Physical Geography (UPSC) (Part-II)

Total Questions: 50

11. Assertion (A) : Existence of human life on Venus is highly improbable. [2005]

Reason (R) : Venus has extremely high level of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere

Correct Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
Solution:The atmosphere of Venus is composed primarily of carbon dioxide and much denser and hotter than that of Earth.
The atmosphere of Venus supports opaque clouds made of sulfuric acid, making optical Earth-based and orbital observation of the surface impossible.

12. Assertion (A) : Wind patterns are clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. [2005]

Reason (R) : The directions of wind patterns in the Northern and the Southern Hemisphere are governed by the Coriolis effect.

Correct Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
Solution:A is true as the direction of wind in the northern hemisphere is clock wise and in southern hemisphere it is anti clock wise. The explanation is correct as this is mainly due to coriolis effect.
  • The pattern of planetary winds depend on:
  • latitudinal variation of atmospheric heating;
  • emergence of pressure belts;
  • the migration of belts following apparent path of the sun;
  • the distribution of continents and oceans;
  • the rotation of earth.
  • The pattern of the movement of the planetary winds is called the general circulation of the atmosphere. The general circulation of the atmosphere also sets in motion the ocean water circulation which influences the earth’s climate.

13. Where are the Balearic Islands located? [2005]

Correct Answer: (a) Mediterranean Sea
Solution:The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the Western Mediterranean sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian peninsula.
  • The Mediterranean Sea offers a staggering 46,000 km (28,600 mi) long coastline and includes 15 marginal seas, such as the Balearic Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the Levantine Sea and the Ionian Sea.
  • Depth: The sea has an average depth of about 1,500 m and a maximum depth of 5,267 m at its deepest point, the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea.
  • Rivers: A large number of rivers drain into the Mediterranean Sea, including the Ebro, Rhone, Po, Nile, Tiber, etc.
  • Islands: Some of the large Mediterranean islands include Corsica, Crete, Cyprus, Chios, Euboea, Lesbos, Mallorca, Rhodes, Sicily, and Sardinia. The island of Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Climate: The region is characterized by the prevailing subtropical climate known as the Mediterranean climate, with usually mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers.
  • Mediterranean Sea waters are more saline compared to the waters of the Atlantic. There is a continuous movement of water from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean and vice versa through the Strait of Gibraltar.

14. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched? [2005]

Correct Answer: (c) Nicaragua: Balmopan
Solution:Managua is the capital of Nicaragua, not Balmopan. Balmopan is the capital city of Balize.
  • Managua is the most populated city in Nicaragua, home to around two million people.
  • The name "Managua" comes from the Nahuatl word "managuac," meaning "Surrounded by Ponds".
  • The city features significant sites like the National Palace of Culture, the old Cathedral (damaged by earthquakes), and the Parque Histórico Nacional Loma de Tiscapa with its crater lake and statue of Augusto Sandino.
  • Despite its importance, the city struggles with poverty, poor infrastructure, and lack of essential services for a large portion of its population.

15. Consider the following statements: [2005]

  1. The Axis of the earth's magnetic field is inclined at 23 and half to the geographic axis of the earth.
  2. The earth's magnetic pole in the Northern Hemisphere is located on a Peninsula in Northern Canada.
  3. The earth's magnetic equator passes through Thumba in South India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) 2 and 3
Solution:
  • The axis of the Earth`s magnetic field is not inclined at 23° to the geographic axis of the Earth. It is actually tilted at an angle of approximately 11.5° to the geographic axis.
  • The Earth`s magnetic pole in the northern hemisphere is located on a peninsula in northern Canada. It is currently moving towards Russia at a rate of about 40 kilometers per year.
  • The Earth`s magnetic equator does pass through Thumba, which is a village located in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, South India. Thumba is known for its space research center, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS).

