In the context of cyclones, which of the following assertions is/are ...
- India's coast is extremely vulnerable to cyclones. With a coastline of 7517 km, the country is exposed to nearly 10 percent of the world's tropical cyclones.
- Although cyclones affect the entire coast of India, the eastern coast is significantly more prone to cyclones as compared to the western coast.
- The East coast of India faces the Bay of Bengal while the west coast of India is situated on the shores of Arabian Sea.
- It is called a ‘hurricane’ in the American continent. In the Philippines and Japan it is called a 'typhoon'
In the context of cyclones, which of the following assertions is/are ...
Explanation:
Assertion 1: The western coast of India is more sensitive than the eastern coast in both strength and frequency of cyclones.
The assertion is incorrect. The eastern coast of India is more prone to cyclones compared to the western coast. This is because the Bay of Bengal, which lies on the eastern coast, is warmer and experiences higher sea surface temperatures. These warm waters provide favorable conditions for the formation and intensification of cyclones. The frequency of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal is higher compared to the Arabian Sea, which lies along the western coast of India.
Assertion 2: It is called a ‘hurricane’ in the American continent. In the Philippines and Japan, it is called a 'typhoon'.
The assertion is correct. The terms used to refer to tropical cyclones vary depending on the region. In the American continent, including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, tropical cyclones are referred to as hurricanes. In the Philippines and Japan, they are known as typhoons. These terms are used interchangeably to describe the same weather phenomenon, which is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 74 miles per hour (119 kilometers per hour) or higher.
Conclusion:
Based on the explanations provided above, option B, which states that only assertion 2 is correct, is the correct answer. The western coast of India is not more sensitive to cyclones compared to the eastern coast, and tropical cyclones are referred to as hurricanes in the American continent and typhoons in the Philippines and Japan.