HIRANANDANI FOUNDATION SCHOOL, THANE

GEOGRAPHY
INSOLATION

I. Short Answers Questions

1. What is solar radiation? What is its significance for the Earth?

Ans. - The heat and light energy which is continuously radiated by the Sun is
called solar radiation.
Solar radiation is the only primary source of light and heat on the Earth.

2. What is meant by insolation? State two of its main characteristics.

Ans. - Insolation – The amount of solar energy received by the Earth.
Characteristics:
(i) Insolation travels in short waves.
(ii) Only one part out of two billion parts reaches the Earth.
(iii) The insolation is dissipated and scattered before it reaches the Earth.

4. Name four factors that affect the temperature of a place.

Ans. - The factors affecting the temperature of a place: -
(i) Latitude
(ii) Altitude
(iii) Distance from the Sea
(iv) Slope of the Land
(v) Winds and Ocean Currents.

5. State the pattern of temperature in mid latitudes.

Ans. - In mid latitudes temperature is cooler as the areas never experience
vertical Sun rays. Summers are warm because of the relatively high
angle of incidence of sun rays and the duration of daytime is longer but
winters are very cold due to very low angle of incidence of sun rays and
nights are very long.

6. What difference is there in the temperature on a mountain and on a sea

shore?
Ans.- Temperature on a mountain – As per the normal lapse rate temperature
decreases and it becomes cooler as the height increases.
Sea Shore - Due to the moderating influence of the sea, temperature is
neither too hot during the day or summer nor too cold at night or in
winter. The climate is equable.
7. Why is India cooler in December than in July?
Ans.- India is cooler in December than in July because India is located in the
Northern Hemisphere and in the month of December it is tilted away
from the Sun, receives low angle of incidence of sun rays (slanting sun
rays) and the duration of nights becomes longer. So the temperature in
December is low but in July, India is tilted towards the Sun, receives high
angle of incidence of sun rays and days are longer, so temperature is high.
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II. Distinguish between each of the following:

1. Insolation and Terrestrial Radiation.

Insolation Terrestrial Radiation
1, The incoming solar energy 1. The Sun’s energy absorbed by the
intercepted by the Earth is insolation. Earth’s surface and then radiated out
into space, the outgoing heat radiation
from the Earth's surface is called
terrestrial radiation.
2. Insolation travels in short waves, so 2. Terrestrial radiation travels in long
less effective in heating the waves, so it is more effective in
atmosphere. heating the atmosphere.
3. Insolation occurs only during the 3. Terrestrial radiation occurs mostly
day time. at night time.

2. Land breeze and sea breeze.

Land breeze Sea breeze
1. Land breeze occurs at night. 1. Sea breeze occurs during day time.
2. There is high pressure on the land 2. There is high pressure over the sea
and low pressure over the water and low pressure on the land.
bodies.
3. Wind blows from land to sea. 3. Wind blows from sea to land.

III. Structured Questions:

1. (a) How is ‘heat balance’ achieved?

Ans. - Out of 100% of insolation 35% is reflected back to space because of the
presence of snowfields, oceans and cloud cover, 14% is absorbed by
atmospheric gases and the remaining 51% reaches the Earth with which the
surface gets heated. The entire amount of heat is radiated from the surface in the
form of terrestrial radiation. Out of 51 units of terrestrial radiation 34 units get
absorbed by the gases present in the atmosphere and remaining 17 units go back
to space. The state of equilibrium on Earth between incoming insolation and
outgoing terrestrial radiation is called heat

(b) State how latitude affects the temperature of a place.

Ans. - Due to the spherical shape of the Earth, the angle of incidence of Sun’s
rays vary on the surface of the Earth with varying latitudes. The areas
close to the Equator, experience high angle of incidence of sun rays so
temperature is high. Areas away from the Equator receive low angle of
incidence of Sun rays, so temperature is low.
Moreover, due to the revolution of the Earth on its tilted axis, the Sun
apparently migrates within the two tropics, so the area within the two
tropics receives maximum high angle of incidence of Sun rays and
forms the Torrid Zone. The areas beyond the tropics never experience
vertical Sun rays, so temperature gradually decreases towards the Poles.