16. Consider the following statements: [2005]

  1. Total land area of earth is approximately 1475 lakh square kilometers.
  2. Ratio of land area to water area of earth is approximately 1 : 4.
  3. Maximum percentage of earth's water is in the Pacific Ocean.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 & 3
Solution:(1) The total land area of the earth is approximately 148.94 million square kilometers (slightly under 1490 lakh sq km), not precisely 1475 lakh square kilometers. However, considering the approximation and significant figures, this statement could be taken as correct.
(2) The ratio of land area to water area on earth is not correct as stated. About 71% of the Earth s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5% of all Earths water. Thus the ratio is significantly skewed towards water, not 1.4 as mentioned, making this statement incorrect.
(3) The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth s oceanic divisions. It covers more than 60 million square kilometers, which is more than twice the worlds second-largest ocean, the Atlantic. Therefore, the Pacific Ocean certainly holds the maximum percentage of Earth`s water, making this statement correct.

17. In which one of the following oceans Diamantine Trench is situated? [2006]

Correct Answer: (c) Indian Ocean
Solution:Diamantine Trench is istuated in south-east part of Indian Ocean. The depth of Diamantine Trench is 8047 m.
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean in the world covering 20% of the Earth's water surface. It is named after the Indian subcontinent and is bordered by Southern Asia to the north, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa to the west, the Malay Peninsula, the Sunda Islands, and Australia to the east, and the Southern Ocean to the south,
The Indian Ocean is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the 147 east meridian and from the Atlantic Ocean by the 20° east meridian, which extends south from Cape Agulhas. The northernmost point of the Indian Ocean is the Persian Gulf, located at about 30° north latitude. The ocean covers an area of 73,556,000 square kilometers (28,400,000 square miles) and includes the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. It is nearly 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) wide between the southernmost points of Africa and Australia.

18. Assertion (A): To orbit around the Sun the planet Mars takes lesser time than the time taken by the earth. [2006]

Reason (R) : The diameter of the planet Mars is less than that of earth.

Correct Answer: (d) ‘A’ is false but ‘R’ is true.
Solution:A is incorrect as the mars revolution round the sun takes 1.88 years of Earth's revolution. The diametre of earth is almost double to the diameter of mars.
Earth
Earth is the only known planet that supports life due to its optimal distance from the Sun, moderate temperature, presence of water, life-supporting atmosphere, and ozone layer. About 71% of Earth’s surface is covered in water, giving it a blue-green appearance from space. The Moon is Earth’s only satellite.
Earth’s 23.5° axial tilt causes seasonal changes. It is the 5th largest planet in the solar system. Its equatorial radius is 6,378 km, polar radius is 6,356 km, and its perimeter is approximately 40,000 km. The exoplanet Kepler-452b is considered Earth’s closest cousin.
Mars
Mars, the first planet discovered outside Earth’s orbit, is known as the
“Red Planet” due to its reddish appearance, caused by iron oxide (rust). It takes 687 days to complete one revolution around the Sun.Mars has two small natural satellites, Phobos and Deimos, with Deimos being the smallest satellite in the universe. The highest point on Mars is Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system.
India’s ISRO launched Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission) on November 5, 2013, and it successfully entered Mars’ orbit on September 24, 2014. India became the first nation to reach Mars on its first attempt.

19. What is the average distance (approximate) between the sun and the earth? [2007]

Correct Answer: (d) 150 × 10⁶ km
Solution:The actual average distance between the sun and the earth is 152× 10⁶ km which is near to 150 × 10⁶ km.
The Sun is a 4.5 billion-year-old star which is the center of the Solar System, located 93 million miles from Earth. It is composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, making life on Earth possible. Being the largest object in the solar system, it could fit 1.3 million Earths inside it. The Sun’s gravitational pull keeps all celestial bodies in orbit, while its eruptions and charged particles influence the solar system. The core is the hottest part, reaching 15 million degrees Celsius. Space agencies like NASA study the Sun using spacecraft like Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe, and STEREO.

20. Consider the following statements: [2007]

  1. Either of the two belts over the oceans at about 30° to 35° N and S Latitudes is known as Horse latitude.
  2. Horse latitudes are low pressure belts.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 only
Solution:The horse latitudes are located between latitude 30°-35° north and south of the equator. The region lies in an area where there is a ridge of high pressure that circles the earth.
The ridge of high pressure is also called a sub-tropical high.