Previous Year Question
Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The interior part of Australia is desert and semi-desert.
Reason (R): Northern Australia is situated in the temperate zone.
Select the correct answer from the code given below:
Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(A) is false, but (R) is true
(A) is true, but (R) is false
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
A very large part of Australia is arid and semi-arid. According to the Australian Government, about 70% of the country is arid or semi-arid. Particularly, the central and western interior receives very low rainfall and contains extensive desert regions such as the Great Victoria, Great Sandy, Gibson and Simpson deserts.
Several factors together account for the dryness of Australia's interior. A large part of it lies under the influence of the subtropical high-pressure belt around 30°S, where descending air suppresses cloud formation and rainfall. In addition, the continental interior is far from major maritime moisture sources. The eastern highlands also restrict the penetration of moist Pacific air into parts of the interior. As a result, desert and semi-desert conditions are widespread across central and western Australia.
Reason (R) is false because Northern Australia is not situated in the temperate zone; much of it lies in the tropical zone. Tropical monsoon conditions occur here, with distinct wet and dry seasons. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology also describes northern Australia as the tropical north, where monsoonal rainfall provides a major share of annual precipitation.