List of top Atmospheric and Ocean Science Questions asked in GATE XE

The zonal gradient of meridional current and the meridional gradient of zonal current is \( -0.3 \times 10^{-3} \, {s}^{-1} \) and \( 0.3 \times 10^{-3} \, {s}^{-1} \), respectively, at a location P (87°E, 15°N). Which one of the following best explains the nature of the flow?

The vertical (depth) profiles for three parameters P1, P2, and P3 in the northern Indian Ocean are given in the figure below. The values along the x-axis are the normalized values of the parameters and y-axis is the depth (m). 

Identify the parameters P1, P2, and P3 from the options given below.
 

The sea surface height concentric isolines (L1 and L2 in cm) and the distance between them (dx in km) for three different eddies at the same latitude are given in the figure below. (The figures are not to scale.) 

Which one of the following orders is correct about the magnitudes of the geostrophic currents within the isolines? 
 

Which of the following Period(s) correspond(s) to wind waves?
The solar constant for the Earth is 1368 W m\(^{-2}\). Consider the planet Jupiter whose mass is 320 times that of the Earth and distance from the Sun is 5.2 times that of the Earth. The solar constant for Jupiter is .......... W m\(^{-2}\). (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume the inverse square law for the solar radiation.]
One kg of dry air at 15°C is isothermally compressed to one tenth of its initial volume. The work done on the system is .......... kJ. (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume that the gas constant for dry air is \(287 \times 10^5 \, {J K}^{-1} \, {kg}^{-1}\).]
In hot weather, a human body cools by the evaporation of sweat from its skin. The amount of water that must evaporate to cool the body by 1°C is .........% of the body mass. (Round off to two decimal places.) [Assume that latent heat of vaporization of water is \(2.25 \times 10^6 \, {J kg}^{-1}\) and specific heat capacities of both human body and liquid water are \(4.2 \times 10^3 \, {J K}^{-1} \, {kg}^{-1}\).]
A floating hot air balloon with volume 1000 m³ and gross mass (excluding the air in the balloon) 100 kg is in hydrostatic balance where the external air temperature is 10°C and density is 1 kg m³. The temperature of the air inside the balloon is ......... °C. (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume that the gas constant for dry air is 287 J K\(^{-1}\) kg\(^{-1}\).]
A column of air mass extending from surface to a height of 10 km moving eastward along 30°N strikes a north-south oriented mountain range. While crossing the mountain range, the air mass acquires a relative vorticity of \( -3.65 \times 10^{-5} \, {s}^{-1} \) at the top. If the air mass maintains the same latitude and conserves potential vorticity, the height of the mountain range is ........ km. (Round off to the nearest integer.) [Assume the angular velocity of the Earth is \( 7.3 \times 10^{-5} \, {s}^{-1} \) and initial relative vorticity is zero.]
The sensible heat (SH) flux at the locations P and Q are SH\(_P\) and SH\(_Q\), respectively. The value of \( \frac{SH_P}{SH_Q} \) is .......... (in integer).
Which one of the following is the main cause of the land-sea temperature contrast that drives phenomena like sea breeze and the Indian summer monsoon?
The time period of the inertial oscillation at a location R is 1.5 times that of a particle moving at a speed of 0.5 m/s at a location S (87°E, 45°S). Which of the following is the latitude of location R? (Round off to the nearest integer)
Accumulated rainfall is often measured in mm. If the density of rain water is 1000 kg/m\(^3\) then, one mm of rain is equal to ......... kg/m\(^2\) of rain. (in integer).
Acceleration due to Coriolis force of a water parcel at a location P (67°E, 20°N) moving with a speed of 0.35 m/s is .......... \(\times 10^{-5}\) m/s\(^2\). (Round off to two decimal places)
[Assume the angular velocity of the Earth is \(7.3 \times 10^{-5}\) s\(^{-1}\))]
A rotating weather system has a tangential velocity of 100 m/s, diameter of 1 km, and located at a latitude where the Coriolis parameter is \( 10^{-4} \, {s}^{-1} \). Which one of the following statements is true about this weather system?
The directions of the South Pacific Subtropical Gyre and the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre are ........... and .........., respectively.
At which of the following locations in the atmosphere is the anvil of a towering cumulonimbus cloud usually located?
Which one of the following is the main reason why tropical cyclones rarely form over the Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon season?
During which of the following times of the day is the 2 m air temperature usually the lowest at a tropical location?

Match the following physical phenomena from the perspective of monsoonal circulation: 

Column-1PhenomenonColumn-2Region
a)Reversal of East–West temperature gradient with seasonsiOver the tropics
b)Reversal of North–South temperature gradient with seasonsiiIndian Ocean
c)Surface cooling and deepening of mixed layeriiiOver mid-latitudes
d)Northward movement of south equatorial currentivArabian Sea
A parcel of dry air having an initial temperature of 30 °C at 1000 hPa level is lifted adiabatically. At what pressure (in hPa) its density reduces by half? (Take $C_p/C_v = 0.71$, rounded off to two decimal places).
When a parcel of dry air rises at a rate of 2 cm s$^{-1}$ vertically, what should be the rate of heating per unit mass in J s$^{-1}$ kg$^{-1}$ (due to radiation, conduction, etc.) in order to maintain the air parcel at a constant temperature? (Consider $g = 9.8 \, \text{m/s}^2$, rounded off to three decimal places).
If the global albedo is increased from 0.3 to 0.4, the global radiative equilibrium temperature (in K) would decrease by .......... (rounded off to one decimal place). (Consider no greenhouse effect, solar constant = 1360 W/m$^2$, Stefan–Boltzmann constant = $5.67 \times 10^{-8}$ W m$^{-2}$ K$^{-4}$).
Considering a gyre system (shown in the figure) where ‘L’ and ‘H’ represent low- and high-pressure regions along 45°N, the average slope between points ‘A’ and ‘B’ is 2.1 cm km$^{-1}$ under no-wind condition. For a steady southerly wind of 10 m s$^{-1}$ over these regions, find out the magnitude of the current velocity in m s$^{-1}$ (rounded off to two decimal places).
Two balls each of 5 cm in diameter are placed 200 m apart on a horizontal frictionless plane at 45° N. The balls are impulsively propelled directly at each other with equal speeds. What must be the speed in m/s so that the two balls just miss each other? (Take $\Omega = 7.29 \times 10^{-5} \, \text{rad/s}$, rounded off to two decimal places).