Physical Geography (UPSC) (Part-III)

Total Questions: 44

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

  1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
  2. 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?

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]

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.

The global phosphorus cycle includes four major processes:

  1. Tectonic uplift and exposure of phosphorus-bearing rocks such as apatite to surface weathering.
  2. Physical erosion along with chemical and biological weathering of phosphorus-bearing rocks to provide dissolved and particulate phosphorus to soils, lakes, and rivers.
  3. Riverine and subsurface transportation of phosphorus to various lakes and run-off to the ocean.
  4. Sedimentation of particulate phosphorus (e.g., phosphorus associated with organic matter and oxide/carbonate minerals) and eventually burial in marine sediments (this process can also occur in lakes and rivers).

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

  1. Fern
  2. Lichen
  3. Moss
  4. Mushroom

 

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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]

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

 

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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).

  • About Solar Flare

  • A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots.
  • Flares are our solar system’s largest explosive events.
  • They are seen as bright areas on the sun, and they can last from minutes to hours.
  • In a matter of just a few minutes, they heat the material to many millions of degrees and produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including from radio waves to x-rays and gamma rays.
  • Although solar flares can be visible in white light, they are often more readily noticed via their bright X-ray and ultraviolet emissions..

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

Correct Answer: (b) Lake Faguibine
Solution:
  • Lake Faguibine in northern Mali is dry and has been since the 1970s.
  • The Lake Faguibine System, four interlinked lakes 80 km west of Timbuktu, was historically one of Mali’s most fertile areas. But over seven years, droughts in the 1970s dried up the lakes.
  • Then sand filled the channels connecting the lakes to the River Niger, with the result that when rain finally returned the water could no longer reach the lakes. The region’s prosperity evaporated along with the water.
  • Lake Faguibine in northern Mali is dry and has been since the 1970s.
  • The Lake Faguibine System, four interlinked lakes 80 km west of Timbuktu, was historically one of Mali’s most fertile areas. But over seven years, droughts in the 1970s dried up the lakes.
  • Then sand filled the channels connecting the lakes to the River Niger, with the result that when rain finally returned the water could no longer reach the lakes. The region’s prosperity evaporated along with the water.

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

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.
  • In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is equivalent to a stretch of land bordering the Mediterranean in southwestern Asia, i.e. the historical region of Syria (“greater Syria”), which includes present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and most of Turkey southwest of the middle Euphrates.
  • Its overwhelming characteristic is that it represents the land bridge between Africa and Eurasia.
  • The Levant has been described as the crossroads of western Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and northeast Africa.
  • The name Levant States was given to the French mandate of Syria and Lebanon after World War I, and the term is sometimes still used for those two countries, which became independent in 1946. A similar term, Al-Mashriq (“Where the Sun Rises”), exists in Arabic, although this term refers to a broader geographic region.

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

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

Difference between the Summer and Winter Solstice

Summer SolsticeWinter Solstice
Summer Solstice marks the beginning of summer seasonWinter officially begins on the Winter Solstice
Summer Solstice falls in June in the northern hemisphere due to the tilt of the earth.Winter Solstice falls in June in the southern hemisphere due to the tilt of the planet
Due to the tilt of the earth, the summer solstice falls in December in the southern hemisphere.Due to the tilt of the planet, the winter solstice falls in December in the northern hemisphere.
The summer solstice marks the year's longest and brightest day.The day of the year that is both the shortest and darkest is the winter solstice.

28. Consider the following statements [2022-I]

  1. High clouds primarily reflect solar radiation and cool the surface of the Earth.
  2. 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?

Correct Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution:
  • High clouds are often thin and do not reflect very much. They let lots of the Sun’s warmth in. Low clouds are often quite thick and reflect lots of sunlight back into space.
  • The main difference between high and low clouds is that the high clouds are colder. This means that they radiate less energy into space than the lower, warmer clouds. Therefore, high clouds work to “trap” more energy than low clouds.
  • High clouds are not good at reflecting short waves. But, they are very good at blocking long waves. This also traps heat. Thus, high clouds will cause a warming of the Earth’s surface.
  • Low clouds are excellent reflectors. But, they don’t stop the longwave energy from escaping to space. Therefore, low clouds help to cool the Earth.

29. Consider the following trees [2023-I]

  1. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
  2. Mahua (Madhuca indica)
  3. Teak (Tectona grandis)

 

How many of the above are deciduous trees?

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.

TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FORESTS

• Regions: Most widespread forests of India. These forests exist mostly in eastern part of the country — north-eastern states, along foothills of Himalayas, Jharkhand, West Odisha and Chhattisgarh, and on eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.
• Climatic Conditions:
• Rainfall: They are also called monsoon forests and spread over the region receiving rainfall between 70 cm and 200 cm.
• Based on availability of water, these forests are further divided into moist and dry deciduous.
• Moist deciduous forests are found in areas having rainfall between 100 and 200 cm.
• Dry deciduous forests are found in areas having rainfall between 70 cm and 100 cm.

• Flora:
• Teak is the most dominant species of moist deciduous forest. Bamboos, sal, shisham, sandalwood, khair, kusum, arjun and mulberry are other commercially important species.
• Dry deciduous forests are found in the rainier parts of the Peninsular plateau and the plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. There are open stretches, in which teak, sal, peepal and neem grow.

• Fauna: Lion, tiger, pig, deer and elephant.

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

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.

Significance of Earth Atmosphere

• Protection from Harmful Radiations: The atmosphere protects life on Earth by shielding it from incoming ultraviolet (UV) radiation, keeping the planet warm through insulation, and preventing extremes between day and night temperatures.
• Weather and climate: The atmosphere play a crucial role in determining weather and climate patterns, including temperature, precipitation, and wind. These patterns have a significant impact on ecosystems, agriculture, and human activities.
• Regulates the Earth’s Temperature: The atmosphere helps regulate the Earth’s temperature by trapping heat from the sun and preventing it from escaping into space. This process, known as the greenhouse effect, helps keep the planet warm enough to support life.
• A Major Role in the Water Cycle: The atmosphere helps regulate the Earth’s water cycle by transporting water vapor from the oceans to the land, where it falls as precipitation.