NTA UGC NET/JRF Re-Exam, June, 2024 Geography

The highest frequency of tornadoes in the USA occurs from April to June. Tornadoes are the smallest of all atmospheric storms in terms of size (extent), but the most devastating and intense in terms of impact. Tornadoes primarily originate in the United States and Australia. Their shape resembles a funnel or sieve, with the lower, narrower portion connected to the ground surface and the upper, wider portion connected to a cumulonimbus cloud.
Although tornadoes can develop anywhere in the world except the polar regions, the United States is the most important breeding ground for tornadoes. Tornadoes develop in the vast area south of 40° north latitude and east of the Rockies Mountains from April to September (primarily June). The Great Plains region offers the most favorable conditions for tornado formation. Here, tornadoes are formed by cold fronts. Hence option (d) is correct.

The Negro-African cultural belt designates the "frontier cultural belt." The Negro-African cultural belt extends across the entire African continent south of the Sahara Desert, where the indigenous people are Negro and Negrito. Covering approximately two-thirds of the African continent, this belt is dominated by Negro (Negro and Negrito) peoples, and its culture is essentially naturalistic and primitive. Numerous underdeveloped tribal religions are found within the Negro-African belt, representing specific forms of ethnic religions and locally prevalent.
Therefore, NegroAfrica is virtually devoid of any widespread and developed religion. Many tribal peoples remain in the stone age of human development, unable to understand natural phenomena, and resort to various forms of magic, rituals, and other forms of ritual to ward off natural disasters. In fact, there is no organized religion in sub-Saharan Africa, and the tribal religions that exist are based on superstitions about natural forces.

Currently, the share of Kharif and Rabi crops in total food grain production (including cereals and pulses) is approximately equal. According to data released by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the total production of Kharif crops in 2022-23 was 155.71 million tonnes, while the production of Rabi crops was 157.84 million tonnes. Therefore, option (a) is correct.

The statement that Humboldt first divided geography into general and special geography is incorrect because Varenius is considered the father of dualism in geography. Hettner described geography as a chorological science in which the Earth's regions and places are studied in the context of their differences and geographical relationships.
Humboldt is the founder of systematic geography, while Ritter favored regional geography. Ratzel is known as the "Father of Human Geography." In his treatise "Political Geography," he supported the organic theory of the state and considered the state an organic entity. Therefore, option (b) is correct.

The decadal growth rates of India's population in descending order are: 1991 → 2001- 19511921. The decadal growth rates of India's population and their respective years are as follows:
(Year) (Decadal growth rate in percent)
1901 → -
1911→+5.75
1921→-0.31
1931→+11.00
1941→+14.22
1951→+13.31
1961 →+21.51
1971→ +24.80
1981→+24.66
1991 →+23.87
2001→+21.54
2011→+17.70
Therefore, option (d) is correct.

Geometric shapes that form raster cells and completely cover a flat surface are called tessellations. Raster data represents data graphically in the form of a grid of squares. A raster file represents this image by subdividing the surface into small rectangles called cells. The relationship between the size and number of cells is expressed as the resolution of the raster. Raster file formats are commonly used in aerial photographs, satellite imagery, and bankdrop maps to reduce cost. Key features of raster models include a simple data structure, compatibility with remote sensing images, efficient representation of high spatial variability, and ease of programming.

The local units pana, para, pali, nagla, and dhanni belong to the rural settlement. The type of settlement is determined by the extent of the built-up area and the distance between settlements. In India, compact or clustered villages with a few hundred households are a universal feature, especially in the northern plains. Broadly, rural settlements in India can be classified into four types:
1. Clustered, congested, or concentrated
2. Semi-clustered or fragmented
3. Parish-like
4. Dispersed or isolated
Hommon settlements or parish settlements - Sometimes, a settlement is divided into several units physically separate from each other, but they all share the same name. These units are locally called panna, para, pali, nagla, dhanni, etc. in different parts of the country. Such fragmentation of a large village is often motivated by social and ethnic factors. Such villages are found in abundance in the middle and lower Gangetic plains, Chhattisgarh, and the lower Himalayan valleys. Therefore, option (c) is correct.

The book "Geography of Peace" laid the foundation for the Rimland concept. Spykman's famous book, "The Geography of Peace," was published in 1944. It explained the concept of the Rimland or Peripheral Zone. Spykman termed the inner or marginal semi-circular belt, located outside the pivot zone, as the Rimland, which existed partly as land and partly as maritime belts. Spykman's Rimland encompassed almost all of continental Europe west of the Baltic and Black Sea isthmuses, the mountainous southwestern and southeastern regions of Asia, and China. Therefore, option (b) is correct.

Landsat's band-5 spectral band is not typically used for color imaging. United States Landsat Program Following the successful testing of manned space flights and early weather satellites, NASA embarked on an ambitious space program in 1967. This program planned to launch six sun-synchronous "Earth Resources Technology Satellites."
According to this plan, these satellites were named ERTS-A, -B, -C, -D,-E, -F before launch and ERTS-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, and -6 respectively after their successful launch into space. They were launched, in 1972. NASA renamed the ERTS program the "Landsat Program." Therefore, all satellites in the ERTS şeries are now called Landsat. A total of six satellites in the Landsat series had been launched by 1993. Therefore, option (d) is correct.

The 'E' layer of the ionosphere is also known as the Kenley-Heaviside layer. Generally, four thermal spheres are found with increasing altitude in the atmosphere: (i) the transition sphere (ii) the stratosphere (iii) the mesosphere (iv) the thermosphere. Based on differences in characteristics, the thermosphere is divided into two sub-sphere: (i) the ionosphere (ii) the volume sphere.
Ionosphere: The ionosphere is found in the atmosphere between 80 and 640 km above sea level. Several layers have been identified with increasing altitude in this layer: D, E, F, and G layers.
D-layer: Reflects low-frequency radio waves.
E-layer: Also known as the Kenley-Heaviside layer, it reflects medium- and high-frequency radio waves and sends them back to Earth.
F-layer - This layer reflects back medium and high frequency radio waves.
G-layer - It is likely present both day and night, but it is not possible to detect it.