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Class-IX Subject- Geography
Ch4: Climate (Part – 1)
Sl. Questions/Answers or Hints Marks Pg.
No. (1/3/5) No.
1. What is the basic difference between weather and climate? 1 26
2. What is the climate of India said to be? 1 26
3. What is the word ‘monsoon’ derived from? What does it mean? 1 26
4. Define the term ‘monsoons’. 1 26
5. Inspite of regional variations what stands as a mark of unity in the general pattern of climate in India? 1 26
6. What is the maximum variation in temperature in India? 1 26
7. Which place of India has highest diurnal range (day and night) of temperature and why? 1 26
8. Give example of two places in India where difference in day and night temperature is negligible. 1 26
9. Which part of India experiences high seasonal contrast in temperature and which areas experience it 1 27
less.
10. Why most of the world’s deserts are located in the western margins of the continents in the 1 27
subtropics?
11. Why does leeward side of the mountains remain relatively dry? 1 27
12. Which force is responsible for deflection of winds towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere? How 1 28
are the winds deflected in the southern hemisphere by the same force?
13. From where the western cyclonic disturbances originate and when? 1 28
14. What does ITCZ mean? 1 30
15. Name the two types of jet streams that influence the climate of India. 1 30
16. What is Southern Oscillation or SO? 1 30
17. What is El Nino? 1 30
18. What are the elements of weather and climate? Distinguish between weather and climate. 26
Ans The elements of weather and climate are the same, i.e temperature, pressure, wind, humidity,
:- precipitation and sky conditions.
Difference between weather and climate is :-
Weather refers to the above atmospheric conditions of an area at any point of time.
Climate refers to the sum total of weather conditions over a large area for a long period of time (more
than thirty years).
19. Why houses in Assam are built on stilts? Give three reasons. 3 27
Ans Houses in Assam are built on stilts because:
:- i) The state receives abundant rainfall due to which massive floods are very frequent there. Flood water
cannot enter into and damage houses on stilit.
ii) Stilt houses also allow free flow of flood water and prevent water logging.
iii) People living in stilt houses are also protected from ferocious water animals during floods.
20. a) Why the houses in Rajasthan have thick walls and flat roofs? 2+1=3 27
b) Why is it that the houses in the Terai region and in Goa and Mangalore have sloping roofs?
Ans a) i) Rajasthan being a tropical desert has extreme climate and remains very hot in day and very
:- cold in night. So houses have thick walls so that they can prevent extreme temperature of both
day and night.
ii) People of Rajasthan practice rain water harvesting as they receive scanty annual rainfall.
They have flat roofs to collect rain water for rain water to store for further use.
b) Terai region and Goa and Mangalore receive heavy annual rainfall as they lie in the windward
side of the mountains. So the houses there have sloping roofs so that rain water easily flow
down and does not damage the building.
21. Distinguish between equable/maritime climate and continental climate. Any three. 3 26
Ans Equable/ Maritime climate Extreme/Continental climate
:- The climate that has low diurnal and annual The climate that has wide range of temperature in a
range of temperature is called equable climate. day and in a year is called continental climate.
This climate is neither very hot in summer nor This climate is very hot in summer and very cold in
very cold in winter. winter.
Places near the sea or oceans have equable or Places far away from the sea or oceans have extreme
maritime climate. or continental climate.
Examples: Mumbai and Goa Examples: Jaipur and Delhi.

22. a) Name the permanent pressure and wind belts that influence the climate of India. 1+2=3 27
b) How does the distance from the sea influence the climate of a place? Explain with example.
Ans a) Equatorial Low Pressure Belt and Sub-Tropical High Pressure Belt
:- b) Oceans and seas are large bodies of water which act as climate moderators in coastal areas. Since
water heats up slowly than land during day and also cools down slowly at night, it creates pressure
gradient. Because of difference in atmospheric pressure due to differential heating and cooling between
land and sea the sea breeze and land breeze start blowing during day and night respectively. This effect
moderates the temperature of the adjacent to sea both in day and night.
