Notes

The compilation of these Population Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Population in India

Imagine a world without people. Impossible to think isn’t it? Without people, there would be no society, economy, or culture. The current population of India is at 132.42 crores (as of 2016) and is the second-highest in the world. Also, our population is what contributes to our socio-economic structure and the diverse cultural scenario.

Population Size and Distribution

The current population of India contributes to 17% of the global population. Also, all these people are unevenly distributed across 3.28 million square kilometers of our geographical area.

According to the 2001 Census, Uttar Pradesh is the highest populated state in India with a total number of 166 million people. While on the other hand, states like Sikkim and Lakshadweep have the lowest population of 0.5 million in Sikkim and only 60000 people in the island state of Lakshadweep.

Furthermore, about half of the country’s population is concentrated around five major states- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh. Though Rajasthan is the largest state in size, its population contributes to only 5.5% of the total population of India.

This uneven distribution of the population is due to the varying population density of the country. Population density = the total number of people per unit of area. Also, population density is largely dependent on geographical location and geological factors. Therefore, states like Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and other hilly terrains have a lower density of population. While the northern plains and coastal areas like Kerala, West Bengal, and Maharashtra have very high population density.

Population Growth and Processes of Population Change

Population growth is determined by the annual growth rate, which is calculated in percent per annum. Like, if there is an increase of two people per 100 people of the population, then the annual growth rate would be 2%.

Another important aspect of population study is the change in population. This is largely influenced by three main factors like birth, death, and migration of people in a given year.

• Birth rate: The number of children born per 1000 people in a year
• Death rate: The number of people died per 1000 people in a year.

What is most noteworthy here is that the birth rate in India is and has always been higher than the death rate, which is a major reason behind population growth.

The third and one of the most important factors of population change is migration. Migration can be internal (between states) and international (between countries). While internal migration does not lead to population change, it does affect the population density in the migrated areas.

Characteristics of the Population of India

Age Composition
One of the most important characteristics of the population of India, the age composition determines the country’s s social and economic structure. The total population is broadly divided into three age groups-

• Children: below 15 years
• Working-age: 15 – 59 years
• Aged (Senior): 59 years and above

Adolescent Population
This is one of the most important and influential elements of the age composition aspect of the population. Adolescents are people between the age groups of 10-19 years and in our country. Also, about one-fifth of the population comprises adolescent individuals. They are especially relevant to future growth and are the most significant part of the population of India.

Sex Ratio
The sex ratio of the population is determined by the number of females for every 1000 males. This helps in understanding the equality of males and females in society, which consequently gives an idea of the nation’s culture. India’s sex ratio has always been on the lower side, until recently. States like Kerala and the Union Territory of Pondicherry have a higher sex ratio than the major states.

Literacy Rate
This is yet another important characteristic of the population because the literacy rate of a country determines its economic structure and growth. Literacy, according to the 2001 Census, is the ability of a person of 7 years and above to read and write in any language. The census states the literacy rate of the population of India is almost 74.04% (2016).

Occupational Structure
The number of people in a population involved in different economic activities helps assess the growth of the country’s economy. The occupational structure is the distribution of the population across different occupations. This is an important element of the population of India. Also, our occupational structure has three broad categories-

• Primary occupation – agriculture, fishing, mining, animal husbandry, forestry, etc.
• Secondary occupation – manufacturing, building, construction work, etc.
• Tertiary occupation – communication, transportation, administration, etc.

Examples:

Question 1.
What do you mean by the term density of population of a country?
a. The average number of deaths per annum
b. The average number of births per annum
c. The number of people living per one square kilometer
d. None of the above
Answer:
The correct option is “c”.
Population density is a measurement of population per unit volume or unit area. It is a key geographical term. So the density of population is the number of people living in a particular space, say one kilometer or one mile. It is determined by dividing the population of an area by its land area.

Question 2.
What is the population of India according to the 2011 census?
Answer:
According to the census conducted by the government in India, the official population of all 28 states and 7 union territories in 2011 was 1.21 billion.

The compilation of these Geography Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Population

Did you know that population and geography have a close relation? That is correct, there is a branch known as Population Geography which studies the population density, distribution, composition, and growth of population with relation to geographical areas. This helps in planning and development. Let us take a look.

