NCERT Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society India and Beyond Part 1 Chapter 03 Climates of India PDF Download

Chapter 3: Climates of India

kale varshatu parjanyaha prithvi sasyashalini
desoyam kshobharahitah brahmanasantu nirbhayah
May the rains be timely, may the Earth be lush with vegetation
May this country be free from turmoil, may good people be fearless!
- Subhashita

[Figure 3.1:, See in your textbook]

Weather, Seasons and the Climate

'Climate' is a word people use in everyday conversations. But, quite often, what they really mean is 'weather', and not 'climate'. What's the difference? 'Weather' is what we experience every hour or day: it might be raining, or there could be bright sunshine, a lot of wind, etc. The weather keeps changing. Climate, on the other hand, is the pattern of weather an area or a region experiences over a long period of time - several decades at least. This pattern varies from region to region.

Before we come to the various types of climates, let us briefly stop to introduce seasons. Seasons occur as the Earth revolves around the Sun. Each season lasts for a few months and recurs every year. As we know, there are several seasons in the year - spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter - that occur in a cycle. Are seasons related to the weather or to the climate? The answer is: to both.

The weather changes with the season, that is, it can be dry and hot in the summer months, or humid and rainy during the monsoon. Further, the pattern of seasons in a region is closely connected with the climate. There are four main seasons across most regions of the world - spring, summer, autumn and winter. However, India receives rainfall during a specific period of the year - the 'rainy season' or monsoon - along with the other four.

Traditionally, in many parts of India, the year is divided into six seasons or ritus - vasanta (spring), grisma (summer), varsha (rainy season), sharad (autumn), hemanta (pre-winter), shishir (winter). Specific rituals and festivals are associated with these six ritus, such as Vasanta Pancami or Sharad Purnima.

[Figure 3.2:, See in your textbook]

Teacher's Note

People often use the words "weather" and "climate" as if they mean the same thing, but they don't. Weather is what you see outside today - sunny, rainy, or windy. Climate is the average pattern over many years. A single rainy day doesn't mean the region has a rainy climate; you need to look at years of data to say that.

If we observe the world around us, we will notice that human, plant and animal life are in rhythm with the ritus or seasons. The crops we grow, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and so on, change with the season. Depending on the region, some trees and shrubs bloom with the onset of vasanta or spring, in some places they shed their leaves or change their colour as sharad or autumn approaches and some animals develop thick fur in the cold winter months.

Let's Explore

• Which are your favourite seasons? Write a short essay explaining your reasons.
• Discuss in groups of three or four and find out whether there are specific events connected to the seasons in your region. Collect information about them - songs, feasts with specific types of food, practices in different seasons, etc. Document these and share your discoveries with your class.
• Do you know which trees in your area change colours before the onset of winter? Are there trees that shed their leaves around this time? Why do you think this happens? Find out and document the local names of these trees.

Usually, the climate remains stable over long periods of time. However, scientists have been recording changes in the climates of the world in the recent decades. Studies show that many of these changes have been caused by human actions.

Teacher's Note

When you read about climate, always remember: seasons and weather change fairly quickly, but climate takes a long time to shift. Scientists measure climate over at least 30 years to see real patterns. This matters because you might have a very cold winter one year, but that doesn't mean the climate is getting colder - you need many years of records to know that.

Let us recapitulate:

• Weather is what we experience from day to day - windy, rainy, hot, dry, etc.
• Seasons recur every year and the weather of a place is different in every season.
• Climate is the long-term pattern in a particular region. There are many types of climates in the world. We will now survey the main types found in India.

Key Points

• Weather and climate are not the same: weather is what happens every day, while climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a region over many years.
• Seasons occur as Earth revolves around the Sun and repeat every year, bringing changes in weather and affecting how plants, animals and people live.
• India has both the four common world seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) and a special monsoon or rainy season, and traditionally divides the year into six ritus with their own rituals and festivals.
• Climate patterns usually stay stable for long periods, but scientists have observed significant changes in recent decades caused largely by human activities.

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