ICSE Class 10 Geography Goyal Brothers Solutions

Chapter 4 -Climate of India

Question 1. Name the factors affecting the climate of a place.

Answer: The climate of a place is mainly affected by the temperature, rainfall, atmospheric pressure and
direction of winds. The climate of the Indian subcontinent, is greatly influenced by two factors:

Tropic of cancer (23 ½°N) dividing the country into two halves-North Temperature Zone and South
Tropical Zone. Great Himalayan Range separating the Indian subcontinent form the east of Asia.

Question 2. Name type of climate in India.

Answer: Tropical Monsoon Type of climate in India.

Question 3. What is the chief characteristic feature of the tropical monsoon type climate?

Answer: The important features of tropical monsoon are:

Most of the country gets rain from the South-West Monsoon.

The rain is unevenly distributed.

It is erratic and unpredictable.

It is seasonal mostly coming in rainy season.

Presence of mountain. It is mainly orographic in nature.

Monsoon rains have great effect on our economy.

Question 4.

What are onshore winds and offshore winds?

Answer: Onshore winds –Onshore wind is a gentle wind blowing from sea toward land, that develops
over bodies near land due to difference in air pressure.

Offshore winds- Winds starts blowing from the high-pressure area over the land to low -pressure area
over the sea in a general North-East direction.

Question 5. State the importance of Monsoon season in India.

Answer: Importance of the Monsoon season in India:

India’s entire agriculture calendar and the total life of the India people revolve around the monsoons.

Indian agriculture is gamble of monsoons and the production of agriculture depends on timely arrival of
monsoons.

Most of the rivers of India get their water from the monsoons.

Question 6. Name a few local winds that pass through India.

Answer: First local wind is known as‘100’ (hot wind) along the northern plain of India due to extremely
rising temperatures pushed by the trade winds. Second local wind is known as ‘Kal-Baisakhi’ (The month
of April causing death) in W.Bengal and Assam, where due to rapid cyclonic winds with high speed cause
maximum loss and deaths in this area. These are called Nor’westers in geographical term, as the winds
come very fast from northwestern direction towards the eye of the cyclones.

Question 7. Which is the more important branch – the Arabian Sea Branch or the Bay of Bengal Branch?
Why?

Answer: The Arabian Sea Branch is the more important branch than the Bay of Bengal. Due to following
reasons: –

The Arabian Sea Branch is much larger than the Bay of Bengal.

The whole of the Arabian Sea branch is used up by the entire country whereas only part of the Bay of
Bengal branch enters India through North-East India, the rest goes toward Myanmar and Thailand.

Question 8. Which is the first State to receive the monsoon and the last to see it retreat in India?

Answer: Kerala is the first State to receive the monsoon and Kachch, Eastern Rajasthan, U.R, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh and Eastern Punjab are the last to see it retreat in India.

Question 9. State two important characteristic features of the Indian monsoons.

Answer: Following are the characteristic features of the Indian monsoons:

(i) Most of the rainfalls during the months of June-September.

(ii) During the season it also causes heavy downpours. Such heavy downpour results in soil erosion.
(iii) Our monsoons are unreliable, uncertain, erratic, undependable.
(iv) It is orographic in nature.

Question 10. Name the different seasons of India, stating the months when they are experienced.

Answer: The different seasons of India are:

 The Hot Dry Season (March to May)

 The rainy season or the season of south-west monsoon. (June to September)
 The season of the retreating south-west monsoon (October to November) ^
 The cold season or the season of the north-east monsoon (December to February).

Question 11. What is the meaning of the word ‘monsoon’?

Answer: The term ‘Monsoon’ is dervied from an Arabic word Mausinm which means season. – Or
Monsoons are periodic seasonal winds. They develop because of differential heating as well as cooling of
the land and sea.

Question 12. How are monsoon winds different from the land and sea breezes?

Answer: A land and sea breeze occurs on a daily basis as the land gets hotter than the sea during the day
and cooler at night.
A monsoon occurs on an annual basis as the interior of a continents gets hotter than the ocean in
summer and colder in winter.

Question 13. Why are there great variations in India’s climate?

Answer: There are great variations in the climate India’s due to

 The vast latitudinal expanse.

 The varied topographical features.
 Size of land.
 Distance from the sea.

Question 14. Give reasons to justify that Himalayas act as a perfect climatic divide.

Answer: The Himalayas act as a perfect climate divide, there are following reasons:

 The great Himalayas range obstructs the bitter cold winds from Siberia from entering the Indian
subcontinent.
 The Himalayan range intercepts the rain-bearing south-west monsoon winds, forcing them to
shed their moisture, resulting in heavy rainfall in the Northest and Indo Gangetic Plain.

