World and Physical Geography

121. Which of the following processes is/are part of the Rock Cycle? 1. L

Which of the following processes is/are part of the Rock Cycle?

  • 1. Lithification
  • 2. Metamorphism
  • 3. Solidification

Select the answer using the code given below:

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”1 and 2 only” option3=”2 and 3 only” option4=”1, 2 and 3″ correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is D) 1, 2 and 3.
The Rock Cycle describes the transitions through geologic time among the three main rock types: sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. Key processes involved in these transitions include lithification, metamorphism, and solidification (also known as crystallization).
Lithification is the process by which unconsolidated sediments are compacted and cemented together to form sedimentary rocks. Metamorphism involves the transformation of existing rock types (igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks) into metamorphic rocks by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids. Solidification is the cooling and hardening of molten rock (magma or lava) to form igneous rocks. Weathering, erosion, deposition, melting, and uplift are also crucial processes in the rock cycle, facilitating the transformation and movement of rock material between the different types and locations.

122. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :

List I (Ocean Current) List II (Location)
A. Kuroshio Current 1. Antarctic Ocean
B. Agulhas Current 2. Pacific Ocean
C. East Wind Drift 3. Atlantic Ocean
D. Antilles Current 4. Indian Ocean

Code :

[amp_mcq option1=”3 4 1 2″ option2=”3 1 4 2″ option3=”2 1 4 3″ option4=”2 4 1 3″ correct=”option4″]

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The correct match is A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3.
Kuroshio Current is in the North Pacific Ocean. Agulhas Current is in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa. East Wind Drift is a current flowing around Antarctica in the Southern Ocean/Antarctic Ocean. Antilles Current is in the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Caribbean Sea.
Ocean currents are major features of ocean circulation patterns and play a crucial role in climate regulation and marine ecosystems. Matching specific currents to their respective ocean basins is a common geography topic.

123. Which one of the following statement with reference to hailstones is N

Which one of the following statement with reference to hailstones is NOT correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Their formation usually occurs during the monsoon season” option2=”They are associated with dense cumulonimbus clouds” option3=”Rain that forms in the warmer, upper layer solidifies into tiny ice pellets or hailstones in the lower, subfreezing layer” option4=”Hailstones have multiple, concentric layers of ice” correct=”option3″]

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Statement C is NOT correct.
Hailstones form within strong thunderstorms (cumulonimbus clouds). They require strong updrafts that carry water droplets high into the freezing parts of the cloud where they accrete ice. Hailstones grow by repeatedly being lifted and falling through layers with supercooled water before eventually becoming too heavy and falling to the ground. Statement C incorrectly describes rain from warmer upper layers solidifying in lower subfreezing layers; in reality, ice forms and grows in the cold upper parts and can melt as it falls through warmer lower parts, but hailstones are defined as reaching the ground as ice.
Hailstones are characterized by their layered structure, indicating growth by accretion of ice in different conditions. They are indeed associated with intense cumulonimbus clouds. While hailstorms can occur during the monsoon, they are not exclusively or “usually” limited to that season and are common in other thunderstorm-prone periods like pre-monsoon.

124. If it is 31st December, 2023 in New Zealand, at the same time what wil

If it is 31st December, 2023 in New Zealand, at the same time what will be the date in the Hawaiian Islands and Alaska ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Both have 01 January, 2024″ option2=”Both have 30 December, 2023″ option3=”31 December, 2023 in Alaska and 01 January, 2024 Hawaiian Islands” option4=”31 December, 2023 in Hawaiian Islands and 01 January, 2024 in Alaska” correct=”option2″]

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Both Hawaiian Islands and Alaska will have 30 December, 2023.
The International Date Line (IDL) is located in the Pacific Ocean. New Zealand is west of the IDL, while Hawaii and Alaska are east of the IDL. When travelling eastward across the IDL, one goes back a calendar day. Since New Zealand is ahead in time/date, locations to its east across the IDL will be on the previous day. Considering time zones, New Zealand is significantly ahead (e.g., UTC+12/13), while Hawaii (UTC-10) and parts of Alaska (UTC-9/8) are significantly behind UTC. The large difference in time zones confirms that they would be on the previous day.
New Zealand time zones are roughly 22-23 hours ahead of Hawaii and Alaska time zones depending on the exact locations and daylight saving times. This means that when it is, for instance, noon on Dec 31st in New Zealand, it is early afternoon or evening on Dec 30th in Hawaii and Alaska.

