Which of the following statements with regard to the expansion of the desert in Rajasthan is /are correct ? 1. The predominant wind direction in Rajasthan is northeast to southwest, so the tendency for desertification , has been more in that direction. 2. The Thar desert is dominantly a monsoon driven sand desert where wind erosion is a major problem during the summer months. While the Aravalli range is a major barrier in the spread of the desert, rampant mining creating cuts in the range is leading to the spread of the desert. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Statement 1 is incorrect because the predominant wind direction in Rajasthan is southwest to northeast during the summer and monsoon seasons, not northeast to southwest [t1][t2]. Consequently, the tendency for desertification and sand movement follows this southwest-to-northeast trajectory toward Haryana and Delhi. Statement 2 is correct as the Thar is a monsoon-driven sand desert where wind erosion is the primary degradation process, particularly during the high-velocity summer months [c1][c2][t8]. The Aravalli Range acts as a critical physical barrier preventing the eastward spread of the desert [t4][t10]. However, rampant illegal mining and deforestation have created gaps or 'cuts' in the range, allowing sand to drift through these breaches into the fertile plains of eastern Rajasthan and beyond [t6][t10]. This human-induced degradation compromises the range's role as a natural windbreak, facilitating desert expansion.

Sources

1. [1] https://imdpune.gov.in/library/public/Climate%20of%20Rajashtan.pdf
2. [2] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 15: Regional Development and Planning > Desertification and Desert Development Programme > p. 46
3. [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 6: Soils > Table 6.4 > p. 20
4. [4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837715003440