On 21st June, the Sun
- A.does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle
- B.does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle
- C.shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator
- D.shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle. 21 June is the summer solstice of the Northern Hemisphere, when the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun and the whole Arctic Circle gets 24 hours of daylight.
Because the Earth's axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees, on 21 June the Sun's rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees N). Places north of the equator have their longest day, and on and inside the Arctic Circle (66.5 degrees N) the Sun stays above the horizon all day, the midnight sun.
B is wrong: on this date the Antarctic Circle has its longest night, and the Sun does not rise there at all.
C is wrong: the Sun is overhead at the Equator only at the equinoxes, around 21 March and 23 September.
D is wrong: the Sun is overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn on the winter solstice, around 22 December.
Exam tip: 21 June – Sun over Tropic of Cancer, 24-hour day in the Arctic; 22 December – Sun over Tropic of Capricorn, 24-hour day in the Antarctic.
Practice Questions
View allWhich one of the following is not a soil forming factor?
- A.Parent material
- B.Topography
- C.Climate
- D.Human habitation
Show answer
Soil scientists list parent material, topography (relief), climate, biological activity and time as the factors that form soil; where people live is not one of them.
Read the full explanation →Rudraprayag is situated at the confluence of rivers Alaknanda and
- A.Bhagirathi
- B.Mandakini
- C.Nandakini
- D.Dhauliganga
Show answer
At Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand the Mandakini, which flows down from near Kedarnath, joins the Alaknanda. Rudraprayag is one of the Panch Prayag, the five holy confluences of the Alaknanda on its way to forming the Ganga.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the correct sequence of layers as we move from the Earth's surface upwards?
- A.Troposphere, Stratosphere, Thermosphere, Mesosphere
- B.Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
- C.Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere, Troposphere
- D.Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Troposphere, Thermosphere
Show answer
This is the order of the layers of the atmosphere from the ground upwards, with the exosphere above them all.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following features is characteristic of the western coastal plain of India?
- A.Wide deltas built by large rivers
- B.Estuaries, backwaters and natural harbours
- C.An emergent coast with sand bars and lagoons
- D.The Coromandel coast and the Northern Circars
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The western coastal plain is narrow, steep and submergent, so the rivers of the Western Ghats reach the sea through estuaries rather than deltas, and the drowned valleys give deep natural harbours such as Mumbai, Marmagao, New Mangalore and Kochi, besides the Kerala backwaters called kayals.
Read the full explanation →In which zone may a coastal State enforce its customs, immigration and sanitary laws, although it is beyond its territorial sea?
- A.The contiguous zone
- B.The exclusive economic zone
- C.The continental shelf
- D.The high seas
Show answer
In this belt the coastal State is not sovereign, but it may exercise the control needed to prevent and punish the infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration and sanitary laws within its territory or territorial sea.
Read the full explanation →