Miscellaneous MCQ Questions and Answers

Option A is correct. A Oord is a deep, narrow and elongated sea or lake drain, with steep land on three sides. This shallow threshold in the mouth of the fiord, is the reason that fiords often are quieter than the open sea. “Thus, fiords are often natural harbors. ‘The longest Oord in the world is Scoresby Sund in Greenland (350 km).

Option B is Incorrect. A stalagmite is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalactites hang from the ceiling of a cave while stalagmites grow from the cave floor.

Option C is Incorrect. A Bergschrund is a deep crack at the head of the glacier.

Option D is Incorrect. Drumlins are glacial landforms whichare smooth oval shaped ridge-like features composed mainly of glacial till with some masses of gravel and sand. ‘The drumlins form due to dumping of rock debris beneath heavily loaded ice through fissures in the glacier.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Ria Coasts are drowned river valleys. Ria coast is a coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley that remains open to the sea & is a coastline having several parallel rias separated by prominent ridges, extending a distance inland.

Statement 2 is correct. Fjord coasts are drowned glaciated valleys, which were created by glaciers that moved very slowly over time, and greatly altered the landscape when they moved through an area carving deep valley. Fjord coast is formed when a glacier retreats, after carving its typical U-shaped valley with the sea filling the resulting valley floor.

Statement 3 is correct. Dalmatian coasts are a longitudinal coast where the mountains run parallel to the coast, where the submergence of the coastline produces long, narrow inlets with a chain of islands parallel to the coast. Here the elongated islands are the crests of former ranges & the narrow inlets were the former longitudinal valleys.

Statement 1 is correct. Corals thrive in tropical waters between 300N and 300S latitudes. The temperature of water is around 200C where diurnal and annual temperature ranges are very narrow. However temperate and extra tropical varieties of corals are also found.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Coral requires fairly good amount of sunlight to survive. ‘The ideal depths for coral growth are 45 m to 55 m below sea surface, where there is abundant sunlight available.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Coral reefs require clean sediment free water as both fresh water and highly saline water are harmful. Sediments from river water can clog their mouth and may become fatal.

Ocean currents have a number of direct and indirect influences on human activities –

• West coasts of the continents in tropical and subtropical latitudes are bordered by cool waters. Cold ocean currents have a direct effect on desert formation in west coast regions of the tropical and sub-tropical continents.

• Warm ocean currents bring rain to coastal areas and even interiors. Example: The North Atlantic Drift keeps the coasts of the North Sea warm which is unusual for such high latitudes.

• Warm currents flow parallel to the east coasts of the continents in tropical and subtropical latitudes. This results in warm and rainy climates. ‘These areas lie in the western margins of the subtropical anti-cyclones.

They are responsible for moderate temperatures at coasts. Ex: Canary cold current brings cooling effect to Spain, Portugal etc.

• The mixing of warm and cold currents helps to replenish the oxygen and favour the growth of planktons, the primary food for fish population.

Pair 1 is correct. Canary Current is a cold current and a part of a clockwise-setting ocean-current system in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Pair 2 is correct. Agulhas current is a warm current of southern hemisphere. It flows south along the east coast of Africa in Indian Ocean.

Pair 3 is Incorrect.lrminger current is a cold current and a part of northern Atlantic Ocean (not southern).

Statement 1 is correct. The Southern Ocean is made up of the portions of the world ocean south of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans and their tributary seas surrounding Antarctica below 600 S. It is unbroken by any other continental landmass. Southern Ocean’s narrowest constriction is the Drake Passage, 600 miles (about 1,000 km) wide, between South America (not South Africa) and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Statement 2 is correct. Large-scale upwelling is found in the Southern Ocean. Strong westerly (eastward) winds blow around Antarctica, driving a significant flow of water northwards (Ekman transport). ‘This is actually a type of coastal upwelling. Since there are no continents in a band of open latitudes between South America and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, some of this water is drawn up from great depths.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole has reduced marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and has started damaging the DNA of some fish.

Pair 1 is incorrect. Seuz canal connects Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea.

