Van Allen radiation belt:

has electrons and protons in the outer belt and only electrons in the inner belt.

has a large cover over poles and is almost absent at equator

Which of the above statement is/are correct?

Question

Both the statements are incorrect:

The Van Allen radiation belt does have electrons and protons, but the arrangement is slightly different from what is described in the first statement. The Van Allen radiation belts consist of two main belts: the inner radiation belt and the outer radiation belt. The inner belt contains mainly high-energy protons, and the outer belt contains a mixture of high-energy electrons and protons. So, the correct statement is that the inner belt has mostly high-energy protons, and the outer belt has both high-energy electrons and protons.
The Van Allen radiation belts are not covered with a large cover over the poles, but they are concentrated more around the polar regions. The second statement is also not entirely accurate regarding their presence at the equator. The radiation belts are generally more intense and closer to the Earth\'s surface around the polar regions, forming the so-called \"polar cusps.\" However, they do extend down to lower latitudes, and their intensity can vary with solar activity.

In summary:

The Van Allen radiation belt has electrons and protons in both the inner and outer belts.
The Van Allen radiation belts are concentrated around the polar regions but extend down to lower latitudes and are not entirely absent at the equator.

GKToday Admin · Accepted Answer

Neither 1 nor 2 Both the statements are incorrect:

The Van Allen radiation belt does have electrons and protons, but the arrangement is slightly different from what is described in the first statement. The Van Allen radiation belts consist of two main belts: the inner radiation belt and the outer radiation belt. The inner belt contains mainly high-energy protons, and the outer belt contains a mixture of high-energy electrons and protons. So, the correct statement is that the inner belt has mostly high-energy protons, and the outer belt has both high-energy electrons and protons.
The Van Allen radiation belts are not covered with a large cover over the poles, but they are concentrated more around the polar regions. The second statement is also not entirely accurate regarding their presence at the equator. The radiation belts are generally more intense and closer to the Earth\'s surface around the polar regions, forming the so-called \"polar cusps.\" However, they do extend down to lower latitudes, and their intensity can vary with solar activity.

In summary:

The Van Allen radiation belt has electrons and protons in both the inner and outer belts.
The Van Allen radiation belts are concentrated around the polar regions but extend down to lower latitudes and are not entirely absent at the equator.

Current Affairs