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510+ Physical Geography Solved MCQs

These multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are designed to enhance your knowledge and understanding in the following areas: General Knowledge (GK) , Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) .

201.

Which of the following phenomena is supposedly associated with global warming?

A. Southern Oscillations
B. El Nino
C. La Nino
D. El Nino Modiki
Answer» D. El Nino Modiki
Explanation: El Nino Modiki is associated with global warming.
202.

Identify the most infertile amongst the following soils.

A. Black cotton soil
B. Alluvial soil
C. Laterite soil
D. Peaty soil
Answer» C. Laterite soil
Explanation: Lateritic soils are the most weathered and infertile of all soil types. Due to intensive leaching and low base-exchange capacity, typical lateritic soils are generally infertile and of little value for crop production (Geography of India by Srntta Sengupta, p 63).
203.

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

A. lchadar - Zonal soil
B. Podzol - Zonal soil
C. Chestnut - Zonal soil
D. Bhangar - Azonal soil
Answer» A. lchadar - Zonal soil
Explanation: Alluvial soils (chadar and bhangar) are azonal soils. They form in transported and recently deposited materials. Azonal soils have a profile determined pre- dominantly by factors other than local climate and vegetation.
204.

A semi enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea is called

A. Estuary
B. Fiord
C. Cove
D. Ria coast
Answer» A. Estuary
Explanation: An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water which has a free connection with the open sea and within which sea water is measurably diluted with fresh water derived from land drainage. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environments. They are subject both to marine and riverine influences.
205.

The 'EL Nino' phenomena which sparks climatic extreme around the globe, originates in the –

A. Sea of China
B. Pacific Ocean
C. Indian Ocean
D. Atlantic Ocean
Answer» B. Pacific Ocean
Explanation: El Nino (Little Boy, or Christ Child in Spanish) refers to the large-scale ocean- atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific. It was originally recognized by fisher- men off the coast of South America in the 1600s, with the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean.
206.

Which of the following is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere?

A. Stratosphere
B. Mesosphere
C. Ionosphere
D. Exosphere
Answer» D. Exosphere
Explanation: The exosphere is the outermost layer of Earth's atmosphere. It extends from the exobase, which is located at the top of thethermosphere at an altitude of about 700 km above sea level, to about 10,000 km where it merges into the solar wind. This layer is mainly composed of extremely low densities of hydrogen, helium and several heavier molecules. The exosphere is located too far above Earth for any meteorological phenomena to be possible.
207.

In which of the following layer of atmosphere the absorption and scattering of the solar ultraviolet radiation takes place?

A. Troposphere
B. Stratosphere
C. Mesosphere
D. Thermosphere
Answer» B. Stratosphere
Explanation: Solar ultraviolet radiation undergoes absorption and scattering as it passes through the stratospheric layer of the earth's atmosphere. The ozone layer, a region of Earth's stratosphere, absorbs 97-99% of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. As a result, no UV radiation at wavelengths shorter than 290 nm reaches the surface of the earth.
208.

The sphere of living matter together with water, air and soil on the surface of the earth is known as –

A. Lithosphere
B. Biosphere
C. Hydrosphere
D. Atmosphere
Answer» B. Biosphere
Explanation: Part of the Earth's surface and atmosphere that contains the entire terrestrial ecosystem, and extends from ocean depths to about six kilometers above sea level. Not precisely demarkable, it contains all living organisms and what supports them soil, subsurface water, bodies of water, air and includes hydrosphere and lithosphere.
209.

Which one of the following practices is adopted for restoring the fertility of soil?

A. Weeding
B. Levelling
C. (2) sweet jowar
D. (4) Harrowing
Answer» B. Levelling
Explanation: Fallowing, in agriculture, is the mode of preparing land, by ploughing it a considerable time before it is ploughed for seed. As a result of fallowing, parts of the soil become better incorporated, and thus reciprocally ameliorated; so that they may afford more uniform nourishment to the roots of plants
210.

Which is a tropical food crop requiring a temperature of 270C and a rain fall more than 100 cm?

