Home / Topic / Lapse rate
Topic Lapse rate
Asked 5 times across 4 UPSC exams over 14 years (2012–2026), peaking in 2024.
Key insights
- Most tested in NDA — 2 of 5 PYQs
- Most asked in 2024
- Recurs across 4 years (2012–2026)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 2012 → CAPF 2022 → NDA 2024 → GEO 2024
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (4 of 5) are since 2016.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
NDA2026
Consider the following statements about temperature inversion
- This happens when normal lapse rate gets inverted
- Winter nights with cloudy skies are conducive for temperature inversion
- Polar areas experience inversion throughout the year
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- A I and II only
- B II and III only
- C I and III only ✓
- D I, II and III
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Geography › Climatology
NDA2024
Which of the following statements regarding air temperature is/are correct?
- Air temperature is measured at a standard height of 1.2 m (4.0 feet) above the ground surface
- The average rate of temperature decrease with height is termed as the environmental temperature lapse rate. Select the answer
using the code given below:
- A 1 only
- B 2 only
- C Both 1 and 2 ✓
- D Neither 1 nor 2
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Geography › Climatology
GEO2024
Consider the following combinations of lapse rate in relation to atmospheric region
- Troposphere : Negative lapse rate
- Stratosphere : Negative lapse rate
- Mesosphere : Negative lapse rate
- Thermosphere : Positive lapse rate
How many of the combinations given above is/are correct ?
- A 1 ✓
- B 2
- C 3
- D 4
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Geography › Climatology
Study how UPSC repeats — not just the papers
₹199 / 1 year · Founding Member
Full access unlocks the three things no PYQ PDF gives you:
① Cross-exam learning — see the same idea recur across CSE, CAPF, CDS and NDA.
② Topic evolution — how each idea is framed, year by year.
③ Question intelligence — every PYQ + answer, linked to related concepts and similar questions.
e.g. Round Table Conference: CDS 2017 → CSE 2017 → … → CAPF 2024
15 days free, no card required — then ₹199 for 1 year.
Start your 15-day free trial →