Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution
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Correct Answer: Option (D) — 1, 2 , 3 and 4
Concept & Option Breakdown
Standard Reference VerifiedThundercloud (cumulonimbus) development requires:
- Condensation: Releases latent heat of condensation, providing the primary thermodynamic energy driving storm vertical growth.
- High temperature and humidity: Provides buoyant, warm, moisture-rich air parcels at ground level.
- Orography: Physical relief forces air to rise mechanically (orographic uplift), triggering instability.
- Vertical wind (updrafts/vertical wind shear): Strong vertical currents carry moisture upwards to sustain vertical cloud development. All four phenomena contribute directly to thundercloud genesis.
All listed mechanisms contribute to the key requirements of thunderstorm formation: moisture, instability, lift, and condensation.
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