Beruflich Dokumente
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Climatology
Sulphur
Pearls, fish,
calcium
Continental margins
Continental slope
Continental rise
Abyssal plain
Poly-metallic
nodules
Indian exploration
Types of Islands
Continental
Islands
Volcanic islands
Types of Islands
Sand-bar islands
Coral Islands
Coral reef
formation
Symbiotic
relationship
between coral
polyps and
xooxanthalae
conditions
Sunlight depth 50
m
Temp 25-27 deg
Salinity 33
Calm, circulating
nutrient rich water
Not at mouth of
river
Coral reef
Coral bleaching
Reasons for
bleaching
Global warming
Ozone depletion
Ocean acidification
Sedimentation
Marine pollution
diseases
Fringing reef
barrier reefatoll
Subsidence
theory of
Darwin
Standstill
theory of
Murray
Ocean currents
Tides
tides
Spring-neap tide
Down-welling
Temperature of Ocean
Question
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2007
Salt Budget
Variation in salinity
Pattern in variation
of salinity
Salinity
goes
decrease from
equator to poles
But highest
salinity is not at
the equator =
because high
rainfall, cloud
cover
Highest salinity is
at tropics
Persian gulf
Climatology
Early atmosphere
Origin of the Atmosphere
on Earth
has H and He in
abundance -lighter
gases escaped
During early life of
the earth
extensive
volcanismdegassing. N, S,
Water Vapour, Argon
and CO2 came out
Water
Origin of the Atmosphere
onvapour
Earth
condensed
clouds rainfall
washed out bulk of
the CO2 into
Oceans. Co2 =
0.03%
Oxygen from
anaerobic
respiration of
bacteria like,
Cynobacteria
Proportion of gases
Gas
Proportio
n
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Argon
Carbon
dioxide
Neon
Helium
78%
21%
0.93%
0.03%
0.0018%
0.00005
%
Proportion of gases
Structure of atmosphere
Troposphere
90% of
atmosphere within
32 km
Tropopause =
Height 8 km at
poles, 18 km at
equator
At equator
cumulonimbus
clouds
decrease as height
increases
Transparent to
insolation
(shortwave)
Heated by terrestrial
radiation (longwave)
GHGs absorbs long
wave terrestrial
radiation
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2012
a)
b)
c)
d)
1 only
2 and 3
1 and 3
1,2 and 3
Ans. C)
Less dense = less amount of
GHGs = low temp
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2012
stratosphere
Temperature
increases with
height
Because of the
presence of
ozone layer
Ozone absorbs
UV rays from
isolation
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2011
Mesosphere
Absence of GHGs
Temperature
decreases with
height
Noctilucent clouds
Mesospheric
clouds
Clouds visible at
high latitudes
During summer
season
Condensation of
mixture of
meteoric dust
and some
moisture
Thermosphere
Temperature
increase with height
Gases in ionic state
trap insolation
extremely hot
But ions are highly
dispersed
Up to 800 km from
earth
From
80km
to
Ionosphere
640 km
Number of ionic
layers
Useful in radiocommunication
Ionosphere
High energy sunrays
and cosmic rays
break the atoms of air
molecules become
ionised (+ve charged)
Behave as free
particles
At night time, only
cosmic rays ionization
-weak
Layers of Ionosphere
layer height
s
Freque
ncy
Presenc
e
formatio
n
60-90km LF
Day-time
Solar
radiation
99130km
MF, HF
Day-time
UV with N
molecule
150380km
MF, HF
Day
&night
>400km MF, HF
Day &
night
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2011
Exosphere
Beyond 640 km
Highly rarified
atmosphere
Very high
temperature- but
different from air
temperaturebecause no
existence of airtemp cant be felt
Aurora
Glowing lights
at mid-nights at
high latitudes
At height of
exosphere and
magnetosphere
Aurora
sun emit solar
wind/storm from its
corona
Solar wind consist of
plasma (free
electrons and +ve
ions)
Interaction of solar
wind with earths
magnetosphere
-disturbance
Auroras
Collision of charged
particles (isonization)
in magnetosphere
Ionised particles emit
light release energy
charged particles
interact with
geomagnetic field lines
Thus, visible on high
latitudes
Heat budget
The average
temperature of the
earth 15 degree
Earth maintains influx
and out-flux of the
energy, but out-flux is
not immediate, it has
long time gap. That is
why, the temperature
is maintained.
