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TEST 3 - GEOGRAPHY - ANSWER KEY

1. Ans (c)
Explanation: Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSC) form in the stratosphe
re in
altitudes between 20 and 30 km. The formation of PSC requires ver
y low
temperatures. That is why they only appear in winter and mainly o
ver
Scandinavia, Scotland, Alaska and Antarctica. They form at temperatur
es of
around minus 85C, colder than average lower stratophere temperatures, and
are comprised of ice particles ~10m across. The clouds must be composed of
similar sized crystals to produce the characteristic bright iridesce
nt colors by
diffraction and interference. Polar stratospheric clouds or PSCs, also known
as
nacreous clouds from nacre, or mother of pearl, due to its irides
cence), are
clouds in the winter polar stratosphere.
2. Ans (b)
Explanation: The mesosphere is the layer of the Earth's atmosphere tha
t is
directly above the stratosphere and directly below the thermospher
e. The
mesosphere is located about 50 to 85 kilometres (30 to 50 miles)
above
the Earth's surface. Within the mesosphere, temperature decrease
s with
increasing altitude. This is due to decreasing solar heating and in
creasing
cooling by CO2 Radiative emission. The top
of the
mesosphere, called
the mesopause, is the coldest place on Earth.
3. Ans (c)
Explanation:
1. Xerophytic vegetation found in all three climatic region.
2. The term xerophyte refers to a plant species that has evolved o
ver time to
adapt to dry regions like deserts. Xerophytes have adapted to be able t
o keep
extremely large amounts of water for a long period of time.
Without this
capability, the plant would die, as the desert region itself does not p
rovide
enough water to sustain life.
4. Ans (c)
Explanation: Exosphere: 700 to 10,000 km (440 to 6,200 miles) Thermosphere:
80 to 700 km (50 to 440 miles)

Mesosphere: 50 to 80 km (31 to

50 miles)
Stratosphere: 12 to 50 km (7 to 31 miles) Troposphere: 0 to 12 km (0 to 7 mi
les)
5. Ans (c)
Explanation: The United Nations' (UN) International Day for the Preservation
of
the Ozone Layer is celebrated on September 16 every year.
This event
commemorates the date of the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987. The ozone layer, a fragile shield of
gas,
protects the Earth from the harmful portion of the rays of the sun, thus hel
ping
preserve life on the planet.
6. Ans (d)
Explanation: Fog and mist are both created by water droplets, differing only
in
their overall locations and density. Fog is a cloud that reaches
ground level,
even if that "ground" is a hill or mountaintop. Mist forms wherev
er water
droplets are suspended in the air by temperature inversion, volcanic activit
y, or
changes in humidity. Fog is denser than mist and tends to last longer. In te
rms
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of visibility, fog reduces it to less than one kilometre (0.6 miles), while
mist can
reduce visibility to between 1 and 2 kilometres (0.6 - 1.2 miles)
7. Ans (d)
Explanation:
1. Commercial airliners typically cruise at altitudes of 912 km
(30,000
39,000 ft)
in
temperate
latitudes
(in the
lowe
r
reaches
of
the
stratosphere).This optimizes fuel burn, mostly due to the low temperatu
res
encountered near the tropopause and low air density, reducing p
arasitic
drag on the airframe. It also allows them to stay above hard
weather
(extreme turbulence).
2. On October 24, 2014, Alan Eustace became the record holder for reaching
the altitude record for a manned balloon at 135,890 feet.
3. Some bird species like Rppell's vulture have been reported to
fly at the
lower levels of the stratosphere`.
8.

Ans (c)
Explanation: Tornadoes are natures most violent storms. Spawned from

powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and de

vastate a
neighbourhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnelshaped
cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds th
at
can reach 300 miles per hour.
9.

Ans (c)

