Climate is the average weather condition of a place recorded over a long period. It depends mainly on the geographical location, but factors such as distance from the equator, proximity to the sea, altitude and topography influence climate of a given place. Places located near the equator are generally hotter than those located at higher latitudes. Places located at higher altitudes are usually cooler than the plains. Coastal areas generally have a more humid climate than places far inland.
The waves are higher near beaches than in interior parts of the sea mainly because of the shallowness of the sea near beaches. The shape of the coast and surface features of the sea bottom near the coast also decide the height of the waves. In deep seas, the water in a wave moves in large vertical circles, without actually moving forward. Near the beaches such circulation is modified by the closeness of the bottom. This leads to increase in the height of the waves. Speed and direction of the wind, and the distance over which the wind is blowing are other factors that can further affect the height of waves. A strong wind can create huge waves even in mid sea.
Rivers usually meander when they flow over the plains. On the plains, the gradient is usually low and river has no preferred direction of flow. Its course is usually determined by local irregularities in the terrain and soil condition. In such a situation when the river bends in one direction, it tends to scoop out its outer bank and deposit silt on the inner bend. After scouring one bank the water is deflected towards the opposite bank which now starts getting eroded. The process continues with the river changing direction over short distances, giving rise to the familiar meanders.
Clouds are large masses of fine water droplets or ice particles formed by condensing water vapour. In spite of their great masses, clouds float in the sky because they are held up by the up drift caused by hot air rising from the ground below. Within the clouds themselves strong currents of upward rising air keep the droplets or ice crystals in constant motion which not only helps them keep afloat but also leads to the rapid changes in shapes of clouds.
Ice skating is an act of gliding over the smooth surface of hard ice on ice skates – boots with attached metal blades. It is easy t skate on hard and smooth surface of ice because of the absence of frictional force between ice and the skating blade. Another reason is that ice melts under the pressure of the sharp blades of the skate and water thus formed acts as a lubricant which helps in skating. It is not possible to skate on snow or sand because the surface is not hard.
The peculiar smell is produced by the soil inhabiting bacteria called streptomycetes. Streptomycetes are abundant in dry warm soil – a million of them are present in a pinch of soil. They release compounds such as geosmin and 2-methyl isoborneol, which vapourize easily, when wetted by rain water after a dry spell. That is why we get the musty odour only after the first rain of the rainy season. The smell can be detected in a newly ploughed field also.
