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GeographyMediumAsked in: Madhya Pradesh · MPPSC Pre GS, 16 Feb 2025

The Southern Oscillation is an oscillation pattern between which of these two oceans?

  1. A.Pacific and Atlantic Ocean
  2. B.Pacific and Indian Ocean
  3. C.Atlantic and Indian Ocean
  4. D.None of the above

Correct answer

B. Pacific and Indian Ocean

Explanation

The correct answer is B, Pacific and Indian Ocean. The Southern Oscillation is a see-saw in air pressure between the tropical eastern Pacific and the Indian Ocean: when pressure is high over one, it is low over the other. Sir Gilbert Walker, head of the India Meteorological Department, identified it in the 1920s while trying to forecast the monsoon, and it is measured by the pressure difference between Tahiti in the Pacific and Darwin in northern Australia. When pressure over the eastern Pacific becomes lower than over the Indian Ocean, El Niño tends to develop and the Indian monsoon often weakens, which is why the two are studied together as ENSO, the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Option A is wrong because the partner of the Pacific in this see-saw is the Indian Ocean, not the Atlantic. Option C is wrong because the Pacific, the key player, is missing from this pair. Option D is wrong because option B describes the pattern correctly. Exam tip: Southern Oscillation, Pacific and Indian Ocean, Tahiti–Darwin pressure, found by Gilbert Walker.

Practice Questions

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Q2.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Himalayan rivers have their origin in the snow-covered areas, hence are dry in winter season. 2. Rivers of the Peninsular Plateau have reached maturity. 3. Himalayan rivers depict all the three stages of normal cycle of erosion. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.2 only
  2. B.1 and 3 only
  3. C.2 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 2 and 3 only

Himalayan rivers are perennial, so statement 1 is wrong, while statements 2 and 3 are correct. Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra rise from glaciers and snowfields and also get monsoon rain, so they flow all year round, including in winter.

Q3.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following statements related to latitude are true? 1. Rainfall, temperature and vegetation vary with latitude. 2. The difference between the longest day and the shortest day increases with latitude. 3. Indira Point is located approximately at 6°45' N latitude. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.1 and 3 only
  3. C.2 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

All three statements about latitude are true. Latitude decides how directly the Sun's rays strike a place, so temperature, rainfall and the type of vegetation change from the equator towards the poles, from hot, wet rainforests to cold tundra.

Q4.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following lakes is/are situated in Ladakh? 1. Tso Kar 2. Pangong Tso 3. Tsomgo 4. Tso Moriri Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 and 3
  3. C.1, 2 and 4
  4. D.2 and 4 only
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 1, 2 and 4

Tso Kar, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri are high-altitude lakes of Ladakh, while Tsomgo lies in Sikkim. Pangong Tso, at about 4,350 metres, is a long, narrow lake that stretches from Ladakh into Tibet, and most of its length lies on the Chinese side.