This set covers the forces that shape the Earth's surface, from volcanic and seismic activity to the slow work of weathering and erosion. UPSC often asks about types of volcanoes, earthquake terms and the landforms made by rivers, glaciers, wind and groundwater.
How to practise: read each question and tap the option you think is correct. You will see right away whether you got it, along with a short explanation, and your score is tracked at the bottom of the screen. This set has 15 questions.
Topics covered in this set
- Earthquake focus, epicentre and measurement
- Types of volcanoes and the Ring of Fire
- Intrusive volcanic landforms
- Physical and chemical weathering
- Landforms of rivers, glaciers and wind
- Karst landforms and tsunamis
UPSC Geography MCQs with answers and explanations
Q1. The point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake is called the:
a) epicentre
b) hypocentre
c) shadow zone
d) fault plane
Q2. The Richter scale measures an earthquake's:
a) intensity based on damage observed
b) magnitude, or the energy released
c) depth of focus
d) duration of shaking
Q3. The 'Pacific Ring of Fire' is associated mainly with:
a) divergent boundaries in the middle of the Pacific
b) hotspots under stable continents
c) convergent plate boundaries and subduction zones around the Pacific
d) transform faults in the Atlantic Ocean
Q4. Which type of volcano has gentle slopes and is built by fluid basaltic lava?
a) Composite volcano
b) Caldera
c) Cinder cone
d) Shield volcano
Q5. Composite volcanoes (stratovolcanoes) such as Mount Fuji are characterised by:
a) fluid basaltic lava and gentle slopes
b) alternating layers of lava and pyroclastic material, with explosive eruptions
c) the absence of a crater
d) formation only along mid-ocean ridges
Q6. A large basin-shaped depression formed when a volcano collapses after a major eruption is called a:
a) batholith
b) sill
c) caldera
d) laccolith
Q7. Which intrusive landform is a large dome-shaped body with a level base, connected by a pipe-like conduit from below?
a) Dyke
b) Sill
c) Batholith
d) Laccolith
Q8. Which of the following is an example of chemical weathering?
a) Oxidation of iron-bearing rocks
b) Frost wedging in rock cracks
c) Exfoliation due to temperature changes
d) Growth of salt crystals in rock pores
Q9. Exfoliation, or onion-peel weathering, is most common in:
a) polar ice caps
b) tropical rainforests
c) hot deserts with a large daily range of temperature
d) the deep ocean floor
Q10. Stalactites and stalagmites are features of which landscape?
a) Glacial landscape
b) Coastal landscape
c) Arid landscape
d) Karst (limestone) landscape
Q11. A U-shaped valley is typically carved by:
a) glaciers
b) rivers in their youthful stage
c) wind
d) sea waves
Q12. An oxbow lake is formed when:
a) a glacier melts in a hollow
b) a river meander is cut off from the main channel
c) wind removes loose sand from a basin
d) a volcano collapses
Q13. Mushroom rocks (pedestal rocks) in deserts are formed mainly by:
a) glacial deposition
b) river erosion
c) wave action
d) wind abrasion
Q14. Which of the following landforms is formed by glacial deposition?
a) Cirque
b) Drumlin
c) Arete
d) Horn
Q15. A tsunami is most commonly triggered by:
a) strong winds over the open ocean
b) the gravitational pull of the Moon
c) undersea earthquakes that displace the sea floor vertically
d) sudden changes in ocean salinity
Quick revision notes
- The focus is where an earthquake starts underground, and the epicentre is the point on the surface directly above it.
- Magnitude (Richter scale) measures energy released, while intensity (Mercalli scale) measures the damage observed.
- Shield volcanoes have gentle slopes from fluid lava, while composite volcanoes are steep and explosive.
- Batholiths, laccoliths, sills and dykes are intrusive landforms formed when magma cools inside the crust.
- Rivers make V-shaped valleys, meanders and oxbow lakes, while glaciers make U-shaped valleys, cirques and moraines.
- Karst landforms such as sinkholes, caves, stalactites and stalagmites form in limestone through solution by water.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks in place by physical, chemical or biological processes. Erosion is the removal and transport of that material by agents such as running water, glaciers, wind and waves.
Why are some volcanic eruptions explosive and others gentle?
It depends mainly on the lava's silica and gas content. Silica-rich lava is thick and traps gas, causing explosive eruptions, while basaltic lava is runny and lets gas escape gently.
Why are earthquakes common along plate boundaries?
Plates at boundaries push, pull or slide against each other and build up stress along faults. When the stress is suddenly released, energy spreads out as seismic waves, causing an earthquake.
Comments
Post a Comment