10. Ans (b)

Explanation: Hadley cell is a thermally direct cell. The Hadley c
ell is an
atmospheric circulation pattern in the tropics that produces winds c
alled the
tropical easterlies and the trade winds. In the Hadley cell, air rises up i
nto the
atmosphere at or near the equator, flows toward the poles above the surface
of
the Earth, returns to the Earths surface in the subtropics, and f
lows back
towards the equator. This flow of air occurs because the Sun heats air at t
he
Earths surface near the equator. The warm air rises, creating a band o
f low
pressure
at
the
equator. Once
the
rising
air
r
eaches
the
top
of
the troposphere at approximately 10-15 kilometres above the Earths surface,
the air flows toward the north and south poles. The Hadley cell
eventually
returns air to the surface of the Earth in the subtropics, near 30 degrees
north
or south latitude.
11. Ans (d)
12. Ans (a)
13. Ans (d)
Explanation:
1. Ozone is a unstable Gas.
2. Ozone most absorbs ultra violet radiation.
14. Ans (a)
Explanation: Clouds are formed when air containing water vapour is
cooled
below a critical temperature called the dew point and the resulting
moisture
condenses into droplets on microscopic dust particles (condensation nuclei)
in
the atmosphere. The air is normally cooled by expansion during it
s upward
movement. Upward flow of air in the atmosphere may be caused by convection
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resulting from intense solar heating of the ground; by a cold wedge of air
(cold
front) near the ground causing a mass of warm air to be forced aloft; or b
y a
mountain range at an angle to the wind. Clouds are occasionally produced b
y a
reduction of pressure aloft or by the mixing of warmer and cooler air curr
ents.
15. Ans (a)
16. Ans (b)
17. Ans (d)
Explanation: Tropical rainforests are located around the equat
or where
temperatures stay near 80 degrees year round. Rainforests receive 160 to 4
00
inches (400-1000 cm) of rain each year. The largest rainforests
are in Brazil
(South America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia (South East Asia). Other tro
pical
rainforest places are in Hawaii and the islands of the Pacific & Caribbean
.
18. Ans (d)
Explanation: Camels live in deserts that are hot and dry during the day,
but
cold at night. They are well adapted for survival in the desert. Camels ha
ve:

Large, flat feet to spread their weight on the sand.

Thick fur on the top of the body for shade, and thin fur elsewhere to all
ow
easy heat loss.

A large surface area to volume ratio to maximise heat loss.

The ability to go for a long time without water (they don t store water i
n
their humps, but they lose very little through urination and sweating).

The ability to tolerate body temperatures up to 42C.

Slit-like nostrils and two rows of eyelashes to help keep the sand out.

19. Ans (d)

20. Ans (c)
Explanation: Durban belongs to China climate, Delhi belongs to mo
nsoon
climate, Cairo belongs to Desert climate, Toronto belongs to Laur
entian
climate.
21. Ans (a)
Explanation: A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use de
signation
used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped,
wild, or
agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas
22. Ans (c)

23. Ans (c)

Explanation: Fertility refers to the number of live births women have. It
differs
from fecundity, which refers to the physiological capability of w
omen to
reproduce. Fertility is directly determined by a number of factor
s which, in
turn,
are
affected
by
a
great
many
other
fact
ors:
social,
cultural,
environmental, economic, and health.
The general fertility rate (also called the fertility rate) is th
e number of live
births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 49 in a given year. The general fertility
rate
is a somewhat more refined measure than the birth rate because
it relates
births to the age-sex group at risk of giving birth (usually defined as wom
en
ages 15 to 49). This limitation helps eradicate distortions that
might arise
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because of different age and sex distributions among populations.
Thus, the
general fertility rate is a better basis to compare fertility lev
els among
populations than are changes in the crude birth rate.
The total fertility rate (TFR) is the average number of children that would
be
born to a woman by the time she ended childbearing if she were
to pass
through all her childbearing years conforming to the age specific fertility
rates
of a given year. The TFR is one of the most useful indicators of fertility
because
it gives the best picture of how many children women are currently having.
The
TFR sums up, in a single number, the fertility of all women at a given poin
t in
time. In effect, it says: This is the total number of children
a woman would
have if the fertility rates for a given year applied to her thr
oughout her
reproductive life.
The Age-Specific Fertility Rate (ASFR) is the number of live birt
hs per 1000
women in a specific age group for a specified geographic area and for a spe
cific
point in time, usually a calendar year.
24. Ans (d)
Explanation: An invasive species is a plant or animal that is not nativ
e to a
specific location and has a tendency to spread, which is believed

