Physical Geography (UPSC) (Part-III)

Total Questions: 44

21. Consider the following statements: [2021-I]

In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 & 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (c) Both 1 & 2

Solution:

Trade winds generate the equatorial current, which pushes eastern section water into the western section. So, 1st statement is right.
Warm water comes in contact with the Westerlies. They are moved into the eastern part. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections. So, 2nd Statement is true.

22. In the case of which of the following biogeochemical cycles, the weathering of rocks is the main source of release of nutrients to enter the cycle? [2021-I]

(a) Carbon cycle
(b) Nitrogen cycle
(c) Phosphorus cycle
(d) Sulphur cycle

Correct Answer: (c) Phosphorus cycle

Solution:The natural reservoir of phosphorus is rock, which contains phosphorus in the form of phosphates. When rocks are weathered, minute amounts of these phosphates dissolve in soil solution and are absorbed by the roots of plants.

23. In nature, which of the following is/are most likely to be found surviving on a surface without soil? [2021-I]

Fern
Lichen
Moss
Mushroom

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 & 4 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 & 3
(d) 1, 3 & 4

Correct Answer: (c) 2 & 3

Solution:Lichens (#2) grow on any undisturbed surface-bark, wood, mosses, rock, soil, peat, glass, metal, plastic, and even cloth Lichens can absorb water through any part of their thalli and have no neeWd of roots. According to, Pennsylvania University article.
Land without soil can support only very small primitive plants such as lichens and mosses that can cling onto a rock surface, says the book Essentials of Ecology Third Edition, 3rd Edition. So, Answer should be "(c)": 2 and 3.

24. If a major solar storm (solar flare) reaches the Earth, which of the following are the possible effects on the Earth? [2022-I]

GPS and navigation systems could fail.
Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions.
Power grids could be damaged.
Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth.
Forest fires could take place over much of the planet.
Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed.
Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only
(b) 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only
(c) 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7

Correct Answer: (c) 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only

Solution:Tsunamis occur due to earthquake in the ocean. Tsunamis
donot occur by the solar flares. Similarly forest fire occurring
over much of the planet is also a hyperbole wrong statement.
Therefore #2 and #5 are wrong, by elimination the answer is (c).

25. Which one of the following lakes of West Africa has become dry and turned into a desert? [2022-I]

(a) Lake Victoria
(b) Lake Faguibine
(c) Lake Oguta
(d) Lake Volta

Correct Answer: (b) Lake Faguibine

Solution:Starting in the late 1980s, reduction in precipitation steadily dried the lake Faguibine in Mali. Even though normal rainfall resumed after the year 2000, the lake remained nearly dry as per NASA Satellite images.

26. The term “Levant” often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions? [2022-I]

(a) Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores
(b) Region along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
(c) Region along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
(d) The entire coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea

Correct Answer: (a) Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores

Solution:Levant is the region along the eastern Mediterranean shores, roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and certain adjacent areas.

27. In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year normally occurs in the: [2022-I]

(a) First half of the month of June
(b) Second half of the month of June
(c) First half of the month of July
(d) Second half of the month of July

Correct Answer: (b) Second half of the month of June

Solution:The longest day and the shortest night at Northern Hemisphere occur on 21st June (i.e. second half of the month of June). This position of the earth is called the Summer Solstice

28. Consider the following statements [2022-I]

High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
Low clouds have a high absorption of infrared radiation emanating from the Earth’s surface and thus cause a warming effect.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution:Statement 1 is wrong: High clouds are often thin and do not reflect very much. They let Sun's warmth pass through. • Statement 2 is wrong: Low clouds reflect the sunlight back to space. Therefore, low clouds help to cool the Earth.

29. Consider the following trees [2023-I]

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
Mahua (Madhuca indica)
Teak (Tectona grandis)

How many of the above are deciduous trees?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Correct Answer: (b) Only two

Solution:The correct answer is (b), only two.
Jackfruit is an evergreen tree, meaning it does not lose its leaves seasonally. Mahua and Teak are both deciduous trees, meaning they shed their leaves during certain seasons, typically in the dry season. So, two out of the three trees listed are deciduous.

30. With reference to the Earth’s atmosphere, which one of the following statements is correct? [2023-I]

(a) The total amount of insolation received at the equator is roughly about 10 times that received at the poles.
(b) Infrared rays constitute roughly two-thirds of insolation.
(c) Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapor that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere.
(d) Infrared waves are a part of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic waves of solar radiation.

Correct Answer: (c) Infrared waves are largely absorbed by water vapor that is concentrated in the lower atmosphere.

Solution:The atmosphere is largely transparent to short wave solar radiation. The incoming solar radiation passes through the atmosphere before striking the earth's surface. Within the troposphere water vapour, ozone and other gases absorb much of the near infrared radiation.

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