Question.
Why does India have a monsoon type of climate?
( Chapter - 4 Climate, Cass 9 NCERT Contemporary India -I )
Answer.
The monsoon-type climate is characterized by the influence of monsoon winds. The word monsoon is derived from "Mausim" which is an Arabic word that refers to the change of wind direction in a year.
In general, tropical regions between 20°N and 20°S latitude experience monsoon winds due to the apparent motion of the Sun between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S).
Apart from India, monsoon-type climates are found in both the hemispheres between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S).
Monsoon type of climate is found in India due to the following reasons:
Monsoon type of climate is widely found in India due to the wide distribution of monsoon winds in the Indian subcontinent due to the unique location of India.
Due to the intense heat of the north-western plains and the Tibetan Plateau during summer, low atmospheric pressure is created here which attracts the trade winds from the south of the equator. Monsoon winds enter India from the southwest direction due to the Coriolis force as they deflect the winds in the northern hemisphere to the right.
The movement of the subtropical westerly jet stream from the south of the Himalayas to the north of the Himalayas helps the monsoon winds reach closer to the Himalayas.
During the monsoon season, the presence of the subtropical easterly jet stream over the peninsular plateau helps in the distribution of monsoon rainfall across India.
The Great Himalayas in the north prevents cold and dry winds from entering the Indian subcontinent.
So we can say that India's climate is monsoon type due to the specific location of India and the presence of monsoon winds.
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