Question 15. Which winds are responsible for the rainfall experienced over the greater part of India?

Answer: South-West monsoon winds are responsible for the rainfall experienced over the greater part of
India.

Question 16. During which part of the year is this rain experienced?

Answer: Meghalaya

Question 17. How are the sources of rainfall in the north-west part of India different from the rainfall
experienced on the coastal areas of Eastern India in Winter?

Answer: The rainfall in the North-West part of India is mainly caused due to Arabian Sea-branch of
South-West summer monsoon while the rainfall experienced on the coastal areas of Eastern India in
caused by the cyclonic winds of North-East monsoons.

Question 18. Why does Kanyakumari experience an equable climate? [1998]

Answer: Kanyakumari is located at 8 degree North. It is also closer to the Equator. It receives vertical rays
of the sun at the Equator hence, there is not much difference in temperature here. So we can say
Kanyakumari experiences equable/oceanic/ maritime influence.

Question 19. Why does central Maharashtra receives scanty rainfall.

Answer: Most of central Maharashtra has only scanty rainfall because it lies in the rain shadow area of
the Western Ghats.

Question 20. Why is western part of India a desert region?

Answer: Western part of India or Thar is desert due to following reasons:

 o Thar experiences very little summer rain.
o By the time, the Bay of Bengal branch of the South-West Monsoon reaches Thar after passing
through the Ganga Valley, it has little or no moisture. Only windward side of the Aravalli Hills
receive a little rain but no rain in Thar as it is in rain shadow area.
o As the Aravalli Hills lie parallel to the Arabian Sea branch of the south-west monsoon, so it does
not give much rainfall.
o North-East monsoon does not give much winter rainfalls.
o Thar lacks water sources and humidity is very low in summer.

Question 21. What are western disturbances?

Answer: These are shallow cyclonic depressions originating over Mediterranean sea, disturbing fine
weather conditions in north-western parts of India during winter season.

Question 22. Name one part of India that has its rainfall in winter and summer as well.

Answer: One part that experiences rainfall both in winter and summer- Tamil Nadu Coast/ Coromandel
Coast.

Question 23. Explain how retreating monsoon winds are different from the north-east trades.

Answer: The Retreating Monsoon or South-West Monsoon (October- November): By 1 st September, with
the apparent movement of the sun towards south the low pressure in central India starts weakening, and
is no longer able to attract the monsoon winds towards land.

During Autumn equinox when the sun shines directly over Equator, the high pressure begins to build over
mainland and subsequently with low pressure over the sea while the North-East Trade (December to
March). The cold weather season commences at the end of November and continues till march. Clear sky,
pleasant weather, low temperature and humidity, high range of temperature and slow northern winds
are the chief characteristics of this season.

Question 24. Name a place in India which receives the heaviest rainfall. To which state does this place
belong?

Answer: The place in India which receives the maximum rainfall is Mawsynram in Meghalaya

Question 25. Name the winds that are responsible for causing this rain I in the above question?

Answer: South-West monsoon winds is responsible for the rainfall experienced over the greater part of
India.

Question 26. What is meant by ‘rain shadow area’? Give an example and state the mountains which are
responsible for the rain shadow area.

Answer: The area which experiences scanty rainfall due to the existence of the mountains parallel to the
monsoon winds is called ‘rain shadow area’. The part of the western Rajasthan is the rain shadow area
as It is located at the Aravali ranges lying parallel to the direction of the moisture containing winds.

Question 27. Name the winds that bring rain to the Tamil Nadu coast?

Answer: North-east trade winds bring rain to the Tamil Nadu coast.
Question 28. Give reasons :

(a) In spite of Aravalis Range Rajasthan receives very less rain.

Answer: The Aravalis lie parallel to the direction of the South-West monsoon Arabian sea streams, so
these hills do not intercept these winds. Rajasthan lies on the leeward side of the Aravalis.

(b) The Malabar coast has less rainy months but more rain than the Coromandal coast.

Answer: The Malabar coast lies on the western coast on the windward side of the Western Ghats and
gets the full impact of the southwest monsoon from June-September only where as the Coromandel
Coast experiences less rainfall as it receives rain from the retreating monsoon during October-November
and the Northeast Monsoons which do not bring much rainfall but is spread over a long period.

c) Punjab has three sources of rain.

