Daily Static MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams
Subject : Geography
1. What reasons can explain more number of debris avalanches in the Himalayas as compared to the Western Ghats?
1. Himalayas are mostly made up of metamorphic and igneous
rocks which are not stable.
2. The Himalayas are tectonically active.
3. The slopes are very steep in Himalayas as compared to Western Ghats.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B)
Explanation:
- In our country, debris avalanche and landslides occur very frequently in the Himalayas. There are many reasons for this. One, the Himalayas are tectonically active. They are mostly made up of sedimentary rocks and unconsolidated and semi-consolidated deposits. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
- Compared to the Himalayas, the Nilgiris bordering Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Western Ghats along the west coast are relatively tectonically stable and are mostly made up of very hard rocks; but, still, debris avalanches and landslides occur though not as frequently as in the Himalayas, in these hills due to very heavy rainfall. The slopes are very steep in Himalayas as compared to Western Ghats. Hence, statement 2 and 3 are correct.
2. Consider the following statements:
1. Garo and Khasi hills are extensions of Purvanchals in
Meghalaya forming water divide between Brahmaputra and Barak River.
2. Rajmahal Hills are formed from rocks dating from the Jurassic Period and
named after the town of Rajmahal which lies to the east in the state of
Jharkhand.
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (A)
Explanation:
- Garo and Khasi hills are the extensions of peninsular part of the subcontinent. Along with the Karbi Anglong plateau, the Meghalaya plateau (comprising Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills) is separated from the Chotanagpur plateau (part of peninsular india ) by Malda fault (in Bengal). Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
- Rajmahal Hills are formed from rocks dating from the Jurassic Period and named after the town of Rajmahal which lies to the east in the state of Jharkhand. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
3. Consider the following statements regarding distribution of salinity in water:
1. Generally salinity is high in land locked regions compared
to estuaries.
2. Highest salinity is recorded between 0 to 10-degree latitude because of high
temperature and high evaporation.
3. The salinity variation in the Pacific Ocean is mainly due to its shape and
larger areal extent.
How many of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (B)
Explanation:
- All waters in nature, whether rain water or ocean water, contain dissolved mineral salts. Salinity is the term used to define the total content of dissolved salts in sea water. It is calculated as the amount of salt (in gm) dissolved in 1,000 gm (1 kg) of seawater. It is usually expressed as parts per thousand (o/oo) or ppt. Salinity is an important property of sea water. In the land locked Red Sea, salinity is as high as 41 o/oo, while in the estuaries and the Arctic, the salinity fluctuates from 0 – 35 o/oo, seasonally. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- The highest salinity is recorded between 15° and 20° latitudes. Maximum salinity (37 o/oo) is observed between 20° N and 30° N and 20° W – 60° W. It gradually decreases towards the north. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
- The salinity variation in the Pacific Ocean is mainly due to its shape and larger areal extent. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
4. Which of the following phenomenon is/are responsible for thunderstorms formation?
1. High temperature and humidity
2. Vertical wind
3. Orography
4. Condensation
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (D)
Explanation: All are responsible for thunderstorms. A thunderstorm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth’s atmosphere, known as thunder. Thunderstorms occur in a type of cloud known as a cumulonimbus. They are usually accompanied by strong winds, and often produce heavy rain and sometimes snow, sleet, or hail, but some thunderstorms produce little precipitation or no precipitation at all. Thunderstorms result from the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air, sometimes along a front. As the warm, moist air moves upward, it cools, condenses, and forms a cumulonimbus cloud that can reach heights of over 20 kilometres. As the rising air reaches its dew point temperature, water vapor condenses into water droplets or ice, reducing pressure locally within the thunderstorm cell. Any precipitation falls the long distance through the clouds towards the Earth’s surface. As the droplets fall, they collide with other droplets and become larger. The falling droplets create a downdraft as it pulls cold air with it, and this cold air spreads out at the Earth’s surface, occasionally causing strong winds that are commonly associated with thunderstorms. Hence, option (d) is correct.
5. The term “Sub Urbanisation” refers to:
(a) Movement of people from central urban area to satellite
communities
(b) Reduction of population in lower tier cities
(c) Population shift from rural areas into suburbs
(d) Movement of population from urban areas to rural areas
Answer: (A)
Explanation: Suburbanization is a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence of the movement of households and businesses out of the city centers, low-density, peripheral urban areas grow. (Sub-urbanization is inversely related to urbanization, which denotes a population shift from rural areas into urban centres.) Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, and choose to live in satellite communities called suburbs and commute to work via automobile or mass transit. Hence, option (a) is correct.