Pair 2 is incorrect. Bosphorus strait connects Black Sea to Sea of Marmara.

Pair 3 is incorrect. Bab-el-Mandeb connects red sea to Gulf of Aden and Arabian sea.

Pair 4 is correct. Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, part of the northern Indian Ocean.

NASA says the minerals and rock deposits at lake Salda (Turkey) are the nearest match on earth to those around the Jezero Crater of Mars. According to NASA, the Mars Perseverance mission will search for signs of ancient life on the Martian surface similar to rocks found along the shoreline of Lake Salda in Plürkey.

Statement 1 is correct. During perihelion that means when earth is closest to sun, tidal ranges are much greater than average.

Statement 2 is incorrect. During neap tides, the bulge of the ocean caused by the sun partially cancels out the bulge of the ocean caused by the moon. This produces moderate tides meaning that high tides are a little lower and low tides are a little higher than average.

Statement 3 is correct. In diurnal tide there is only one high tide and one low tide during each day. The successive high and low tides are approximately of the same height.

Statement a is correct. Tidal currents occur in conjunction with the rise and fall of the tide. The vertical motion of the tides near the shore causes the water to move horizontally, creating currents.

Statement b is correct. Tidal currents are the only type of current affected by the interactions of the Earth, sun, and moon. Tidal currents, just like tides, are affected by the different phases of the moon.

Statement c is correct. Tidal currents are the tides which are channeled between islands or into bays and estuaries.

Statement d is incorrect. When the moon is at full or new phases, tidal current velocities are strong and are called “spring currents.” When the moon is at first or third quarter phases, tidal current velocities are weak and are called “neap currents.”

Statement 1 is correct. Suspended particulate matters such as clay, silt, phytoplankton, etc make the water turbid which consequently limits the light penetration and the photosynthetic activity in water thus causing decrease in productivity of aquatic ecosystem.

Statement 2 is Incorrect. Aphotic zone also known as the profundal zone has low light penetration and is poor for photosynthesis, thus has low productivity.

Statement 3 is correct. ‘The amount of dissolved oxygen in water is also influenced by temperature. Oxygen is less soluble in warm water. Warm water also enhances the decomposition activity. lherefore, increasing the temperature of water body increase the rate at which oxygen is depleted from water. Hence, as the temperature of the water increases, dissolved oxygen levels decrease.

Statement 1 is correct.Fringing reefs grow near the coastline are separated from the shore by narrow-shallow lagoons.Fringing reefs are the most common type of reef that we see.

Statement 2 is correct.Atolls are rings of coral with shallow lagoon in middle.Atolls usually form when islands surrounded by fringing reefs sink into the sea or the sea level rises around them (these islands are often the tops of underwater volcanoes). The fringing reefs continue to grow and eventually form circles with lagoons inside.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: When earth orbits the sun, it moves between the sun and the moon. If this happens, earth blocks the sunlight that normally is reflected by the moon and Earth’s shadow falls on it. When the moon orbits Earth, it moves between the sun and Earth. When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun from reaching Earth. ‘This causes an eclipse of the sun.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: A Lunar eclipse can occur only when the moon is full, while a solar eclipse can only happen at a new moon

Option a is correct – Cumulus clouds look like cotton wool and are generally formed at a height of 4,000 – 7,000 m. ‘They exist in patches and can be seen scattered here and there. They also have a flat base

Option b is Incorrect — Cirrus clouds are formed at high altitudes(8,()00 – 12,000m). ‘They are thin and detached clouds having a feathery appearance. They arealways white in colour.

Option c is Incorrect — Stratus clouds are layered clouds covering large portions of the sky. These clouds are generally formed either due to loss of heator the mixing of air masses with different temperatures

Option d is Incorrect — Nimbus clouds are black or dark grey. They form at middle levels or very near to the surface of the earth. These are extremely dense and opaque to the rays of the sun. Sometimes, the clouds are so low that they seem to touch theground. Nimbus clouds are shapeless masses of thick vapour

Pair 1 is correct. Bhasan Char is a specifically developed island in Bangladesh to accommodate of the 1 million Rohingya who have fled from neighbouring Myanmar.

