World and Physical Geography

271. Consider the following statements about a river: This river originates

Consider the following statements about a river:
This river originates in the Hindu Kush mountain range and flows into Hamoun wetlands after covering a long stretch of about 1,100 km. There has been serious conflicts between two neighbouring nations regarding the sharing of water from this river.
Identify the river from the following:

[amp_mcq option1=”Mekong” option2=”Tarim” option3=”Indus” option4=”Helmand” correct=”option4″]

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The correct answer is D. The river described is the Helmand River.
The Helmand River originates in the Hindu Kush mountain range (specifically, the Baba mountains) in Afghanistan. It flows southwest through Afghanistan and into Iran, where it empties into the Hamoun wetlands (a series of lakes and marshes on the border). Its length is approximately 1,150 km. There has been a long-standing dispute between Afghanistan and Iran over the sharing of the Helmand River’s water.
The Mekong River originates in the Tibetan Plateau and flows through Southeast Asia. The Tarim River is in Xinjiang, China. The Indus River originates in the Tibetan Plateau and flows through India and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea; while it has tributaries from the Hindu Kush, its main origin is not there, and it flows into the sea, not Hamoun wetlands.

272. The 480 MW Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project is situated in

The 480 MW Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project is situated in

[amp_mcq option1=”Thailand” option2=”Indonesia” option3=”Nepal” option4=”Bhutan” correct=”option3″]

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The correct answer is C. The 480 MW Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project is situated in Nepal.
The Phukot Karnali Hydro Electric Project is a proposed run-of-river hydropower project located on the Karnali River in Kalikot District, Karnali Province of Nepal. It is being developed by Nepal Electricity Authority and NHPC Limited (India) through a joint venture.
The project is planned with an installed capacity of 480 MW and is expected to contribute significantly to Nepal’s hydropower generation capacity and potentially enable electricity export to India.

273. Which one of the following climatic regions of the world have a typica

Which one of the following climatic regions of the world have a typical characteristic of seasonal reversal of wind ?

[amp_mcq option1=”British type Climate” option2=”Mediterranean Climate” option3=”China type Climate” option4=”Monsoon Climate” correct=”option4″]

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Seasonal reversal of wind is a hallmark characteristic of the Monsoon climate. This phenomenon is caused by the differential heating of land and sea, leading to significant seasonal shifts in atmospheric pressure and wind patterns. During the summer monsoon, winds blow from the sea to the land, bringing heavy rainfall. During the winter monsoon, winds blow from the land to the sea, resulting in dry conditions in many regions.
– Monsoon climate is characterized by distinct wet and dry seasons.
– This seasonality is driven by large-scale seasonal changes in wind direction (reversal).
– This contrasts with other climate types like Mediterranean (dry summers, wet winters with Westerlies) or British type (uniform precipitation, dominated by Westerlies).
The term ‘monsoon’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘mausim’, meaning season. Major monsoon regions include South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Australia and Africa.

274. Which one of the following is an organic soil ?

Which one of the following is an organic soil ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Aridisols” option2=”Histosols” option3=”Oxisols” option4=”Vertisols” correct=”option2″]

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Organic soils are characterized by their high content of organic matter, typically formed from the accumulation and decomposition of plant remains. In the USDA soil taxonomy system, Histosols are an order of soils that are primarily composed of organic materials (often >20-30% organic carbon by weight) in the upper 80 cm, commonly found in wetland environments like bogs, marshes, and swamps.
Histosols are defined by their high organic matter content, distinguishing them from mineral soils.
Aridisols are soils of arid and semi-arid climates, typically low in organic matter. Oxisols are highly weathered soils found in tropical and subtropical regions, rich in iron and aluminum oxides. Vertisols are clay-rich soils that shrink and swell significantly with changes in moisture content. These other soil orders are classified as mineral soils.

275. Which one of the following is NOT an example of Fold Mountain ?

Which one of the following is NOT an example of Fold Mountain ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Mt. Fuji” option2=”Alps” option3=”Andes” option4=”Rockies” correct=”option1″]

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Fold mountains are formed when tectonic forces compress layers of rock, causing them to buckle and fold. The Alps in Europe, the Andes in South America, and the Rockies in North America are all major mountain ranges formed by folding. Mount Fuji, located in Japan, is not a fold mountain; it is a stratovolcano (composite volcano), formed by successive layers of volcanic ash and lava.
Mountains are formed through various geological processes, including folding, faulting, and volcanism. Fold mountains are a result of crustal compression.
Other types of mountains include fault-block mountains (formed by faulting and uplift), volcanic mountains (formed by volcanic activity), and dome mountains (formed by upward pushing magma). Mt. Fuji is an active volcano and a prominent example of a volcanic mountain.

