🌦️ Geography MCQs on Climatology for SSC & State PSC

• The thermosphere layer of the Atmosphere helps in Radio Transmission.
• It is located above the mesosphere and below the exosphere.
• In the thermosphere, the temperature rises rapidly with increasing height.
• The ionosphere is a part of this layer.
• This layer helps in radio transmission and in fact, radio waves transmitted from the earth are reflected back to the earth by this layer.
• This layer is home to the International Space Station as it orbits Earth.

• The statement "It lies above the mesosphere" is incorrect when referring to the stratosphere.
• The stratosphere is actually located above the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of the Earth's atmosphere.
• The stratosphere extends from about 10 to 50 kilometers (6 to 31 miles) above the Earth's surface.

• The Earth's atmosphere is divided into five primary layers based on temperature changes with increasing altitude. From the bottom to the top, these layers are:
  • Troposphere: This is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, extending from the Earth's surface up to an average altitude of about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) at the poles and 18 kilometers (11 miles) at the equator. The troposphere is where weather phenomena occur, and it contains most of the Earth's air mass and moisture.
  • Stratosphere: Above the troposphere lies the stratosphere, extending from the top of the troposphere up to approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) in altitude. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer, which plays a crucial role in absorbing the Sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
  • Mesosphere: The mesosphere is situated above the stratosphere and extends up to around 85 kilometers (53 miles) in altitude. In this layer, temperatures decrease with increasing altitude, reaching extremely low temperatures.
  • Thermosphere: The thermosphere starts above the mesosphere and extends upward to about 600 kilometers (373 miles). It is characterized by a significant increase in temperature due to the absorption of intense solar radiation. Despite the high temperatures, the thermosphere would not feel hot to human perception due to its extremely low density of particles.
  • Exosphere: The exosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It begins around 600 kilometers (373 miles) above the Earth's surface and extends indefinitely into space. The exosphere consists of extremely sparse gas molecules that gradually dissipate into the vacuum of outer space.

• Ozone layer:-
  • It is a layer of gas in the stratosphere that protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
  • It is primarily made up of ozone molecules and is located approximately 10-50 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
  • The ozone layer is important for the survival of various species on Earth, including humans, as prolonged exposure to UV radiation can lead to skin cancer, cataracts, and other health problems.
  • The depletion of the ozone layer is primarily caused by human-made chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that have been used in refrigerants, aerosol sprays, and other industrial processes.

• Troposphere, mesosphere, and exosphere, do not contain significant amounts of ozone and are not responsible for protecting the Earth from UV radiation.

The canswer is Troposphere.

• Almost all the clouds are found in the Troposphere.

• Troposphere
  • The troposphere is the lowest portion of Earth’s atmosphere and contains approximately 80% of the atmosphere’s mass and 99% of its water vapour and aerosols.
  • The average depth of the troposphere is approximately 17 km in the middle latitudes.
  • The characteristic features of the Troposphere are its great density.
  • In addition to nitrogen and oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour (nearly all of the water vapour contained in the atmosphere is concentrated in the troposphere) and numerous particles of various origin
  • It thickness of the Troposphere is maximum at the equator, deeper in the tropics, up to 20 km, and shallower near the polar regions, at 7 km in summer, and indistinct in winter.
  • In India, it is taken to be around 16 Kilometers.
  • The thickness of the troposphere and consequently the atmosphere is maximum at the equator.
  • Almost all the clouds are found in the troposphere.

• Stratosphere
  • It is the second layer of the atmosphere found above the troposphere.
  • It extends up to 50 km in height.
  • This layer is very dry as it contains little water vapour.
  • This layer provides some advantages for flight because it is above stormy weather and has steady, strong, horizontal winds.
  • The ozone layer is found in this layer.
  • The ozone layer absorbs UV rays and safeguards the earth from harmful radiation.
  • Stratopause separates Stratosphere and Mesosphere.
• Mesosphere
  • It is the coldest of the atmospheric layers.
  • The mesosphere starts at 50 km above the surface of Earth and goes up to 85 km.
  • The temperature drops with altitude in this layer.
  • By 80 km it reaches -100 degrees Celsius.
  • Meteors burn up in this layer.
  • Mesopause separates Mesosphere and Thermosphere.
• Thermosphere
  • This layer is found above Mesopause from 80 to 400 km.
  • Radio waves that are transmitted from the earth are reflected by this layer.
  • The temperature increases with height.
  • Satellites occur in this layer.
• Exosphere
  • It is the outermost layer of the atmosphere.
  • The zone where molecules and atoms escape into space is mentioned as the exosphere.
  • It extends from the top of the thermosphere up to 10,000 km.

