UPSC 2024 Geography PYQ Solved

Equatorial climate also has low temperature range and year-round precipitation, making (a) very tempting. However, equatorial rainfall is typically higher (over 200cm, often 250+ cm) and the description says 50-250 cm which better fits Marine West Coast. Also, 'low daily range' specifically characterizes oceanic/marine climates. Humid subtropical has seasonal variation.

The atmosphere is actually heated MORE by terrestrial radiation (longwave) than by incoming solar radiation (shortwave). Solar radiation mostly passes through the atmosphere and heats the Earth's surface, which then re-radiates longwave radiation absorbed by greenhouse gases. Statement-I reverses this crucial mechanism. Students who don't understand the greenhouse mechanism may think the sun directly heats the atmosphere.

Students commonly know about pyroclastic debris, ash, dust, and sulphur compounds (SO2) from volcanoes. The trap is nitrogen compounds — students may doubt whether volcanoes emit nitrogen compounds. However, volcanoes do emit nitrogen (N2), nitrogen oxides, and ammonia. All four are valid volcanic products.

Statement 2 mislabels the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift as 'cold' ocean currents — they are actually WARM currents. Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift make the North Atlantic warmer, not colder. This factual error makes statement 2 entirely incorrect. Students who correctly identify these as warm currents can spot the trap.

The question asks about the sequence from West to East DOWNSTREAM of Prayagraj. Gomati joins at Varanasi area, Ghaghara joins near Chapra, then Kosi and Gandak join further east. Students often confuse the order of Ghaghara and Gomati, and the order of Kosi and Gandak. Most students assume Gandak comes before Kosi as they flow west to east.

Students often think Finland and Russia don't border the North Sea. Finland borders the Baltic Sea primarily, but has no direct North Sea coastline. Russia also borders the Baltic, not the North Sea. This makes the answer controversial. However, if 'border' is interpreted broadly (e.g., through connecting seas or Russia's Kaliningrad/Arctic access), the answer could vary. Germany and Norway clearly border the North Sea.

Each row has one subtle error. Dhuandhar Falls is on the Narmada but is in the Jabalpur region (not Malwa). Hundru Falls is in Chota Nagpur but is on the river Subarnarekha — actually it's on a different river. Gersoppa (Jog Falls) is in Western Ghats but is on the Sharavati river, NOT Netravati. Students may correctly recall one pairing and assume others are also correct.

Row 1: Vosges is in Europe (France), NOT Central Asia — also it's a block mountain, not fold. Row 2: Alps are fold mountains, NOT block mountains. Students who know Alps are the classic fold mountain example can spot this reversal. Rows 3 and 4 are correct — Appalachians are old fold mountains, Andes are young fold mountains.

Students might pick (b) thinking coups don't explain instability — or that instability causes coups rather than vice versa. However, the question asks if Statement-II explains Statement-I, and military coups both result from and cause further instability. The Sahel coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad are directly linked to the security crisis.

Students might doubt Statement-I (thinking SUMED carries only oil, not natural gas) or might pick (b) thinking the geographic connection doesn't explain the strategic importance. However, both statements are correct, and the Red Sea-Mediterranean connection directly explains why it's strategic for Persian Gulf oil going to Europe (bypassing/supplementing the Suez Canal).

Statement 2 uses an absolute — 'No water enters the Red Sea from rivers.' This might make students skeptical because absolute statements are often wrong. However, the Red Sea truly has no significant permanent river inflow — it's surrounded by desert (Arabian and Sahara). Some seasonal wadis may flow briefly, but no rivers permanently feed it. The absolute statement is actually correct here.