to cause
damage to the environment, human economy and/or human health.
Example: Eichhornia crassipes, Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara,
Hyptis suaveolens
25. Ans (a)
Explanation:
The Maasai are
a Nilotic ethnic
group
of nomadic
people
inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the
best
known local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of
the African Great Lakes, and their distinctive customs and dress.
The Bushmen are the oldest inhabitants of southern Africa, where they hav
e
lived for at least 20,000 years. Their home is in the vast expa
nse of the
Kalahari Desert. The Bushmen are the remnants of Africa s oldest
cultural
group, genetically the closest surviving people to the original Ho
mo sapiens
core from which the Negroid people of Africa emerged. Bushmen are small in
stature generally with light yellowish skin, which wrinkles very early in l
ife.
Bushmen were hunter/gatherers, with traditionally about 70/80% of their die
t
consisting of plant food, including berries, nuts, roots and melon
s gathered
primarily by the women.
26. Ans (c)
Explanation: The Antarctic Circle is one of the five major circles (or para
llels)
of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. As of 2000, it lies at latitude 66
33
39 south of the equator. The area south of the Antarctic Circle is known as
the
Antarctic, and the zone immediately to the north is called the S
outhern
Temperate Zone. The equivalent line of latitude in the northern hemisphere
is
the Arctic Circle.
Every place south of the Antarctic Circle experiences a period of
twenty-four
hour continuous daylight at least once per year, and a period of
twenty-four
hour continuous night time at least once per year. That is to say, there is
at
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least one whole day during which the Sun does not set, and at least one wh
ole
day during which the Sun does not rise. On the Antarctic Circle these even
ts
occur, in principle, exactly once per year, at the December solstice and J

une
solstice, respectively.
These events occur because the earth s axis is tilted, by approx
imately 23.5
degrees, relative to ecliptic (the plane of the earth s orbit around the S
un). At
the June solstice the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun to i
ts
maximum extent, and the region of permanent darkness reaches its northern
limit; at the December solstice the southern hemisphere is tilted towards
the
Sun to its maximum extent, and the region of permanent sunlight reaches it
s
northernlimit.
27. Ans (d)
28. Ans (d)
Explanation: Indonesia can be eliminated because it is located ne
arby to
equator. Brazil can be eliminated because it is located Southern Hemispher
e.
Algeria can be eliminated because it is located nearby to Greenwich meridi
an.
29. Ans (a)
Explanation: All other three environmental issues are indirectly not relat
ed to
rise in sea level.
30. Ans (c)
31. Ans (a)
Explanation: Though
fruits
are
cultivated
both
in British
type
and
Mediterranean climate, market gardening is exclusively related to British
type.
32. Ans (a)
Explanation: Here question is about the factors responsible for a
mount of
incoming solar radiation. So type of the earth surface will not determined
the
amount of incoming solar radiation. Other factors which affects insolation
are
(i) Distance between sun and earth, (ii) Sunspot.
33. Ans (b)
Explanation: The earth atmosphere is transparent to short wave radiation a
nd
opaque to long wave radiation. Incoming solar radiation is short wave radi
ation
and terrestrial radiation is long wave radiation. That is the re
ason the lower
atmosphere of the earth is heated by various factors.
34. Ans (c)
Explanation: If atmosphere is not there solar radiation will not
scattered so

sky will appear in black.

35. Ans (b)
Explanation: Albedo of high clouds like cirrus is less than that of lowest
and
thickest clouds.
36. Ans (d)
37. Ans (a)
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Explanation: Thunderstorms will not occur in the subtropical high
pressure
belt.
38. Ans (a)
39. Ans (a)
40. Ans (b)
Explanation: Pressure belt are more regular in southern hemisphere.
41. Ans (d)
42. Ans (d)
43. Ans (b)
Explanation: Conventional rainfall is occurring in Malwa plateau. Orograph
ic
rainfall is occurring in Malabar Coast.
44. Ans (d)
45. Ans (a)
46. Ans (d)
47. Ans (a)
Explanation: In India Bhopal will receive vertical sun rise because it is
located
within the tropics.
48. Ans (b)
Explanation: Cyclone is a system of atmospheric pressure in which the isob
ars
indicates low pressure at the centre and high pressure at the periphery.
49. Ans (b)
Explanation: In the question we ask of major determines of clima
te of a
particular location so local weather condition is not a major determinant.
50. Ans (b)
Explanation: In the table temperature shows that the places locat
ed in
southern hemisphere because in June and July it has lowest temperature and