(c) Give a reason for the each of the following:

(i) North India has a greater range of temperature than South India
because North India is located in the interior, away from the
moderating influence of the sea, experiences continental climate so
there is greater annual range of temperature whereas South India
experiences moderating influence of the sea and having an equable
climate hence South India experiences low annual range of
temperature.

(ii) The temperature of Delhi is less than that of Chennai in December

because Delhi is located in the interior of India, away from the
moderating influence of the sea. In December, winters are very cold in
Delhi but Chennai is located along the sea coast, experiences
moderating influence of the sea. So Chennai does not experience very
cold winters.

(iii) Desert areas experience a high day temperature and a much lower night
temperature because of clear sky and absence of vegetation. During
day time, clear sky allows maximum insolation to reach the Earth’s
surface and the bare ground absorbs heat readily, so temperature
increases faster. During nights, bare ground radiates heat faster and
as the sky is clear so the heat easily gets escaped. so nights become
very cold.
 (d) Draw a well labelled diagram to show the Heat Budget of the Earth.
Ans. -
HEAT BUDGET

2. (a) State the five temperature zones of the Earth.

Ans.- Five temperature zones of the Earth are:
(i) Torrid Zone
(ii) North Temperate Zone
(iii) South Temperate Zone
(iv) North Frigid Zone
(v) South Frigid Zone.

(b) Explain the Normal Lapse Rate.

Ans. - The rate at which temperature decreases with increase in height,
temperature decreases by 1°C. for every 166 metre rise in altitude.

(c) Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) Distance from the sea affects the temperature of a place because with
increase in the distance from the sea the moderating influence of the sea
decreases so temperatures become extreme, seasonal temperature
variation increases.
 (ii) Land is heated and cooled faster than the sea because the Sun’s rays
heat the land by the process of conduction and the heat is concentrated
only in the thin surface layer so land gets heated faster. During nights,
land radiates the heat faster so cools faster. On the other hand, Sun’s
rays heat water by the process of convection and pass through water to
a great depth, due to higher specific heat of water, it is heated slowly
and at night the water (sea) radiates heat slowly.

(iii) The ports of the Western coast of Europe remain ice-free during winter
because of the influence of warm North Atlantic Drift, which rises the
winter temperature above normal.

(d) Draw a well labelled diagram showing that the vertical rays are hotter than
the slanting rays.

Ans. -
VERTICAL SUN RAYS ARE HOTTER THAN SLANTING SUN RAYS
3. (a) How does the distance from the sea affect the distribution of temperature?
Ans. - The places which are located near to the coast / sea experiences
moderating influence of the sea, so the places are neither too hot in
summer nor very cold in winter whereas places which are located in the
interior / land locked / away from the moderating influence of the sea
experiences extreme temperature variation, summers are very hot and
winters are very cold.

(b) 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, land gets heated up faster but water takes time to heat.
So due to the differential rate of heating of land and sea, low pressure
develops over the land and high pressure is over the sea. Hence cool
breeze from sea blows to the land and coastal areas experience the
cooling effect of sea breeze. During nights, the water bodies slowly
release heat that they have absorbed during the day so remain
relatively warmer but the land radiates heat faster and becomes cold
faster. Due to the differential rate of cooling of land and sea, low
pressure develops over the sea and high pressure is over the land. So
cold land breeze modifies the temperature along the coast.

(c) Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) Higher the latitude, lower is the temperature because of the spherical
shape of the Earth, high latitudinal areas receive slanting sun rays and
due to the revolution of the Earth on the tilted axis, the apparent
migration of the Sun is restricted within the two tropics, so at the higher
latitudes the angle of incidence of sun rays is low.

(ii) The vertical rays of the sun give more insolation than the slanting rays
because the vertical sun rays travel shorter distance through the
atmosphere so loss of heat is less and concentrate over a small area so
they heat up the Earth’s surface more whereas slanting rays travel
longer distance through the atmosphere so loss of heat is more and
concentrate over a large area so give less insolation.

(iii) Desert region has a high range of temperature than a forest region
because of clear sky and absence of vegetation. The bare ground absorbs
insolation faster so the desert area experiences high day temperature and
low night temperature whereas in the forest region, there is thick
 vegetation which provides shade and through transpiration moisture is
released which help to maintain the temperature.

(d) Draw a well labelled diagram to show the land and sea breeze.
Ans. -

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