• Population in India

The compilation of these Physical Features of India Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Main Physical Features of India

India is a land of diversity in all manners. From culture, economy, and even the landscape of India has diverse elements, all on one landmass. The wide range of physical features of India makes the country a complete geographical study. In fact, India has every possible landscape that the earth has. From cold mountains to arid deserts, vast plains, hot and humid plateau, and wide seashores and tropical islands, the physical features of India cover every terrain.

Origin of the Indian Landscape

Millions of years ago, the Peninsular Plateau region (the oldest landmass) was a part of the Gondwana Land which covered India, Australia, South Africa, and South America. Over hundreds of years of shifting landmass and ocean currents broke this landmass into multiple pieces.

One such piece- the Indo-Australian plate started shifting northwards, where it collided with the Eurasian plate (now Europe). Consequently, this collision caused the landmass to fold and become, what we know as the Himalayas today. Thereafter, many such geological events led to the formation of each of the varied physical features of India.

Main Physical Features of India

The physical features of India can be divided into six broad categories according to their physiographic forms:

Himalayan Mountains
The northernmost landscape of the country highlights the fold mountains of the Himalayas. Though geologically young, the Himalayan Mountains are the loftiest and the most rugged of the world. Since they stretch across 2500 KM from Kashmir in the north, through Arunachal Pradesh in the North East, these mountains form an arc. This helps keep the cold arctic winds from reaching the tropical landmass.

One of the most significant of all the physical features of India, the Himalayas vary in width between 400 Km to 150 KM. Furthermore, the entire mountain belt is divided into three main sections-

• The Greater Himalayas or the Himadri, with average peaks reaching up to 6000 meters above the sea-level.
• The Lesser Himalayas with average peaks rising as high as 4000 meters
• The Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik Range
• The Eastern Hills or the Purvanchal covering North Bengal, and northernmost parts of the North-Eastern states.

Northern Plains
The three major river systems of India- Indus, Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries have fed the foothills of the Himalayas. Since these river basins had a huge amount of alluvial deposits from these glacial rivers, these regions grew fertile over hundreds of years and led to the Northern Plains. Furthermore, the Northern Plains can again be divided into three significant parts-

• The Punjab Plains – The Indus River and its tributaries lead to the formation of these vast plains, a major part of which now lies in Pakistan
• The Ganga Plains – This spreads across the states of North India, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi and West Bengal.
• The Brahmaputra Plains – This covers major parts of Assam and the other North Eastern States

Peninsular Plateau
The oldest landmass of India, the Peninsular Plateau was the result of the tectonic shifts of the Gondwana Land. This massive plateau area is further divided as-

• The Central Highlands – lying on the north of the Narmada River and covering a large part of the Malwa Plateau.
• The Deccan Plateau – a triangular landmass lying on the south of the Narmada River. The Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats border the Deccan plateau on its eastern and western sides respectively. While the Satpura mountain ranges stand in their northern part, the Western Ghats have higher elevations with a maximum height of 1600 meters. On the other hand, the Eastern Ghats reach a maximum of 600 meters in height.

Indian Desert
The undulating sandy plains covered with sand dunes on the western fringes of the Aravali Hills comprise the Indian Desert. With rainfall as low as 150 mm per annum, this region is the aridest in the country and thus, low on greenery. The states of Rajasthan and the northwestern parts of Gujarat collectively form the desert region.

Coastal Plains
Right on the outer edges of the Indian peninsula, lies the narrow strips of the coastal plains. These sea fed regions cover the shores of the Bay of Bengal in the East and the Arabian Sea on the West. The western coast along the Arabian Sea can again be divided into three sections-

• The Konkan Coast- covering coastal Maharashtra and Goa
• The Kannada Plains- covering coasts of Karnataka
• The Malabar Coast- covering Kerala

On the other hand, the Eastern coast has two broad sections-

• The Northern Circar
• The Coromandel Coast

Islands
Two groups of islands lie on the two oceans surrounding the main landmass of the subcontinent. These most likely complete the physical features of India. And, the island region is divided by the mainland as well as the seas. Thus forming two major island states-

• The Lakshadweep, which lies closer to the Malabar Coast. And, these consist of clusters of coral islands collectively named Lakshadweep.
• The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are off the Bay of Bengal and lie on the Indian Ocean. These groups of islands are larger in size than their western counterparts and have a rich biodiversity. Because the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are closer to the equator, the region also experiences an equatorial climate.