A. Wheat
B. Maize
C. Rice
D. Barley
Answer» C. Rice
Explanation: Rice is a major crop grown in most tropical and semi tropical regions. Rice being a tropical and subtropical plant, requires a fairly high temperature, ranging from 20° to 40°C. it requires an average temperature of about 24°C.
211.

The narrow stretch of water connecting two Seas is called –

A. Bay
B. Peninsula
C. Isthamus
D. Strait
Answer» D. Strait
Explanation: A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not navigable, for example because it is too shallow, or because it contains an un-navigable reef or archipelago.
212.

The coastal part of water bodies of the oceans which is structurally part of the mainland of the continents is called –

A. Isthumus
B. oceanic ridge
C. continental shelf
D. continental slope
Answer» C. continental shelf
Explanation: The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. The shelf usually ends at a point of increasing slope (called the shelf break). The sea floor below the break is the continental slope.
213.

Ozone-hole in the atmosphere is largely caused by the presence of –

A. Oxygen
B. Hydrogen
C. Chlorofluorocarbons
D. Radio-active waste
Answer» C. Chlorofluorocarbons
Explanation: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halogenated ozone depleting substances (ODS) are mainly responsible for man-made chemical ozone depletion. It is calculated that a CFC molecule takes an average of about five to seven years to go from the ground level up to the upper atmosphere, and it can stay there for about a century, destroying up to one hundred thousand ozone molecules during that time.
214.

The term Roaring Forties is related to the –

A. Trade winds
B. Planetary winds
C. Westerlies
D. Polar winds
Answer» C. Westerlies
Explanation: The Roaring Forties is the name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 50 degrees. The Westerlies play an important role in carrying the warm, equatorial waters and winds to the westerncoasts of continents, especially in the southern hemisphere because of its vast oceanic expanse.
215.

Which one of the following is not the example of planetary winds?

A. Monsoon
B. Trade wind
C. Land and sea breezes
D. Chinook
Answer» D. Chinook
Explanation: "Chinook", originally meant a warming wind from the ocean into the interior regions of the Pacific Northwest (the Chinook people lived near the ocean, along the lower Columbia River). A strong Chinook can make snow one foot deep almost vanish in one day. The snow partly melts and partly evaporates in the dry wind. Chinook winds have been observed to raise winter temperature, often from below -20°C (-4°F) to as high as 10-20°C (50- 68°F) for a few hours or days, then temperatures plummet to their base level.
216.

The climate of North America is influenced during winter by the –

A. Polar airmasses
B. Warm airmasses
C. Continental airmasses
D. Tropical airmasses
Answer» D. Tropical airmasses
Explanation: Maritime tropical (mT) air masses affecting North America most often originate over the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, or the adjacent western Atlantic Ocean. As expected, mT air masses are warm to hot, and they are humid. During winter, when cP air dominates the central and eastern United States, mT air only occasionally enters this part of the country. However, during the summer, mT air masses from the Gulf, Caribbean, and adjacent Atlantic are more common and cover a much wider area of the continent.
217.

Katrina is the name given to             .

A. Satellite
B. Star
C. Heat wave
D. Hurricane
Answer» D. Hurricane
Explanation: Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest and most destructive Atlantic hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. It was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. At least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane.
218.

In which region does rainfall occur throughout the year?

A. Mediterranean
B. Equatorial
C. Tropical
D. Temperate
Answer» B. Equatorial
Explanation: The equatorial climate is found between 5 degree north and 10 degree south of the equator. Precipitation in the equatorial region is heavy, between 60 inches and 106 inches and is well distributed throughout the year. Due to this abundant rainfall, tropical rainforest climate is usually found at latitudes within five degrees North and South of the equator.
219.

Which among the following statements is true regarding International Date line?

A. It is 180° Longitude
B. It is a straight line
C. It is a big circle
D. It is a curved line beyond earth
Answer» A. It is 180° Longitude
Explanation: The International Date Line (IDL) is an imaginary line on the surface of the Earth, that runs from the north to the South Pole and demarcates one calendar day from the next. It passes through the middle of the Pacific Ocean, roughly following the 180° longitude but it deviates to pass around some territories and island groups.
220.