• Sea level rise is caused primarily by two factors related to global warming: the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers, and the expansion of seawater as it warms.
• Rising global temperatures also are linked with changes in rainfall patterns, and the frequency and duration of heat waves and droughts, which can affect crop health and productivity. Higher temperatures also affect the length of growing seasons and accelerate crop maturity.
• Global warming causes sea-level rise as oceans expand, and makes storm patterns more energetic. Consequently, it will affect most of the world's coastlines through inundation and increased erosion.

• The ozone layer, which lies high in the atmosphere, shields us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that come from the Sun. Human activities effectively punched a hole in it, through the use of gases like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in spray cans and refrigerants, which break down ozone molecules in the upper atmosphere.
• If all the Antarctic ice melted it would raise the average sea level by about 70 m (230 feet) worldwide. This would change the map of the world as we know it as all coastlines would flood including the loss of all coastal cities in the world

Thus, an increase in the level of the sea, Change in crop pattern, and Change in the coastline are expected to result in due to global warming.

• The first layer of the Earth's atmosphere is called the troposphere.
• It is the layer closest to the Earth's surface, extending from the surface up to about 7-20 km (4-12 miles) depending on the location.
• The troposphere contains about 80% of the total mass of the Earth's atmosphere and is where weather occurs.
• Temperature decreases with height in the troposphere, due to the cooling effect of the Earth's surface.

• Stratosphere: the layer above the troposphere, extending from about 20-50 km (12-31 miles) above the surface.
  • It contains the ozone layer, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
• Thermosphere: the layer above the mesosphere, extending from about 80-600 km (50-375 miles) above the surface.
  • It is where the auroras occur and is the location of the International Space Station.
• Mesosphere: the layer above the stratosphere, extending from about 50-80 km (31-50 miles) above the surface.
  • It is the coldest layer of the atmosphere and meteors burn up in this layer.
• Hence, the statement "The first layer of the Earth's atmosphere is the troposphere" is correct.

• The Ionosphere is suitable for reflecting radio waves.
• There is an expansion of the ionosphere between 80-640 km from the ground.
• Here there is very low pressure due to the extreme temperature.
• As a result, the ionization of gases occurs due to continuous strikes by UV photons and high-velocity particles.

• This circle is divided into several ionized layers, which are as follows:-
  • D layer: extends 80-96 km. This part reflects long radio waves.
  • E1 layer: 96 to 130 km. up to an E2 layer 160 km. are detailed. The E1 and E2 layers reflect the medium radio waves.
  • F1 and F2 layers: extend 160-320 km. up to, which reflect short radio waves.
  • The extent of the G layer is 400 km. Till then. This layer is produced by the reaction of nitrogen atoms and UV photons.

• The troposphere is the Earth's initial and lowest layer of the atmosphere, containing 75 per cent of the planetary atmosphere's total mass, 99 per cent of the overall mass of water vapour and aerosols, and is where most meteorological occurrences occur.
• The troposphere's temperature drops at high altitudes due to inversion layers that form at the tropopause, the atmospheric boundary that separates the troposphere from the stratosphere.
• Low air temperatures lower the saturation vapour pressure, or the quantity of atmospheric water vapour in the upper troposphere, at higher altitudes.
• The troposphere's average height is 13 km.​
• The atmosphere is a gaseous blanket that covers the Earth. Earth's gravitational attraction keeps it close to the planet's surface.

• The thermosphere is the part of the atmosphere above the mesosphere and below the height at which the atmosphere loses its continuous medium features. The thermosphere is characterised by a gradual increase in temperature as it rises in altitude.
• The stratosphere is a layer of the atmosphere that extends from the tip of the troposphere to roughly 50 kilometres and contains the ozone layer. It is located between the troposphere and the mesosphere.
• Between the thermosphere and the stratosphere is the mesosphere. The term "meso" refers to the topmost layer of the atmosphere when all of the gases are mingled together.

Hence, the troposphere is the layer where rain occurs in the Earth's atmosphere.

