A.P.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (ICSE)

2023 -2024
SUB: GEOGRAPHY STD: IX
CHAPTER –13 Insolation
Very Short Question and Answers.
Q1. What are infrared rays and ultraviolet rays?

Ans. Infrared waves, or infrared rays, are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. People
encounter Infrared waves every day; the human eye cannot see it, but humans can detect
it as heat. These longer waves, are absorbed in the atmosphere.
The shorter waves called ultraviolet rays reach the surface of the earth in the form of
solar radiation.
Q2. Why is the amount of insolation received on the earth’s surface not uniform everywhere?

Ans. i. It is minimum at the poles and the places close to the equator have higher temperature
and are warmer or hotter than places away from the equator.
ii. Towards the poles the sun rays are slanting and have to travel greater extent and lose
heat on the way. Hence, minimum insolation occurs at the poles.
Q3. What is heat balance?

Ans. A heat balance is a perfect balance between incoming heat absorbed by the earth and
outgoing heat escaping it in the form of radiation. This explains, why the earth neither
warms up nor cools down despite the huge transfer of heat that takes place.

Q4. How is the outer atmosphere heated ?

Ans. Our atmosphere is heated by the Terrestrial radiation given out by the earth but not
directly from the Sun.

Q5. State the three processes by which the air gets heated.

Ans. Air gets heated by the process of Convection, conduction and radiation.

Q6. Distinguish between insolation and terrestrial radiation. Or What is insolation? Or What
is solar radiation? State its importance. Or What is terrestrial radiation? State its
importance.

Ans. Insolation Terrestrial radiation

i. The incoming solar radiation is
called insolation. Or The amount of
solar energy received by the earth
is called insolation.
It is the only primary source of
light and heat on the earth.
ii. Insolation exists in the form of
short waves.
Q7. What causes the differential heating of land
differential heating of land and water.
i. It is the radiation emitted by naturally
radioactive materials on Earth including
uranium, thorium and radon.
ii. Terrestrial radiation is in the form of
long waves.
and water? Or State the reason for the
Ans. Land surface is rapidly and intensely heated under the sun's rays whereas water surface
gets moderately heated. The land surface cools off more rapidly than water surface.
Q8. Why does the temperature of a place in the atmosphere decrease with height?

Ans. This is because of Normal Lapse Rate.

Q9. State and explain briefly the various factors influencing the temperature of a place. Or
What is the effect of latitude on temperature? Or How do winds modify the temperature of
a place? Or List the factors affecting the temperature of a place. Or Name the factors that
affect the insolation/ temperature of a place over the earth surface.

Ans. 1. Latitude: i. Places close to the equator have higher temperature and are warmer
or shorter than places away from the equator.
ii. In the low latitude the Sun’s rays are Direct and have to travel a lesser extent
through the atmosphere.
iii. In the high altitude the sun's rays are slanting and have to pass through a
greater extent of atmosphere.
2. Altitude: i. The height of a place above the mean sea level is the altitude of the
place. Air is cooler at a higher altitude than near the Earth's surface.
ii. The places near the Earth's surface are warmer than places higher up.
iii. With the increase of height, temperature decreases. This is known as normal
lapse rate. Therefore, hill stations are cooler even in summer.
Some places in the lower atmosphere produce a reversal of the normal lapse rate so
that temperature actually increases with an increase in altitude. This is known as
temperature inversion.
Temperature inversion is normally found in the middle latitude and for this reason
fruit growers in this region prefer gentle slopes to the valley bottom for orchard
sites.
3. Distance from the sea: i. Land gets heated faster compared to water. During
daytime the land gets heated up.
ii. So places close to the sea experience an equable or Maritime climate.
iii. Places far away from the ocean experience Continental or extreme climate.
4. Ocean currents: i. Ocean currents along the coast make the coastal areas
warmer and cold currents make it cooler than usual.
ii. Warm currents flow from equatorial to polar regions. eg. Gulf Stream.
iii. Cold currents move from the polar region to equatorial region. eg. Labrador
Current.
5. Winds: i. Onshore (Sea to land) winds carry moisture. Winds blowing from the
equator are warmer than those winds coming from the polar region.
ii. Local winds like Loo are dry and hot whereas Bora and the mistral are the cold
winds.
6. Slope of the land: i. Presence of mountains act as a barrier. Eg. the Himalayas
ii. Due to the reversal of normal lapse rate, steep slopes experience more changes
in the temperature.
iii. Slopes facing the South in the Northern hemisphere are warmer than those
facing north because the sun rays strike the south facing slopes at a steeper angle
than they do at the north facing slopes which are also called sheltered slopes.
Q10. How does the distance from the sea affect the distribution of temperature?