First 35%
absorbed by
Ozone layer
Then 15% by
cloud cover
Only 50%
energy
reached to the
earth surface
Albedo
Albedo - table
surface
Fresh snow
Desert
Grasses
Crops
Brick concrete
Albedo
80%-90%
35-45%
26%
15%
10-20%
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2010
Movement of air
Horizontal
vertical
when there is
pressure gradient
from high pressure
to low pressure =>
advection
situation
Conditional
stability
Absolute
stability
condition
when wet ALR<
normal ALR < dry
ALR
when normal ALR<
wet ALR < Dry ALR
Absolute
Normally, with
Temperature Inversion
increasing
height
temperature of
air decreasing,
but reverse is
happened than
it is called
temperature
inversion
Question
UPSC
mains
2013
Condensation of
water droplet
At heights
At lower level
on the cold surface
Turn into ice crystal in
extreme cold conditions
Result
Clouds
Fog
Dew drop
Frost
Advecti
on
Radiatio
n
Ocean
comparison
fog
Water droplet
condensed around a
dust particle
It reduces the
visibility, damage
the crops
smog
Water droplet
condensed around a
particle of pollutant,
like SO2
Reduce visibility +
health hazard
comparison
Smog
It occurs in cool
humid climate
It is a mixture of
smoke, fog and
sulphur dioxide
(SO2).
Photochemical
smog
It occurs in warm, dry and
sunny climate
Mixture unsaturated
hydrocarbons and nitrogen
oxides (NO2) in presence
of sunlight
Its components are ozone,
nitric oxide, acrolein, and
formaldehyde and
peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN).
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2013
Photochemical smog:
NO2, Ozone + sunlight
Ans. A)
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2013
Structure of atmosphere
Vertical Movement of air
Adiabatic lapse rate
Temperature inversion and its
effects
fog
precipitation
Evaporation
1) High temperature
2) LP conditions
3) Fast moving wind
Water vapour
evaporate from the
water body
Evaporation adds
moisture in the air
Humidity
Absolute Humidity
Weight of water
vapour in unit
volume of moist air
Specific Humidity
Weight of water
vapour per unit
weight of dry air
Precipitation
Precipitation
Precipitation when air
depends upon
is saturated with water
temperature and
vapour and any extra
moisture content of
addition result in
precipitation
the air
Relative Humidity:
Hot air saturation
Amount of water vapour
reach with more
present in air to
moisture content
amount of water vapour
than cold air
required for saturation
Types of clouds
Types of rainfall
Convectional
rainfall
Orographic rainfall
Types of rainfall
Cyclonic rainfall
Frontal rainfall
Equatorial LP belt
Constant insolation
Air gets warm -LP
Air move upward ->
cloud formation ->
instability -> rain in
the evening daily
Cumulonimbus
clouds
Convectional rainfall
Equatorial LP belt
Absence of
advection of air
Belt of calm /
Doldrum
Because light,
feeble winds - calm
region
Polar high
Air risen at
SPLP, descends
at poles
High pressure
conditions
Thermally
induced
Planetary winds
winds blowing at the
same direction
throughout the year
cover large distances.
Horizontal movement,
Pressure belt system
provide them the
pressure gradient
Corilis force modify
their direction
Trade winds
The winds move
towards equatorial
low pressure = ITCZ
ITCZ inter tropical
convergence zone,
where wind
converges
Their direction is
east to west due to
coriolis force
Question
UPSC
Mains
2013
Westerlies
Westerlies
From west to east
From STHP to SPLP
Less landmass in
southern
hemisphere
Fast flowing winds
in the open sea
Roaring 40s, furious
50s, shrinking 60s
and screaming 70s
Question
UPSC
Prelims
2011
Polar Easterlies
From east to
west
From poles to
SPLP
Winter
Winter
Seasonal winds
Monsoon winds:
seasonal reversal of
winds
Feature of tropical
latitude
In winter trade wind
blows north to south,
in summer trade
wind blows south to
north [but in limited
area]
Monson winds
Due to apparent
northward movement of
the sun in summer. Thus,
the ITCZ (LP) also moves
upward
Thus, the area which was
under northern trade
winds in winter, will
come under southern
trade winds in the
summer
Warm winds
countr wind
y
Greece Gragal
e
Italy
Tremon
ta
Mountai Wind
ns
Alps
Fohn
Rockies Chino
ok
Andes
Zonda
desert
Sahara
Egypt
Libya
Gulf of
Guinea
Winds
Sirocco
Khamsin
Gibli
Harmatt
an
Hot-dusty wind =
loo
Pre-monsoon
thunderstorm
states
Wind
Bihar,
Kalbaisha
WB,
khi
Assam
KN
Blossom
shower
KR
Mango
shower