Troposphere

• It is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere where all the weather occurs. Hence, Option 4 is correct.
• It extends up to 11km of Earth's boundary.
• It is the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere.
• Earth’s troposphere extends from Earth’s surface with its height lower at Earth’s poles and higher at the equator.
• In the troposphere, the temperature decreases with altitude.
• The troposphere is the densest atmospheric layer, compressed by the weight of the rest of the atmosphere above it.
• Tropopause is the line that separates the Troposphere and Stratosphere.

• Stratosphere	This layer extends from the top of the troposphere to about 50 km and is the second layer. Aeroplanes normally fly in this layer. Ozone is also present in this layer.
  Mesosphere	This is the coldest layer and extends upward to a height of about 85 km from Earth.
  Thermosphere	This is the fourth layer and astronauts orbiting Earth in the space station or space shuttle spend their time in this layer. This is the thinnest layer and temperature can go extremely high.
  Exosphere	This is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere from where molecules escape into space.

Air pressure is the weight of air molecules pressing down on the Earth.

• The pressure of the air molecules changes as you move upward from sea level into the atmosphere.
• The highest pressure is at sea level where the density of the air molecules is the greatest.

1. The Air pressure decreases with height. Air pressure is higher at lower altitudes. Air density is higher at lower altitudes.
2. There is more space between air molecules at higher altitudes. There is less oxygen to breathe at the top of a high mountain than there is at sea level.

1. As air rises, the pressure decreases. It is this lower pressure at higher altitudes that causes the temperature to be colder on top of a mountain than at sea level.
2. Air pressure is the highest at sea level.

Hence, Air pressure decreases when you go upward or mountains.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the wind circulation in an anticyclone (a high-pressure system) is clockwise.

• This means that the winds blow outwards from the center of the anticyclone, and as they move away from the center, they curve to the right due to the Coriolis effect.
• This results in a clockwise flow around the center of the high-pressure system.
• In contrast, in a cyclone (a low-pressure system) in the Northern Hemisphere, the wind circulation is counterclockwise.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes objects that are moving to the right to be deflected towards the east, and objects that are moving to the left to be deflected towards the west.

• This effect is due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis, which causes objects to appear to be deflected from their straight-line path as they move across the surface.
• In the case of an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere, air is moving away from the center of the high-pressure system.
  • As the air moves away from the center, it is deflected to the right by the Coriolis effect, resulting in a clockwise flow around the center of the anticyclone.
• The direction of wind circulation in a high-pressure system is also influenced by the pressure gradient force.
  • This force causes air to move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
  • In the case of an anticyclone, the pressure gradient force is directed outward from the center of the system, which further reinforces the clockwise flow of air around the center of the high-pressure system.
• It's important to note that the wind circulation around an anticyclone is not uniform or constant.
  • The strength and direction of the winds can vary depending on a number of factors, such as the size and strength of the anticyclone, the local topography, and the time of day.
  • However, in general, the wind circulation in an anticyclone in the Northern Hemisphere is clockwise.

A local wind is a movement of air that occurs in a regular pattern in a specific location. They might be tens of kilometres long or hundreds of miles long.

• Chinook is a warm, dry, gusty westerly wind that flows down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and across the western grasslands.
• The chinook, which comes from a Native American name that means "snow eater," is a type of wind that may be found in many places of the world where long mountain chains lay at right angles to the prevailing wind.​

• A northern wind is referred to as a Tramontane.
• Sirocco, scirocco, ghibli, jugo, or, less commonly, siroc is a Mediterranean wind that originates in the Sahara and may reach hurricane-force speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, particularly during the summer.
• The Loo is a powerful, dusty, windy, hot, and dry summer wind from the west that sweeps over North India and Pakistan's Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Hence, Chinook is called Snow-eater.

The Earth's atmosphere is like a blanket of air and consists of different gases like Nitrogen-78 %, Oxygen-21 %, Argon-0.93 %, Carbon dioxide-0.04 %.

Earth's atmosphere is composed of six layers and the mesosphere is one such layer-

• Mesosphere: This layer lies above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere and extends from 50 to 80 km above the earth's surface.
  • It is the middle layer of the atmosphere. Because of thin air, you would not breathe easily in this layer.
  • Most of the meteors and rock are burned up in these layers before reaching the earth.
  • This layer has more gases than the above layers i.e. exosphere and thermosphere which causes more friction and heat to burn up meteors.

