g., coastal regions at the same latitude), longitude itself is not a climate-controlling factor like latitude or altitude are. Forest cover is considered a significant factor influencing local and regional climate, primarily through its effects on albedo, evapotranspiration, and carbon cycling.

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17. Which one of the following climatic regions of the world have a typica

Which one of the following climatic regions of the world have a typical characteristic of seasonal reversal of wind ?

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British type Climate
Mediterranean Climate
China type Climate
Monsoon Climate
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Seasonal reversal of wind is a hallmark characteristic of the Monsoon climate. This phenomenon is caused by the differential heating of land and sea, leading to significant seasonal shifts in atmospheric pressure and wind patterns. During the summer monsoon, winds blow from the sea to the land, bringing heavy rainfall. During the winter monsoon, winds blow from the land to the sea, resulting in dry conditions in many regions.
– Monsoon climate is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons.
– This seasonality is driven by large-scale seasonal changes in wind direction (reversal).
– This contrasts with other climate types like Mediterranean (dry summers, wet winters with Westerlies) or British type (uniform precipitation, dominated by Westerlies).
The term ‘monsoon’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘mausim’, meaning season. Major monsoon regions include South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Australia and Africa.

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18. According to the Köppen climatic classification, the letter code Cfa d

According to the Köppen climatic classification, the letter code Cfa denotes

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Tropical wet climate.
Humid subtropical climate.
Tundra climate.
Tropical wet and dry climate.
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UPSC NDA-2 – 2019
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The Köppen climate classification uses letters to denote climate types. The first letter indicates the main climate group: C denotes Temperate climates, characterized by average temperature of the coldest month between 0°C (or -3°C in some variations) and 18°C. The second letter indicates precipitation patterns: f denotes fully humid, meaning significant precipitation throughout the year. The third letter indicates the temperature of the summer: a denotes a hot summer, where the average temperature of the warmest month is over 22°C. Combining C, f, and a defines a Humid Subtropical climate, typically found on the eastern sides of continents between 25° and 40° latitude, characterized by hot, humid summers and mild winters.
– C: Temperate climate.
– f: Fully humid (precipitation in all seasons).
– a: Hot summer (warmest month > 22°C).
– Cfa classification corresponds to Humid Subtropical climate.
Other Köppen codes for the given options: Tropical wet climate is Af. Tundra climate is ET. Tropical wet and dry climate is Aw or As. Understanding the meaning of the letter codes is key to applying the Köppen classification system.

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19. Steppe (temperate continental) climate is not experienced in which one

Steppe (temperate continental) climate is not experienced in which one of the following places?

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Pretoria
Saskatchewan
Perth
Buenos Aires
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2018
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Steppe (temperate continental) climate is not experienced in Perth.
– Steppe climate (often classified as BSk or BSh in Koppen depending on temperature, but the question specifies “temperate continental”) is a semi-arid climate characterized by grasslands, intermediate in precipitation between desert and humid climates. It is typically found in continental interiors or rain shadow areas of mid-latitudes.
– Saskatchewan, Canada, is part of the Great Plains/Prairies and experiences significant areas with Cold Semi-arid (BSk) or Humid Continental (Dfb) climates, including vast grasslands indicative of steppe conditions.
– Buenos Aires, Argentina, is in the Pampas region, which predominantly has a Humid Subtropical climate (Cfa), although some western parts border on semi-arid conditions.
– Pretoria, South Africa, located on the Highveld, has a subtropical highland climate (Cwb or Cwa) or a high-altitude semi-arid climate (BShw), characterized by dry winters and wet summers. While bordering on semi-arid conditions, it is not a classic mid-latitude continental steppe.
– Perth, Western Australia, has a Mediterranean climate (Cs), characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This distinct seasonal rainfall pattern is different from the less extreme seasonal precipitation typical of steppe climates.
– Among the given options, Perth’s climate is the most distinctly different from a steppe climate.
– Classic examples of temperate steppe regions include the Great Plains of North America, the Eurasian Steppe, and the Pampas of Argentina.
– Mediterranean climates (Cs) are typically found on the western sides of continents between roughly 30° and 45° latitude.

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20. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :

List-I
(Koppen’s Climatic Type)		List-II
(Letter Code)
A. Tropical wet1. Af
B. Mid-latitude desert2. Cs
C. Mediterranean3. Df
D. Humid continental4. BWk

Code :

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A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3
A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3
A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2018
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The correct match between List-I (Koppen’s Climatic Type) and List-II (Letter Code) is A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3.
– Koppen’s climate classification uses letter codes to represent different climate types based primarily on temperature and precipitation characteristics.
– A. Tropical wet climate is characterized by consistently high temperatures and heavy rainfall throughout the year, designated by the code Af (A: Tropical, f: fully humid).
– B. Mid-latitude desert is an arid climate type found in mid-latitudes, often experiencing cold winters. The code BWk represents Arid (B), Desert (W), and Cold (k).
– C. Mediterranean climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The code is Cs (C: Temperate, s: dry summer).
– D. Humid continental climate is found in mid-latitudes of continents, characterized by large seasonal temperature variations with warm to hot summers and cold winters, and precipitation throughout the year. The code is Df (D: Continental, f: fully humid).
– Matching the types to codes gives: A-1 (Af), B-4 (BWk), C-2 (Cs), D-3 (Df).
– The first letter of the Koppen code usually indicates the main climate group (A: Tropical, B: Arid, C: Temperate, D: Continental, E: Polar).
– Subsequent letters denote precipitation patterns (f: fully humid, w: dry winter, s: dry summer, m: monsoon) and temperature characteristics (a: hot summer, b: warm summer, c: cool summer, d: extremely cold winter, h: hot arid, k: cold arid).

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