Consider the following statements : I. At the equator, the Coriolis force is zero and here the winds blow perpendicular to the isobars. II. The Coriolis force is directly proportional to the angle of latitude. III. The Coriolis force and the resultant wind do not blow parallel to the isobars at higher latitudes. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- A.I, II and III
- B.II and III only
- C.I and III only
- D.I and II only
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, I and II only. Statements I and II describe the Coriolis force correctly; statement III is wrong, because away from the equator the wind ends up blowing parallel to the isobars.
The Coriolis force is the deflection caused by the Earth's rotation: to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern. Statement I is correct: the force is zero at the equator, so the wind there simply blows across the isobars, from high to low pressure. Statement II is correct: the force grows with latitude and is greatest at the poles; it is zero at the equator, which is also why cyclones do not form close to it.
Statement III is wrong: at higher latitudes, when the pressure gradient force is balanced by the Coriolis force, the resultant wind, called the geostrophic wind, blows parallel to the isobars. So A and B, which include III, are wrong, and C is wrong because it drops statement II and keeps III.
Exam tip: Coriolis zero at the equator, maximum at the poles; geostrophic wind blows parallel to isobars.
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following pairs of Himalayan Glaciers and their location is/are correctly matched?
1. Siachen - Nubra Valley Region
2. Chungphar - Kumaon-Garhwal Region
3. Zemu - Central Nepal Region
4. Gasherbrum - Pir Panjal Range
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 and 4
Show answer
Only the Siachen pair is correct. The Siachen Glacier, about 76 km long, lies in the eastern Karakoram, and its meltwater gives rise to the Nubra river, which joins the Shyok; the Nubra Valley of Ladakh lies below its snout, so the glacier belongs to the Nubra Valley region.
Read the full explanation →Indore city in Madhya Pradesh is situated in which one of the following regions ?
- A.Bundelkhand
- B.Mahakoshal
- C.Malwa Plateau
- D.Nimar Region
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Indore stands on the Malwa Plateau in western Madhya Pradesh. Malwa is a volcanic upland of basalt rock, part of the Deccan Traps, lying north of the Vindhya Range; its black soil supports soybean, wheat and cotton, and the region also takes in Ujjain, Dewas, Ratlam and Mandsaur.
Read the full explanation →With regard to water transportation in India, which of the following statements are correct?
1. Headquarters of Central Inland Water Transport Corporation is located at Delhi.
2. Headquarters of Inland Waterways Authority of India is located at Noida.
3. National Inland Navigation Institute is located at Kolkata.
4. First National Inland Waterway was between Haldia and Allahabad.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 and 3
- C.2 and 4 only
- D.1, 2 and 4
Show answer
Statements 2 and 4 are correct, while statements 1 and 3 name the wrong city. The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), set up in 1986, has its headquarters at Noida in Uttar Pradesh and develops and regulates the national waterways.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements with regard to the Indian Railways is not correct?
- A.The Indian rail networks have been developed throughout the Konkan coast.
- B.There is very low density of railway lines in the Himalayan region.
- C.The north Indian plain has a dense network of railway.
- D.At present, India has the largest railway network in the world.
Show answer
India does not have the largest railway network in the world; the United States has the longest, followed by China and Russia, with India in fourth place.
Read the full explanation →Statement I : The interior part of Maharashtra does not receive adequate rain in the summer season.
Statement II : The interior part of Maharashtra lies in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats.
- A.Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I
- B.Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I
- C.Statement I is true but Statement II is false
- D.Statement I is false but Statement II is true
Show answer
Both statements are true, and the rain shadow of the Western Ghats is exactly why interior Maharashtra gets little rain.
Read the full explanation →