Example:

Question:
What are the important physical features of India?
Answer:
The physical features of India can be divided into six categories, depending on their geological features:

• The Himalayan Mountains
• The Northern Plains
• Indian Desert
• Peninsular Plateau
• Coastal Plains
• Islands

The compilation of these Geography Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Physical Features of India

Do you know millions of years ago all of the lands on the planet were joined to form one giant supercontinent known as Pangea? Slowly different parts of it drifted away and we have our current structure of continents. This tectonic shifting is how the Indian landscape came into being. Let’s look at some of the important physical features of India.

• Main Physical Features of India

The compilation of these Our Country – India Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

India Our Country

India is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Known as the land of rivers, India with its beauty and its diverse topography has captured the fancy of many travellers since ancient times. Let us learn more about the geography of India our country.

India Our Country

India our country is a vast land. It stretches from Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern end to the deserts of Kutchh in the west.

Spread across its vast expanse of 3.28 square kilometers, the land is surrounded by the Himalayas in the north, the Bay of Bengal in the East, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Indian Ocean on the south. With so much variation in the landscape within one landmass, India our country is most certainly, rich in diversity.

Location & Climate

India our country is located in the northern hemisphere between 8°4’N to 37°6’N latitudes and 68°7’E and 97°25’E longitudes. And, the Tropic of Cancer cuts the landmass halfway through, at 23°30’N latitude. Due to this, the country enjoys a subtropical climate. Learn about the Climate of India in detail here.

Also, the longitudinal distance of the country causes variation in time. Like, in Arunachal Pradesh, the sun rises almost two hours earlier than in the Kutch region. But, we consider the longitude of 82°30’E to set the Indian Standard Time.

Neighbours & Administration

India, our country, shares its borders with seven countries, whom we call our neighbours- Nepal, Bhutan, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. For administrative purposes, our government has divided India into 28 States and 7 Union Territories, with Delhi as the capital of the country.

Furthermore, each state also has a number of districts. Of these, Rajasthan is the largest state while Goa forms the smallest state, with respect to land area. Each of these states and territories is unique with its own culture and languages, therefore adding to the country’s diversity. India is also the second most populated country in the world, after China.

Physical Division India

India our country, is gifted with a variety of landscapes– the lofty Himalayas, the Great Indian Desert, the Northern Plains, the Deccan plateau surface, and the scenic coasts and islands. Because each of these landforms has a beauty of its own, it also adds to the physical diversity of the country. Let’s find out about each of these.

Himalayan Mountains
In the northernmost part of the country, the mighty mountain ranges of the Himalayas stand as guards. This mountain is run as three parallel ranges, namely-

• The Greater Himalayas or Himadri, which boasts the world’s and India’s highest peaks.
• The Middle Himalayas or Himachal.
• The southern Himalayas of Shivalik Ranges.

Northern Plains
Right at the foothills of the Himalayas, are the vast Northern Plains. Due to the network of the largest rivers like Ganga, Indus, and Brahmaputra, these plain regions are rich in alluvial soil, and therefore, highly fertile. This helps in the heavy cultivation of crops. As a result, the Northern Plains have the maximum concentration of population.

Great Indian Desert
Another important feature of India’s physical landscape is the Great Indian Desert. It lies on the western end of the country in the state of Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat. Due to the hot and dry climate, there is very little vegetation in this region.

Peninsular Plateau
This triangular landmass lies to the south of the Northern Plains. With a rugged and sloping landscape, the peninsula offers a number of hill ranges and valleys. The Aravalli Hills, for example, is one of the oldest ranges of the world, sits on the northwest side of the peninsula. Likewise, the Vindhya and Satpura mountains are the most noteworthy landscapes of the region, with Narmada and Tapi rivers flowing through them.

The entire Peninsular Plateau is bordered by the Western Ghats on the West and the Eastern Ghats on the east. While the Western Ghats is a continuous stretch of mountains, the Eastern Ghats are interrupted by plains. Furthermore, the entire plateau region is rich in minerals and metals.

Coastal Plains
The strips of land along both the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats from the Coastal Plains. The western coast lies on the Arabian Sea and is narrow, while the eastern coast, along the Bay of Bengal, is much broader. The rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri drain into the Bay of Bengal and form fertile deltas. The most noteworthy of all Indian deltas is the Sunderbans, in West Bengal, formed by Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries.

Islands
Just outside the eastern and western coasts, there are two groups of islands, which also form an important feature of India our country. The Lakshadweep Islands are on the Arabian Sea, on the west, while the Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie on the Bay of Bengal, in the south-east.

