Q.1 What is the primary factor that determines atmospheric pressure at a location?
Temperature of the air
Humidity
Altitude
Wind speed
Explanation - Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude because there is less air above exerting weight.
Correct answer is: Altitude
Q.2 Which of the following clouds is most commonly associated with thunderstorms?
Cirrus
Cumulonimbus
Stratus
Altostratus
Explanation - Cumulonimbus clouds are large, towering clouds that can produce thunderstorms, heavy rain, and sometimes tornadoes.
Correct answer is: Cumulonimbus
Q.3 The Coriolis effect causes moving air to deflect due to:
Earth’s rotation
Gravity
Sun’s radiation
Atmospheric pressure
Explanation - The Coriolis effect is the apparent deflection of moving objects, like wind, due to the rotation of the Earth.
Correct answer is: Earth’s rotation
Q.4 What instrument is used to measure wind speed?
Barometer
Hygrometer
Anemometer
Thermometer
Explanation - An anemometer is designed specifically to measure the speed and sometimes the direction of the wind.
Correct answer is: Anemometer
Q.5 Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere
Explanation - The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere and protects life on Earth by absorbing most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Correct answer is: Stratosphere
Q.6 A sudden, short-lived local wind that blows from the sea to the land during the day is called:
Land breeze
Sea breeze
Monsoon wind
Jet stream
Explanation - During the day, land heats faster than the sea, causing air to rise over land and cooler air from the sea to flow in, creating a sea breeze.
Correct answer is: Sea breeze
Q.7 Which of the following is a primary greenhouse gas?
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Carbon dioxide
Argon
Explanation - Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere and is one of the main contributors to the greenhouse effect.
Correct answer is: Carbon dioxide
Q.8 What type of precipitation occurs when moist air rises and cools rapidly?
Orographic
Convective
Frontal
Drizzle
Explanation - Convective precipitation forms when warm, moist air rises rapidly, cools, condenses, and falls as rain or storms.
Correct answer is: Convective
Q.9 Which scale is used to measure the intensity of hurricanes?
Beaufort scale
Fujita scale
Saffir-Simpson scale
Richter scale
Explanation - The Saffir-Simpson scale classifies hurricanes based on their wind speed and potential damage.
Correct answer is: Saffir-Simpson scale
Q.10 The air pressure at sea level is approximately:
1013 hPa
500 hPa
200 hPa
1500 hPa
Explanation - Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is around 1013 hectopascals (hPa).
Correct answer is: 1013 hPa
Q.11 Which type of front is formed when a warm air mass overtakes a cold air mass?
Cold front
Warm front
Occluded front
Stationary front
Explanation - A warm front occurs when a warm air mass moves over a retreating cold air mass, often causing gradual precipitation.
Correct answer is: Warm front
Q.12 The term 'meteorology' is derived from Greek words meaning:
Study of stars
Study of weather
Study of air and atmosphere
Study of climate
Explanation - Meteorology comes from Greek 'meteoron' meaning 'thing high up' (in the air) and 'logia' meaning 'study of', focusing on atmospheric phenomena.
Correct answer is: Study of air and atmosphere
Q.13 Which phenomenon is responsible for the alternating high and low tides?
Earth’s rotation
Moon’s gravitational pull
Wind patterns
Sunspots
Explanation - Tides are caused mainly by the gravitational pull of the Moon and, to a lesser extent, the Sun on Earth’s oceans.
Correct answer is: Moon’s gravitational pull
Q.14 Which of the following is a characteristic of cyclones?
Diverging winds
Converging winds and low pressure
Calm weather
High atmospheric pressure
Explanation - Cyclones are regions of low pressure with winds converging and spiraling inward, often bringing storms and rainfall.
Correct answer is: Converging winds and low pressure
Q.15 Which wind system is responsible for the Indian monsoon?
Trade winds
Westerlies
Jet streams
Monsoon winds
Explanation - The seasonal reversal of monsoon winds, driven by differential heating of land and ocean, brings heavy rainfall to India.
Correct answer is: Monsoon winds
Q.16 The phenomenon where temperature increases with altitude in a specific layer of the atmosphere is called:
Temperature inversion
Lapse rate
Greenhouse effect
Adiabatic cooling
Explanation - Temperature inversion occurs when air temperature increases with height, opposite to the normal lapse rate, often trapping pollutants.
Correct answer is: Temperature inversion
Q.17 Which of the following is a primary cause of global wind patterns?
Earth’s rotation and solar heating
Humidity variations
Ocean currents
Lunar phases
Explanation - Global winds are driven by the uneven heating of Earth’s surface by the Sun and modified by the Coriolis effect from Earth’s rotation.
Correct answer is: Earth’s rotation and solar heating
Q.18 Which meteorological phenomenon is measured using a barograph?
Humidity
Atmospheric pressure
Wind speed
Temperature
Explanation - A barograph continuously records atmospheric pressure over time, unlike a barometer which shows it instantaneously.
Correct answer is: Atmospheric pressure
Q.19 Which air mass is typically warm and moist?
Continental polar
Maritime tropical
Continental tropical
Maritime polar
Explanation - Maritime tropical air masses form over warm oceans and carry warm, humid air.
Correct answer is: Maritime tropical
Q.20 What is the main cause of the formation of fog?
Rapid heating of the land
Condensation of water vapor near the ground
Strong winds
Precipitation
Explanation - Fog forms when air near the ground cools and water vapor condenses into tiny droplets suspended in the air.
Correct answer is: Condensation of water vapor near the ground
Q.21 Which of the following is true about the jet stream?
It flows from south to north
It is a high-altitude, fast-moving air current
It causes local thunderstorms
It is found in the troposphere only near the equator
Explanation - Jet streams are narrow bands of strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere, mainly in the upper troposphere.
Correct answer is: It is a high-altitude, fast-moving air current
Q.22 Which phenomenon describes a prolonged period of below-average precipitation?
Drought
Flood
Cyclone
Monsoon
Explanation - A drought is an extended period with little or no rainfall, leading to water scarcity and crop failures.
Correct answer is: Drought
Q.23 What is the approximate average composition of dry air?
78% Oxygen, 21% Nitrogen, 1% other gases
78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% other gases
50% Nitrogen, 49% Oxygen, 1% other gases
100% Nitrogen
Explanation - Dry air is mainly composed of nitrogen (~78%), oxygen (~21%), and trace gases (~1%).
Correct answer is: 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% other gases
Q.24 Which of the following best defines relative humidity?
The total amount of water vapor in the air
The ratio of water vapor present to the maximum it can hold at that temperature
The rate of rainfall per hour
The wind speed at ground level
Explanation - Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage of the current water vapor relative to the maximum possible at the same temperature.
Correct answer is: The ratio of water vapor present to the maximum it can hold at that temperature