The sunlight is available 24 hours on the longest day at which of the following latitudes of the earth?

A. 49°
B. 66°
C. 63°
D. 69°51'
Answer» B. 66°
Explanation: During the June solstice the Earth's North Pole is tilted 23.5 degrees towards the Sun relative to the circle of illumination. This phenomenon keeps all places above latitude of 66.5 degrees N in 24 hours of sunlight, while locations below latitude of 66.5 degrees are in darkness.
221.

Dolomite is a/an –

A. Sedimentary rock
B. Plutonic rock
C. Igneous rock
D. Metamorphic rock
Answer» A. Sedimentary rock
Explanation: Dolomite a sedimentary rock resembling limestone but consisting principally of the mineral dolomite. It is an important source of magnesium and its compounds, and is used as a building material and refractory. Dolomite is used as an ornamental stone, a concrete aggregate, a source of magnesium oxide and in the Pidgeon process for the production of magnesium. It is an important petroleum reservoir rock, and serves as the host rock for large strata bound Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) ore deposits of base metals such as lead, zinc, and copper.
222.

Which one of the following rivers forms an estuary?

A. Ganga
B. Tapti
C. Godavari
D. Mahanadi
Answer» B. Tapti
Explanation: Tapti river empties into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea, forming an estuary. It is fed by monsoon rains. The meanflow rate is about 600 cu m per sec, with the maximum in the summer. The Tapti is navigable by small craft for a distance of 50 km from the mouth. In some places it is used for irrigation. The seaport of Surat is located in the estuary. 45. (3) Deserts take up about one third (33%) of the Earth's land surface. Hot deserts usually have a large diurnal and seasonal temperature range, with high daytime temperatures, and low nighttime temperatures (due to extremely low humidity).
223.

How much of the Earth's land surface is desert?

A. 1/10th
B. 1/5th
C. 1/3rd
D. (3) 1/6th
Answer» C. 1/3rd
Explanation: 0
224.

Which one of the following is an igneous rock?

A. Sandstone
B. Shale
C. Quartzite
D. Granite
Answer» D. Granite
Explanation: Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. In terms of modes of occurrence, igneous rocks can be either intrusive (plutonic), extrusive (volcanic) or hypabyssal. Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is formed from magma that cools and solidifies within the crust of a planet. They form central cores of major mountain ranges.
225.

Ie glacier's melting is a common phenomenon linked to the rise in seawater level. The glaciers are predominantly present in–

A. Greenland
B. Antarctica
C. Himalayas
D. Arctic
Answer» B. Antarctica
Explanation: One of today's prevalent water issues is the rise in sea level. It is mainly causedby two phenomena: global warming and ozone depletion. Polar ice caps in Antarctica and other places are melting fast. This has led to increase in sea level over the years.
226.

The angle between the magnetic meridian and the geographical meridian at a place is

A. Azimuth
B. Dip
C. Declination
D. Latitude
Answer» C. Declination
Explanation: Magnetic declination is the angle between compass north (the direction the north end of a compass needle points) and true north (the direction along the earth's surface towards the geographic North Pole.
227.

Widening of a river valley takes place due to –

A. Corrosion
B. Lateral erosion
C. Corrasion
D. Hydraulic action
Answer» B. Lateral erosion
Explanation: Lateral or sideways erosion widens the river valley; while, Vertical or downward erosion deepens the river valley. Due to continued lateral erosion, the river valley increasingly becomes broader and shallower. The valley slopes are also eroded by weathering and mass wasting and by the development of tributary valleys.
228.

Which type of lake is formed by volcanic activities?

A. Lagoon
B. Fresh water lake
C. Cladera lake
D. Karst lake
Answer» C. Cladera lake
Explanation: Lakes which form inside calderas (a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption) are called caldera lakes. These lakesform as the created depression is filled by water. For example, Lake Pinatubo, Philippines, formed after the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo filled the depression with water from monsoon rains.
229.