Examples:

Question 1.
State the exact geographical location of India our country.
Answer:
India our country, is located in the Northern Hemisphere. It extends between 8°4′ to 37°6′ north latitudes and 68°7 and 97°25′ east longitudes. The Tropic of Cancer cuts the country in half at 23°30’ north latitude.

Question 2.
Which seven countries are India’s neighbours?
Answer:
India our country, is surrounded by 7 neighbouring countries- Pakistan, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.

The compilation of these Geography Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Our Country – India

It is important to study the lay of the land to understand the evolution of humans in such a place. If you want to better understand the problems we face as a country and look for possible solutions, we must first study about the land. So it is important that we know all about our country, India, and its geography.

• India Our Country

The compilation of these Our Changing Earth Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere – An Overview

Northern Hemisphere

The equator of the Earth splits the Earth into roughly two equal parts which are known as hemispheres. These two hemispheres are the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.

Students can learn more about the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. Moreover, the students would learn about the comparison between them in various aspects.

What are Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere?
The northern hemisphere refers to the northern half of the hemisphere. This means that the northern hemisphere lies to the north of the equator.

The definition of the north for other planets in the solar system is as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as the North Pole of the planet Earth. Around 60% of the surface of the Northern Hemisphere is water.

The southern hemisphere refers to the half of the Earth which is to the south of the Equator. It contains all or parts of the five continents which are Antarctica. Africa, Australia, South America, and Asia. Moreover, it has four oceans which are Southern, Indian, South Atlantic, and South Pacific.

Geographical Comparison
The Northern Hemisphere is certainly that half of the Earth which lies to the equator’s north. In contrast, Southern Hemisphere lies to the south of the planet Earth’s equator.

Moreover, there are some continents that have parts in both hemispheres. Europe and North America lie completely in the northern hemisphere.

Almost all of the entire Asian continent and one-tenth of South America lie in the northern hemisphere. The North Pole is certainly in the hemisphere of the north.

In contrast, the South Pole lies in the Southern Hemisphere and at its most southern part.

Seasonal Comparison
There are differences in summer and winter seasons between the two hemispheres. Consequently, this results in very different temperatures at the same time of year between the most southern and northern locations at any particular time of the year.

In the North, summer, officially speaking, occurs from the summer solstice until the autumnal equinox. Winter, officially speaking, occurs from the winter solstice until the vernal equinox.

Summer in the Southern Hemisphere typically occurs between Dec. 22 and March 20, while the winter season typically occurs from June 21 to September 21.

Population and Pollution Comparison
About 90 percent of the human population resides in the hemisphere of the north. The remaining 10 percent reside in the hemisphere of the south. The Earth’s landmass is mostly in the hemisphere of the north.

Some variations in pollution are certainly notable when it comes to the two hemispheres. Most noteworthy, the southern hemisphere has a much smaller population in comparison to its northern counterpart.

Therefore, there is a significantly lesser amount of industrialization and pollution in the southern hemisphere compared to the north.

Storm Movements Comparison
As a result of the Coriolis effect, the hurricanes and tropical storms tend to rotate in a clockwise direction when occurring in the Southern Hemisphere. Furthermore, they rotate counterclockwise in the hemisphere of the north.

During the day in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun rises to its maximum point at a southerly position. This is because goes with the direction of the equator (south).

In the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite situation takes place. Therefore, in the south, the sun rises to the maximum point in a northern direction.

Example:

Question:
Which of the following is not a possible factor of comparison between the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere?
A. Geographical Comparison
B. Earthquake Comparison
C. Seasonal Comparison
D. Storm Movements Comparison
Answer:
The correct option is B which is “earthquake comparison”. This is because earthquake comparison is not a suitable factor of comparison between the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere.

The compilation of these Our Changing Earth Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

Topographic Map – Definition, Structure, Examples

Topographic Map

A topographic map refers to a detailed, graphical, and accurate representation of features that appear on the Earth’s surface.

Topographic maps are an essential part of the field of geology due to the comprehensive analysis of a particular surface. Students can explore more about the topographic map here.

Definition and Meaning of Topographic Map
A topographic map is a map that represents the locations of geographical features. Furthermore, these geographical features can be mountains, valleys, plain surfaces, water bodies, and many more.

Topographic maps refer to maps at large and medium scales that incorporate a massive variety of information. All the components of topographic maps carry equal importance.

Topographic maps refer to a graphical representation of the three-dimensional configuration of the surface of the Earth. Moreover, such maps show the size, shape, and distribution of landscape features.

