World and Physical Geography

291. Which one of the following countries has the maximum time difference f

Which one of the following countries has the maximum time difference from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) ?

[amp_mcq option1=”India” option2=”Nepal” option3=”Sri Lanka” option4=”Bhutan” correct=”option4″]

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UPSC NDA-2 – 2021
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The standard time differences from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the given countries are:
– India: UTC+5:30
– Nepal: UTC+5:45
– Sri Lanka: UTC+5:30
– Bhutan: UTC+6:00
Bhutan (UTC+6:00) has the maximum time difference of 6 hours from GMT (UTC+0:00) among the given options.
– Standard Time is defined relative to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is practically the same as GMT.
– Each country has a specific offset from UTC.
India’s standard time (IST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT. Nepal’s standard time (NPT) is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT. Sri Lanka’s standard time (SLST) is 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of GMT. Bhutan’s standard time (BTT) is 6 hours ahead of GMT.

292. Which one of the following best describes the Lithosphere ?

Which one of the following best describes the Lithosphere ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Upper and lower mantle” option2=”Crust and core” option3=”Crust and upper mantle” option4=”Lower mantle and core” correct=”option3″]

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The correct option is C, Crust and upper mantle.
The Earth’s structure is typically described in terms of layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core. These layers can be further divided based on physical properties (like rigidity) or chemical composition. The Lithosphere is defined as the rigid outer layer of the Earth. It consists of the entire crust (continental and oceanic) and the uppermost, rigid part of the mantle, often called the lithospheric mantle.
Beneath the lithosphere lies the Asthenosphere, which is a mechanically weak, ductile layer of the upper mantle. The lithosphere essentially rides on the asthenosphere. Option A is incorrect as it omits the crust. Option B is incorrect as it includes the core but omits a large part of the mantle. Option D describes deeper layers below the lithosphere.

293. Which one of the following is not a soil forming factor ?

Which one of the following is not a soil forming factor ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Parent material” option2=”Topography” option3=”Climate” option4=”Human habitation” correct=”option4″]

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The correct option is D, Human habitation.
Soil formation (pedogenesis) is a complex process influenced by several key factors. The primary soil-forming factors are generally recognized as:
1. **Parent material (A):** The geological material from which soil is formed (rock, sediment).
2. **Climate (C):** Temperature and precipitation influence weathering rates, organic decomposition, and leaching.
3. **Topography (B) (or Relief):** Slope, aspect, and elevation affect drainage, erosion, and microclimate.
4. **Organisms:** Biota, including plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and *humans*, contribute organic matter, mix soil, and influence nutrient cycling.
5. **Time:** The duration over which soil formation processes occur.
While human activities related to habitation (agriculture, urbanization, waste disposal) significantly *impact* existing soils and can influence soil development over time (as part of the ‘Organisms’ factor), ‘human habitation’ itself is not typically listed as a fundamental, primary soil-forming factor alongside parent material, climate, topography, organisms, and time in standard pedology texts. It describes a state or land use rather than a fundamental process driver.
The CLORPT model (Climate, Organisms, Relief, Parent material, Time) is a widely used framework to describe the main factors affecting soil formation. Human activities are considered part of the ‘Organisms’ factor, but ‘human habitation’ in isolation is not a distinct primary factor in the same category as climate or parent material.

294. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of layers as we mov

Which one of the following is the correct sequence of layers as we move from the Earth’s surface upwards?

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

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The correct option is B, Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere.
The Earth’s atmosphere is divided into several layers based on temperature profiles and composition as we move upwards from the surface. The principal layers, in order from the Earth’s surface outwards, are:
1. **Troposphere:** The lowest layer, where most weather occurs. Temperature generally decreases with altitude.
2. **Stratosphere:** Above the troposphere, contains the ozone layer. Temperature increases with altitude due to ozone absorption of UV radiation.
3. **Mesosphere:** Above the stratosphere. Temperature decreases with altitude; it is the coldest layer. Most meteors burn up here.
4. **Thermosphere:** Above the mesosphere. Temperature increases sharply with altitude due to absorption of high-energy solar radiation by sparse gas molecules. The International Space Station orbits here.
Above the thermosphere is the Exosphere, transitioning into outer space.
The given options only list the first four main layers. The correct sequence starting from the surface is Troposphere, followed by Stratosphere, then Mesosphere, and finally Thermosphere among the layers listed.