Hence, from the above-mentioned points, it becomes clear that on entering the Mesosphere layer of the atmosphere from space do the meteorites burn up.

Other layers are as follows:

• Troposphere: The troposphere is the innermost layer of the earth's atmosphere.
  • Mixing up of gases and changing weather occurs in this layer.
  • This layer is dense and closest to the earth's surface and 10 - 15 km above the surface.
  • This layer consists of dense air, water vapour, the formation of clouds, all-weather phenomena take place in this layer.
  • Thus, this layer contains about 80% of the total mass of the atmosphere.
• Stratosphere: This layer lies above the troposphere and below the mesosphere.
  • The Earth's ozone layer is found in this layer.
  • This ozone layer is located between 15 to 50 km above the surface.
  • This layer absorbs the ultraviolet rays from the sun and gives protection to the earth from its harmful effects.
• Ionosphere: The Ionosphere is a highly active layer of the atmosphere as it shrinks or expands continuously depending upon the amount of energy absorbed.
  • The sun radiation causes gases to form ions having an electric charge.
  • This layer helps in propagating radio signals and sending them back to earth.
• Thermosphere: The thermosphere is located in between the exosphere and mesosphere.
  • 'Thermos' means heat, this layer contains the most heat and this layer can produce the heat up to 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • This layer is the most thicker than all inner layers of the atmosphere.
• Exosphere: This is the outermost and thinner layer of earth atmosphere.
  • It has a low atmospheric pressure and gas molecules are at wide spaces.
  • It is composed of lighter gases like helium, argon, hydrogen.

General circulation of the atmosphere:

• The pattern of the movement of the planetary winds is called the general circulation of the atmosphere. The general circulation of the atmosphere also sets in motion the ocean water circulation which influences the earth’s climate.
• Hadley Cell:
  • ​The air at the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) rises because of the convection currents caused by low pressure.
  • Low pressure in turn occurs due to high insolation. The winds from the tropics converge at this low pressure zone.
  • The converged air rises along with the convective cell. It reaches the top of the troposphere up to an altitude of 14 km, and moves towards the poles.
  • This causes accumulation of air at about 30° N and S.
  • Part of the accumulated air sinks to the ground and forms a subtropical high.
  • Another reason for sinking is the cooling of air when it reaches 30° N and S latitudes.
• Ferrel Cell:
  • ​In the middle latitudes, the circulation is that of sinking cold air that comes from the poles and the rising warm air that blows from the subtropical high.
  • At the surface, these winds are called westerlies and the cell is known as the Ferrel cell.
  • In the Ferrel cell thermal circulation, air rises and finally descends at Subtropical high-pressure belt. Hence, option 2 is correct.
• ​Polar Cell:
  • ​At polar latitudes, the cold dense air subsides near the poles and blows towards middle latitudes as the polar easterlies. This cell is called the polar cell.
  • These three cells set the pattern for the general circulation of the atmosphere. The transfer of heat energy from lower latitudes to higher latitudes maintains general circulation.

• Ozone protects the earth from the ultraviolet radiation of the sun
• The Ozone Layer absorbs the majority of the Sun's Ultraviolet Radiation.
• The ozone layer has high ozone concentrations in comparison to other sections of the atmosphere (O₃).
• Ozone depletion refers to the phenomenon of reductions in the amount of ozone in the stratosphere.
• Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson discovered the ozone layer in 1913.
• The ozone layer is mostly found in the stratosphere's lower reaches.
• The ozone layer works as a shield, absorbing the sun's UV energy.
• High quantities of chlorine and bromine chemicals in the stratosphere can deplete the ozone layer.
• Ozone depletion is mostly caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which are employed as cooling agents in air conditioners and refrigerators.
• The Montreal Protocol, signed in 1987, aimed to limit ozone-depleting chemicals' emissions.

• Magnesium is the element known as the 'Chemical sun'.
• Nitrogen is the main content of protein.
• Oxygen is the gas that helps to burn substances but doesn't burn itself.

• The earth is closest to the sun on January 3.
• The point that is nearest to the sun is called perihelion.

• The point that is farthest to the sun is called aphelion.
• Approx. an elliptical orbit is occupied by all planets, asteroids, and comets in our solar system.
• The flatness of the orbit is measured by the orbital eccentricity.
• On January 3, the earth comes closest to the sun every year.
• In the northern hemisphere, it is winter, when the earth is closest to the sun.
• At that time it is summer in the southern hemisphere.
• Aphelion occurs on July 4.