Also, such maps present the vertical and horizontal positions of those features whose representations take place. Most noteworthy makes use of contour lines so as to show different elevations on a map.

Structure of Topographic Map
Topographic maps have a detailed and compendious structure. The various aspects of a topographic map can be divided into three major groups:

Relief: The depiction of the relief aspect is with brown contour lines that represent the mountains, hills, valleys, plains, etc. The elevations are available in meters (or feet) above the mean sea level.

Furthermore, there are also spot elevations are shown in the black colour. Moreover, in these spot elevations, the marking of the lake level, the summit of a hill, or the road intersections takes place for the purpose of elevation.

Water: The depiction of the water aspects takes place in the blue colour. Moreover, the water aspects represent the oceans, rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, etc.

Cultural: The depiction of these aspects takes place in the black colour. Furthermore, they are representative of all man-made features.

Above all, these man-made features include roads, railroads, land boundaries, buildings, airports, urban development, etc.

Contour line: A contour line refers to a type of isoline. In such a case, it is a line of equal elevation. Moreover, if one walks along a contour line, then one would not go uphill or downhill.

Mathematically speaking, a contour line refers to a curve in two dimensions on which the value of a function f(x,y) happens to be a constant.

Examples of Topographic Map
Below are some examples of topographic maps from different nations or countries:

Germany – Each federal state of Germany is in charge of producing official topographic maps. Moreover, the production and publishing of the maps which are between 1:5000 and 1:100000 take place by the land surveying offices of each federal state.

Also, the production and publishing of the maps between 1:200000 and 1:1000000 take place by a federal house(BKG) in Frankfurt am Main.

Israel – The Survey of Israel has the responsibility for carrying out the topographic and civilian mapping of Israel. Moreover, the standard map scales in Israel are 1:50000 and 1:100000. Also, one can access the 1:50000 map online. Above all, Israel is a country that contains many high elevation places.

Nepal – In Nepal, the surveying and publishing of a definitive series of large-scale topographic maps took place from 1992 to 2000 through a joint project by the Government of Nepal Survey Department along with Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Topographic maps which are at 1:25000 scale and covering the 7.5 minutes latitude and longitude map the regions of Terai and Middle Mountain regions which have dense populations.

Example:

Question:
Which of the following is not an aspect of the topographic map structure?
A. Contour line
B. Relief
C. Natural disaster
D. Cultural
Answer:
The correct option is C. natural disaster
This is because there is usually no representation of natural disasters in the topographic map.

The compilation of these Our Changing Earth Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

What is Topography?

Topography

Topography is a broad term that describes a landmass in detail. Furthermore, it is the art of practice of portraying a surface in maps or charts.

It shows natural as well as manmade features and tells about their relative positions and elevations. In topography, the top combines with a graph which means to write and describe. It not only shows the features of the surface.

But also indicates the approximate altitude and contours of a region. In other words, it displays the two-dimensional picture of natural and man-made features. Various hikers, engineers, surveyors, and government workers use it for different purposes.

Topographical Features
Latitudes, longitudes, landforms, and elevations are the four main topographical features. Latitudes are the north and south positions with respect to the Equator. In contrast, longitude is the east and west position with respect to the Prime meridian.

Furthermore, the landforms are the physical features present on the earth. For instance rivers, lakes, mountains, hills plateaus, and plains are some of the major landforms of the earth.

Apart from this, the elevation is the height of any mountain, hill or plateau from the mean sea level. The topographical sheet reveals all the necessary information about these landforms. As well as with their exact locations.

Importance of Topography
In agriculture, it determines the methods of soil conservation and the flow of water. Furthermore, it helps in minimizing soil erosion by helping scientists in giving information on the landmass. Weather forecasting also gets benefits from it. As different landforms alter the climate of different places.

Therefore it helps the weather forecasters to determine the weather conditions. Apart from this, the military uses this to gather information on the land area.

Thus they can plan their strategies with the help of it. In conclusion, civil engineers and various government workers use it to perform their duties in an effective manner.

How is the information gathered of a topographical map?

There are two methods to gather information:

• Direct survey
• Indirect survey

Direct survey – Direct survey uses equipment like clinometers, levels, and theodolites. This equipment work to determine the location of land and surveys.

Furthermore, it is also used to deduce the measurement of elevations. Topographic mapping uses a direct survey that also includes digital imaging systems.

