Atmosphere & Climatology — UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions
69 questions from UPSC CSE Prelims GS Paper 1 on Atmosphere & Climatology (Geography). Spanning from 1995 to 2025. Practice with show/hide answers and detailed explanations.
Based on 69 questions across 28 years, UPSC has consistently tested aspirants' understanding of Atmosphere & Climatology within the broader Geography syllabus. The questions range from factual recall to application-based analysis.
Recent trends show UPSC moving towards statement-based questions that combine multiple aspects of Atmosphere & Climatology. Aspirants should focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing isolated facts.
Q: Consider the following statements:
Statement I:
The amount of dust particles in the atmosphere is more in subtropical and temperate areas than in equatorial and polar regions.
Statement II:
Subtropical and temperate areas have less dry winds.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a)Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
(b)Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
(c)Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
(d)Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Q: Consider the following statements:
Statement I:
In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, the isotherms bend equatorward while crossing the landmasses, and poleward while crossing the oceans.
Statement II:
In January, the air over the oceans is warmer than that over the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a)Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
(b)Both Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement I
(c)Statement I is correct but Statement II is not correct
(d)Statement I is not correct but Statement II is correct
Q: Consider the following statements:
Statement-I :
The atmosphere is heated more by incoming solar radiation than by terrestrial radiation.
Statement-II :
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are good absorbers of long-wave radiation.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
(b)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does NOT explain Statement-I
(c)Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
(d)Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Q: Consider the following statements:
Statement-I :
Thickness of the troposphere at the equator is much greater as compared to poles.
Statement-II :
At the equator, heat is transported to great heights by strong convectional currents.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
(b)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does NOT explain Statement-I
(c)Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
(d)Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Q: Which of the following is/are correct inference/inferences from isothermal maps in the month of January?
1. The isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent.
2. The presence of cold ocean currents, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift make the North Atlantic Ocean colder and the isotherms bend towards the north.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Q: With reference to “water vapour”, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a gas, the amount of which decreases with altitude.
2. Its percentage is maximum at the poles.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Q: Consider the following description:
1. Annual and daily range of temperatures is low.
2. Precipitation occurs throughout the year.
3. Precipitation varies between 50 cm – 250 cm.
What is this type of climate?
Q: With reference to “Coriolis force”, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It increases with increase in wind velocity.
2. It is maximum at the poles and is absent at the equator.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Q: Consider the following statements:
Statement-I:
The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter.
Statement-II:
The specific heat of water is more than that of land surface.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b)Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c)Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d)Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Q: निम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :
1. उच्च मेघ सौर विकिरण को परावर्तित कर भू-पृष्ठ को ठंडा करते हैं।
2. भू-पृष्ठ से उत्पन्न होने वाली अवरक्त विकिरण का निम्न मेघों में उच्च अवशोषण होता है, और इससे ताप प्रभाव होता है।
उपयुक्त कथनों में कौन-से सही हैं/है?
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.
2. Only some cyclones develop an eye.
3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’, sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Niño’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Q: “Each day is more or less the same, the morning is clear and bright with a sea breeze; as the Sun climbs high in the sky, heat mounts up, dark clouds form, then rain comes with thunder and lightning. But rain is soon over.”
Which of the following regions is described in the above passage?
Q: The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What is/are the reason/reasons?
1. Thermal difference between land and water
2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans
3. Presence of strong winds in the interior
4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Q: “Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.”
The above statement best describes which of the following regions?
Q: During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the skies is produced by the
1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky
2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds
3. violent upward movement of air and water particles
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Q: Normally, the temperature decreases with the increase in height from the Earth's surface, because
1. the atmosphere can be heated upwards only from the Earth's surface.
2. there is more moisture in the upper atmosphere.
3. the air is less dense in the upper atmosphere.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. The duration of the monsoon decreases from southern India to northern India.
2. The amount of annual rainfall in the northern plains of India decreases from east to west.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: A layer in the Earth’s atmosphere called Ionosphere facilitates radio communication. Why?
1. The presence of ozone causes the reflection of radio waves to Earth.
2. Radio waves have a very long wavelength.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino ?
1. La Nina is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterised by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
2. El Nino has adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Q: Westerlies in southern hemisphere are stronger and persistent than in northern hemisphere. Why?
1. Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to northern hemisphere.
2. Coriolis force is higher in southern hemisphere as compared to northern hemisphere
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: What could be the main reason/reasons for the formation of African and Eurasian desert belt?
1. It is located in the sub-tropical high pressure cells.
2. It is under the influence of warm ocean currents.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context?
Q: The jet aircrafts fly very easily and smoothly in the lower stratosphere. What could be the appropriate explanation?
1. There are no clouds or water vapour in the lower stratosphere.
2. There are no vertical winds in the lower stratosphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct in this context?
Q: A geographic region has the following distinct characteristics:
1. Warm and dry climate
2. Mild and wet winter
3. Evergreen oak trees
The above features are the distinct characteristics of which one of the following regions?
Q: Consider the following statements :
1. In the world, the tropical deserts occur along the western margins of continents within the trade wind belt.
2. In India, the East Himalayan region gets high rainfall from north-east winds.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. Either of the two belts over the ocean at about 30°–35° N and S latitudes is known as Horse Latitude.
2. Horse Latitudes are low-pressure belts.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. The annual range of temperature is greater in the Pacific Ocean than in the Atlantic Ocean.
2. The annual range of temperature is greater in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Q: Consider the following statements :
1. Length of a terrestrial mile is lesser than that of a nautical mile.
2. Harmattan is a dusty land-wind of the East African Coast.
3. Greece and Albania form a part of the Iberian Peninsula.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Q: Assertion (A): Wind patterns are clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
Reason (R): The directions of wind patterns in the northern and the southern hemisphere are governed by the Coriolis Effect.