276. Which of the following statements about Suez Canal is/are correct ?

Which of the following statements about Suez Canal is/are correct ?

  • 1. Suez is a man-made navigation canal
  • 2. Suez links Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea
  • 3. The economic significance of Suez Canal is less than that of Panama Canal

Select the correct 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=”option2″]

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Statements 1 and 2 are correct, but Statement 3 is incorrect.
The Suez Canal is a man-made waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It is one of the most significant global shipping routes, facilitating trade between Europe and Asia without needing to circumnavigate Africa. Its economic significance is generally considered greater than that of the Panama Canal due to the volume of traffic, especially oil and container shipments, and the distance saved.
The Suez Canal was opened in 1869. The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean across the Isthmus of Panama. While also crucial, the Suez Canal handles a larger volume of world trade traffic.

277. In which one of the following layers of the atmosphere all weather phe

In which one of the following layers of the atmosphere all weather pheno-menon occur ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Mesosphere” option2=”Troposphere” option3=”Thermosphere” option4=”Stratosphere” correct=”option2″]

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The Troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, extending from the surface up to an average altitude of about 7-15 kilometers (varying with latitude and season). It contains about 75-80% of the atmosphere’s mass and nearly all of its water vapor and aerosols. Weather phenomena, such as clouds, precipitation, storms, fronts, and most air currents, occur almost exclusively within the troposphere due to the presence of water vapor and the process of convection.
Almost all weather phenomena on Earth occur in the Troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere.
The layer above the troposphere is the Stratosphere, which contains the ozone layer and is relatively stable with minimal weather. The Mesosphere and Thermosphere are even higher layers with negligible weather activity.

278. A geographical grid has: 1. Lines that run east to west around the g

A geographical grid has:

  • 1. Lines that run east to west around the globe to mark latitude
  • 2. Lines that run north to south from north pole to south pole indicate longitude

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option3″]

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A geographical grid is formed by the intersection of lines of latitude and longitude. Lines of latitude are imaginary circles running horizontally around the globe, parallel to the Equator, measuring distance north or south of the Equator (0°). Lines of longitude are imaginary semi-circles running vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole, measuring distance east or west of the Prime Meridian (0°). Therefore, both statements are correct in describing the components of a geographical grid.
A geographical grid is defined by the network of intersecting lines of latitude (east-west) and longitude (north-south), used for pinpointing locations on Earth.
Latitude lines are called parallels, and longitude lines are called meridians. The latitude of the equator is 0°, the North Pole is 90° N, and the South Pole is 90° S. The Prime Meridian is 0°, and longitude is measured up to 180° East or West.

279. Which one of the following is the oldest era in Geological History det

Which one of the following is the oldest era in Geological History determining the age of various rock types ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Precambrian” option2=”Mesozoic” option3=”Cenozoic” option4=”Paleozoic” correct=”option1″]

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In the geological timescale, the largest division is the Eon. The history of the Earth is divided into four eons: Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic. The first three eons together are often informally referred to as the Precambrian Supereon, preceding the Phanerozoic. The Phanerozoic Eon is divided into three eras: Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic. The Precambrian represents the vast majority of Earth’s history, from its formation about 4.5 billion years ago until the beginning of the Paleozoic era about 541 million years ago. Therefore, the Precambrian is the oldest era (or supereon encompassing the oldest eras) listed.
The Precambrian Supereon, comprising the Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic Eons, represents the oldest and longest interval in Earth’s geological history, preceding the Phanerozoic Eon and its subdivisions (Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic Eras).
The Paleozoic Era saw the “Cambrian explosion” of life, the Mesozoic is known as the age of dinosaurs, and the Cenozoic is the current era, known as the age of mammals. These are all significantly younger than the Precambrian.

280. Which one of the following is the usual unit of measurement for Air Pr

Which one of the following is the usual unit of measurement for Air Pressure used in India ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Centimeter” option2=”Millibar” option3=”Milligram” option4=”Milliliter” correct=”option2″]

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In meteorology, including in India, air pressure is commonly measured and reported in millibars (mb) or hectopascals (hPa). One millibar is equal to one hectopascal (1 mb = 1 hPa). While the standard international unit for pressure is the Pascal (Pa), millibars/hectopascals remain widely used for atmospheric pressure due to historical conventions and convenience (standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 1013.25 mb or hPa). Centimeter, Milligram, and Milliliter are units of length, mass, and volume respectively.
Millibar (mb) or Hectopascal (hPa) are the standard units for measuring atmospheric pressure in meteorology.
A mercury barometer or an aneroid barometer are common instruments used to measure air pressure. Pressure is a force per unit area; 1 Pascal is defined as one Newton per square meter (N/m²).
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