Explanation:

• Willy-willies is a famous cyclone in Western Australia.
• Tropical Cyclone:
  • Tropical cyclones are recognized as one of the most dangerous natural calamities in the world.
  • They generate and intensifyespecially in warm tropical oceans.
  • These are violent storms that generate and develop over oceans in tropical areas and move towards the coastal areas causing ferocious winds.
  • Heavy rainfall and storm outpourings another feature of tropical cyclones.
• The following tables show that different cyclones in respective regions.

  Name of Cyclones	Respective Region
  Hurricanes	Atlantic
  Typhoons	Western Pacific, South China Sea
  Willy-willies	Western Australia
  Cyclones	Indian Ocean

• The most abundant element is Oxygen.
• The most abundant element in the Earth's crust is Oxygen.
• Oxygen is making up about 47% of the earth's mass.
• But, Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the Universe.
• Hydrogen is making up about 3/4th of the mass of the universe.
• Helium is second making up to 25%.
• Oxygen is the third most abundant element of the Universe (Not in Earth's crust).
• Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, making up around 75% of its normal matter and was created in the Big Bang.
• Helium makes up most of the remaining 25%.

• Nitrogen:
  • It is the sixth most abundant element in the universe.
  • Nitrogen arises from Sun-like stars in a fusion cycle that includes carbon and oxygen.
• Hydrogen:
  • It is a chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1.
  • At room temperature, hydrogen, which is categorized as a nonmetal, is a gas.
• Helium:
  • The second most abundant element is helium.
  • It is an element with a nucleus made up of two protons and two neutrons and is surrounded by two electrons.
  • It typically takes the form of a gas.
• Carbon:
  • The first heavy element created by stars, carbon mostly originates within red giants.
  • Carbon has the atomic number six and the symbol C assigned to it.
  • It has four available electrons to create covalent chemical bonds since it is nonmetallic and tetravalent.

An equinox is an event in which a planet’s subsolar point passes through its Equator. The equinoxes are the only time when both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience roughly equal amounts of daytime and nighttime.

• There are two equinoxes every year: one around March 21 and another around September 22.
• Sometimes, the equinoxes are nicknamed the “vernal equinox” (spring equinox) and the “autumnal equinox” (fall equinox)
• During the equinoxes, solar declination is 0°. Solar declination describes the latitude of the Earth where the sun is directly overhead at noon.
• The subsolar point is an area where the sun's rays shine perpendicular to the Earth's surface at a right angle.

​

• Only during equinox is the Earth's 23.5° axis not tilting toward or away from the sun, the perceived centre of the Sun’s disk is in the same plane as the Equator.

Therefore, Equinox falls on 21st March and 23rd September.

• Planetary winds are the winds that blow from high-pressure belt to low pressure belt.
• There are three types of planetary winds namely, Trade winds, Westerlies, and Easterlies.

​​Trade winds -

• These winds blow in 10 - 30 degrees latitude in the northern and southern hemispheres.
• These are permanent east to west prevailing winds that flows in the earth's equatorial region.​

Westerlies -

• The "Westerlies winds" blow in 30 - 60 degrees latitude in the northern and southern hemispheres.
• These are the prevailing winds that move from the west towards the east.
• They originate from the high-pressure areas in the horse latitudes and moves towards the poles.
• These winds are strongest in the winter zone.
• There are three winds that fall under the "Westerlies" namely, Roaring forties, Furious fifties, and Shrieking sixties

​Easterlies -

• These winds blow in 60-90 degrees latitude in the northern and southern latitudes.
• They blow from high-pressure areas of polar highs at the north and south poles.

​

• A body or a surface reflects a fraction of light which is called ‘Albedo.’
• There are two types of Albedo:
  • Terrestrial albedo.
  • Astronomical albedo.
• When solar radiation passes through the atmosphere, a certain amount of it is scattered, reflected, and absorbed.
  • The reflected sum of radiation is called the albedo of the earth.
• Albedo is an important concept in climatology, astronomy, and environmental management.
• It plays a major role in the energy balance of the earth’s surface, as it defines the rate of the absorbed portion of the incident solar radiation.​

