Prelims 2024 · Q4
EasyWhich of the following is/are correct inference/inferences from isothermal maps in the month of January?
- 1.The isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent.
- 2.The presence of cold ocean currents, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift make the North Atlantic Ocean colder and the isotherms bend towards the north.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
In the northern winter the oceans stay warmer than the land, so January isotherms bulge north over the oceans and dip south over the continents. Statement 2 fails because the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are warm currents that make the North Atlantic warmer, not colder.
- ✓ 1. In January the isotherms swing northward over the oceans and southward over the land masses, most clearly over the North Atlantic and Europe.
- ✗ 2. The Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are warm currents. They make the North Atlantic warmer, which is why the isotherms bend north there.
Remember · January isotherms: bend poleward over oceans, equatorward over continents. Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are warm currents.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Ch 8 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Chapter 8 “In January the isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent. This can be seen on the North Atlantic Ocean. The presence of warm ocean currents, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic drift, make the Northern Atlantic Ocean warmer and the isotherms bend towards the north.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·