Climatology: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Geography)
1 previous year UPSC Prelims question on Climatology (Geography). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–1 of 1 question
UPSC 2019Geography · Climatology
Q1. Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?
Explanation
Dew formation occurs when the Earth’s surface cools down sufficiently at night, causing moisture in the air to con-dense into water droplets on cool surfaces. On clear nights, the Earth’s surface loses heat rapidly through a process called radia-tive cooling. This cooling lowers the temperature of surfaces like grass or leaves, leading to the formation of dew as the air reaches its dew point.
Option (b) is correct: On cloudy nights, the situation changes. Clouds act like a blanket, reflecting back the infrared radiation (heat) emitted by the Earth’s surface. This process is known as the greenhouse effect at a smaller scale. Because the heat is trapped, the Earth’s surface doesn’t cool enough for dew to form.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2019
(b) Clouds reflect back the Earth’s radiation.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Climatology?
This page covers 1 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Climatology (Geography), asked from 1996 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Climatology?
Questions on Climatology (Geography) are available for 24 years, from 1996 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
