Atmosphere & Climate: 18 MCQs with answers

Nitrogen and Oxygen

The atmosphere is composed of a mixture of gases, with nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) being the two primary and most abundant gases.

Troposphere

The troposphere is the most important layer, containing most of the water vapour and clouds, and is where nearly all weather phenomena occur.

Stratosphere

The stratosphere contains a layer of ozone gas that filters the Sun's harmful radiation, including ultraviolet radiation.

Hour-to-hour and day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere

Weather refers to the hour-to-hour and day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere, which can vary significantly.

Insolation

Insolation is defined as the incoming solar energy from the Sun that is intercepted by the Earth.

Sea breeze

A sea breeze is a local wind that blows from sea to land during the day when the land becomes warmer than the sea, creating a low-pressure area over the land.

Season

Arabs named the seasonal reversal of the wind system 'monsoon', derived from the Arabic word *mausim*, which literally means 'season'.

Monsoon or rainy

The IMD recognizes the Monsoon or rainy season as generally spanning from June to September, dominated by the humid south-west summer monsoon.

The total greenhouse gases released due to human activities

A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities, such as energy use, transportation, or the production of goods and services.

True

The source explicitly states that the density of air is highest near the Earth's surface and decreases with altitude.

False

The source states that air always moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas, which is the definition of wind.

Troposphere and Mesosphere

The source content states that temperature decreases with altitude only in the troposphere and mesosphere.

The unequal heating of land and sea

The south-west monsoon is mainly caused by the unequal heating of land and sea, where the Indian landmass heats up faster, creating a low-pressure area that draws in moist winds from the ocean.

South-eastern regions

The winter monsoon winds pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and cause rainfall on the eastern coast of India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Karnataka, which are south-eastern regions.

Soil type

The major atmospheric elements impacting human life are temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind, and atmospheric pressure. Soil type is not listed as an element of weather and climate.

Our bodies exert a counter-pressure equal to atmospheric pressure

We do not feel the force because air presses on us from all sides, and our bodies exert a counter-pressure that is equal to the atmospheric pressure, cancelling it out.

Weak and old river embankments

Human-made causes listed include weak and old river embankments (dhūsī bāndh), building houses close to rivers, silt collection, and late flood warnings.

Thermosphere

The source states that northern and southern lights (auroras) occur in the thermosphere.