• The albedo of an object determines its visual brightness when viewed with reflected light.
  • For example, the planets are viewed by reflected sunlight and their brightness depends upon the amount of light received from the sun and their albedo. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The albedo of mercury and the earth is 0.142 and 0.367 respectively.
  • Thus, The albedo of Mercury is lesser than the albedo of the Earth. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• Terrestrial Albedo
  • The measurement of Earth’s albedo is known as Terrestrial Albedo.
  • The Terrestrial Albedo of Earth is around 0.31 which is about two-thirds of the solar radiation reaching the Earth.
  • This figure (0.31) is dependent on many factors like an ocean, forest, clouds, deserts, etc.
• Astronomical Albedo
  • Astronomical albedo is the measure of the reflectivity of planets (excluding Earth), asteroids, and other celestial bodies the albedo is an indicator of the surface and atmospheric characteristics of a celestial body.
  • It is important in the study of astronomy.

Köppen's classification of climate is a widely used system that categorizes the world's climates based on temperature, precipitation, and vegetation patterns.

• As per Köppen's classification of climate, the North-East India region including North Bengal is typically classified as humid subtropical climate (Cwa/Cwb).
• This climate is characterized by hot and humid summers with high rainfall, and mild winters with relatively low rainfall.
• The average temperature in this region ranges from 15°C to 30°C and the average annual rainfall is generally more than 1,500 mm.
• The region is also prone to occasional cyclones and thunderstorms during the monsoon season.

• Mediterranean climates are found in coastal areas of California in North America, Central Chile in South America, and the South-West tip of West Australia. Winter precipitation is primarily the result of cold fronts that move across the Pacific Northwest and northern California.
• The monthly average temperature in summer is around 25°C and in winter below 10°C.
• The annual precipitation ranges from 35 - 90 cm.

• Tropical savanna
  • A tropical wet and dry climate predominates in areas covered by savanna growth.
  • Mean monthly temperatures are at or above 64° F and annual precipitation averages between 30 and 50 inches.
  • For at least five months of the year, during the dry season, less than 4 inches a month are received.

• humid continental climate
  • A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and freezing cold winters.
• Low latitude step
  • There are four low-latitude climates: wet equatorial, monsoon, and trade-wind coastal, wet-dry tropical, and dry tropical.

• Savanna Climate -
  • It is a transitional type of climate found between the equatorial forests and the trade winds and the hot desert.
  • It is confined within the tropical region.Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It is best developed in Sudan. It is also called Sudan climate.
  • It is characterized by an alternate hot, rainy season and cool, dry season. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • The monthly temperature hovers between 70 degrees F to 90 degrees F.
  • The annual temperature range is 20 degrees F but it increases when moving away from the equator.

• Natural vegetation and Animal life in Savanna -
  • The savanna landscape is typified by tall grass and short trees. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
  • The trees are deciduous, shedding their leaves in the cool, dry season to prevent excessive loss of water through transpiration.
  • Grasses appear greenish and well-nourished in the rainy season but turns yellow and dies down in the dry season that follows.
  • As the rainfall diminishes towards the deserts the savanna merges into thorny scrub.
  • The savanna is known as the ‘big game country’ as thousands of animals are trapped or killed each year by people from all over the world.
  • There are two main groups of animals in the savanna, the grass-eating herbivorous animals and the fleshing-eating carnivorous animals.

• According to Köppen's climate classification scheme, dry climates are subdivided using the capital letter S for semi-arid regions or steppe and W for the desert regions.
• Dry climates are divided into steppe or semi-arid climates (BS) and desert climates (BW).
• They are further subdivided as subtropical steppe (BSh) and subtropical desert (BWh) at latitudes from 15° - 35° and mid-latitude steppe (BSk) and mid-latitude desert (BWk) at latitudes between 35° - 60°.

• The Koeppen climate classification system recognizes five major climatic types and each type is designated by a capital letter- A, B, C, D, E, and H.
• The seasons of dryness are indicated by the small letters: f, m, w, and s.
• The small letters a, b, c, and d refer to the degree of severity of temperature.
• The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar).
• Each group and subgroup is represented by a letter. All climates are assigned a main group (the first letter). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation subgroup (the second letter).

• Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air.
• Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye.

1. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
2. Wet clothes take a longer time to dry on a humid day because the air has a lot of water vapor.
3. So it can't accommodate the water vapor created by the wet clothes. So, the water remains, in the clothes for a longer time.

Hence, Due to the humidity clothes take longer to dry and sweat from our body does not evaporate easily.