Pair 2 is correct. Tigray Region is a northern region of Ethiopia in news due to ongoing conflict between Ethipoian Military and Rebels.

Pair 3 is correct. Sana is the largest city in Yemen. Under the Yemeni constitution, SanaEa is the capital of the country, although the seat of the Yemeni government moved to Aden, the former capital of South Yemen in the aftermath of the Houthi occupation. A Saudi-led military coalition mounted air strikes on Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital Sana’a after it intercepted 10 drones launched by the Iran-backed rebels.

Pair 4 is incorrect. Hagia Sophia is an important mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Recently, Turkey allowed for the conversion of the nearly year-old Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque.

Erosion is the wearing away of the landscape by different agents like water, wind and ice. Different landforms created on the surface of the earth because of erosion are called erosional landforms.

Option a is incorrect. Capes and Bays are erosional features of coastlands. On exposed coasts, the continual action of waves on the rocks of varying resistance causes the coastline to be eroded irregularly. This is particularly pronounced where hard rocks occur in alternative band with softer rocks. The softer rocks are worn back into inlets or bays & the harder ones persist as headlands or capes. Even where the coastline consists of one rock type, irregularities will be caused by variation within the rock.

Option b is incorrect. Stack & Stump are erosional features of coastlands. Prolonged waves attack on the base of the cliff & excavate holes in regions of local weakness called cave. When 2 caves approach each other from either side of headland & unite, they form an arch. Further erosion by waves will lead to total collapse of the arch. ‘The seaward portion of the headland will remain as a pillar of rock known as stack With the course of time, these stubborn stacks will gradually be eroded, leaving behind the stumps, which are only just visible above the sea level.

Option c is incorrect. Geos & Gloups are erosional features of coastlands. ‘The occasional splashing of the waves against the roof of a cave may enlarge the joints when air is compressed & released repeatedly inside them. A natural shaft is thus formed which may eventually pierce through the surface. Waves breaking into the cave may force water or air out of this hole. Such a shaft is termed as Gloup or blow hole. “The enlargement of blow-holes & continual action of waves weakens the cave roof. When the cave roof collapses, a long, narrow creek may develop known as Geos.

Option d is correct. Spits and Bars are the depositional features of wave action. A spit is an extended stretch of sand or shingle jutting out into the sea from the land. Spits occur when there is a change in the shape of the landscape or there is a river mouth.

Sometimes a spit can grow across a bay, and joins two headlands together. This landform is known as a bar. They can trap shallow lakes behind the bar, these are known as lagoons. Lagoons do not last forever and may be filled up with sediment.

Ocean trenches are long, narrow depressions on the seafloor. These are the deepest parts of the ocean and some of the deepest natural spots on Earth.

Statement 1 is correct: Ocean deeps which are generally called as Submarine trenches are the deepest part of the ocean. They are long, narrow, steep sided and flat-floored depressions on the ocean floor. They are some 3-5 km deeper than the surrounding ocean floor. They occur at the bases of continental slopes and along island arcs and are associated with active volcanoes and strong earthquakes.

The Pacific Ocean has the largest number of trenches for example, The Mariana Trench in ‘the Pacific Ocean is the deepest known part of the oceans.

Statement 2 is correct: They are typically the feature of convergent plate boundaries, where two or more tectonic plates meet. It may be oceanic-oceanic convergence and oceanic-continental convergence. In case of oceanic- continental convergence, trenches are formed by subduction between a plate carrying continental crust and a plate carrying oceanic crust. Continental crust is always much more buoyant than oceanic crust, and oceanic crust will always subduct.

Statement a is correct: The current systems of the Indian ocean are largely controlled and modified by landmasses and monsoon winds. Here, Landmass includes African, Australian and Indian Subcontinent. The most striking feature of the Ocean current system in Indian ocean is the seasonal reversal of the ocean currents in the northern hemisphere. The absence of a temperate and polar region north of the equator due to presence of landmass is another peculiarity in Indian ocean.

