UPSC Notes

High sun’s insolation due to apparent movement of sun between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Intense Solar Radiation in the Tropics makes the weather very hot and humid, while low values of solar energy in Polar Regions make the weather cold and dry. These changes in Solar Energy lead to convection and create

A large number of western cyclonic disturbances are formed over the Mediterranean Sea every winter. These disturbances are strong wind systems, strong enough to produce rainfall in the form of thunderstorms. The wind system about these disturbances is cyclonic in nature i.e. anticlockwise. Hence they are named western cyclonic disturbance by meteorologists. Many of the

During the winter season winds generally blow from north-east to south-west in the direction of trade winds. These winds are dry, devoid of moisture and are characterized by lower temperature and higher pressure conditions over the country. The term trade winds refers to the westward flowing currents of rising air that occur near tropical areas,

Climate is the aggregate of all the weather conditions over longer periods of time, in a particular place. The climate of India varies greatly from region to region, season to season, and place to place. India boasts of a rich diversity in its topography which makes it distinct from other countries on the globe. This

Weather is the momentary state of the atmosphere while climate refers to the average of the weather conditions over a longer period of time. Weather changes quickly, may be within a day or week but climate changes imperceptively and may be noted after 50 years or even more. A temperature drop in winter may have

The Mahanadi rises near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and runs through Odisha to discharge its water into the Bay of Bengal. It is 851 km long and its catchment area spreads over 1.42 lakh sq. km. Some navigation is carried on in the lower course of this river. Fifty three per cent of

Three major geological events in the distant past have shaped the present drainage systems of Peninsular India: Subsidence of the western flank of the Peninsula leading to its submergence below the sea during the early tertiary period. Generally, it has disturbed the symmetrical plan of the river on either side of the original watershed. Upheaval

Older than the Himalayan one. Evident from the broad, largely-graded shallow valleys, and The Western Ghats running close to the western coast act as the water divide between the major Peninsular rivers, discharging their water in the Bay of Bengal and as small rivulets joining the Arabian Sea. Most of the major Peninsular rivers except

The Brahmaputra, one of the largest rivers of the world, has its origin in the Chemayungdung glacier of the Kailash range near the Mansarovar lake. Tibet, where it is known as the Tsangpo, which means the purifier. ‘The Rango Tsangpo is the major right-bank tributary of this river in Tibet. Enters India west of Sadiya

The most important river of India both from the point of view of its basin and cultural significance. It rises in the Gangotri glacier near Gaumukh (3,900 m) in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Here, it is known as the Bhagirathi. At Devprayag, the Bhagirathi meets the Alaknanda; hereafter, it is known as the Ganga.