Further, these techniques are combined with other systems. Such as aerial photography and satellite imagery to get a complete picture of the landform.

Indirect survey – Satellite pictures, radar, images are taken from the plane and sonar come under indirect survey.

Further, this includes remote sensing data and raw survey data. The Indirect survey method eases the work of many scientists and is cost-effective.

Sonar mapping is a technique to map the ocean floor. A pulse is sent on the ocean floor which gets reflected back by hitting the objects.

The reflected sound gets recorded by the microphone. This data also gives information about shipwrecks and changes in the underwater terrain.

Examples of Topography in Maps
Each country sets its own priorities while making the map. For instance, while constructing a highway the map can feature woodland cover, rock classification, and soil type along the route.

Furthermore, another example is the USGS Tapestry of time and terrain. In this, the map shows underlying rock formations and hill shade. As a result, it helps to show the geological history of the continent by showing mountains and events.

Example:

Question:
Which topographical feature tells the north and south position of a place?
A. Longitudes
B. Latitudes
C. Elevation
D. Landforms
Answer:
Option B is correct.
Latitudes are the topographical features that tell us the north and south position of a place with respect to the Equator.

The compilation of these Our Changing Earth Notes makes students exam preparation simpler and organised.

How is Temperature on Mars

What is Mars Temperature?

Mars, which is also referred to as “Mangal” in Hindi, has always been a planet of great human inquisitiveness. It’s been more than a decade that various research is going on through multiple space organisations. In this article, we will discuss the Mars temperature.

Scientists with the sole objective to find out the possibility of life on the planet. Mars is also called the red planet, and it falls in the fourth position in our solar system. Mars temperature is mostly cold. Talking about size, it is the second smallest planet in the solar system, the first most minor planet being Mercury.

Whenever we think about establishing a kind of livelihood. Especially on other planets, the living conditions hugely depend upon the temperature and environment of the planet.

Mars Temperature
When talking about the overall temperature of mars, it has been found that Mars is a cold planet. It possesses a much thinner atmosphere than the earth. On average, it has been estimated that mars temperature is around -80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mars has about one-sixth of pressure as compared to the Earth’s atmosphere. It ensures that doesn’t remain heated for long and the temperatures drop down quickly. When there is winter on Mars, the temperature near the poles on Mars can get down to around -195 degrees Fahrenheit which estimates at around -125 degrees Celsius.

However, a regular summer day on Mars can get up to a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit estimating to be about 20 degrees Celsius near the equator. Owing to an astonishing phenomenon, on summer nights the temperatures may drop off to around -100 degrees Fahrenheit estimating to around -73 degrees Celsius.

Mars and its Distance from the Sun
As we have read earlier that Mars falls in the fourth position in the distance from the sun. Mars is approximately 142 million miles away from the sun, and as a result of this vast distance, it receives much lesser heat when compared to Earth, Venus and Mercury.

Mars takes around 687 days to complete a full revolution around the sun, which is approximate twice the time taken by earth to complete one revolution around the sun. This means that the time for which any season exists on Mars is twice the time for which any season exists on Earth.

The main reason due to which human existence has not been possible on Mars is its fragile atmosphere which consists of around 95% of Carbon-Dioxide making the planet too cold to promote human survival.

Climate on Mars
When nights occur on mars, Frost is ubiquitous on rocks, but as the air gets warmer near the dawn, the frost melts and gradually evaporates. Although there is 100% humidity on Mars, even then the living conditions resemble those of the living conditions of the Atacama Desert in South America.

It has been estimated by some researchers that there are probable chances of the existence of some Antarctic lichens on Mars. They may be able to photosynthesize at 70% humidity that can allow their survival on the planet.

As discussed earlier, that there is an enormous presence of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere of Mars. Due to this, in the summers, the carbon dioxide caps in the polar regions. Also, it shrinks and disappears but gradually redevelops when the winter comes.

Some researchers and astronomers believe that there are chances that water in its liquid form traps beneath the Carbon-Dioxide ice sheets. Also, it ensures human survival if strong evidence suggesting such occurrences may suffice.

Example:

Question:
What is the overall weather condition on mars?
a. Mostly warm
b. Moderate
c. Mostly cold
d. Mostly hot.
Answer:
c. Mostly cold

Mars’s atmosphere is about 100 times thinner than Earth’s. In addition, without a “thermal blanket,” mars can’t retain any heat energy. However, the average temperature on Mars is about minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 60 degrees Celsius).