Why does the Aravalli range fail to bring good rainfall to western Rajasthan from the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon?
- A.It is too low to obstruct any winds
- B.It lies almost parallel to the path of those winds
- C.It lies to the east of the desert
- D.It is covered with dense forest
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, it lies almost parallel to the path of those winds. The Aravalli runs from the south-west to the north-east, which is the same direction in which the Arabian Sea branch travels, so the winds slide along the range instead of being forced up over it; without that lifting there is little cooling and little rain, and the moisture is carried away to the plains of the north. Option A is wrong because the range rises above seventeen hundred metres at Guru Shikhar, high enough to lift winds that met it head on, as the rainfall at Mount Abu shows. Option C states a fact of position that explains nothing by itself. Option D is factually wrong; the range carries dry scrub and thin forest. This single idea explains why Rajasthan is dry.
Read the full article: Climate and Soils of Rajasthan: Rainfall, Loo and Mawath
Practice Questions
View allWhich district of Rajasthan receives the lowest average annual rainfall?
- A.Churu
- B.Jaisalmer
- C.Bikaner
- D.Nagaur
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It lies in the extreme west of the state, farthest from both branches of the south-west monsoon, and parts of the district record under 200 millimetres a year, which is why the sand dunes there are the largest and the most mobile in Rajasthan.
Read the full explanation →The light winter rainfall caused by western disturbances in Rajasthan is locally known as
- A.Loo
- B.Andhi
- C.Mawath
- D.Sem
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These are the showers of December to February, brought by western disturbances that travel from the Mediterranean across Iran and Pakistan into north-western India, and they are valued because they water the standing rabi crops of wheat, gram, barley and mustard without any cost to the farmer.
Read the full explanation →The Tropic of Cancer passes through which district of Rajasthan?
- A.Banswara
- B.Jhalawar
- C.Dungarpur
- D.Udaipur
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The Tropic of Cancer crosses the southern part of Banswara, the southernmost district of Rajasthan, so the whole of the state except that small corner lies north of the tropic, in the subtropical belt.
Read the full explanation →Medium black soil in Rajasthan is found mainly in which region?
- A.Shekhawati
- B.Hadoti
- C.Marwar
- D.Mewat
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The soil there is formed from the weathering of the basalt of the Deccan trap, so it is clayey, holds moisture well and cracks in summer, and it carries the state's soybean, cotton and wheat.
Read the full explanation →Which soil covers the largest area of Rajasthan?
- A.Alluvial soil
- B.Red and yellow soil
- C.Sandy or desert soil
- D.Medium black soil
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The Thar desert and the arid plains west of the Aravalli take up the greater part of Rajasthan, and their soil is overwhelmingly sand, low in nitrogen and organic matter, porous so that water sinks away quickly, but often well supplied with lime and phosphate.
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