According to Koppen's climatic classifications, the Great Northern Plains of India have which one of the following climates ?
- (a)Aw climate
- (b)Cwg climate
- (c)Amw climate
- (d)Dfc climate
Correct — B, Cwg climate. In Koppen's scheme the Great Northern Plains of India are classified as 'Cwg' — a monsoon type with dry winters (w) and hot summers with the temperature of the hottest month above 22 degrees C (g, the Gangetic type). This captures the plains' cold dry winters and very hot summers with a summer monsoon.
- (a)Aw climate — 'Aw' is the tropical savanna (wet-and-dry) climate of much of peninsular India, not the northern plains.
- (c)Amw climate — 'Am' is the tropical monsoon type of the west coast/north-east, with a short dry season — not the northern plains.
- (d)Dfc climate — 'Dfc' is a cold, snowy sub-arctic climate (taiga) — quite unlike the hot Indian plains.
Koppen classified climates by temperature and rainfall patterns. In India, 'A' types dominate the south (Aw savanna, Am tropical monsoon), while the Ganga plains are 'Cwg' — a warm temperate/monsoon type with a dry winter and a very hot summer (g = Gangetic, hottest month over 22 degrees C). Cold high mountains fall under E, and deserts under B.
Match the northern plains' cold-dry-winter, hot-summer, monsoon rhythm to Koppen 'Cwg' — not the peninsular 'Aw' or the polar/sub-arctic 'D/E' types.
- The Great Northern Plains have a Koppen 'Cwg' climate.
- 'w' = dry winter; 'g' = Gangetic, hottest month above 22 degrees C.
- Peninsular India is mostly 'Aw' (tropical savanna).
- The west coast/north-east is 'Am' (tropical monsoon).
- Assigning the plains the peninsular 'Aw' type.
- Confusing 'Cwg' with the cold sub-arctic 'Dfc'.
Asked as the Koppen climate of a given Indian region, esp. the northern plains.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In Koppen's scheme, most of peninsular India has which climate?
- (a)Cwg
- (b)Aw
- (c)Dfc
- (d)ET
Answer(b) Aw (tropical savanna).
- practice — not a real PYQ
In Koppen's code 'Cwg', the letter 'w' stands for
- (a)dry winter
- (b)wet winter
- (c)windy
- (d)warm
Answer(a) dry winter.