Chapter-12 : Insolation

(A) VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (D) GIVE REASON

1. The sun is the only important source of 1. It is the incoming solar energy (51 units)
energy for the Earth’s atmosphere. reaching the Earth. 14 Units out of the 100
2. The radiant energy from the sun is in the form units of energy coming from the sun are
absorbed by gases in the atmosphere, i.e,
of electromagnetic waves which are classified
14%
on the basis of wavelength i.e. short and long
wavelength. 2. At night, the atmosphere keeps the Earth’s
surface warm by preventing all the terrestrial
3. The incoming solar radiation is received in radiation from escaping.
the form of short waves.
3. During the day, the atmosphere prevents
4. The atmosphere absorbs only 14% of the the Earth from becoming too hot by not
incoming insolation. allowing all the insolation to reach the Earth.
5. Terrestrial radiation is in the form of long Thus the atmosphere prevents extremes of
waves. temperatures. Without the atmosphere, the
Earth would become very hot during the day
6. Atmospheric temperature refers to the degree
and very cold at night.
of warmth in the air.
4. As the short wave radiation coming from the
7. Water Vapur and Carbon Dioxide, sun cannot be absorbed in the atmosphere,
8. 1. Latitude 2. Altitude the air is not heated up by the incoming solar
9. Maritime influence refers to the effect that the energy. The energy received from the sun
is absorbed by the earth’s surface and the
ocean has on the climate, weather patterns,
surface gets heated. The heated surface of
and vegtation of coastal areas.
the earth radiates energy in the form of long
10. During summer season the winds blowing wave radiation that can be absorbed by the
from landmasses are warmer than those atmosphere. The atmosphere thus gets the
blowing from sea. In winter, the winds energy radiated by the earth.
blowing over land are colder than those 5. The sun’s rays are closest to and vertical
blowing over sea. Winds of a particular between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic
character influence the climate of the areas of Capricorn. At every place in this zone the
they visit. sun is exactly vertical at least once a year.
Therefore, this zone gets the maximum
(B) DEFINE THE FOLLOWING GEOGRAPHICAL insolation and has the highest temperature.
TERMS : Moving towards the poles, the sun’s rays
1. The solar energy intercepted by the earth is become increasingly slanting. Therefore, the
called insolation. temperature decreases from equator to poles.
2. The amount of energy received and lost by 6. Since the proportion of these heat absorbing
the atmosphere is called the heat budget or elements is more in the lower part of the
heat balance. atmosphere, more energy is absorbed in the
lower part of the atmosphere.
3. The zone between 23½° North and 23½°
South latitude is known as the torrid or 7. Density of the atmosphere also decreases
tropical zone. with increasing height. Therefore, even if
energy is available in the upper part of the
(C) READ INFORMATION AND WRITE A atmosphere, much of it will pass through the
SINGLE TERM : atmosphere without heating it. This is one of
the reasons why air resting over the mountain
1. Temperate zone. peaks is cold even though it is closer to the
2. Terrestrial Radiation sun.
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 8. Land surface have a lowr heat capacity than Gulf Stream raises the temperature near the
water surfaces, which means they heat up eastern coasts of North America and the
and cool down more quickly than water. As Western coasts of Europe.
a result, temperature range in the interior of 5. 1. Latitude
the continent is high as compared to coastal 2. Altitude
areas.
3. Land and Sea Contrast
9. Himalayas lie in the Northern. During
6. Distribution of temperature on the surface of
winters, the sun is always towards the
the earth is highly uneven. While the areas
South and the Northern facing parts of any
close to the equator experience sweltering
mountains are in shadow. Since the southern
heat, those near the poles experience biting
slope of the Himalayas faces sun most of the cold. Major factors affecting the distribution
time, its snow melts more quickly than north of temperature are the latitude, altitude,
facing slopes. the distance from the sea, winds and ocean
10. Ocean currents flowing along the coastline currents, slope and aspects such as the
have an impact on its climate. Labrador is surface conditions such as the types of
cord oceanie current originating in arctic natural vegetation and soil.
ocean and flowing South along the coast of 7. Latitude of a place determines the angle of
Labrador, Canada. Thus, these waters are incidence of the sun’s rays. The sun’s rays are
cold and tend to fruze up the parts early in closest to and vertical between the Tropic of
winter. Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. At every
place in this zone the sun is exactly vertical
(E) ARRANGE THE FOLLOWING IN CORRECT
at least once a year. Therefore, this zone gets
SEQUENCE :
the maximum insolation and has the highest
(ii), (iii), (i) temperature. Moving towards the poles, the
(F) SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS sun’s rays become increasingly slanting.
Therefore, the temperature decreases from
1. T h e s u n f u n c t i o n s a s a n e n o r m o u s equator to poles.
thermonuclear reactor, producing energy by
8. Jaipur has higher annual range of temperature
fusion, a process that provides an immense
because it is for from the sea and lies in
and continuous flow of radiant energy that is
desert area which has higher range of
dispersed in all directions.
temperature.
2. Jaipur has a higher annual range of
9. All currents flowing from higher to lower
temperature because it is located in the
latitudes are cold currents and all currents
interior of the continent and experiences
flowing from lower to higher latitudes are
continental type of climate. Chennai on
warm currents. Air resting over cold currents
the other hand is a coastal region and is cold and that resting over warm currents
experiences moderate type of climate in is warm. Due to this the coasts washed by
which range of temperature is low. cold currents such as the California coast of
3. Land heats up and cools down faster. USA experience a cooler climate. Similarly,
This difference in temperature causes the the coasts washed by warm currents such as
phenomenon of convection and give rise the western coast of Europe have a slightly
to land and sea breeze. The places located warmer climate.
near the sea get the moderating inference of 10. Areas of steep slope show marked contrasts
the sea and land because which regulate the in temperature from lower to the upper parts.
temperatue. Besides the variations due to altitude, areas of
4. Warn currents raise the temperature of the steep slopes also show thermal contrast due
affected areas whereas cool current lower to aspect of the slope. Aspect refers to the
down the temperature. For example, the direction of a slope with respect to the sun.

