GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY

1. 

Naphtha, rock phosphate, sulphur, smelter gases and gypsum are important raw materials to produce chemical fertilizers. Naphtha is mportant to manufacture nitrogenous fertilizers. It is the supply of naphtha which has affected the location of fertilizer units near the ports and oil refineries. The major source of naphtha is a petroleum refinery. As majority of the refineries are located near ports, due to crude oil import, naphtha is easily available there. Coke and coke-oven gas are other important feedstocks used by the fertilizer industry.

Rock phosphate is used as a raw material for making phosphatic fertilizers. About 90% of the country's requrement is met through import.

Non-coking coal comprises lion's share of Indian coal. The estimated reserve of coking coal is about 29.70 billion tonnes while non-coking coal reserves being 166.32 billion tonnes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2.Dams and rivers

Tehri Dam - It has been constructed across the Bhagirathi below the confluence of its two main head tributaries, Bhaghirathi and Bhilangna rivers in Tehri district of Uttarakhand.

Nagarjunsagar Project- It comprises of a long concrete dam on the Krishna river in Nalgonda district to the south east of Hyderabad.

Hirakud Project: The project involves construction of three dams across Mahanadi at Hirakud, Tikarpara and Naraj districts in Odisha.

Sardar Sarovar Project: The project envisages the construction of a high dam across Narmada river Navagaon, Gujarat.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       3.Podzolisation

Podzolization is the process of soil formation especially in humid regions involving principally leaching of the upper layers with accumulation of material in lower layers. It occurs regions having a positive moisture balance i.e. rate of precipitation is greater than rate of evaportion.

It occurs primarily in areas where the vegetation has limited nutrient requirements and where the plant litter is acidic. These conditions are most prominent in mid and high latitude locales having a coniferous forest cover. Thus, podzolization is largely a Northern Hemisphere phenomena because there is not much land in the higher midlatitudes south of the equator. The typical location for podzolization is under a boreal forest in subarctic climates, which is found only in the Northern Hemisphere.

4.The South China Sea 

is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan.

It is located:

• south of mainland China, including the island of Taiwan, in the east;
• east of Vietnam and Cambodia;
• west of the Philippines;
• east of the Malay peninsula and Sumatra, up to the Strait of Malacca in the west and
• north of the Bangka–Belitung Islands and Borneo

States and territories with borders on the sea (clockwise from north) include: the People's Republic of China (including Macau and Hong Kong), the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Thus B is the correct answer.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea involve both island and maritime claims among several sovereign states within the region, namely Brunei, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

5.Permafrost

• Permafrost is perennially frozen soil that has been below 00C for at least two years. Permafrost is a condition where top layer upto depth of 20-40 cm is completely frozen. This happens in high latitude and altitude regions.
• It's found underneath about 25% of the northern hemisphere, mainly around the Arctic - but also in the Antarctic and Alpine regions. In the northern region of Alaska, the permafrost has been warming at about one-tenth of a degree Celsius per year since the mid 2000s.
• These top soils melt due to global warming which is a great threat as there melt will aggravate the condition of global warming. As permafrost thaws, this carbon is released to the atmosphere in the form of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. This process leads to more climate change and is an example of a positive feedback loop, which happens when warming causes changes that lead to even more warming.
• As permafrost thaws, it can also cause substantial changes in the local ecosystem, altering the flow of water atop and through the soil, as well as what plant and animal life can thrive in the area.
• It is a part of life in the frigid North Slope, underlying buildings, roads and other infrastructure. When it thaws, it can cause considerable damage. In Alaska, the warming of the permafrost has been linked to trees toppling, roads buckling and the development of sinkholes.
• When permafrost melts, the land above it sinks or changes shape. Sinking land can damage buildings and infrastructure such as roads, airports, and water and sewer pipes. It also affects ecosystems.

6.With reference to 'One Belt One Road' (OBOR) initiative, consider the following statements:

1. It aims to connect Asia, Europe and Africa.
2. Both maritime route and road route are an integral part of the initiative.
3. China-Pakistan economic corridor is a part of OBOR.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

• The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a significant development strategy launched by the Chinese government.
• The Belt and Road Initiative aims to connect Asia, Europe and Africa along five routes. The Silk Road Economic Belt focusses on: (1) linking China to Europe through Central Asia and Russia; (2) connecting China with the Middle East through Central Asia; and (3) bringing together China and Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Indian Ocean. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, meanwhile, focusses on using Chinese coastal ports to: (4) link China with Europe through the South China Sea and Indian Ocean; and (5) connect China with the South Pacific Ocean through the South China Sea. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It consists of two main components, the land-based 'Silk Road Economic Belt' (SREB) and oceangoing 'Maritime Silk Road' (MSR). Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is also part of OBOR. Infrastructure projects under the CPEC will eventually link the Pakistani city of Gwadar in southwestern to China's northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang via a vast network of highways and railways. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

7.Consider the following statements regarding 'solifluction':

1. It is a slow mass movement of water-saturated soil.
2. It is particularly widespread in permafrost regions.
3. Absence of deep-rooted vegetation aids solifluction.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

• Solifluction invloves slow downslope flowing soil mass or fine grained rock debris saturated with water. It is particularly widespread in permafrost regions.
• Permafrost refers to the layer of groundwater that fills in the pore spaces of soil and rock that is permanently frozen. Because permafrost is impermeable to water, in summers, soil overlying it may become saturated and slide downslope under the pull of gravity.
• Soil that has been opened and weakened by frost action is most susceptible. In addition, absence of deep-rooted vegetation to bind the soil aids solifluction. Therefore, all statements are correct.