Meanders are the features formed by –

A. glaciers
B. rivers
C. winds
D. ocean waters
Answer» B. rivers
Explanation: Reh refers to a mixture of soluble sodium salts appearing as efflorescence on the ground in arid or semiarid regions in India. It covers the land in the form of a white layer. It is also known as Kallar.
230.

Which is the hottest planet in the Solar System?

A. Jupiter
B. Saturn
C. Venus
D. Uranus
Answer» C. Venus
Explanation: Mercury is closer to the sun, but the atmosphere on Venus actually makes it hotter. Even on the night side, the temperature doesn't drop by much (comparatively) because of the carbon dioxide, about 95%, atmosphere. The atmospheric pressure of Venus is also about 90 times greater than that of Earth.
231.

The planets on either side of the Earth are –

A. Mars and Jupiter
B. Mercury and Venus
C. Venus and Saturn
D. Mars and Venus
Answer» D. Mars and Venus
Explanation: Earth is the third planet from the 'Sun in the following order from the Sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The four smaller inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, also called the terrestrial planets, are primarily composed of rock and metal.
232.

Which planet looks reddish in the night sky?

A. Jupiter
B. Saturn
C. Mars
D. Mercury
Answer» C. Mars
Explanation: Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the seventh largest. The planet probably got this name due to its red color; Mars is sometimes referred to as the Red Planet as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance.
233.

Name the first Asian country to Orbit Mars.

A. Japan
B. Pakistan
C. China
D. India
Answer» D. India
Explanation: India is the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit, and the first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt. Its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan, was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It has been orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014.
234.

Which of the following Scientist proved that the path of each planet around the Sun is elliptical?

A. Kepler
B. Galileo
C. Newton
D. Copernicus
Answer» A. Kepler
Explanation: India is the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit, and the first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt. Its Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan, was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It has been orbiting Mars since 24 September 2014.
235.

A drainage pattern where a river is joined by its tributaries approximately at right angles is

A. Dendritic
B. Trellis
C. Rectangular
D. Radial
Answer» B. Trellis
Explanation: When a river is joined by its tributaries at almost right angles, it develops a trellis pattern. Trellis pattern develops where hard and soft rocks exist parallel to each other.
236.

The core of the earth is also known as –

A. Lithosphere
B. Mesosphere
C. Barysphere
D. Centrosphere
Answer» C. Barysphere
Explanation: The interior of the Earth beneath the lithosphere, including both the mantle and the core, is known as barysphere. However, it is sometimes used to refer only to the core or only to the mantle.
237.

A level of atmosphere which is composed partly of electrons and positive ions is called –

A. Troposphere
B. Ionosphere
C. Stratosphere
D. Mesosphere
Answer» B. Ionosphere
Explanation: Ionosphere is composed partly of electrons and positive ions. It is a region of Earth's upper atmosphere, from about 60 km to 1,000 km altitude, that is ionized by solar radiation. This layer is also called thermosphere as its temperature rises with height.
238.

The amount of insolation received at a place on the surface of the earth depends upon:

A. its climate
B. the longitude of the place
C. its latitude
D. the altitude of the place
Answer» C. its latitude
Explanation: Insolation is a measure of solar radiation energy received on a given surface area in a given time. It mainly depends on two factors: (1) the angle at which the Sun's rays strike- the Earth, and (2) the length of time of exposure to the rays. Both of these factors are controlled by the latitude of the location and time of the year (Physical Geography Strahler & Sirahler).
239.

Terrigenous deposits are found in –

A. Deep Sea Plain
B. Ocean Trenches
C. Rift Valley
D. Continental Shelf and Slope
Answer» D. Continental Shelf and Slope
Explanation: In oceanography, terrigenous sediments are those derived from the erosion of rocks on land; that is, they are derived from terrestrial (as opposed to marine) environments. Consisting of sand, mud, and silt carried to sea by rivers, they are mainly deposited on the continental shelfand slopes. Terrigenous sediments that reach the continental shelf are often stored in submarine canyons on the continental slope. Turbidity currents carry them down into the deep sea.
240.

