Kundali IQ
Menu ☰
SSC Maths AcademyHomeSchool 6–12Free notesExplore allMy study planSearchExamsTeachers & parentsPricingFAQOpen appGet it on Google Play

Home › Exam notes › UPSC Civil Services › Pressure Belts & Winds

Pressure Belts & Winds

Geography

Useful for: UPSC Civil Services

Overview

Global pressure belts create planetary winds, deflected by the Coriolis force; local winds arise from regional heating differences.

Key points

  • Belts: equatorial low (doldrums, ITCZ), subtropical highs near 30° (horse latitudes), subpolar lows near 60°, polar highs.
  • Planetary winds: trade winds (towards the equator), westerlies (mid-latitudes; "roaring forties" in the south), polar easterlies.
  • The Coriolis force deflects winds to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern; it is zero at the equator.
  • Cyclones rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Local winds: loo (hot, north India), chinook (Rockies), foehn (Alps), mistral (France), sirocco (Sahara to Mediterranean).
  • Jet streams are fast upper-air westerly winds.

Practice MCQs

  1. From the perspective of definition and scope, which one of the following statements about Pressure Belts & Winds is correct?

    1. Global pressure belts shift seasonally with the apparent movement of the Sun.
    2. Coriolis force is strongest at the Equator and becomes zero at the poles.
    3. Pressure Belts & Winds is unrelated to institutions, processes or real-world applications.
    4. Pressure Belts & Winds has no exceptions or limitations in exam analysis.

    Read chapter notes · Similar questions

    Show answer

    Answer: (a) Global pressure belts shift seasonally with the apparent movement of the Sun.. Global pressure belts shift seasonally with the apparent movement of the Sun.

  2. Consider the following statements on Pressure Belts & Winds and Atmosphere & Heat Budget, focusing on definition and scope: 1. Coriolis force is strongest at the Equator and becomes zero at the poles. 2. The greenhouse effect is caused primarily by the atmosphere reflecting all incoming solar radiation back to space. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2

    Read chapter notes · Similar questions

    Show answer

    Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2. Neither statement is correct; both are common misconceptions.

More topics in this chapter

Notes and questions are written by Kundali IQ for practice. They are not official papers; always check the latest official notification for the syllabus and pattern.