Q. Consider the following statements about the Van Allen radiation belts:

1. The inner Van Allen belt consists only of electrons, while the outer belt has both electrons and protons.
2. The Van Allen radiation belts have a large coverage over the poles and are almost absent at the equator.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Answer: Neither 1 nor 2
Notes: Both statements are incorrect. The inner Van Allen belt contains mainly high-energy protons, while the outer belt includes a mix of high-energy electrons and protons. The belts are not covered predominantly over the poles nor absent at the equator; they encircle Earth, being more intense near the poles but still present at other latitudes, and their intensity varies with solar activity.