'El Nino' that affects our Monsoons, has its origins in –

A. The Indian Ocean
B. The Himalayan Plateau
C. The Pacific Ocean
D. The Arabian Peninsula
Answer» C. The Pacific Ocean
Explanation: El Nino is a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean that causes global changes of both temperatures and rainfall. It is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, as opposed to La Nina, whichis characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.
241.

In a desert region, soil erosion can be checked by –

A. Contour ploughing
B. Using farm manure
C. Tree plantation/Afforestaion
D. Crop rotation
Answer» C. Tree plantation/Afforestaion
Explanation: Afforestation holds the key for preventing soil erosion in desert regions and further desertification. Trees or even small plants bind soil to their roots, thereby checking their loosening. Some other measures include: introduction of improved dry farming practices and animal husbandry and plantations for fuel and fodder.
242.

'Terra rossa' is a Latin word which means –

A. hot area
B. red terrain
C. lateritic region
D. region near the poles
Answer» B. red terrain
Explanation: 'Terra Rossa' in Latin or Italian language is another name for "Red Soil" or "Red Terrain". It is a type of red clay soil produced by the weathering of limestone. Terra Rossa is typically found in regions with a Mediterranean climate.
243.

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

A. Coal
B. Mineral oil
C. Natural gas
D. Forests
Answer» D. Forests
Explanation: Forest is a renewable resource.
244.

Taiga means :

A. Decidious forests
B. Coniferous forests
C. Grass lands
D. Deserts
Answer» B. Coniferous forests
Explanation: Taiga is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces and larches. It is the world's largest terrestrial biome.
245.

Contours are imaginary lines showing

A. places of equal atmospheric pressure
B. same temperature areas
C. places of equal altitudes
D. equal sunshine areas
Answer» C. places of equal altitudes
Explanation: In cartography, a contour line (often just called a "contour") joins points of equal elevation (height) above a given level, such as mean sea level. Contour lines are curved or straight lines on a map describing the intersection of a real or hypothetical surface with one or more horizontal planes. The configuration of these contours allows map readers to infer relative gradient of a parameter and estimate that parameter at specific places.
246.

The imaginary lines joining places of same height at equal intervals are –

A. Hachures
B. Contours
C. Spot-heights
D. Isomers
Answer» B. Contours
Explanation: In cartography, a contour line (often just called a "contour") joins points of equal elevation (height) above a given level, such as mean sea level.
247.

Imaginary lines joining places with same temperature are called –

A. Isobars
B. Isohyets
C. Isohalines
D. Isotherms
Answer» D. Isotherms
Explanation: An isotherm is a line on a map or chart of the earth's surface connecting points having the same temperature at a given time or the same mean temperature for a given period. Isotherm maps show where temperatures are relatively high and low, and also where temperature changes are gradual or dramatic over a distance.
248.

What is meant by the term "mid-night sun"?

A. Twilight
B. Rising Sun
C. Very bright moon
D. Sun shining in the polar circle for long time
Answer» D. Sun shining in the polar circle for long time
Explanation: The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at places north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. Around the solstice (June 21 in the north and December 21 in the south) and given fair weather the sun is visible for the full 24 hours. The number of days per year with potential midnight sun increases the farther towards either pole one goes.
249.

What is the mean temperature of Earth?

A. 6 degree Celsius
B. 16 degree Celsius
C. 26 degree Celsius
D. 36 degree Celsius
Answer» B. 16 degree Celsius
Explanation: The average temperature on Earth is about 61° F (16° C). But temperatures vary greatly around the world depending on the time of year, ocean and wind currents and weather conditions. Summers tend to be warmer and winters colder. Also, temperatures tend to be higher near the equator and lower near the poles.
250.

The outermost layer of sun is called –

A. Lithosphere
B. Chromosphere
C. Photosphere
D. Corona
Answer» D. Corona
Explanation: The corona is the outermost layer of the Sun, starting at about 1300 miles (2100 km) above the solar surface (the photosphere). The temperature in the corona is 500,000 K (900,000 degrees F, 500,000 degrees C) or more, up to a few million K. The corona cannot be seen with the naked eye except during a total solar eclipse. The corona does not have an upper limit.

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