Therefore because of this moderating effect of water, the climate is moderate or mild in coastal areas and
as you move away from then coasts; diurnal as well as annual range of temperature increases. That is the
reason why Delhi has extreme climate whereas Mumbai experiences a moderate climate.
23. Describe the three/five factors that determine the climate of any place of the world. 3/5 27
Ans i) Latitude: Due to the curvature of the earth, the amount of solar energy received varies according to
:- latitude. As a result, air temperature of the places decreases from the equator towards the poles.
ii) Altitude: As one goes from the surface of the earth to higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes less
dense and temperature decreases. The hills are therefore cooler during summers.
iii) The pressure and wind system: The pressure and wind system of any area depend on the latitude
and altitude of the place. Thus it influences the temperature and rainfall pattern.
iv) The distance from the sea: The sea exerts a moderating influence on climate: As the distance from
the sea increases, its moderating influence decreases and the people experience extreme weather
conditions. This condition is known as continentality (i.e. Very hot during summers and very cold during
winters). On the other hand the places closer to the sea are neither hot in summer and nor cold in winter
having equable climate.
v) Ocean currents: Ocean currents along with onshore winds affect the climate of the coastal areas. For
example, any coastal area with warm or cold currents flowing past it, will be warmer or colder than the
latitude.
Warm current with on-shore winds bring more rain to coastal areas whereas cold currents are partly
responsible for the formation of deserts.
vi) Relief: Relief too plays a major role in determining the climate of a place. High
mountains act as barriers for cold or hot winds. They may also cause precipitation if they are high
enough and lie on the path of the rain-bearing winds.
24. a) Name the permanent pressure and wind belts that influence the climate of India. 1+2=3 27
b) How does the distance from the sea influence the climate of a place? Explain with example.
Ans a) (i) Equatorial Low Pressure Belts
(ii) Sub-Tropical High Pressure Belts
b) Oceans and seas are large bodies of water which act as climate moderators in coastal areas. Since
water heats up slowly than land during day and also cools down slowly at night, it creates pressure
gradient. Because of difference in atmospheric pressure (resulted from difference in temperature), sea
and land breezes start blowing which moderate the temperature.
Therefore because of this moderating effect of water, climate is more moderate in mild in coastal areas
and as you move away from coasts; diurnal as well as annual temperature range increases. That is the
reason why Delhi has extreme climate whereas Mumbai experiences a moderate climate.
25. Why most of the world’s deserts are located in the western margins of the continents in the 3 27
subtropics? Explain giving two examples.
Ans Most of the world’s deserts are located in the western margins of the continents in the subtropics because
:- of the following reasons:
i) Western margins of the continents in the subtropics are washed away by cold ocean currents and cold
ocean currents are partly responsible for the formation of the deserts as they do not help supplying
moisture to the winds blowing over it.
ii) Most of the world’s deserts are located in the western margins of continents in the subtropics because
the prevailing winds in the tropics are tropical easterly winds. The tropical easterly winds are off-shore
and dry by the time they reach the western margins of the continents. so they bring no rainfall.
Examples are-
 1. Kalahari Desert in south-western Africa washed away by Benguela cold current
2. Sahara Desert in North Africa is washed away by Canary cold current.
26. Explain any three factors that control India’s climate. 3 27
Ans Ans:-The climate and associated weather conditions in India are governed by:
:- a. Latitude: The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country from the Rannof Kuchchh in
the west to Mizoram in the east. Almost half of the country, lying south of the Tropic of Cancer, belongs
to the tropical area. All the remaining area, north of the Tropic, lies in the sub-tropics. Therefore, India’s
climate has characteristics of tropical as well as subtropical climates.
