Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q113 (IAS/2003) Geography › World Physical Geography › World climatic regions Answer Verified

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.

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: A
Explanation

Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and R correctly explains A. The equatorial belt receives rainfall throughout the year — there is no distinct dry season and precipitation is evenly distributed in equatorial regions, as noted for the equatorial climate (Af) where rainfall occurs in all months [1]. The dominant mechanism is intense daytime heating and very high humidity that produce vigorous convection and frequent cumulonimbus development, yielding heavy, often afternoon, thunderstorms and an annual precipitation surplus [2]. This persistent convective activity is reinforced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) convergence of moist trade winds, which sustains year‑round uplift and rainfall near the equator, explaining the continual precipitation within about 5°–8° latitudes.

Sources

  1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 10: Water in the Atmosphere > World Distribution of Rainfall > p. 89
  2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Precipitation > p. 425
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
63%
got it right
✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

IAS · 1996 · Q42 Relevance score: 5.98

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 ?

CDS-I · 2006 · Q52 Relevance score: 3.08

Assertion (A): The salinity of oceans is relatively higher near the equator than at other regions. Reason (R): Equator region has heavy rainfall, high relative humidity and calm air.

IAS · 2002 · Q146 Relevance score: 2.31

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.

CDS-I · 2005 · Q104 Relevance score: 2.06

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.

CDS-I · 2006 · Q51 Relevance score: 1.26

Assertion (A): The amount of dust particles is less in subtropical and temperate areas than in equatorial area. Reason (R): The atmosphere is dry and windy in the subtropical and temperate areas.