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Q93 (IAS/2007) Geography › World Physical Geography › Atmospheric pressure winds Answer Verified

Consider the following statements: 1. Either of the two belts over the oceans at about 30’ to 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?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: the name “horse latitudes” is applied to the subtropical belts around about 30°–35° north and south, historically noted for calm conditions that hampered sailing and led to the name when horses were sometimes jettisoned [1]. Statement 2 is incorrect: these latitudes correspond to the subtropical high‑pressure belts (subtropical highs), not low‑pressure zones; global pressure distributions explicitly mark high pressure near 30° N and 30° S as the subtropical highs associated with calm, clear conditions termed the horse latitudes [2]. These regions result from subsiding air and divergence between the trade winds and westerlies, producing light winds and little precipitation.

Sources

  1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 23: Pressure Systems and Wind System > Horse Latitudes > p. 312
  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
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