(a)Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
Q: Assertion (A): Bangalore receives much higher average annual rainfall than Mangalore.
Reason (R): Bangalore has the benefit of receiving rainfall both from south-west and north-east monsoons.
(a)Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
Q: Assertion (A): The thickness of the atmosphere is maximum over the Equator.
Reason (R): High insolation and strong convection currents occur over the Equator.
(a)Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
Q: Assertion (A): The amount of moisture in the atmosphere is related to latitude.
Reason (R): The capacity to hold moisture in the form of water vapour is related to temperature.
(a)Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
Q: Assertion (A): Areas lying within five to eight degrees latitude on either side of the equator receive rainfall throughout the year.
Reason (R): High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain to fall mostly in the afternoons near the equator.
(a)Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
Q: Consider the following climatic and geographical phenomena:
1. Condensation
2. High temperature and humidity
3. Orography
4. Vertical wind
Thunder-cloud development is due to which of these phenomena?
Q: For short-term climate prediction, which one of the following events, detected in the last decade, is associated with occasional weak monsoon rains in the Indian sub-continent?
Q: The average annual temperature of a meteorological station is 26 °C, its average annual rainfall is 63 cm and the annual range of temperature is 9 °C. The station in Q is
Q: Consider the following statements:
1. In equatorial regions, the year is divided into four main seasons
2. In Mediterranean region, summer receives more rain
3. In China type climate, rainfall occurs throughout the year
4. Tropical highlands exhibit vertical zonation of different climates
Which of these statements are correct?
Q: Assertion (A): 60°–65° latitudes in both the hemispheres have a low-pressure belt instead of high pressure.
Reason (R): The low-pressure areas are permanent over oceans rather than on land.
(a)Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true but R is not a correct explanation of A
Q: The temperature and rainfall of a meteorological station are given below:
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Temperature (°C): 9.4 10.6 11.7 12.2 13.3 13.9 13.9 14.4 15.6 15.0 13.3 10.6
Rainfall (cm): 12.2 9.1 7.9 2.5 1.8 0.3 – – 0.8 2.5 6.1 11.7
Average Temperature: 12.8 °C Average Rainfall: 54.9 cm per annum
Identify the region having the above climatic pattern from amongst the following:
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists:
List I (Local Wind)
I. Fohn II. Samun III. Santa Ana IV. Zonda
List II (Region)
A) Argentina B) Kurdistan C) California D) Alps
Codes:
Q: Assertion (A): Anti-cyclonic conditions are formed in winter season when atmospheric pressure is high and air temperatures are low.
Reason (R): Winter rainfall in Northern India causes development of anticyclonic conditions with low temperatures.
(a)Both A and R are individually true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are individually true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
Q: Consider the following statements about the “Roaring Forties”:
I. They blow uninterrupted in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
II. They blow with great strength and constancy.
III. Their direction is generally from North-West to East in the Southern Hemisphere.
IV. Overcast skies, rain and raw weather are generally associated with them.
Which of these statements are correct?
Q: Which one of the areas marked as A, B, C and D in the given figure of the cyclone, witnesses heavy torrential short-duration rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms?
Q: Consider the following temperature and rainfall data:
Month Temperature °C Rainfall cm
January 6.7 14.0
February 6.7 13.2
March 7.2 11.4
April 8.9 9.4
May 11.1 8.1
June 13.9 8.1
July 15.0 9.6
August 15.0 12.2
September 13.9 10.4
October 11.1 14.4
November 8.9 14.0
December 7.8 16.8
The climate to which this data pertains is
Q: July 27.8 14.5
August 27.8 14.0
September 22.3 12.7
October 18.3 7.0
November 12.2 5.0
December 6.7 3.5
These data are most likely to be found in the natural regions of
Q: Match List I with List II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below the lists:
List I (Climatic Conditions)
I. Chennai is warmer than Calcutta
II. Snowfall in Himalayas
III. Rainfall decreases from Depressions
IV. Sutlej-Ganga Plain gets some rain in winter
List II (Reasons)
A) North-east Monsoon
B) Altitude
C) Western West Bengal to Punjab
D) Distance from sea
E) Latitude
Codes:
Q: Consider the map given below:
Of the four shaded areas in the map, that which is characterised by hot dry summers, mild and moist winters and seasonal reversal of winds is the area labelled
Q: Assertion (A): Areas near the equator receive rainfall throughout the year.
Reason (R): High temperatures and high humidity cause convectional rain in most afternoons near the equator.
In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct?
(a)Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b)Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
Q: High temperature and low pressure over the Indian sub-continent during the summer season, draws air from the Indian Ocean leading to the in-blowing of the
Q: The graph given below shows the mean average monthly temperatures (in °C) and mean monthly rainfall (in cms) of a place:
This graph is indicative of which one of the climatic zones of the world?
Q: The clouds float in the atmosphere because of their low
(a)temperature
(b)velocity
(c)pressure
(d)density
Frequently Asked Questions
How many UPSC Prelims questions have been asked from Atmosphere & Climatology?▼
UPSC has asked 69 questions on Atmosphere & Climatology in GS Paper 1 Prelims between 1995 and 2025. This sub-topic falls under Geography.
In which years has UPSC asked about Atmosphere & Climatology?▼
Questions on Atmosphere & Climatology have appeared in UPSC Prelims in the following years: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995. The topic has appeared in 28 out of 31 years.
What is the difficulty level of Atmosphere & Climatology questions in UPSC Prelims?▼
Among 69 questions on Atmosphere & Climatology: 20 are easy, 48 are moderate, and 1 are difficult. Most questions test conceptual understanding of the topic.