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 11. Tropospher’s gases absorb very little of the 2.
incoming solar radiation. Instead, the ground
absorbs this radiation and heats tropospheric Waves Tides
air by conduction and convection. 1. Smallar range 1. Wide range
12. • Land heats up and also cools down faster between the between the
than water. highest and lowest coldest and
• The significance of these contrasts temperatures warmest tem-
between land and water heating and more. peratures.
cooling rates is that both the hottest and 2. Precipitation in 2. More precipitation
coldest areas of the Earth are found in the winter. in summer.
interiors of continents, distant from the
influence of oceans. 3.
• A continental climate experiences greater Waves Tides
seasonal extremes of temperature–hotter
1. It is the incoming 1. It is the Earth’s
in summer, colder in winter–than a
maritime climate. solar radiation radiation given
intercepted by the back to the
13. The prevailing winds also influence the
Earth. atmosphere and
temperature of a place. During summer
space.
season the winds blowing from landmasses
are warmer than those blowing from sea. 2. It travels in short 2. It travels in long
In winter, the winds blowing over land are waves. waves.
colder than those blowing over sea. Winds
of a particular character influence the climate (H) STRUCTRED QUESTIONS
of the areas they visit. For example, the 1. (a) The solar energy intercepted by the earth
hot winds blowing from Thar desert during is called insolation.
summer raise the temperature in the western (b) The Sun’s energy absorbed by the Earth’s
and the central parts of the Ganga plain. surface and radiated out into space is
14. Atmospheric temperature refers to the called terrestrial radiation.
degree of warmth in the air. As the short (c) • At night, the atmosphere keeps the
wave radiation coming from the sun cannot Earth’s surface warm by preventing all
be absorbed in the atmosphere, the air the terrestrial radiation from escaping.
is not heated up by the incoming solar
• During the day, the atmosphere
energy. The energy received from the sun
is absorbed by the earth’s surface and the prevents the Earth from becoming
surface gets heated. The heated surface of too hot by not allowing all the
the earth radiates energy in the form of long insolation to reach the Earth. Thus
wave radiation that can be absorbed by the the atmosphere prevents extremes
atmosphere. The atmosphere thus gets the of t empera tures. Wi t hout t he
energy radiated by the earth. atmosphere, the Earth would become
very hot during the day and very cold
(G) COMPARE AND CONTRAST at night.
1. 2. (a) Land and Sea Contrast.
Waves Tides (b) The hot winds blowing from Thar desert
during summer raise the temperature in
It is the diference It is the difference the western and the central parts of the
between the maximum between the maximum Ganga plain.
and minimum and minimum mean
(c) Natural vegetation cover and soils are
temperatures recorded monthly temperatures
also important modifiers of temperature.
in a day. recorded in a year.
There are differences in temperature