295. The Earth’s atmosphere is mainly heated by which one of the following

The Earth’s atmosphere is mainly heated by which one of the following ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Short wave solar radiation” option2=”Reflected solar radiation” option3=”Long wave terrestrial radiation” option4=”Scattered solar radiation” correct=”option3″]

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The correct option is C, Long wave terrestrial radiation.
The Earth’s atmosphere is primarily heated indirectly. Incoming shortwave solar radiation (A) passes through the atmosphere with relatively little absorption, directly heating the Earth’s surface. The heated surface then emits energy in the form of longwave infrared radiation (C). Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (like carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, etc.) are efficient absorbers of this longwave terrestrial radiation. This absorption by greenhouse gases is the main process by which the atmosphere is heated, particularly in the lower layers (troposphere).
Reflected solar radiation (B) does not heat the atmosphere; it is simply bounced back into space or scattered (D). While scattered solar radiation contributes to diffuse light and some heating, the primary heating mechanism for the bulk of the atmosphere, especially the troposphere, is the absorption of outgoing longwave radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface – the greenhouse effect.

296. Which one of the following factors does not affect the distribution of

Which one of the following factors does not affect the distribution of groundwater ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Amount of precipitation” option2=”Rate of evaporation” option3=”Ability of the ground surface to allow water to infiltrate into the groundwater system” option4=”Distance from the sea” correct=”option4″]

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Distance from the sea is the factor among the given options that does not universally affect the distribution of groundwater.
Groundwater distribution is primarily controlled by factors related to the supply of water and the ability of the ground to store and transmit it. These include the amount of precipitation (recharge), the rate of evaporation (loss and reduced recharge), and the geological characteristics (porosity, permeability, infiltration capacity). Distance from the sea is relevant mainly for coastal hydrogeology (e.g., saltwater intrusion) but is not a fundamental factor governing groundwater distribution in all landscapes, particularly inland areas.
Precipitation is the main source of groundwater recharge. High evaporation rates reduce surface water and soil moisture, limiting infiltration. The ability of the ground surface (and underlying strata) to allow infiltration and hold water determines where groundwater can accumulate and how it is distributed in aquifers. While distance from the sea influences specific conditions like salinity gradients and tidal effects in coastal aquifers, it doesn’t determine the general presence or absence and distribution of groundwater in non-coastal regions, which are governed by climatic and geological factors.

297. Fine-grained bed of ephemeral lake in a desert is also known as

Fine-grained bed of ephemeral lake in a desert is also known as

[amp_mcq option1=”Playa” option2=”Oasis” option3=”Drumlin” option4=”Natural levee” correct=”option1″]

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A fine-grained bed of an ephemeral lake in a desert is also known as a Playa.
A playa (also known as a dry lakebed or alkali flat) is a basin or depression that holds water only temporarily, usually after rain, forming an ephemeral lake. As the water evaporates in the arid conditions, fine-grained sediments (silt and clay) are left behind, forming a smooth, flat, dry surface.
Oasis is a fertile area in a desert with a water source. Drumlin is a glacial landform. Natural levee is a feature of river systems. The description of a temporary lakebed with fine-grained deposits in a desert specifically refers to a playa.

298. Which one from among the following planets is largest in size ?

Which one from among the following planets is largest in size ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Earth” option2=”Venus” option3=”Mars” option4=”Mercury” correct=”option1″]

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Earth is the largest planet in size among the given options.
Comparing the approximate mean diameters of the planets listed:
– Mercury: ~4,880 km
– Venus: ~12,100 km
– Earth: ~12,740 km
– Mars: ~6,780 km
Among Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, Earth has the largest diameter and is therefore the largest in size. The order from largest to smallest among these is Earth > Venus > Mars > Mercury. In the entire solar system, the planets in order of decreasing size are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury.

299. Which one of the following countries does NOT have direct access to th

Which one of the following countries does NOT have direct access to the sea/ocean ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Syria” option2=”Jordan” option3=”Azerbaijan” option4=”Armenia” correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2020
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Armenia is a landlocked country located in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan to the south. It has no direct access to any sea or ocean.
A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastline lies on closed seas.
– Syria has a coastline on the Mediterranean Sea.
– Jordan has a short coastline on the Gulf of Aqaba, which is an arm of the Red Sea and connected to the Indian Ocean.
– Azerbaijan borders the Caspian Sea. While the Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water and often referred to as a sea, it is technically an endorheic basin (lake) and does not have a natural direct outlet to the global ocean system. However, compared to Armenia which has absolutely no sea access, Azerbaijan’s situation is different. The question asks which *does NOT* have direct access, and Armenia clearly fits this description better than Azerbaijan.

300. Which one of the following mountains lies in between Caspian Sea and B

Which one of the following mountains lies in between Caspian Sea and Black Sea ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Caucasus” option2=”Carpathians” option3=”Apennine” option4=”Elburz” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2020
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The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain range located between the Black Sea to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east. They span parts of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, and Turkey.
Geographically, the Caucasus region is often considered the boundary between Europe and Asia. The greater Caucasus range stretches from the Taman Peninsula on the Black Sea to the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea.
Other options are incorrect:
– Carpathians are a mountain range in Central and Eastern Europe.
– Apennines are a mountain range running the length of Italy.
– Elburz (Alborz) is a mountain range in northern Iran, south of the Caspian Sea.
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