Statement b is incorrect: Indian ocean being surrounded by the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and Australia does not present most favorable conditions for the development of permanent and consistent system of ocean currents. It is because of presence of monsoon wind system which results in seasonal reversal of ocean current twice a year. In summer, South-West monsoon current is found and in winter, N-E monsoon current is found.

Statement c is correct: Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific, both of which have strong currents circulating clockwise north of the Equator, Northern Indian Ocean has surface currents which changes their directions with the seasonal monsoon. The currents in northern Indian ocean change their flow of directions twice a year due to northeast and southwest monsoon winds.

Statement d is correct: The current of the south Indian ocean is least affected by seasonal change in the direction of the monsoon wind. It includes The Indian equatorial current that flows from east to west between 100Sand 150S latitudes from Australian coast towards African coast. It is divided into many branches after being obstructed by Madagascar, such as Agulhas current (warm) while the other branch is directed towards the north. It is because role of landmass and monsoon system is more pronounced in Northern Indian Ocean, than Southern Indian Ocean.

In the Pacific Ocean, near Hokkaido, Japan the colder Oyashio Current converges from the north with the warmer Kuroshio Current, which flows from the south.

‘The Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents are the western boundary currents in the wind-driven, subtropical and subarctic circulations of the North Pacific Ocean.

‘The subarctic North Pacific Ocean, on the other hand, is dominated by upwelling. The upwelled, nutrient-rich water feeds the Oyashio from the north.

‘The confluence of these currents is marked by fogbanks and have great influence on fisheries and climate in the western North Pacific.

In the Pacific Ocean, near Hokkaido, Japan the colder Oyashio Current converges from the north with the warmer Kuroshio Current, which flows from the south.

The Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents are the western boundary currents in the wind-driven, subtropical and subarctic circulations of the North Pacific Ocean.

The subarctic North Pacific Ocean, on the other hand, is dominated by upwelling. ‘the upwelled, nutrient-rich water feeds the Oyashio from the north.

The confluence of these currents is marked by fogbanks and have great influence on fisheries and climate in the western North Pacific.

Pair 1 is incorrect. Wular Lake from Jammu & Kashmir is the largest Freshwater lake in India. In fact, it is the largest Freshwater Lake in Asia.

• Formed by tectonic activity (during Pleistocene).

•Jhelum River feeds the lake.

•Tulbul project is a navigation lock cum-control structure at the mouth of Wular Lake.

On the other hand, Vembanad is a brackish lake and is the longest lake in India. It is also the largest lake in Kerala.

Pair 2 is correct. Lake Baikal located in Siberia, Russia is the deepest lake in the world. It is also the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume.

Other Important Lakes in the World

Lake Tanganyika — longest Lake in the world. It is also the second largest by volume. It is the second deepest lake in the world, after Lake Baikal.

‘The highest large lake in the world is the Pumoyong Tso (Pumuoyong Tso), in the Tibet.

The world’s highest commercially navigable lake is Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia border at 3,812 m. It is also the largest lake in South America.

‘The world’s lowest lake is the Dead Sea, bordering Israel and Jordan at 418 metres below sea level. It is also one of the lakes with highest salt concentration.

Pair 3 is correct. Lake Superior is the largest of the ve Great Lakes of North America.It is shared by Ontario, Canada, to the north, and states in the United States in the south.

Great Lakes ofNorth America are a series ofinterconnected freshwater lakes which connect to the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.

A lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land. There are millions of lakes in the world. They are found on every continent and in every kind of environment—in mountains and deserts, on plains, and near seashores.

Statement 1 is correct. ‘The most important chemicals in a lake are nitrogen and phosphorus. These chemicals allow nutrient-rich plants and algae to grow. Other organisms feed off these plants and algae, creating a complex, healthy ecosystem.

Statement 2 is correct. All lakes are either open or closed. If water leaves a lake by a river or other outlet, it is said to be open. All freshwater lakes are open. If water only leaves a lake by evaporation, the lake is closed. Closed lakes usually become saline, or salty. ‘This is because as the water evaporates, it leaves behind solids—mostly salts.

