Description

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Context:

Santa Ana winds drive wildfires in California, a natural phenomenon, but the wildfire season has recently extended. Fire crews are currently battling a blaze in Malibu, a wealthy coastal town.

About Santa Ana Winds

Santa Ana winds are dry and warm (often hot) winds in the Southern California region that blow from the desert - which includes the Great Basin in the western United States, including Nevada and parts of Utah. It is named after Southern California's Santa Ana Canyon.

Seasonal Occurrence: Santa Ana conditions can occur whenever the Great Basin is cooler than southern California, usually between September and May. However, they are most notable in October, as Southern California's fall climate increases the risk of wildfires.

Origin and effect:

Santa Ana winds occur when high-pressure forms over the Great Basin, which is located between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, while low pressure develops along the coast of California.
This pressure difference drives strong winds from the inland Basin deserts, east and north of Southern California, over the mountains toward the Pacific Ocean.
As the winds move over the mountains, they are compressed and heated, causing their humidity to drop, often below 20% and sometimes even below 10%.
The resulting dry conditions turned vegetation into highly flammable material, which helped fuel the Malibu flames.

About California

Location	Western United States; bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Land Area	3rd largest state in the U.S.
Coastline	Over 1,350 km of Pacific coastline, with features like beaches and cliffs.
Mountain Ranges	Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Coast Ranges, and Transverse Ranges.
Major Rivers	Sacramento River, San Joaquin River, Colorado River.
Deserts	Mojave Desert, Colorado Desert, and parts of the Great Basin Desert.
Valleys	Central Valley (fertile agricultural hub), Salinas Valley.
Lakes	Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Salton Sea.
Forests	Redwood forests, Sequoia National Forest, and mixed coniferous forests.
Climate	Mediterranean along the coast, arid in deserts, alpine in mountains.
Tectonics	Lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire; includes the San Andreas Fault system.
National Parks	Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Redwood, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon.
Volcanoes	Lassen Peak, Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake Volcano.
Wildlife	Diverse ecosystems with species like California condor, grizzly bear (extinct locally).

Source:

INDIAN EXPRESS

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements regarding the Santa Ana Winds:

Santa Ana Winds are dry, offshore winds originating from the Great Basin and blowing towards Southern California.
These winds are warm and can increase the risk of wildfires in the affected areas.
The Santa Ana Winds are beneficial for air quality as they help disperse pollutants.

How many of the statements given-above is/are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

Answer: b

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Santa Ana Winds are dry, offshore winds originating from the Great Basin and blowing towards Southern California.

Statement 2 is also correct: These winds are typically warm and can significantly increase the risk of wildfires in the affected areas.

Statement 3 is incorrect because Santa Ana Winds actually worsen air quality by dispersing pollutants away from urban areas, leading to poorer air quality during their occurrence.