it experiences winter. During winter season rainfall occur in Med

iterranean
climate only.
51. Ans (b)
Explanation: Option (A) is a explanation for relative humidity, Option (C)
is a
explanation for absolute humidity.
52. Ans (c)
53. Ans (a)
Explanation: When a parcel of air is forced to move upward, it
cools at dry
adiabatic lapse rate (10O
O
C per 1000m or 5.5 F per 1000 feet) wh
ereas normal
lapse rate is 6.5OC per 1000 m. After rising to certain height the air bec
omes
saturated and latent heat of condensation is added to the rising
air so the
rising air cools at wet adiabatic(5OC per 1000m) whereas the normal lapse
rate
(6.5OC per 1000m) is greater than it. Consequently, the air become
s warmer
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than the surrounding air and hence rises upward automatically. This is ca
lled
conditional instability because the air is initially forced to mo
ve upward but
rises automatically due to its own properties after condensation
point is
reached.
54. Ans (c)
55. Ans (d)
Explanation: Condensation The process of conversion of water vapour into
liquid and solid form. Dew Point The temperature at which the given air is
saturated. Frost point The temperature at which condensation occurs.
56. Ans (b)
Explanation: Clouds are transparent to incoming solar radiation whereas it
is
opaque to terrestrial radiation. Mostly terrestrial radiation
are infrared
radiation. Moreover water vapour and other greenhouse gases will
absorbs
infrared energy. That is the reason for overcast nights are warmer than cl
ear
nights.
57. Ans (b)

Explanation: Vegetation in the mountain is not the major deciding

factor.
Mountain should be near to the coast, then only the mountain wi
ll give
triggering effect for the winds.
58. Ans (a)
Explanation: Temperate cyclone as less pressure gradient than t
ropical
cyclone. Tropical cyclone as highest wind velocity than temperature cyclon
e. In
temperate cyclone there will be different pattern of rainfall and
weather
conditions.
59. Ans (d)
60. Ans (d)
61. Ans (d)
62. Ans (b)
Explanation: In the question you have to select not correct statement. Cl
oud
burst will occur in coastal areas also, Example: 2005 Mumbai rain.
63. Ans (d)
Explanation: The Kuroshio Current starts from Taiwan and its flowing to Ku
ril
Islands.
64. Ans (b)
Explanation: The earths lower atmosphere is directly heated by ter
restrial
radiation or outgoing long wave radiation.
65. Ans (b)
66. Ans (d)
67. Ans (b)
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Explanation: In these four options in all other options it is g
iven that
particular climate type is found only in northern hemisphere, tha
t is the
keyword to eliminate all other three options.
68. Ans (d)
69. Ans (b)
Explanation: All the planets revolve around the sun not in the same plane
and
direction because Mercury and Uranus are in different motion.
70. Ans (c)

71. Ans (d)

72. Ans (d)
73. Ans (c)
Explanation: Among the four given tribal communities Mongols are
settled
cultivators.
74. Ans (c)
75. Ans (c)
Explanation: Movement of the sun causes shifting of both thermally induce
d
and dynamically produced pressure belts.
76. Ans (d)
Explanation: In all other three options time difference is 3 hou
rs, but
difference between Lagos and Nairobi is 4 hours.
77. Ans (a)
78. Ans (a)
79. Ans (d)
Explanation: For temperature inversion the following conditions are necess
ary.
1. Clear sky.
2. Feeble wind
3. Long winter nights
4. Cold and dry air
80. Ans (b)
Explanation: In the high latitude west coasts are wetter than ea
st coast
because of westerlies influence. In these subtropics east coast wetter tha
n west
coast due to easterlies. Generally precipitation is abundant in e
quatorial
region.
81. Ans (a)
82. Ans (b)

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83. Ans (a)
Explanation: Broad-leaf evergreen forests found only in regions where rai
nfall
is more than 150 cm. per year. Uniformly high temperature throu
ghout the
year found in equator region. In the rainfall pattern in the s

avannah region
summer experience more rain and generally winter will be dry.
84. Ans (d)
85. Ans (c)
86. Ans (d)
87. Ans (a)
88. Ans (c)
89. Ans (d)
Explanation: Near to the city A there is no influence of large water bodi
es like
sea or ocean. Generally any place located near to sea or ocean will exper
ience
moderating effect on its temperature.
90. Ans (c)
91. Ans (c)
Explanation: In the winter northern India will experience low temperature
and
high pressure.
92. Ans (a)
93. Ans (d)
Explanation: The 4th statement explains about absolute humidity.
94. Ans (a)
Explanation: There is no relation between season of the equatorial region
and
earths rotational velocity and coriolis force.
95. Ans (c)
96. Ans (c)
97. Ans (c)
Explanation: Among the four only (c) is most appropriate answer.
98. Ans (a)
Explanation: No possibilities for thunderstorms and torrential rai
ns in the
north western India during winter, because during winter north western pa
rt of
India will experience low temperature and high pressure.
99. Ans (c)
100. Ans (b)