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 between the forest regions and open • During the day, the atmosphere prevents
ground. Thick leaves of the tropical the Earth from becoming too hot by not
rain forest do not allow much of allowing all the insolation to reach the
the insolation to reach the ground. Earth. Thus the atmosphere prevents
Consequently, the temperature in extremes of temperatures. Without the
dense forest areas are lower than in the atmosphere, the Earth would become
neighbouring open areas in the same very hot during the day and very cold at
latitudes. Trees in forests transpire water night.
vapour during the day. This lowers the 2. The Sun’s heat energy is absorbed by the
temperature of air above the forest areas. Earth and its atmosphere during the day. At
night, this heat which is absorbed by the
I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Earth and its atmosphere, is radiated out
1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (c) by the Earth and its atmosphere. The Sun’s
6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (c) 9. (a) energy absorbed by the Earth’s surface and
(J) SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS radiated out into space is called terrestrial
radiation.
1. It is the incoming solar energy (51 units)
reaching the Earth. 14 units out of the 100 units • At night, the atmosphere keeps the
of energy coming from the sun are absorbed by Earth’s surface warm by preventing all
gases in the atmosphere, i.e, 14%. the terrestrial radiation from escaping.
• During the day, the atmosphere prevents
It is the insolation (51 units) radiated out by
the Earth from becoming too hot by not
the Earth. 34 units out of 51 units of energy
allowing all the insolation to reach the
radiating from the Earth are absorbed by
Earth. Thus the atmosphere prevents
gases in the atmosphere, i.e, 85%.
extremes of temperatures. Without the
• At night, the atmosphere keeps the atmosphere, the Earth would become
Earth’s surface warm by preventing all very hot during the day and very cold at
the terrestrial radiation from escaping. night.

Chapter-13 : Pressure Belts and Types of Winds

(A) VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 7. These regions extending around the
1. At the sea level, the air pressure amounts to poles upto about 80° of latitude in both
1.053 kg per sq. cm. hemispheres are called polar belts of high
pressure.
2. Atmospheric pressure is measured with the
help of an instrument called barometer. 8. Variations in atmospheric pressure cause
movements in air.
3. Barometers are of two kinds (i) Mercury
Barometer (ii) Aneroid Barometer. 9. The vertical movements of air are called air
currents and the horizontal movements of air
4. This region of low pressure extending up to
are called winds.
about 10° of latitude north and south of the
equator is known as the equatorial belt of 10. 1. Temperature
low pressure. 2. Altitude
5. Sub-tropical high pressure belt extends 11. Subtropical belts and Equatorial Belts.
between the latitudes of 25°–35° (appr.) in
12. Equatorial low-pressure belt.
both the hemispheres.
13. Winds are named after the directions from
6. This belt is located between 60°–65°
which they come.
latitudes in both the hemispheres.

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