Statement 3 is correct. A reservoir is a manmade lake that is created when a dam is built on a river. River water backs up behind the dam creating a reservoir.

Statement 4 is correct. Generally, the clearer the water in the lake, the fewer nutrients it has. Lakes that are very nutrient-rich are cloudy and hard to see through; this includes lakes that are unhealthy because they have too many nutrients. Lakes need to have a balance of nutrients.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Cirque lakes or tarns are formed by glaciation (not of volcanic activity). A glacier on its way down the valley leaves behind circular hollows in the heads of the valleys up in the mountains. Such hollows are cirques or corries. Their over deepened floor may be filled with water to form cirque lake or tarns.

Statement 2 is correct. Lakes formed due to landslides screes & avalanches are known as barrier lakes. Such Lakes formed by landslides are short lived because of loose fragments that pile up across the valleys will soon rupture under pressure & will give way to water. When they suddenly give way, the dammed water rushes down causing floods.

Statement 3 is correct. Lakes are only temporary features of earth crust; they will eventually be eliminated by the process of draining and slitting up. Example in hot deserts lakes disappear altogether by combined process of evaporation, percolation and outflow.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The eastern coast underwent more erosion due to frequent Cyclonic Activities from the Bay of Bengal, compared to the western coast, which remained largely stable. The eastern coast also sees a lot of rain which keeps the seas rough throughout most of the year. Besides the Southwest Monsoon (June to September), the eastern coast also witnesses the Northeast Monsoon from October to December and brings rain to coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Statement 2 is correct. Coastal changes can take hundreds of years. ‘Ihe way coasts are formed depends a lot on what kind of material is in the land and water. The harder the material in the land, the harder it is to erode. Coastlines of granite, a hard rock, stay stable for centuries. Sugarloaf Mountain, on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is made mostly of granite and quartz. It has been a landmark for centuries.

Pair 1 is correct. Benguela Current flows northward in the South Atlantic Ocean along the west coast of southern Africa nearly to the Equator before merging with the westward-flowing Atlantic South Equatorial Current.

Pair 2 is incorrect. Agulhas Current, warm oceanic current that forms the western boundary current of the southern Indian Ocean. It flows southward along the southeast coast of Mozambique and the coast of Africa before turning eastward to join the flow from Africa to Australia.

Pair 3 is incorrect. The Gulf Stream is an ocean current that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic Ocean.

Pair 4 is incorrect. The Labrador Current is a cold oceanic current in the North Atlantic Ocean that originates at the Davis Strait.

A canyon is a deep, narrow valley with steep sides. The movement of rivers, the processes of weathering and erosion, and tectonic activity create canyons.

Option a is incorrect. Royal Gorge is one of the deepest and narrowest canyons in Colorado. This regal ravine is divided by the Arkansas River and is a hotspot for rock climbing, base-jumping, and bungee-jumping. “The Royal Gorge Bridge is actually the highest official jump platform in the world.

Option b is correct. ‘The Grand Canyon is located in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a product of tectonic uplift. The Grand Canyon is the largest canyon in the United States. It has been carved as the Colorado River cuts through the Colorado Plateau. It lies in the south-western portion of the Colorado Plateau.

The Plateau’s arid climate produced many striking erosional forms, culminating in the Grand Canyon. The Canyon’s mile-high walls display a largely undisturbed cross section of the Earth’s crust extending back some two billion years.

The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site and made pilgrimages to it.

Option c is incorrect. Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the America’s Arizona. It is divided into two main upper and lower photogenic sections: The Crack and The Corkscrew. ‘This stunning rock formation was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding and erosion caused by airborne sand. The canyon is on Navajo Tribe land and has only been accessible to the public since 1997.

Option d is incorrect. Situated in Kings Canyon National Park, this canyon actually features the deepest gorge in the country. ‘The park is rich in unspoiled backcountry hiking, climbing, and scenic lookout points. Spring is one of the most beautiful times to visit this stunning area, as the warmer weather encourages the mountainside to sprout blankets of wildflowers and tender green grass.