DGCA Meteorology: General Circulation Questions
28 exam-style General Circulation questions for the DGCA Meteorologypaper (CPL & ATPL). The first 12 are free below with answers and explanations — sign up free to practise all of them with progress tracking.
- Q1
The occurrence of large deserts near 30N and 30S are due to large scale
- Asubsidence
- Bconvection
- Cadvection
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Correct answer: A. subsidence
The subtropical high-pressure belts near 30 degrees latitude are maintained by large-scale subsidence of air in the Hadley circulation; the sinking air warms and dries, producing the great deserts of those latitudes.
- Q2
Trade winds are most prominent or strongest
- AUpper troposphere over sea
- BLower troposphere over ocean
- CLower troposphere over land
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Correct answer: B. Lower troposphere over ocean
Trade winds are steadiest and strongest in the lower troposphere over the oceans, where surface friction is small and the flow from the subtropical highs toward the equatorial trough is uninterrupted.
- Q3
Horse latitudes refer to:
- AEquatorial low-pressure belt
- BSubtropical high-pressure belts around 30°N/S
- CPolar highs
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Correct answer: B. Subtropical high-pressure belts around 30°N/S
Horse latitudes are calm, high-pressure zones at 30°N/S where air sinks.
- Q4
Trade winds are:
- AWesterlies in mid-latitudes
- BEasterly winds converging at ITCZ from subtropical highs
- CPolar easterlies
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Correct answer: B. Easterly winds converging at ITCZ from subtropical highs
Trade winds blow east from high-pressure zones to the equator’s low pressure.
- Q5
Zonal westerlies refer to:
- AEasterly trade winds
- BPrevailing westerly winds in mid-latitudes (30°-60°)
- CMonsoon flows
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Correct answer: B. Prevailing westerly winds in mid-latitudes (30°-60°)
Westerlies are strong west-to-east winds in the mid-latitudes, driven by Earth’s spin.
- Q6
A part of the sinking air over the subtropical high flows towards the equator, turning west (in the northern hemisphere) due to the Coriolis force. This surface air is called
- ATrade winds
- BRoaring forties
- CDoldrums
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Correct answer: A. Trade winds
The equatorward branch of air subsiding over the subtropical highs is deflected westward by the Coriolis force, giving the steady northeasterly (northern hemisphere) and southeasterly (southern hemisphere) trade winds.
- Q7
The low-level wind system between the subtropical high-pressure belt and the equatorial trough (ITCZ) is called:
- AWesterlies
- BTrade Winds
- CJet stream
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Correct answer: B. Trade Winds
Trade winds flow from subtropical highs to the ITCZ, blowing easterly.
- Q8
Trade winds are most prominent or strongest
- AUpper troposphere over sea
- BLower troposphere over ocean
- C Lower troposphere over land
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Correct answer: B. Lower troposphere over ocean
Trade winds are most prominent and steady in the lower troposphere over the oceans, where reduced surface friction allows the persistent flow from the subtropical highs toward the equatorial trough.
- Q9
The polewards moving air piles up in the subtropical regions and forms high pressure belt at the surface, called
- ASubtropical high
- BPolar High
- CEquatorial high
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Correct answer: A. Subtropical high
Air moving polewards aloft from the equatorial region piles up and subsides near 30 degrees latitude, forming the subtropical high pressure belt at the surface.
- Q10
______ occurs over subtropical high
- Aadvection
- Bconvection
- Csubsidence
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Correct answer: C. subsidence
Subsidence occurs over the subtropical highs: the accumulated air sinks, warms adiabatically and dries out, giving the fine, dry weather characteristic of these belts.
- Q11
The occurrence of large deserts near 30N and 30S are due to large scale
- Asubsidence
- Bconvection
- Cadvection
Show answer
Correct answer: A. subsidence
The great deserts near 30 degrees N and S owe their aridity to the large-scale subsidence of the subtropical highs, which warms and dries the air and suppresses cloud and rainfall.
- Q12
A part of the sinking air over the subtropical high flows towards the equator, turning west (in the northern hemisphere) due to the Coriolis force. This surface air is called
- ATrade winds
- BRoaring forties
- CDoldrums
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Trade winds
Air subsiding in the subtropical highs and flowing back towards the equator is deflected westward by the Coriolis force, producing the remarkably steady trade winds — north-easterly in the northern hemisphere and south-easterly in the southern hemisphere. The roaring forties are the strong mid-latitude westerlies of the southern hemisphere, and the doldrums are the equatorial calms, not this equatorward surface flow.
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