Monsoons

Question 1

What is the annual average rainfall in Cherrapunji?

Answer 1

10m
- 10* the amount in W Scotland
- results in topsoil being easily washed away by overland flow

Question 2

How do people get around in Cherrapunji?

Answer 2

• create natural bridges made out of living rubber tree roots
  
  • get stronger as they get older
  • conventional bridges would rust due to intense rainfall

Question 3

How do monsoons occur in the Indian subcontinent?

Answer 3

• sun heats land and ocean
  
  • temperature of land is higher as it is more easily heated
  • high temperatures reduces density of surface air
  • thus low pressure zone created
  • moist ocean air is sucked onto land
  • results in rainfall

Question 4

Why do monsoons occur in the summer?

Answer 4

• heat is required to allow land to heat up to heat water
  
  • means monsoon last 3 months a year

Question 5

Why did the British shut down step wells?

Answer 5

• concerns about people bathing in drinking water

Question 6

What was the problem with the British bringing in piped water to replace step wells?

Answer 6

• built canals to transport water
  
  • water was usually stagnant
  • meant that mosquitos could breed
    
    • spread malaria

Question 7

How are communities adaption to climate change?

Answer 7

• climate change is causing the monsoon to be more unreliable (timing is increasingly variable0
• people are restoring step wells
• extracting groundwater
  
  • India is now the largest user of groundwater in the world