b. Altitude: India has mountains to the north, which have an average height of about 6,000meters. India
also has a vast coastal area where the maximum elevation is about 30meters. The Himalayas prevent the
cold winds from Central Asia from entering the subcontinent. It is because of these mountains that this
subcontinent experiences comparatively milder winters as compared to central Asia. It also traps the
monsoons to cause rain over Indian subcontinent.
c. Pressure and Winds: It includes pressure and surface winds, Upper air circulation and western
cyclonic disturbances and tropical cyclones.
i) India lies in the region of northeasterly winds. These winds originate from the subtropical high-
pressure belt of the northern hemisphere. Generally, these winds carry very little moisture as they
originate and blow over land. Therefore, they bring little or no rain. Hence, India should have been an
arid land, but, it is not so.
ii)During winter, there is a high-pressure area north of the Himalayas. Cold dry winds blow from this
region to the low-pressure areas over the oceans to the south. In summer, a low-pressure area develops
over interior Asia as well as over northwestern India. This causes a complete reversal of the wind from
sea to land during summer. These winds blow over the warm oceans, gather moisture and bring
widespread rainfall over the mainland of India. This is how the periodic winds monsoons are formed and
influence India’s climate.
iii) Upper air circulations include Jet streams are a narrow belt of high altitude (above 12,000 m) high
speed westerly winds in the troposphere. Their speed varies from about 110 km/h in summer to about
184 km/h in winter. Another jet stream called tropical easterly jetstream also influence India’s climate.
iv) The western cyclonic disturbances experienced in the north and north-western parts of the country are
brought in by the westerly flow from the Mediterranean sea.
v) Tropical cyclones occurring over Bay of Bengal bring rain and influence the climate of the east coast
of India.
( Write any three)
27. What influence has the Himalayas on India’s climate? / Why are Himalayas called climatic divide? 3 27
/ Himalayas separate two climatic zones. Explain.
Ans Ans:-
:- Himalayas play a significant role to shape India’s climate as tropical monsoon in the following ways:
1. The Himalayan range affects the climate of India by blocking the cold, arctic winds blowing from
Siberia and Central Asia, thus keeping the Indian subcontinent much warmer than corresponding
temperate regions in other continents.
2. The Himalayas form a natural barrier that prevents monsoon winds from going further north and cause
rain over India. So central Asia in the leeward side of Himalayas has deserts.
3. Thus it separates mid-latitude desert climate in the north from the tropical monsoon climate in the
south and is called a climatic divide.
28. “India could have been an arid land, but it is not so”. Explain why? 3 28
Ans i)The Himalayas form a natural barrier and traps the monsoons to pour down its moisture over the Indian
:- sub-continent. So India gets its rainy season from the monsoons and central Asis is deprived of rain to
have deserts.
ii) But for Himalayas the monsoons would escape to central Asia leaving India as a desert.
iii) Himalayas also act as a barrier for the cold and dry Siberian wind and prevent it to enter into India
during winter. So India has a mild winter unlike deserts.
So but for Himalayas India could have been an arid land.
29. What are jet streams? Explain two types of jet streams that influence the climate of India. 3 29
Ans i) Jet streams are a narrow belt of high altitude high speed winds in the troposphere. Their
:- speed varies from about 110 km/h in summer to about 184 km/h in winter.
ii) Two types of jet streams that influence the climate of India are sub tropical westerly jet
streams and tropical easterly jet streams. Sub-tropical westerly jet streams are located over
Himalayas from 270N to 300N. But in summer it shifts beyond Himalayas.
iii) Tropical easterly jet streams blow over peninsular India over 140N during summer.
30. What are Western Cyclonic Disturbances? How do they affect the climate of India? 3 28
Ans i) Western Cyclonic Disturbances are the temperate cyclones which originate over Mediterranean Sea in
:- winter and move towards western Asia and India along with the westerly flow of jet streams and surface
westerlies.
They affect the climate of India in the fallowing ways
 (ii) These cyclones cause rainfall in the north western part of India and snow fall in the Himalayas in the
winter months when the rest part of the country remains dry.