Mountain breeze
During night time:
top gets cooler than
valley = HP, valley
=LP
Wind move hill-top
to valley =>
mountain breeze
Agriculture frost
bite, chill in
habitation in the
valley
Valley breeze
During day
time: top gets
warmer than
valley = LP,
valley = HP
So wind
moves from
valley to the
top => valley
breeze
Land breezes
Differential cooling of
land and water
During night:
land cooler =HP,
water =LP
Wind move land to
water => land breeze
Sea-breeze
During day time:
land gets warmer
=>LP , water =HP
Wind move from
water to land =>
sea breeze
Around tropopause,
there is only one
gradient
Wind accumulated
above equator and
rarified atmosphere
above poles
HP at the equator
and LP at the poles
Geo-strophic winds
strong coriolis force at
tropopause
Because friction is
less - high speed stronger the coriolis
force
So the deflection is 90
degree
Such winds called
geo-strophic winds
Westerlies winds
The upper
tropospheric
winds / geostrophic
winds blow
from west to
east at the
very high
speed
Rossby waves
Westerlies at poles
to maintain the
angular momentumthey meander =>
Rossby waves
Rossby waves do not
meander
consistently, but
follow a cycle =
Index cycle
Jet streams
In westerlies, there
are strong, narrow
bands of high
speed wind => Jet
stream
Speed of Jet stream
300kmph
Jet streams
Permanent jet
stream
Temporary jet
stream
Air mass
Large extensive body of
air-mass (1000sqkm)
Height upto Tropopause
At particular height, one
air mass will have
uniform temperature and
moisture across its width
Airmasses can be
differentiate according to
their temperature and
moisture content
Air mass
Air mass acquired
properties from the
source regions land,
marine, polar, arctic,
Antarctic = give them
identity. Ex. mP, cT
Extensive
homogeneous surface
+ longer stay (HP)
Air masses
Air masses do not
stay at their source
regions forever,
they move out.
While moving they
came across other
air masses.
Front
The relative
difference between
temperature and
moisture decide
their interaction with
one another
The border/ meeting
region of the two airmass => Front
Cold front
If cold air mass move
faster than the other
than it will lift the
warmer one upward
=> cold front
the slope will be steep
= there will be sudden
up-liftment of the
warm air =
cumulonimbus clouds
=frontal rainfall
Warm front
If warmer air mass
is more active than
cold front =>
warm front
slope will be
gentler = there
wont be sudden
up-liftment of
warm air = uniform
prolonged rain
drizzle
Fronts
Frontal cyclone
Also called as
extra-tropical
cyclone,
travelling
depressions,
cold-core
cyclone, wave
cyclones
Meaning of cyclone
1) Intense LP system
2)Air converges
towards the centre
3)Closed isobars
4)In Northern
hemisphere
convergence
anti-clockwise
Isobar
Normal isobar
Closed isobar
Conditions for LP
Thermally induced
Because of high
temperature
Ex. LP at equator
Convectional
rainfall at equator
Dynamically
induced
Upliftment of warm
air
Ex. LP at sub-polar
LP belt
Frontal rainfall
Circular movement
Mature stage
Interaction of air
masses
LP closed isobars
Occluded front
One cold air mass
climb over other cold
air masswarm front is
destroyed
Called occluded front
Rapid change in
temperature and
pressure
Unstable weather
conditions
Stationary front
Front
Occluded front
Frontolysis
Tropical cyclone
Hurricane N. America
Typhoon - China
Late summer
Increased sea surface
temperature = LP
Convergence of air
around LP zone
Rising moist (wet) air
=> absolute instability
Tropical cyclone
Cloud formation
=more and more
moisture latent
heat of evaporation
=> cumulo nimbus
cloud => cyclone
Coriolis force induce
spiral movement of
air
Intensification of
LP
Converging air
near water
surface
Circulating air
rises above
(coriolis force)
Diverging air at
the top of cyclone
comparison
30-40 degree
Temperate cyclone
latitude
Dynamically
induced
Due to frontal
interaction
Formed over large
area
Move west to east
Gradual movement
Tropical cyclone
8-20 degree latitude
Thermally induced
Due to increasing
SST
Small area
Move east to west
Swift movementdifficult to predict
path
comparison
Temperate cyclone
Wind speed 40-50
kmph
Pressure gradient
980 mb
Powerful on land
Affect mainland
More time to
dissipate
Tropical
cyclone
Wind
speed
>120
kmph
Pressure gradient
<880 mb
Weakens on land
Affect only coastal
areas
Quickly dissipate
after coming on
Question
UPSC
Mains
2014