Consider the following statements : 1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth. 2. Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth's surface and thus cause warming effect. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Neither 1 nor 2. Both statements swap the roles of high and low clouds. Low clouds such as stratus and stratocumulus are thick and bright from above. They reflect a large share of incoming sunlight back to space, and because their tops are fairly warm they send out almost as much infrared as the ground below. Their net effect is to cool the Earth's surface. High clouds such as cirrus are thin and icy. They let most sunlight pass through, but they absorb the infrared rising from the warm surface and re-emit it from their very cold tops, so less heat escapes to space. Their net effect is warming, much like a blanket. So statement 1 is wrong because high clouds mainly warm, and statement 2 is wrong because low clouds mainly cool. Option A is wrong because statement 1 is false. Option B is wrong because statement 2 is false. Option C is wrong because both statements are false. Exam tip: low, thick clouds act as a sunshade and cool; high, thin cirrus act as a blanket and warm.
Practice Questions
View allConsider the following pairs : Famous place — Region 1. Bodhgaya — Baghelkhand 2. Khajuraho — Bundelkhand 3. Shirdi — Vidarbha 4. Nasik (Nashik) — Malwa 5. Tirupati — Rayalaseema Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.1, 2 and 4
- B.2, 3, 4 and 5
- C.2 and 5 only
- D.1, 3, 4 and 5
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Khajuraho lies in Bundelkhand and Tirupati in Rayalaseema; the other three are placed in the wrong regions. Khajuraho, famous for its Chandela temples and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, in the Bundelkhand region the Chandelas ruled, so pair 2 is correct.
Read the full explanation →With reference to agricultural soils, consider the following statements : 1. A high content of organic matter in soil drastically reduces its water holding capacity. 2. Soil does not play any role in the sulphur cycle. 3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the salinization of some agricultural lands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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Only statement 3 is correct: long-term irrigation can make farmland saline, while statements 1 and 2 reverse basic facts about soil.
Read the full explanation →What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India?
- A.India's trade with African countries will enormously increase.
- B.India's relations with oil-producing Arab countries will be strengthened.
- C.India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
- D.Pakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.
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Chabahar gives India a sea-and-land route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that bypasses Pakistan. The port lies on the Makran coast of Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs : Region often mentioned in the news — Country 1. Anatolia — Turkey 2. Amhara — Ethiopia 3. Cabo Delgado — Spain 4. Catalonia — Italy How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.Only one pair
- B.Only two pairs
- C.Only three pairs
- D.All four pairs
Show answer
Anatolia–Turkey and Amhara–Ethiopia are correct, while Cabo Delgado and Catalonia are paired with the wrong countries. Anatolia, also called Asia Minor, is the large peninsula between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean that forms most of Turkey's territory, so pair 1 is correct.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?
- A.It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.
- B.China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.
- C.A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.
- D.Though International Court of Justice declared them as no man's land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.
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The Senkaku Islands are a small group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, administered by Japan and claimed by China, which calls them the Diaoyu Islands; Taiwan also claims them as Diaoyutai.
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