(iii) This winter rain is highly beneficial for the Rabi crops, especially wheat in the north western states.
31. What are 'Jet Streams'? How is jet stream related with Western Cyclonic Disturbances? 2+1=3 28
Ans Jet streams are a narrow belt of high altitude (above 12,000 m) westerly winds in the troposphere. Their
:- speed varies from about 110 km/h in summer to about 184 km/h in winter. A number of separate jet
streams have been identified. The most constant are the sub tropical jet streams. India also has tropical
easterly jet streams blowing in summer over 140N.
The western cyclonic disturbances experienced in the north and northwestern parts of the country during
winter are brought in by the sub tropical westerly flow.
32. What is El Nino? Explain any of its two effects. 1+2=3 30
Ans El Nino is a name given to the periodic development of a warm ocean current along the coast of Peru as
:- a temporary replacement of the cold Peruvian current.
Its two effects are:
i) It leads to an increase in sea surface temperatures and weakening of the trade winds in the region.
ii) It is also responsible for the shift of pressure in between the Tahiti in the tropical east pacific ocean
and Darwin located in the tropical east Indian ocean called southern oscillations.
33. How are western cyclonic disturbances formed? Write any three features of the western cyclonic 3+2=5 28
disturbances.
Ans Mediterranean sea is a land locked sea as it is surrounded by the southern Europe in the north , north
:- Africa in the south and west Asia in the east. Due to differential heating and cooling, during winter low
pressure develops over the sea and high pressure develops over the surrounding land mass leading to
formation of cyclones which are called western cyclonic disturbances.
Three features of western cyclonic disturbances:
i) They are heavily moisture laddened and travel eastward being influenced by the westerly flow of jet
streams and surface westerlies.
ii) They disturb he quite weather conditions of north and north west India during winter and cause
rainfall in the plains and snow fall in the mountains.
iii) Winter rainfall caused by them locally known as ' Mahawat' is of immense importance for the
cultivation of Rabi crops.
34. Explain any three/five mechanisms responsible for the occurrence of the monsoons over the Indian 3/5 30
sub - continent.
a. The differential heating and cooling of land and water creates low pressure on the
land mass of India while the seas around experience comparatively high pressure during summer and
vice-versa. This conditions lead to formation of large scale sea breeze (summer monsoon) blowing in
summer and large scale land breeze (winter monsoons) blowing in winter.
b. The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in summer, over
the Ganga plain, plays a significant role in strengthening south west or summer monsoons by pulling air
in from the surrounding seas. This is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5°N of the equator
also known as the monsoon trough during the monsoon season. The shift is mostly due to the northward
movement of the sun.
c. The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar, approximately at 20°S over
the Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure area affects the Indian
Monsoon.
d. The Tibetan plateau gets intensely heated during summer, which results in strong vertical
air currents and the formation of high pressure over the plateau at about 9 km above sea level. The push
and pull between madagascar high and Tibetan low further helps in theoccurence of the south west
monsoons.
e. The movement of the westerly jet stream to the north of the Himalayas and the
presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during summer marks the
arrival of the monsoons.

35. What are 'Jet Streams' and how do they affect the climate of India? 1+4=5 30
Jet streams are a narrow belt of high altitude high speed winds in the troposphere. Their speed varies
from about 110 km/h in summer to about 184 km/h in winter
They affect the climate of India in the following ways.
i) . There are two types of jet streams blowing over India, sub tropical westerly Jet streams and tropical
easterly jet streams.
ii) Over India, sub tropical westerly jet streams blow south of the Himalayas, all through the year except
in summer. The western cyclonic disturbances experienced in the north and northwestern parts of the
country are brought in by this westerly flow.
iii) In summer, the subtropical easterly jet stream moves north of the Himalayas with the apparent
movement of the sun and the tropical easterly jet stream blows over peninsular India approximately over
14°N. After these two developments take place, south west monsoons arrive.