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Q104 (CDS-I/2005) Geography › World Physical Geography › Atmospheric pressure winds Answer Verified

Assertion (A) : Higher pressure occurs at lower latitudes as compared to higher latitudes. Reason (R) : The region of lower latitudes receive more heat from solar radiation as compared to the regions of higher latitudes.

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: D

Explanation

Assertion (A) is false because pressure does not linearly decrease from lower to higher latitudes. Instead, the Earth features alternating pressure belts. The lowest pressure is found at the equator (0 – 5 latitude), known as the Equatorial Low, while higher pressure is found at the poles (90 latitude) [c1][c3]. Additionally, the Subtropical Highs at 30 latitude have higher pressure than the Subpolar Lows at 60 latitude [c2][t2]. Reason (R) is true as the amount of solar radiation (insolation) is significantly higher at lower latitudes (tropics) compared to higher latitudes (poles) due to the angle of incidence [t3][t7]. However, because higher heat typically leads to lower pressure (thermal expansion), the higher heat at lower latitudes actually explains why the equator has low pressure, directly contradicting the assertion [c4][t6].

Sources

  1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > 23.3. Horizontal Distribution of Pressure > p. 311
  2. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems > World Distribution of Sea Level Pressure > p. 77
  3. [3] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 14: Climate > Pressure and Planetary Winds > p. 139
  4. [4] https://cuet.iitk.ac.in/sathee-cuet/student-corner/ncert-books/class-11/geography/fundamental-of-physical-geography/chapter-08-solar-radiation-heat-balance-and-temperature/
  5. [5] https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/kegy208.pdf
  6. [6] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > Formation > p. 312
  7. [7] https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/geop14/chapter/pressure-belts-and-their-seasonal-variations/
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

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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.

CDS-II · 2008 · Q41 Relevance score: 1.63

Assertion (A): The Equatorial regions bulge outwards by about 21 kilometre compared to Poles.

Reason (R): Earth’s slow rotation reduces the effect of gravity around the Equator.