125. Which one of the following statements with reference to the Nebular Hy

Which one of the following statements with reference to the Nebular Hypothesis for the origin of Solar System is correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”The initiation of the nebular hypothesis can be considered as a diffuse, roughly spherical, slowly rotating expanding nebula” option2=”As a result of rotation and expansion, a disk is formed with matter concentrated in the centre” option3=”Expansion continues with the formation of the proto-Sun and the rings of material are left behind” option4=”The material in the rings get condensed and form the planets that revolve in orbits around the Sun” correct=”option4″]

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Statement D correctly describes a part of the process according to the Nebular Hypothesis.
The Nebular Hypothesis postulates that the Solar System formed from a contracting cloud of gas and dust (a nebula). As the nebula contracted under gravity, it rotated faster and flattened into a disk. The central part formed the proto-Sun, and the material in the disk accreted and condensed into planetesimals, which further combined to form the planets orbiting the Sun.
Statements A, B, and C incorrectly describe the initial state or the process as involving expansion rather than contraction. The formation of a disk and the subsequent condensation and accretion of material into planets within that disk are key stages of the hypothesis.

126. Where does podsolization take place ?

Where does podsolization take place ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Regions in high middle latitudes” option2=”Coastal regions in lower latitudes” option3=”Regions with hot and humid climate” option4=”Regions having arid climate” correct=”option1″]

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Podsolization takes place primarily in regions in high middle latitudes.
Podsolization is a soil-forming process that occurs in cool, humid climates, typically under coniferous or mixed forests, on sandy parent materials. This process leads to the leaching of iron and aluminum from the surface layers and their accumulation in deeper horizons, resulting in distinctive soil profiles known as podzols or spodosols. These conditions are characteristic of many regions in high middle latitudes (e.g., Boreal forest regions).
Other soil-forming processes like laterization are associated with hot, humid climates (tropical regions), calcification with arid climates, and gleization with waterlogged conditions.

127. Consider the following characteristics of a type of wind : They occu

Consider the following characteristics of a type of wind :

  • They occur at upper levels in the atmosphere
  • They are subjected to two forces, a pressure gradient force and the Coriolis force
  • When the forces balance, air moves at right angles to the pressure gradient, parallel to the isobars

Identify the type of wind on the basis of the given characteristics :

[amp_mcq option1=”Jet Stream” option2=”Geostrophic Wind” option3=”Westerlies” option4=”Easterlies” correct=”option2″]

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The characteristics describe a Geostrophic Wind.
Geostrophic wind is a theoretical wind that results from an exact balance between the Coriolis force and the pressure gradient force. It flows parallel to isobars. This balance typically occurs at upper levels of the atmosphere where friction is negligible. Jet streams are a specific example of strong geostrophic winds in the upper atmosphere, but the description fits the general definition of a geostrophic wind.
The pressure gradient force acts perpendicular to isobars from high to low pressure. The Coriolis force acts at a right angle to the wind direction (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, left in the Southern Hemisphere). In geostrophic balance, these forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, causing the wind to flow parallel to isobars.

