1. Which of the following landforms is primarily shaped by erosional work of wind in a desert region?
a) Bajada
b) Alluvial Fan
c) Inselberg
d) Barchan
Answer: d) Barchan
Explanation: A Barchan is a crescent-shaped sand dune formed by the wind's erosional and depositional action. An inselberg (c) is a steep-sided residual hill, but it's formed more by deep weathering and erosion of surrounding rock, not specifically by wind. A bajada (a) and an alluvial fan (b) are depositional landforms created by water in arid environments.
2. The theory of 'Plate Tectonics' explains the formation of which of the following?
a) Ozone Hole
b) Ocean Currents
c) Fold Mountains
d) River Deltas
Answer: c) Fold Mountains
Explanation: The Plate Tectonics theory states that the Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that are in constant motion. The collision of continental plates causes the crust to crumple and fold, leading to the formation of major fold mountain ranges like the Himalayas and the Alps. The other options are influenced by different processes (atmospheric chemistry, wind and density, fluvial deposition).
3. A 'V'-shaped valley is a characteristic feature of a river's:
a) Lower Course
b) Middle Course
c) Upper Course
d) Deltaic Course
Answer: c) Upper Course
Explanation: In the upper course of a river, vertical erosion (downcutting) is the dominant process. This deepens the river channel rapidly, resulting in a characteristic 'V'-shaped cross-profile. In the middle and lower courses, lateral erosion and deposition become more dominant, forming floodplains and meanders.
4. Which process is responsible for the formation of a 'stack' along a coastline?
a) Salt Crystallization
b) Wave Refraction
c) Longshore Drift
d) Glacial Plucking
Answer: b) Wave Refraction
Explanation: Stacks are formed through coastal erosion. Wave refraction concentrates energy on headlands, eroding them to form caves, then arches. When the arch collapses, it leaves an isolated pillar of rock known as a stack. Longshore drift (c) is a transport process, not an erosional one that creates stacks.
5. Karst topography is a landscape formed primarily by the:
a) Deposition of glacial till
b) Chemical weathering of limestone
c) Wind erosion in deserts
d) Volcanic activity
Answer: b) Chemical weathering of limestone
Explanation: Karst topography is characterized by features like sinkholes, caves, and disappearing streams. It develops in regions with soluble bedrock, most commonly limestone, which is dissolved by slightly acidic water in a process called chemical weathering or carbonation.
Climatology
6. The Coriolis effect is caused by:
a) The gravitational pull of the moon and sun.
b) The revolution of the Earth around the sun.
c) The rotation of the Earth on its axis.
d) The tilt of the Earth's axis.
Answer: c) The rotation of the Earth on its axis.
Explanation: The Coriolis effect is an apparent force that deflects moving objects (like winds and ocean currents) to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This deflection occurs because different points on the Earth's surface rotate at different speeds;