Short Questions
1. What is the average temperature range in Brazil based on isotherms?
Answer : The average temperature range in Brazil is between 21°C and 28°C.
2. Which area in Brazil receives the most rainfall?
Answer : The Amazon valley receives the most rainfall in Brazil.
3. From which directions do winds flow towards Brazil?
Answer : Winds flow from the southeast and northeast towards Brazil.
4. What causes the winds to blow towards Brazil?
Answer : The trade winds are caused by high-pressure systems in the Atlantic Ocean.
5. What obstructs the winds blowing towards Brazil?
Answer : The Great Escarpment and Brazilian Highlands obstruct the winds.
6. What type of rainfall occurs due to these winds in Brazil?
Answer : Orographic rainfall occurs due to these winds in Brazil.
7. Which part of Brazil has lower average temperatures?
Answer : The southern part of Brazil has lower average temperatures.
8. What is the rain-shadow area in Brazil called?
Answer : The rain-shadow area in Brazil is called the Drought Quadrilateral.
9. Which region in Brazil has higher temperatures?
Answer : The northern part of Brazil, near the equator, has higher temperatures.
10. Where in Brazil is a temperate climate found?
Answer : A temperate climate is found near the Tropic of Capricorn in southern Brazil.
11. Which region in India gets more than 4000 mm of rainfall?
Answer : The Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas get more than 4000 mm of rainfall.
12. Which region in India has the maximum temperature?
Answer : The Thar Desert in Rajasthan has the maximum temperature in India.
13. Which region in India has the minimum temperature?
Answer : Jammu and Kashmir in the Himalayas has the minimum temperature.
14. In which direction does the temperature increase in India?
Answer : The temperature increases towards the south in India.
15. What are the winds responsible for rainfall in India called?
Answer : The winds responsible for rainfall in India are called Southwest Monsoon winds.
16. Why is part of Rajasthan a desert?
Answer : Part of Rajasthan is a desert due to low rainfall caused by the Aravali ranges blocking monsoon winds.
17. Which parallel of latitude affects India’s climate?
Answer : The Tropic of Cancer affects India’s climate.
18. Where in Peninsular India are semi-arid conditions found?
Answer : Semi-arid conditions are found in Western Andhra Pradesh due to low rainfall.
19. Which month has the highest temperature in the Brazilian cities shown in Figure 4.4?
Answer : February has the highest temperature in all four Brazilian cities.
20. Which city in Brazil has the maximum range of temperature?
Answer : Porto Alegre has the maximum range of temperature in Brazil.
Long Questions
1. What factors cause the wide range of climatic variations in Brazil?
Answer : Brazil’s vast latitudinal extent, from the equator to the Tropic of Capricorn, creates hot climates in the north and temperate climates in the south. The Great Escarpment and trade winds also cause orographic rainfall in coastal areas and a rain-shadow region in the northeast.
2. Why does the Drought Quadrilateral in Brazil receive less rainfall?
Answer : The Drought Quadrilateral, in the northeastern Brazilian Highlands, receives less rainfall because the Great Escarpment blocks the moisture-laden trade winds. This creates a rain-shadow effect, reducing rainfall in the region beyond the highlands.
3. How do the trade winds affect Brazil’s rainfall?
Answer : Southeast and Northeast Trade winds bring moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, causing orographic rainfall when they hit the Brazilian Highlands and Great Escarpment. Beyond the highlands, the winds lose moisture, leading to minimal rainfall in the Drought Quadrilateral.
4. Why do tropical cyclones rarely occur in Brazil?
Answer : Tropical cyclones rarely occur in Brazil because the convergence zone of trade winds near the equator is weak, and winds move vertically, preventing cyclone formation. The coastal regions near the equator also have stable temperatures, reducing cyclone activity.
5. What is the role of the Himalayas in India’s climate?
Answer : The Himalayas block cold winds from the north, keeping India warmer, and obstruct Southwest Monsoon winds, causing heavy orographic rainfall. They also force the retreating monsoon winds to bring rainfall to parts of the Peninsula.
6. How does the Indian Ocean influence India’s climate?
Answer : The Indian Ocean creates high-pressure systems that drive moisture-laden Southwest Monsoon winds towards India, bringing heavy rainfall. It also moderates coastal temperatures, making them milder and more humid compared to inland areas.
7. Why does India experience a monsoon-type climate?
Answer : India’s monsoon climate is due to the Tropic of Cancer passing through it, causing high temperatures and low-pressure systems that attract Southwest Monsoon winds. These winds bring heavy rainfall, while the Himalayas and Indian Ocean enhance the monsoon effect.
8. What are the characteristics of the rain-shadow area in Brazil?
Answer : The Drought Quadrilateral, Brazil’s rain-shadow area, is dry with minimal rainfall (600-800 mm) due to the Great Escarpment blocking trade winds. It has hot temperatures and sparse vegetation, making it prone to droughts.
9. How does the climate of India change from south to north? In southern India, temperatures are higher and the climate is tropical due to proximity to the equator, with heavy monsoon rainfall. In northern India, temperatures drop, especially in the Himalayas, where winters can be extremely cold (down to -40°C).
10. Why does Chennai have a different rainy season compared to other Indian cities?
Answer : Chennai receives most of its rainfall during the Retreating Monsoon season (October-December) from Northeast Monsoon winds, unlike other Indian cities that get rain during the Southwest Monsoon (June-September). This is because Chennai lies on the eastern coast, influenced by winds retreating from the Himalayas.
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