Answer: Punjab is the state that receives rainfall from three different sources and the sources are:

 Northest Retreating Monsoons

 Westerly depressions and
 Southwest Monsoons or cyclonic disturbances originating in the Mediterranean Sea.
d) Mawsynram receives more rain than Shilong.

Answer: Mawsynram lies in the Khasi hills in Meghalaya and gets more rainfall from the Bay of Bengal
branch of the summer monsoon. Here the hills are funnle shaped so the moisture laiden monsoon have
to take a sudden rise which cause heavy rain (1221 cm). On the other hand Shilong lies in the rain
shadow area of the Khasi hills and gets less rainfall.

Question 29. Explain how is the winter rain caused. How is the rain beneficial?

Answer: The causes of winter rain are:

In Tamil Nadu, the north-east monsoon winds pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and bring rain.

The cause of the rain in all the northern states are the western disturbances that originate in the
Mediterranean Sea. Benefit of Winter Rain.

This rainfall is cyclonic rain and is beneficial to crops, especially wheat and barely.

Question 33.

(Refer for data of Chennai, Pune, New Delhi and Kolkata to answer this question)

Answer the following questions:

(a) Calculate the annual range of temperature.

(b) What is the total rainfall experienced by the station?

(c) When does the station receive maximum rainfall? State a reason for your answer.

Answer: (a) Annual Rnage of temperature = 20.5 °C – 29.7°C

Total Annual Rainfall = 0.15 + 0.15 + 0.15 +1.5 +2.7 + 11.4 + 16.7 + 9.0 + 13.4 + 9.0 + 2.7 + 0.3
= 67.150 m

Pune receive maximum rainfall in July because it lies on the leeward side of the Western Ghats which is a
rainshadow region due to which the Arabian Sea branch of SW monsoon loses its moisture contant after
passing over the ghats.

(b) Chennai

Annual Range of temperature = 24.5°C – 32.5°C

Total Annual Rainfall = 2.8 + 0.7+0.7 +1.5 + 4.5 + 5.1 + 9.5 + 11.3 + 12.4 + 28.1 + 34.5 + 13.6 = 124.6 cm

Chennai receive its maximum rainfall in November-December from the north-east monsoon winds which
blow over the bay of Bengal and meet with the moist wind of the retreating monsoons.

(c) New Delhi

Annual Range of temperature = 13.8°C – 3 3.6°C

Total Annual Rainfall = 66.5 cm

Delhi receives maximum rainfall in August from the South West Monsson Arabian sea branch These
winds blow from the South West and hence Delhi receive rainfall late in August.

e) Kolkata

Annual Range of temperature = 19.4°C – 30.6°C

Total Annual Rainfall = 0.7 + 2.8 + 3.6 + 4.8 +14.5 + 30.2 + 31.8 + 32.3 + 25.1 + 10.6 + 1.8 + 0.4

= 158.6 cm

Kolkata receives maximum rainfall in the month of June to August

Because It lie in the lower Ganga plain/valley. So when the South West Monsoon Bay of Bengal branch
comes up the power Ganga Valley it sheds its moisture.

Question 34. Give reasons for the following:

(i) Mumbai gets more rainfall than Pune.

Answer: Mumbai receives more rainfall than Pune because it is located on the coast and Pune is in the
interior. Mumbai lies on the windward side of Western Ghats while Pune is located on the leeward side.
Windward refers to the direction from which the rain-bearing south west monsoon winds approach the
land from sea. Lee ward refers to the region that is shielded from these winds by a natural barrier, in this
case, the hills of Western Ghats. This region is drier and is referred to as rain-shadow due to this feature.

(ii) The moisture laden winds passing over Rajasthan do not saturate.

Answer: During the summer the temperature of the place is so high that the monsoon winds get dry and
do not cause rain and do not saturate.

(iii) S.W. monsoon withdraws from India in October/ November.

Answer: The withdrawl of the South-West monsoon is a much slower process than reversal of the
process. As the South-West Monsoon had travelled towards the north, now it retreats towards the South.
This process starts in October and is over by the end of November.

Or By 1st September, with the apparent movement of the Sun towards south, the low pressure in central
India starts weakening, and is no longer able to attract the monsoon winds towards land. During Autumn
equinox when the sun shines directly Over Equator, the high pressure begins to build over mainland and
subsequently with low pressure over the sea, the South-West Monsoon begins to withdraw from the
mainland of India.

Question 35.

Answer in one word:

(i) Withdrawal of SW monsoon.

(ii) Low pressure depressions during winter in North West India.
(iii) Land and sea breeze on a large scale.

Answer:

i. Retreating Monsoons
ii. Western Disturbance
iii. Monsoons

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------