UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 83 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Monsoon Wind Reversal
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2014
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectGeography
- TopicClimatology
- DifficultyEasy
- TypeDirect
The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of
Show answer
Answer: C. Monsoon climate
Verdict
The answer is monsoon climate. Seasonal reversal of wind direction is the defining characteristic of the monsoon.
Analysis
In the monsoon regime, differential heating between land and ocean reverses the pressure gradient between summer and winter, so winds blow from sea to land in summer bringing rain and from land to sea in winter bringing dry conditions. Equatorial climate is wrong because it is characterised by convergent trade winds, low pressure and rainfall through the year without a reversal. Mediterranean climate is wrong because its seasonality comes from the poleward and equatorward shift of the westerly belt, not from a reversal of wind direction.
Source
NCERT Class XI Geography, fundamentals of physical geography.
How to crack it
Every climate type has exactly one defining feature, and questions in this area are answered by matching that feature rather than by recalling the full description. Equatorial means rain all year, Mediterranean means winter rain and summer drought, monsoon means seasonal wind reversal, and the hot desert means aridity from subtropical high pressure. The etymology helps too, since monsoon comes from the Arabic mausim, meaning season.