128. Consider the following statements regarding the rotation of the Earth

Consider the following statements regarding the rotation of the Earth :

  • Since the Earth rotates by 15° each hour, time zones normally differ by one hour
  • At the International Date Line, the calendar day changes – advancing a day for eastward travel, dropping back a day for westward travel
  • Daylight saving time advances the clock by one hour
  • The Moon rotates and revolves about the Earth in the same direction that the Earth revolves around the Sun

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”3 and 4 only” option3=”1, 3 and 4″ option4=”2, 3 and 4″ correct=”option3″]

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Statements 1, 3, and 4 are correct. Statement 2 is incorrect.
The Earth rotates approximately 15 degrees of longitude per hour, which is the basis for standard time zones. Daylight Saving Time involves advancing clocks, typically by one hour. The Moon orbits and rotates in the same direction as Earth orbits the Sun (counter-clockwise when viewed from above the North Pole). The International Date Line works such that crossing it from west to east causes the date to go back a day, while crossing from east to west causes the date to advance a day.
Standard time zones are nominally 15 degrees wide, corresponding to one hour difference, although political boundaries often cause deviations. The International Date Line is located roughly along the 180° longitude. The synchronous rotation of the Moon (rotating and revolving at the same rate and direction) is why the same side of the Moon always faces Earth.

129. Which one of the following statements about the solstices, an event th

Which one of the following statements about the solstices, an event that occurs when the Sun appears to reach most northerly or southerly, is correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”The winter solstice takes place on June 21 in both the northern and southern hemispheres” option2=”The winter solstice takes place on December 21 in both the northern and southern hemispheres” option3=”The summer solstice occurs in northern hemisphere on June 21 and on December 21 in southern hemisphere” option4=”The summer solstice occurs in northern hemisphere on December 21 and on June 21 in southern hemisphere” correct=”option3″]

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Solstices are astronomical events that occur twice a year, marking the points at which the Sun reaches its highest or lowest point in the sky at noon, depending on the hemisphere. This is due to the tilt of the Earth’s axis relative to its orbital plane. The summer solstice occurs around June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere when the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun, resulting in the longest day of the year. On this same date, it is the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, with the shortest day. Conversely, the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs around December 21 or 22 when the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun, marking the shortest day. On this date, it is the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, the summer solstice occurs in the Northern Hemisphere on June 21 (approximately) and in the Southern Hemisphere on December 21 (approximately).
Solstices mark the maximum axial tilt of the Earth towards or away from the Sun, leading to the longest and shortest days of the year in the respective hemispheres. The solstices in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are six months apart.
The dates of the solstices can vary by a day or two each year due to the Earth’s elliptical orbit and the presence of leap years. The other key seasonal markers are the equinoxes (vernal/spring and autumnal), which occur around March 20 and September 22, when the tilt is neither towards nor away from the Sun, resulting in approximately equal day and night length globally.

130. Which one of the following statements is correct about Spring tides ?

Which one of the following statements is correct about Spring tides ?

[amp_mcq option1=”High tide is higher than average high tide and Low tide is higher than average low tide.” option2=”High tide is lower than average high tide and Low tide is higher than average low tide.” option3=”High tide is higher than average high tide and Low tide is lower than average low tide.” option4=”High tide is lower than average high tide and Low tide is lower than average high tide.” correct=”option3″]

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Spring tides occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned (during New Moon and Full Moon). The combined gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon causes a greater tidal range than average. This results in high tides that are higher than the average high tide and low tides that are lower than the average low tide. Option C correctly describes this phenomenon. Option A describes a condition where both high and low tides are higher than average, which is incorrect as low tides are lower during spring tides. Options B and D incorrectly state that high tides are lower than average.
Spring tides are the tides with the largest tidal range, occurring during syzygy (alignment of Earth, Moon, and Sun) at New Moon and Full Moon, characterized by exceptionally high high tides and exceptionally low low tides.
Conversely, neap tides occur during the first and third quarter Moon phases, when the Moon and Sun are at right angles to the Earth. Their gravitational pulls partially cancel each other out, resulting in a smaller tidal range, with lower high tides and higher low tides than average.
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