Daily Quiz #5 UPSC Prelims Marathon – July 5, 2019

Explanation: The five major lines of latitude, more commonly referred to as the five major circles of latitude, mark specific points on a globe or map of Earth. Four of the lines run parallel to the equator and sit north or south above or below the equator.
•The Arctic Circle is located at approximately 66.5 degrees north latitude, or 66.5 degrees north of the equator. This circle of latitude stretches through eight countries, including the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
•The Antarctic Circle is located at approximately 66.5 degrees south Latitude, or 66.5 degrees south of the equator. This line, or circle, of latitude marks the start of the southern area known as the Antarctic. The circle consists of only one continent, Antarctica.
•The Equator or great circle is possibly the most well-known circle of latitude is the line sitting at zero degrees latitude, the equator. The equator circles the globe with a circumference of nearly 25,000 miles, dividing the northern and the southern hemispheres. This line of latitude is the starting point when referring to other points of the globe in terms of degrees north and degrees south.

•The Tropic of Cancer is located at approximately 23.5 degrees north latitude, or 23.5 degrees north of the Equator. This line of latitude is the northern boundary of the area referred to as the tropics. During the summer solstice the sun is located immediately above the Tropic of Cancer. This line is the point farthest to the north at which the sun is hanging directly upward at noon.
•The Tropic of Capricorn is located at approximately 23.5 degrees south Latitude, or 23.5 degrees south of the equator. This line of latitude is the southern boundary of the area referred to as the tropics. This line marks the point farthest to the south at which the sun is hanging directly upward at noon. During the summer solstice of the Southern Hemisphere, the sun is located immediately above the Tropic of Capricorn.

Explanation:
•Dawn occurs before sunrise, before the top of the Sun reaches the horizon. It occurs when the sun is 6° below the horizon and there is enough light for activities to take place without artificial lighting. Twilight is the name given to the period between dawn and sunrise, or between sunset and dusk, when light is still visible in the sky due to sunlight scattering off the atmosphere.
•At the summer solstice, the Sun travels the longest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the most daylight. When the summer solstice happens in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted about 23.4° (23°27´) toward the Sun. Because the Sun’s rays are shifted northward from the Equator by the same amount, the vertical noon rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer (23°27´ N).

•When the winter solstice happens in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole is tilted about 23.4° (23°27′) away from the Sun. Because the Sun’s rays are shifted southward from the Equator by the same amount, the vertical noon rays are directly overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn (23°27′ S).
•The Earth is closest to the Sun, or at the perihelion, about 2 weeks after the December Solstice, when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Conversely, the Earth is farthest away from the Sun, at the aphelion point, 2 weeks after the June Solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is enjoying warm summer months.
•Each of the five main latitude regions of the earth’s surface is said to be a geographical zone, divided by the major circles of latitude. The differences between them relate to climate, and the behavior of the sun. They are as follows:
The North Frigid Zone, north of the Arctic Circle
The North Temperate Zone, between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer
The Torrid Zone, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
The South Temperate Zone, between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle
The South Frigid Zone, south of the Antarctic Circle
•In the Torrid Zone, also known as the Tropics, the sun is directly overhead at least once during the year—at the edges of the tropics this occurs at the summer solstice, and over the equator, at the equinoxes.
•In the two Temperate Zones, the sun is never directly overhead, and the climate is mild, generally ranging from warm to cool. The four annual seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter occur in these areas.
•The two Frigid Zones, or polar regions, experience the midnight sun and the polar night for part of the year—the edge of the zone experiences one day at the solstice when the sun doesn’t rise or set for 24 hours, while in the center of the zone (the pole), the day is literally one year long, with six months of daylight and six months of night.

Explanation: Ocean current, stream made up of horizontal and vertical components of the circulation system of ocean waters that is produced by gravity, wind friction, and water density variation in different parts of the ocean. Ocean currents are similar to winds in the atmosphere in that they transfer significant amounts of heat from Earth’s equatorial areas to the poles and thus play important roles in determining the climates of coastal regions.
Oceanic currents are found all over the globe and vary in size, importance, and strength. Some of the more prominent currents include the California, Humboldt, Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents in the Pacific, the Gulf Stream, Labrador and Cannaries Current in the Atlantic, and the Indian Monsoon Current in the Indian Ocean.

Explanation: Cyclone, any large system of winds that circulates about a centre of low atmospheric pressure in a counterclockwise direction north of the Equator and in a clockwise direction to the south. Cyclonic winds move across nearly all regions of the Earth except the equatorial belt and are generally associated with rain or snow. Also occurring in much the same areas are anticyclones, wind systems that rotate about a high-pressure centre. Anticyclones are so called because they have a flow opposite to that of cyclones—i.e., an outward-spiralling motion, with the winds rotating clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern. These winds are usually not as strong as the cyclonic variety and commonly produce no precipitation.

Explanation: The climate is known for warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters. Winter temperatures are usually between 30 and 65 degrees. Summer months all average above 50 degrees. The warmest month averages about 72 degrees. The cause of this climate is directly related to large bodies of water such as the Mediterranean Sea and ocean currents. During the summer, cold currents keep the climate mild and dry. Ocean currents shift as the seasons change. During the winter the water that was warmed up all summer moves in and keeps the land warm and often brings rain. Plants in Mediterranean climate must be able to survive long dry summers. Evergreens such as Pine and Cypress trees are mixed with deciduous trees such as some Oaks. Fruit trees and vines such as grapes, figs, olives, and citrus fruits grow well here. Other plants include what are called “scrub”, which include small shrubs, grasses, and herbs.