NTA UGC NET/JRF Exam, Dec., 2023 Geography

Carlsberg Ridge is located in the Indian Ocean. The central ridge in the Indian Ocean extends from the south of Peninsular India to Antarctica in a systematic chain from north to south. It starts from the submerged coast of Peninsular India in the north, where its width becomes 320 km. This part is known as the Laccadive-Chagos Ridge.
This ridge further extends south and is known as the Chagos-Saint Paul Ridge between the equator and 30° South latitude, and going further south, the width of this ridge becomes 1600 km and it is referred to as the Amsterdam-Saint Paul Plateau. South of 50° South latitude, this ridge divides into two branches.
The Carlsberg Ridge in the west extends between 48° and 63° South latitudes, and the eastern branch is known as the Indian-Antarctic Ridge. The Albatross Plateau is located in the Pacific Ocean. The Walvis Ridge and the Wyville Thomson Ridge are found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Soil profile layers are mainly divided into two categories: 1. Organic Horizons, 2. Mineral Horizons. The uppermost layer of any soil profile is called the Organic Horizon or organic layer, which is abundant in living or dead organic matter.
This horizon is denoted by the English letter 'O'. It mostly contains surface litter, partially decomposed organic matter, and organic matter derived from plants and animals. The Mineral Horizon is formed from inorganic substances or minerals. In addition, a small amount of organic matter is also found in the upper part of the mineral horizon.
This horizon is divided into three sub-horizons (A, В, and C horizons). These three horizons are also divided into several sub-horizons (A1,A2,A3,B1,B2,B3). The A horizon is generally called topsoil. Plant roots are usually found in this horizon. In the B-horizon, soil particles are densely packed.
Consequently, there is a lack of air, due to which living organisms and plant roots cannot thrive. The weathered material of the parent rock beneath the B-horizon is called Regolith. This layer is also known as the Substratum Horizon. This layer is also called the Gley layer. The D or R horizon consists of consolidated, firm, and hard parent rock layers located beneath the soil. Thus, it is clear that both statements (A) and (B) are
correct.

According to World Population 2022, More Developed Countries (MDCs) account for less than 25 percent of the world's population. The Crude Death Rate (CDR) is higher in More Developed Countries compared to Less Developed Countries, and one-fourth of the world's population is in the under 15 age group. The share of the rural population in the world population is less than the urban population.

The outer core is separated from the inner core based on the variation in the velocity of 'P' waves. The core extends from 2900 km to the Earth's center (6371 km). The volume of the core is 16 percent of the Earth's volume and only 32 percent of the total mass. The core is divided into two sub-parts: (i) Outer Core, (ii) Inner Core.
This division boundary is set at a depth of 5150 km. Thus, the outer core extends between the depths of 2900 km and 5150 km. The seismic S-wave does not penetrate this layer. The part from 5150 km to 6371 km depth comes under the Inner Core, which is in a solid state. The velocity of P-waves in the inner core is 11.23 km per second. The Lehmann Discontinuity is found between the outer and inner core.

The USA-Canada border does not pass through Lake Michigan. Lakes Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Superior form the border between Canada and the USA. Lake Michigan is a freshwater lake located entirely within the United States, and is one of the Great Lakes. The major American cities located on its shores are Chicago, Gary, and Milwaukee.

The substances' reflectivity in the thermal infrared region (8.00-9.20 µm) is in the following ascending order: Clean Water < Sandy Loam Soil < Concrete < Grass. The heat released into the atmosphere by a substance is called emitted heat or emissivity. The emissivity of most substances ranges between 0.81 and 0.96.
Generally, the emissivity of surface materials like rocks, soil, vegetation, etc., is approximately between 0.75 and 0.95, while thermal images appear colder due to emissivity compared to temperature differences caused by other factors. The emissivities of substances are shown below, which are taken from the 8 to 12 micrometer range:

Phyllite represents an intermediate degree of metamorphism between slate and schist. Some important examples of metamorphic rocks are as follows:

Natural hazards are the products of Earth's inherent system to balance the ecosystem. They are part of natural processes, but when their frequency and intensity increase, they cause devastation, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, cyclones, droughts, and landslides.
Flood is defined as the temporary inundation of land due to the overflowing of a river, lake, or sea level. The National Flood Commission has identified 40 million hectares of area in India as flood-prone.
Landslide is the rapid flow of rock, soil, and vegetation down a slope due to gravity. Landslides and avalanches fall under major hydro-geological hazards, affecting the Himalayan mountains, the North-Eastern ranges, the Western Ghats, the Nilgiris, the Eastern Ghats, and the Vindhyachal, which constitute 15% of the Indian landmass.
The National Institute of Disaster Management had divided India into 5 seismic zones. Currently, the seismic Zones I and II of India have been merged into one, now designated as Zone II. Thus, the country is now divided into 4 seismic zones.
Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) is located in a less sensitive zone compared to Mumbai and Kolkata. Thoothukudi is located in the Minimal Impact Zone. The tsunami of December 26, 2004, resulted in significant loss of life and property in Odisha. Thus, it is clear that statement (A) is true and the other statements are false.

The low-level adopters of innovations, based on their percentage share of all adopters, are arranged in the following descending order: Late Majority → Laggards→ Early Adopters → Innovators.
The use of advanced agricultural technology, new equipment, input processes, and farming methods constitutes the modernization of agriculture, aimed at increasing production and productivity. All these methods are known as innovations. There are two processes of innovation: (i) Diffusion, (ii) Adoption.

Stoddart themes of suggested major innovation from Darwin's works, which significantly contributed to contemporary geographical thought. The idea of selection and struggle propelled contemporary geographical concepts towards both scientific determinism and possibilism. Charles Darwin's famous book, 'On the Origin of Species', which analyzed the theory of biological evolution, was published in 1859.
Darwin's theory is known as Darwinism. According to him, evolution is a continuous process during which some changes in an organism are natural. As per Darwin's theory of evolution, every type of organism constantly struggles for its existence.
Any organism that is unfit or weak in this struggle perishes, and only the existence of the fittest organism is possible. Thus, the principles of Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest are prominent in the process of the origin and evolution of species.