Ans. The coastal areas experience mild climate with least range of temperature, while the
regions far from the sea are affected by extreme climate with maximum range of
temperature.

Q11. How would the breezes that blow during the day and those that blow during the night affect the
temperature of a place situated in the coastal region?
Ans. During the day the sea breeze blowing from sea towards land keeps the coastal region
cool and during the night land breeze blowing from land towards sea makes the sea
cooler.

SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

Q1. What does Normal Lapse Rate mean?
Ans. With the increase of height, temperature decreases. This is known as normal lapse
rate. It means that as one goes up, the temperature decreases at an average rate of 6.4°C
per km.

Q2. What is inversion of temperature? Under what conditions does it apply?

Ans. Some places in the lower atmosphere produce a reversal of the normal lapse rate so that
temperature actually increases with an increase in altitude. This is known as
temperature inversion.
During the long winter nights, the landmass loses heat by radiation and the temperature
decreases rapidly.
In mountainous region, the cold air sinks down to the valleys and basins. Due to its
greater weight the upper layer of air retains its warmth.
Q3. Which zone will have a higher range of temperature?
Ans. Temperate climate zone
Q4. Why are the slanting rays less effective than the vertical rays in heating the atmosphere?

Ans. Slanting rays have to travel longer distance than vertical rays and they lose heat in the
process.
Q5 What causes equable climate?
Ans. Nearness to sea causes equable climate.
Q6. The annual range of temperature is lowest in the equatorial region. Why?
Ans. This is because the angle of incidence of the Sun's rays in this region does not vary too
much.
Q7. Snow melts more quickly on the south facing slopes of the Himalayas than on the north
facing slopes. Why?
Ans. In the Himalayas the south facing sunny slopes are warmer than the north facing shady
slopes due to which snow melts more quickly on the south facing slopes of the Himalayas
than on the north facing slopes.

Q8. South facing slopes are much warmer than north facing slopes in the Northern
 Hemisphere. Why?

This is because the sun rays strike the south facing slopes (sunny slope) at a steeper
angle than they do at the north facing slopes, which are called shelter slopes.
Q9. Annual range of temperature is greater at Delhi than at Mumbai. Why?

Ans. The annual range of temperature is greater at Delhi than at Mumbai as it is located in
the interior where the extremes of temperature are more. Mumbai is situated close to the
sea and enjoys an equable climate.

Q10 The temperature of Delhi is less than that of Chennai in December. Why?
Ans. Delhi is far from sea, while Chennai is situated along the coast of Bay of Bengal. So Delhi
is colder than Chennai in December.

GIVE REASONS FOR THE FOLLOWING:

1. North India has a greater range of temperature than South India. Why?

Ans. North India comes in temperate zone, while South India comes in Torrid Zone situated in
the South of Tropic of Cancer. So North Indian places have greater range of temperature.
It is greatest in the Desert of Rajasthan

2. Most of the orchards in the mountains are planted on the valley side slopes rather than
in the lower part of the valley. Why?
Ans. Valleys experience frost in winter while the slopes of the valley remain free from frost. It is
due to this reason that most of the orchards in the mountains are planted on the valley
slopes rather than in the lower part of the valley.

