UPSC Prelims 2024·GS1·geography·climatology

Which 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 :

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. A1 onlyCorrect
  2. B2 only
  3. CBoth 1 and 2
  4. DNeither 1 nor 2

Explanation

1. **Statement 1 is correct.** In January, it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Landmasses cool down more rapidly and to a greater extent than oceans. Therefore, isotherms (lines connecting points of equal temperature) tend to bend equatorward (southward) over continents, indicating colder temperatures, and poleward (northward) over oceans, indicating relatively warmer temperatures. So, they deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent. 2. **Statement 2 is incorrect.** The presence of the warm **Gulf Stream** and **North Atlantic Drift** makes the North Atlantic Ocean significantly *warmer* than comparable latitudes on land, especially in winter. This warming effect causes the isotherms to bend *poleward* (northward) over this region, not make the ocean colder. Cold ocean currents (like the Labrador Current) would make an area colder, but the primary influence here is the warm currents mentioned, which lead to a northward bending of isotherms due to higher temperatures. The statement incorrectly attributes a cooling effect to warm currents and misrepresents the bending direction under such conditions.
geography: Which of the following is/are correct inference/inferences from isothermal maps in the month of January? 1. The isotherm
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