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Topic Terrestrial radiation
Asked 5 times across 3 UPSC exams over 23 years (2001–2024), peaking in 2019.
Key insights
- Most tested in CSE — 3 of 5 PYQs
- Most asked in 2019
- Recurs across 5 years (2001–2024)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 2001 → NDA 2021 → GEO 2022
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.
CSE2024
Consider the following statements
Statement IThe atmosphere is heated more by incoming solar radiation than by terrestrial radiation
Statement IICarbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are good absorbers of long wave radiation
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?
- A Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
- B Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
- C Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
- D Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct ✓
✓ Correct answer: (D)
Geography › Climatology
GEO2022
The incident solar radiation is trapped by constituents of the atmosphere and reflect it partly towards the Earth as
- A microwaves
- B thermal infrared rays ✓
- C ultraviolet rays
- D shortwave radiation
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Geography › Climatology
NDA2021
The Earth's atmosphere is mainly heated by which one of the following ?
- A Short wave solar radiation
- B Reflected solar radiation
- C Long wave terrestrial radiation ✓
- D Scattered solar radiation
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Geography › Climatology
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