Static Quiz 19 October 2023 (Geography)

Solution: D
Justification: It is a warm and dry westerly wind that blows down the Rocky Mountains into the mountains’ eastern slopes and the western prairies. It is a hot wind that blows in winter and therefore raises the temperature in a short time. This increase in temperature results in the melting of snow, making pasture land available for grazing of animals.

Solution: A
Justification: The horse latitudes are located at about 30 degrees north and south of the equator. It is common in this region of the subtropics for winds to diverge and either flow toward the poles (known as the prevailing westerlies) or toward the equator (known as the trade winds). These diverging winds are the result of an area of high pressure, which is characterized by calm winds, sunny skies and little or no precipitation.

Solution: C
Justification: Islands and coastal areas 10° to 20° north or south of the equator usually have a tropical marine climate. The ocean is the main influence in creating the tropical marine climate. The temperature ranges from 25°C to 35°C. The trade winds blow all year round. The trade winds are moist, as they have passed over warm seas. Since they are easterlies, they cause greater precipitation on the eastern coasts and run dry on the western coasts and interiors.

Solution: C
Justification: Statement 1: When the wind blows moist air over a cool surface the air will cool and advection fog will form. Advection fog is very common at sea when tropical winds pass over cooler waters and on land when a warm front passes over heavy snow. Statement 2: Sea fog forms when the condensation nuclei are salt. Salt is, of course, very common near the ocean where it is kicked up into the atmosphere by the breaking waves. Salt is a unique condensation nucleus in that it will allow fog to form when the humidity is as low as 70%.

Solution: B
Justification: Water vapour depends on both temperature and precipitation. In the warm and wet tropics, it may account for four per cent of the air by volume, while in the dry and cold areas of desert and Polar Regions, it may be less than one per cent of the air. Since polar regions have a cold climate and poor precipitation, the capacity of the air as well as the moisture available as lesser, leading to a lower water vapour content.