World and Physical Geography

141. Which one of the following geologic time periods is associated with th

Which one of the following geologic time periods is associated with the first appearance of the marsupials?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lower Cretaceous” option2=”Upper Cretaceous” option3=”Early Jurassic” option4=”Middle Jurassic” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The first appearance of marsupials in the fossil record is associated with the Upper Cretaceous geologic time period.
– Marsupials (Metatheria) and placental mammals (Eutheria) are thought to have diverged from a common ancestor during the Cretaceous period.
– The earliest definitive marsupial fossils date back to the Upper Cretaceous, specifically from North America and Asia.
The Cretaceous period spans from approximately 145 to 66 million years ago. It is divided into the Lower Cretaceous (145-100.5 million years ago) and the Upper Cretaceous (100.5-66 million years ago). Mammals, including early marsupials and placentals, diversified significantly during the Cretaceous, particularly after the extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the period. Earlier mammal forms existed in the Jurassic, but the divergence and appearance of distinct marsupial lineage fossils occurred later.

142. Solifluction is a geomorphic process involving a special type of soil

Solifluction is a geomorphic process involving a special type of soil flow that is noticed in

[amp_mcq option1=”desert regions” option2=”karst regions” option3=”permafrost regions” option4=”savanna regions” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is C) permafrost regions.
– Solifluction is a specific type of mass wasting process common in cold climates, particularly in regions with permafrost.
– It involves the slow flow of water-saturated soil down a slope. This occurs when the surface layer of soil (active layer) thaws in summer but is underlain by impermeable permafrost, preventing drainage and causing the soil to become saturated and mobile.
– Permafrost is ground (soil, rock, or sediment) that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years. It is found in high latitudes and high altitudes.
– While slow mass movement (creep) can occur in various environments, solifluction specifically refers to the saturated flow condition over a frozen layer and is characteristic of permafrost environments or places with seasonal ground freezing that mimics the effect.

143. 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 (Regional block)List-II (Headquarters)
A. ASEAN1. Brussels
B. CIS2. Vienna
C. EU3. Minsk
D. OPEC4. Jakarta

Code :

[amp_mcq option1=”A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2″ option2=”A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2″ option3=”A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4″ option4=”A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4″ correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct answer is A) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2.
– ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia.
– CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) has its headquarters (Executive Committee) in Minsk, Belarus.
– EU (European Union) has its main political headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
– OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria.
– Regional blocks are intergovernmental organizations or groups formed to promote cooperation and achieve shared goals, often economic or political, among member states in a particular geographical area.
– Their headquarters serve as the administrative centres for their secretariats and official meetings.

144. 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
(Type of plain)		List-II
(Characteristic feature)
A. Bhabar1. Marsh
B. Bhangar2. Silt
C. Khadar3. Gravels
D. Delta4. Kankar

Code :

[amp_mcq option1=”A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1″ option2=”A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1″ option3=”A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3″ option4=”A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3″ correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct option is B. The characteristics are correctly matched as A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1.
– A. Bhabar: This is a narrow belt (8-10 km wide) running parallel to the Shiwalik range. It consists of pebbles and boulders deposited by rivers coming down from the mountains. Rivers often disappear into this porous belt. Matches with Characteristic 3 (Gravels).
– B. Bhangar: This is the older alluvial plain, located away from the floodplains. It is slightly elevated and contains calcareous concretions known as ‘Kankar’. Matches with Characteristic 4 (Kankar).
– C. Khadar: This is the newer alluvial plain, located along the river banks. It is formed by fresh alluvial deposits during annual floods. It is fertile and consists of fine silt and clay. Matches with Characteristic 2 (Silt).
– D. Delta: This is a landform created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or standing water. Deltas are typically low-lying, flat, and often contain marshy areas, especially near the coast. Matches with Characteristic 1 (Marsh).
– The plains of Northern India are primarily formed by alluvial deposits from the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra river systems.
– These plains are geographically divided into different belts based on sediment characteristics and elevation relative to flood levels (Bhabar, Terai, Bhangar, Khadar).
– The Terai belt is located south of the Bhabar, it is a wet, swampy, and marshy region with dense forest cover. (Not included in this question, but relevant context).

145. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The jet stream

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  • 1. The jet streams are high altitude easterly winds.
  • 2. El Niño is a warm ocean current.
  • 3. El Niño appears along the Peru coast.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The correct option is B. Statements 2 and 3 are correct, while statement 1 is incorrect.
– Statement 1: The jet streams are high altitude winds, but they are typically strong, narrow currents of *westerly* winds in the upper troposphere. While there are tropical easterly jet streams, the general description of “the jet streams” refers to the dominant westerly flow at high altitudes. Therefore, stating they are “easterly winds” as a general characteristic is incorrect.
– Statement 2: El Niño is indeed a warm ocean current. It refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming of the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
– Statement 3: El Niño appears along the Peru coast. The warming associated with El Niño is most prominent in the eastern equatorial Pacific, off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru.
– Jet streams play a significant role in influencing weather patterns globally.
– El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern. Its opposite phase, La Niña, is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the same region.
– El Niño events have significant global climatic consequences, affecting rainfall patterns, temperatures, and extreme weather events in many parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent (often associated with weaker monsoons).

146. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to nor

Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to normal lapse rate?

[amp_mcq option1=”Temperature is highest at ground level and decreases with increasing altitude.” option2=”Temperature is lowest at ground level and increases with increasing altitude.” option3=”Temperature remains stable with increasing altitude.” option4=”Temperature first increases with increasing altitude and gradually starts decreasing.” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The normal lapse rate refers to the rate at which atmospheric temperature decreases with an increase in altitude. In the troposphere, temperature is generally highest at or near the ground level and decreases as you move higher.
The normal lapse rate is approximately 6.5°C per kilometer (or 3.5°F per 1000 feet) in the troposphere. This decrease occurs because the atmosphere is primarily heated by the Earth’s surface.
There are instances where temperature increases with altitude, known as temperature inversion. These inversions occur under specific atmospheric conditions but are not the normal lapse rate.

147. Which one of the following statements about ‘great circle’ is not corr

Which one of the following statements about ‘great circle’ is not correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”Every great circle divides the Earth into equal halves.” option2=”Every great circle is a circumference of the Earth.” option3=”Great circles mark the longest travel routes between locations on the Earth’s surface.” option4=”Great circle is the largest circle that can be drawn around the Earth through two particular points.” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
Great circles represent the shortest travel routes between two points on the surface of a sphere (like Earth). Statement C says they mark the *longest* routes, which is incorrect.
A great circle is the intersection of a sphere and a plane that passes through the center of the sphere. It is the largest possible circle that can be drawn on a sphere.
Every great circle divides the Earth into two equal hemispheres. The equator and all lines of longitude are examples of great circles. Lines of latitude, except for the equator, are not great circles. The shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere lies along the arc of the great circle passing through them.

148. Which of the following statements about maps are correct? 1. Maps t

Which of the following statements about maps are correct?

  • 1. Maps that maintain the true shapes of areas are known as conformal maps.
  • 2. Maps are used to show spatial relationships.
  • 3. Maps cannot show route from one place to another.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
Statements 1 and 2 are correct, while statement 3 is incorrect. Conformal maps (like Mercator projection) are designed to maintain the true shapes of small areas, though they distort area and distance, particularly at higher latitudes. Maps are fundamental tools used to represent spatial relationships between features on the Earth’s surface. Statement 3 is incorrect because maps are commonly used to show routes, paths, and directions from one place to another.
– Conformal maps preserve angles and shapes locally.
– Maps depict the spatial arrangement, distribution, and relationships of geographic phenomena.
– Maps are essential for navigation and showing routes.
Different types of map projections exist, each distorting some properties (shape, area, distance, direction) while preserving others. Maps serve various purposes, including navigation, planning, analysis, and communication of spatial information.

149. Which one of the following is not correct?

Which one of the following is not correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current.” option2=”The North Atlantic Drift is a warm ocean current.” option3=”The Labrador Current is a cold ocean current.” option4=”The California Current is a warm ocean current.” correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
The California Current is a cold ocean current, not warm. It flows southward along the west coast of North America, bringing cooler water from higher latitudes towards the equator.
Ocean currents are classified as warm or cold based on their temperature relative to the surrounding water and the region they flow through. Warm currents typically flow from equatorial regions towards the poles, while cold currents flow from polar regions towards the equator.
The Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are warm currents transporting heat towards Europe. The Labrador Current is a cold current flowing from the Arctic south along the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland. The California Current is a cold current influencing the climate of the North American west coast.

150. Trough and ridge are

Trough and ridge are

[amp_mcq option1=”elongated area of low pressure and of high pressure respectively” option2=”elongated areas of low pressure” option3=”elongated areas of high pressure” option4=”elongated area of high pressure and of low pressure respectively” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2022
Download PDFAttempt Online
In meteorology, a trough is an elongated area of relatively low atmospheric pressure. It is often associated with fronts and can lead to unsettled weather. A ridge is an elongated area of relatively high atmospheric pressure. Ridges are typically associated with stable atmospheric conditions and fair weather.
Trough and ridge are terms used in meteorology to describe the shape of isobars (lines of equal pressure) on a weather map, indicating areas of relatively low and high pressure respectively.
Troughs extend away from the center of a low-pressure system, while ridges extend away from the center of a high-pressure system. These features are important for understanding atmospheric circulation and predicting weather patterns.
Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5