Climate, Weather, and Geography

Statement 1 is correct. The higher speed and greater persistence of the Westerlies in the Southern Hemisphere are caused by the difference in the atmospheric pressure patterns as well as its variation from that of Northern Hemisphere. The landmass in the southern hemisphere is comparatively less and average pressure decreases more rapidly on the poleward. Statement 2 is incorrect. Coriolis force is strongest in polar regions, zero at equator and at intermediate levels, it varies directly as the Sine of the latitude.

Statement 1 is correct. The desert occurs in two broad belts viz. at 20°30° north and south of the Equator along the tropics of cancer and Carpricon. The desert areas normally developed under the influence of high pressure areas. The hot air at the equator would rise and spread north and south before cooling and it would condense and release its moisture over the tropical zones. This leads to development of an equatorial zone of low atmospheric pressure. The two tropical zones are at high pressure and Nearer to the poles are two pressure belts of cold. Now as the denser air sinks towards the ground to the subtropical high pressure belts, wind is created which is hot and complete lacking of moisture. Statement 2 is wrong. Eurasian desert belt is related to cold currents, not warm currents.

Loss of water from the surface of plant is responsible for the temperature of particular terrestrial habitat. 

During summers, when temperature is high, the rate of transpiration will be high.  

The uneven heating of Earth's surface by the sun is also a driving force behind global patterns of winds and precipitation. Rotation of Earth causes the direction of winds and ocean currents to be deflected. Amount of water vapour in the atmosphere and presence of mountains in the path of wind influence the blowing of wind.

Correct option is (4).

 Jet streams develop best in winters because of greater thermal contrasts. Jet streams, generally, develop a wavy pattern called Rossby waves.Jet streams have been found, to influence earth's surface weather phenomena (temperate cyclone, monsoon, etc). The monsoon of South Asia is largely affected and controlled by jet streams.

 The declination of the sun in a year's time is 23 ½° + 23 ½° i.e. 47°. The two tropics (of Cancer and Capricorn) represent the farthest limits of the vertical rays of the Sun. As the angle of Sun’s rays decreases pole ward; the amount of insolation received also decreases in that direction.

 Temperature inversion: upward reversal of the normal environmental temperature lapse rate. So, that the air temperature increases upward. The following types on the basis of relative heights from the earth's surface at which it occurs and the type of air circulation:1. Non-advectional inversion (i) Ground or surface inversion or radiation inversion (ii) Upper air inversion y2. Advectional inversioin (i) Frontal inversion or cyclonic inversion (ii) Valley inversion due to vertical air movement (iii) Surface inversion due to horizontal air movement3. Mechanical inversion (i) Subsidence inversion (ii) Turbulence and Convective inversionThe ground surface inversion occurs under the following conditions: a) Long winter nights, so that the loss of heat by terrestrial radiation from the ground surface during night may exceed the amount of insolation received from the Sun through incoming shortwave electro-magnetic radiation waves and thus the ground surface becomes too cold. b) Cloudless and clear sky, so that the loss of heat through terrestrial radiation proceeds more rapidly without any obstruction. c) Presence of dry air near the ground surface so that it may not absorb much heat radiated from the earth's surface. d) Slow movement of air, so that there is no transfer and mixing of heat in the lower layers of the atmosphere.

 Cirrus : 'Cirrus' in latin means a shape similar to a lock of curly hair.
Stratus : 'Stratus' in latin refers to a sheet-like formations. Nimbus : 'Nimbus' refers to rain-bearing cloud. Cumulus : 'Cumulus' in latin refers to a heap or a pile shape and this cloud grows vertically.

 The source of tropical cyclones occurrence lies between 5° to 30° latitudes in both the hemispheres. They never form exactly over the equator. A tropical hurricane is nearly circular vortex averting 500 to 600 km in diameter. The diameter of small sized Tornado violent storm varies from 150 to 600 meters. Hurricanes form only over oceans having a high surface temperature (27°C). Whenever a tropical cyclone moves on to land, much of its severity is reduced simply because its source of moisture is cut off. In other words, no energy is available on land to maintain a cyclone. The weakening of the hurricane over land is also the result of increased friction.

 The temperature of the atmosphere of a particular place near the ground surface depends on the amount of insolation received at that place. Since the amount of insolation received by the ground surface decreases poleward from the equator i.e. from low latitudes towards high latitudes because the Sun's rays become more and more oblique (slanting) poleward and hence air temperature also decreases poleward. It may be noted that though Sun's rays are almost vertical over the equator throughout the year but there is no maximum temperature on it rather maximum temperature is recorded along 20°N latitude in July because major portion of insolation is reflected by clouds and sizeable amount of heat is lost in evaporation in the low latitude zone (equatorial zone).

The surface winds spiral inwards to the centre of the cyclone, which creates a low pressure area in the centre.

Thunder cloud develops due to high temperature and humidity, which push the wind vertically upwards within the atmosphere. Water vapours condense to form clouds, which precipitate to rain due to the presence of orography.