NDA 2026 · PYQ · Climatology / Local Winds · medium
Which of the following winds is responsible for wildfire in southern California?
A.Diablo wind
B.Chinook wind
C.Santa Ana wind✓ Correct
D.Zonda wind
Explanation
The Santa Ana winds are dry, hot, downslope winds that blow from the inland deserts (Great Basin) toward the coast of southern California, often through the Santa Ana Canyon. Their hot, dry character and high speed rapidly dehydrates vegetation and fans flames, making them the principal driver of major wildfires in southern California. The Diablo wind is a similar wind but in northern California. The Chinook is a warm dry wind on the leeward slopes of the Rockies, and the Zonda wind is in Argentina.
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