Precipitation :

• The process of continuous condensation in free air helps the condensed particles to grow in size.
• When the resistance of the air fails to hold them against the force of gravity, they fall onto the earth’s surface. So after the condensation of water vapour, the release of moisture is known as precipitation. This may take place in liquid or solid form. Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
• The precipitation in the form of water is called rainfall. Hence, Statement 2 is not correct.
• When the temperature is lower than 0°C, precipitation takes place in the form of fine flakes of snow and is called snowfall. Hence, Statement 3 is not correct.
• Moisture is released in the form of hexagonal crystals. These crystals form flakes of snow.
• Sleet is frozen raindrops and refrozen melted snow water.
• Raindrops, which leave the warmer air, encounter the colder air below. As a result, they solidify and reach the ground as small pellets of ice not bigger than the raindrops from which they are formed.
• Sometimes, drops of rain after being released by the clouds become solidified into small rounded solid pieces of ice and which reach the surface of the earth are called hailstones.

• Cirrus clouds
  • Formed at high altitudes (8,000 - 12,000m).
  • They are thin and detached clouds having a feathery appearance.
  • They are always white in color.
  • Cirrus clouds are delicate, feathery clouds that are made mostly of ice crystals.
  • Their wispy shape comes from wind currents which twist and spread the ice crystals into strands.
• Cumulus
  • ​Formed at a height of 4,000 - 7,000 m.
  • They can appear as low as 300ft above the ground.
  • They exist in patches and can be seen scattered here and there.
  • These clouds look like fluffy, white cotton balls in the sky. They have a flat base.
• Nimbostratus
  • Nimbus is known as a rainstorm within the Latin language.
  • Low-level Clouds, resulting from thickening Altostratus.
  • These are dark, gray clouds that seem to fade into falling rain or snow.
  • They are so thick that they often blot out the sunlight.
• Stratus
  • These are low Clouds (less than 6,500 feet).
  • These are layered clouds covering large portions of the sky.
  • Stratus clouds often look like thin, white sheets covering the whole sky. Since they are so thin, they seldom produce much rain or snow.
  • Sometimes, in the mountains or hills, these clouds appear to be fog.

• The troposphere is the Earth's initial and lowest layer of the atmosphere, containing 75 per cent of the planetary atmosphere's total mass, 99 per cent of the overall mass of water vapour and aerosols, and is where most meteorological occurrences occur.
• The troposphere's temperature drops at high altitudes due to inversion layers that form at the tropopause, the atmospheric boundary that separates the troposphere from the stratosphere.
• Low air temperatures lower the saturation vapour pressure, or the quantity of atmospheric water vapour in the upper troposphere, at higher altitudes.
• The troposphere's average height is 13 km.​
• The atmosphere is a gaseous blanket that covers the Earth. Earth's gravitational attraction keeps it close to the planet's surface.

• The thermosphere is the part of the atmosphere above the mesosphere and below the height at which the atmosphere loses its continuous medium features. The thermosphere is characterised by a gradual increase in temperature as it rises in altitude.
• The stratosphere is a layer of the atmosphere that extends from the tip of the troposphere to roughly 50 kilometres and contains the ozone layer. It is located between the troposphere and the mesosphere.
• Between the thermosphere and the stratosphere is the mesosphere. The term "meso" refers to the topmost layer of the atmosphere when all of the gases are mingled together.

Hence, the troposphere is the layer where rain occurs in the Earth's atmosphere.

• The Spanish immigrants called it El Nino, meaning “the little boy or Child Christ” in Spanish.
• El Nino refers to the unusual warming of the central and east-central equatorial Pacific Ocean which affects global weather.
• The warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean cause the winds in various regions to reverse, like the trade winds that come towards India.
• This change of wind direction leads to warmer winters and summers and a decrease in rainfall during the monsoon.
• Most of the time, it also leads to drought.
• El Nino soon came to describe irregular and intense climate changes rather than just the warming of coastal surface waters.
• When coastal waters become warmer in the eastern tropical Pacific (El Nino), the atmospheric pressure above the ocean decreases Additional Information
• La Nina
  • There is also an opposite of an El Nino, called La Nina means The Little Girl in Spanish.
  • This refers to times when waters of the tropical eastern Pacific are colder than normal and trade winds blow more strongly than usual.
  • Collectively, El Nino and La Nina are parts of an oscillation in the ocean-atmosphere system called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO cycle.