8.'A region which was a part of erstwhile Gondwanaland, has a remarkable proportion of flightless birds with almost no native terrestrial mammals and a few reptiles and amphibians.' Which of the following countries is best described by the statement given above?

(a) Madagascar

(b) Australia

(c) New Zealand

(d) Greenland

• The New Zealand Region has a unique fauna dominated by birds, with remarkable proportion of flightless types. It has almost no terrestrial vetebrates (no mammals; only a few reptiles and amphibians).

9.With reference to Coal in India, consider the following statements:

98% of the total coal reserves in India belong to the Gondwana period.

Indian coal is mainly lignite with the carbon content varying between 40 to 50 per cent.

Non- coking coal comprises major share of Indian coal.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Coal found in India belongs to two geological periods: the Gondwana and the Tertiary. Of the 113 coalfields found in the country, 80 belong to the Lower Gondwana period. These account for over 98% of the total reserves and 99% of the production of coal in India. The Gondwana coal has carbon content between 55 and 60 per cent, high volatile matter and ash contents. It is mainly bituminous and anthracite. While total coal reserves are estimated at 111.83 billion tonnes, total lignite reserves are estimated at 38.93 billion tonnes only.

The coal is both coking and non-coking. However, non-coking coal comprises lion's share of Indian coal. The estimated reserve of coking coal is about 29.70 billion tonnes while non-coking coal reserves being 166.32 billion tonnes

10.crops and seasons

• In India there are three major cropping seasons: Rabi, Kharif and Zaid. The kharif cropping season is from July -October during the south-west monsoon and the Rabi cropping season is from October-March (winter).
• The kharif crops include rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet/bajra, finger millet/ragi (cereals), arhar (pulses), soyabean, groundnut (oilseeds), cotton etc. The rabi crops include wheat, barley, oats (cereals), chickpea/gram (pulses), linseed, mustard (oilseeds) etc.
• The Zaid season is in the short duration between Rabi and Kharif crop season, mainly from March to June. They require warm dry weather for major growth period and longer day length for flowering. The main produce are seasonal fruits and vegetables. Water melon, cucumber , muskmelon and sunflower are some examples.

11.With reference to Hotspots, consider the following statements:

1. Hotspots are volcanic regions found along plate boundaries.
2. Formation of Hawaiian island is a result of hotspot activity.
3. Atlantic Ocean is devoid of any hotspot activity.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

• Hot spot volcanism is unique because it does not occur at the boundaries of Earth’s tectonic plates, where all other volcanism occurs. Instead it occurs at abnormally hot centers known as mantle plumes. Hence, 1 statement is not correct.
• Hot spot seamounts that reach the surface of the water can create entire chains of islands, such as the U.S. state of Hawaii. It’s a series of island created by hot plume as it came above hotspot. Hence, 2 statement is correct.
• Major hot spots include the Iceland hot spot, under the island of Iceland in the North Atlantic; the Réunion hot spot, under the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean; and the Afar hot spot, located under northeastern Ethiopia. Hence, 3 statement is not correct.
• Hot spots don't always create volcanoes that spew rivers of lava. Sometimes, the magma heats up groundwater under the Earth’s surface, which causes water and steam to erupt like a volcano. These eruptions are called geysers. A famous geyser is Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. When it erupts, the water is 95.6 degrees Celsius (204 degrees Fahrenheit) and can reach more than 55 meters (180 feet) high.

12.Which of the following conditions are necessary for the development of Karst topography?

1.Thick massive soluble rock

2.Jointed bedrock

3.Relief

4.Moderate to heavy rainfall

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 4 only

(b) 1, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

The conditions, which are necessary for the development of typical karst topography, include the following:

Relatively thick massive soluble rock, i.e., limestone, dolomite, or chalk near the surface.

Marked development of joints. If the rock is bedded, the beds should be thin.

Considerable relief (preferably several hundred meters) so that water is capable of circulation to cause typical karst topography.

Moderate to heavy rainfall to cause solution of rocks. Rainfall becomes carbonate by absorbing atmospheric CO2. Moreover, rainfall encourages growth of plants whose decomposition is an additional source of CO2 to the flowing water. In dry areas the development of karst landscape is inhibited.

In India, Karst topography is observed in parts of Himalayas, Chhattisgarh basin and coastal areas. Yana is a village located in forests of the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India which is known for the development of karst topography.