3. The climate of continental interiors is of comparatively extreme type. Why?

Ans. This is because continental interiors are without the moderating influence of the sea.

4. The temperature of a place depends largely upon its latitude. Why?

Ans. As the rays of the sun become more and more slanting with increasing latitudes, so the
tropical region never gets snowfall, while the polar region is always frozen.

5. The earth's surface receives only about 51% of the Solar energy. Why?

Ans. Out of 100 units, only 51 units are received by the earth as isolation, while 35 units are
reflected back by atmospheric layers, clouds, snowfields and 14 units are absorbed by
ozone layer.

6. Temperature decreases from the Equator to the poles. Why?

Ans. Temperature decreases from the Equator to the poles, because the Sun's rays become
increasingly slanting.
7. The heat absorption capacity more in the lower layers than in upper layers of
the atmosphere. Why?
Ans. Since the proportion of the heat absorbing elements is more in the lower part of the
atmosphere, more energy is absorbed in this part. Density of the atmosphere also
decreases with increasing height.
8. The temperature over land and water surface differs Or Land gets heated faster than the
sea. Why?
Ans. The temperature over land and water surface differ because land surface gets heated
rapidly and cooled rapidly as rocks and soils of land surface are not a good conductor of
heat. Oceans or seas get heated slowly and cooled slowly as water is a good conductor of
heat.
9. The lapse rate higher in tropical areas than the polar areas. Why?
Ans. The lapse rate is higher in the tropical areas where the surface temperature is higher
than in the polar areas where the surface temperature is lower.
10. Coastal climates are equable. Why?
Ans. This is due to the influence of oceans. During the day the sea breeze blowing towards
the land from the sea keeps the coastal region cool and during the night the land breeze
blowing from the land towards the sea makes the sea cooler.
This interchange of breeze maintains the heat balance. Hence, the areas close to the sea
have lower daily and annual ranges of temperatures and enjoy a moderate climate than
the areas lying in the interior.

11. State two advantages of convectional heating of the atmosphere.

Ans. Convectional heating of the atmosphere is done by heating up the layer of air touching
land surface and rising up to warm up the upper layer, while the cold wind sinks down
and again heated up by the terrestrial radiation. This circulation causes formation of
clouds, rainfall and mild changes in climatic behaviour.
12. Distinguish between insolation and terrestrial radiation
Ans.
Insolation Terrestrial Radiation

The amount of solar energy

The heat radiated by the Earth in the form
received by the Earth is called
of long waves is called terrestrial radiation.
insolation.

The Sun's energy reaches the Terrestrial radiation is radiated in the form
Earth as short waves. of long waves.

13. Difference between maritime influence and Continental influence

Ans. Maritime influence:
i. Places situated close to the sea
experience neither very high nor very
low temperatures.
ii. The annual range of temperature at
such places is low. This moderating
influence of sea on temperature is
Continental influence:
i. Places situated in the interior of large
continents experience high
temperatures during the day and low
temperature at night.
ii. The annual range of temperature at
such places is high. This influence of
location on the temperature is called
 called the Maritime influence. Continental influence.
14. Differentiate between Conduction and Convection
Ans. Conduction: Convection:
. Conduction means heating by i. Convection means transfer of heat in
contact. a liquid or gas.
ii. The heat radiated by the Earth's ii. The circulation of air and water in
surface warms the layers of air above it oceans causes transfer of heat from
by direct contact. This is called one medium to another or from one
conduction. level to another. This transfer of heat
by circulatory movement is called
convection.
15. Differentiate between Normal Lapse Rate and Inversion of Temperature
Ans. Normal Lapse Rate Inversion of temperature
i. The decrease in temperature with i. The increase in temperature with
increasing height is called the lapse increasing height is called inversion of
rate. temperature.
ii. this is a common phenomenon ii. It is a common phenomenon in the
everywhere. mountainous regions.