Test: Geography- 2 - UPSC MCQ

Cold Ocean Currents bring cold water into warm water areas. These currents are usually found on the west coast of the continents in the low and middle latitudes in both the hemispheres and on the east coast in the higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.

• The Labrador Current is the cold current flowing southward of the N. Atlantic subpolar gyre. It transports cold waters into the warmer Gulf Stream ring and meander region.
• The surface waters of the Kuroshio Current are warm and salty. This is because the Kuroshio starts in the tropics, where the westward flowing North Equatorial Current reaches the western boundary of the North Pacific.
• Benguela Current is a Cold oceanic Current that is a branch of the west wind drift of the Southern Hemisphere. It 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.
• Falkland Current is the cold ocean current in the Southern Hemisphere, flowing northward in the South Atlantic Ocean along the east coast of Argentina to about latitude 30° to 40° S, where it is deflected eastward after meeting the southward-flowing Brazil Current.
• The Norwegian Current carries relatively warm water northward along the coast of Norway. The heat released from the Norwegian Current into the atmosphere maintains a moderate climate in northern Europe. Therefore, Labrador Current, Benguela Current and Falkland Current are the Cold Ocean currents, and Kuroshio Current and Norwegian Current are the Warm Ocean Currents. So, Option (b) is correct.

• The Great Lakes of North America is a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes that holds about 21% of the planet's freshwater. The five lakes across the United States and Canada are Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
• Lake Huron is the 2nd largest of the Great Lakes and the world's 4th largest freshwater lake. Lake Constance, also known as Bodensee in German, is a large body of water shared by the three European nations of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The lake forms a part of the Rhine River basin and is geographically positioned at the northern foothills of the Alps.
• Lake Constance is considered Central Europe's third-largest lake by surface area and the second-largest lake in Europe by water volume. Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, reaching a staggering 15,777 ft altitude above sea level.
• Mont Blanc is the second most renowned mountain after Mount Elbrus and the world's eleventh most prominent mountain peak. Mont Blanc sits on the border of France and Italy. Some other notable mountain peaks of the Alps include the Matterhorn, Dufourspitze, Finsteraarhorn, Weisshorn, Grossglockner, Zugspitze, and Triglav.
• The Apennine Mountains are a range of several smaller parallel chains extending for about 1,200 km along the entire length of the Italian Peninsula. This mountain system forms the backbone of the Italian Peninsula and extends through the southern part of Italy and then passes beneath the narrow Strait of Messina into the island of Sicily. So, Option (a) is correct.

• Soil conservation is a key concern to farmers since it is vital not only to use land productively, reaping high yields but also to be able to do so in the future. The effects of soil conservation may not reveal in the short-time perspective, yet they will benefit future generations. Different methods of soil conservation help to mitigate erosion, keep fertility, avoid degradation, and minimize nature pollution due to chemicals by applying integrated weed and pest control techniques. Thus, soil conservation strategies greatly contribute to the sustainability of the environment and resources. Crop rotation farming suggests changing agro species instead of planting the same for many subsequent seasons. Farmers applying this soil conservation method reap numerous benefits. Crop rotation helps them improve the earth's structure with diverse root systems, mitigate pest establishments, and to add nitrogen to the land with legumes known as nitrogen-fixing plants. So, Statement 1 is correct.
• Contour ploughing is a well-established agronomic measure that contributes to soil and water conservation, which mitigates the impacts of floods, storms and landslides on crops. It does this by reducing soil erosion by up to 50 percent, controlling runoff water, increasing moisture infiltration and retention and thus enhancing soil quality and composition. So, Statement 2 is correct.
• Check dams, or gully plugs, are structures built across channels to reduce erosion by lowering water speed and accumulating sediments during floods. The check dams would help to prevent soil erosion, conserve soil moisture and recharge the aquifer. So, Statement 3 is correct.
• Liming is the most common and effective practice to reduce soil acidity. The quality of liming material determines the lime requirements of crops grown on acid soils, soil fertility status, crop species and cultivars within species, crop management practices, and economic considerations. The application of lime (rich in calcium and Magnesium) is used to neutralize soil acidity and increase soil bacteria's activity. This may increase soil fertility and, as a result, enhance biodiversity in degraded forest areas. So, Statement 4 is correct.
• Sand fencing on a beach or dune can assist in building a new fore dune or filling gaps in dune ridges. The fence reduces local wind speed and traps sand, with different fence configurations creating different dune forms and heights. Once installed, a silt fence prevents the movement of sediments from disturbed areas into nearby waterways. It can also restrict the movement of construction site waste materials in storm water runoff from getting into waterways or water bodies, thus reducing soil erosion. So, Statement 5 is correct.

Gawilghur was a well-fortified mountain stronghold of the Maratha Empire north of the Deccan Plateau, in the vicinity of Satpura Ranges, Amravati District, Maharashtra. The Gawilgarh hill is located in the Betul district in Satpura ranges on the northern border of Maharashtra and the Southern border of Madhya Pradesh. Palkonda Hills are a range of hills that form a part of the Eastern Ghats in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The Palkonda Hill depicts the meaning of "Milk Hills"; they run along a northwest to southeast direction, culminating at the pilgrimage centre of Tirupati. Balaghat range is a mountain range of low elevation in the Maharashtra state of India. Balaghat Range runs south-eastwards from Western Ghats at the Harishchandra Range to the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka states. So, Option (d) is correct.

• The plateau region situated in the south of the Great Plains and surrounded by seas on three sides is known as Peninsular India. It is a triangular plateau with its base in the north which coincides with the southern edge of the Great Plains and its apex is formed by Kanyakumari.
• It extends over southeastern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, as well as Jharkhand. It has an outlier in Meghalaya in the east. It is surrounded by the hill range on all three sides. To its north are the Aravalli, the Vindhyan, the Satpura, and the Rajmahal hills. Along with its western and eastern edges are the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats respectively. The entire plateau measures about 1600 kms in the north to south and 1400 kms in the west to east directions. It includes:
  • East Rajasthan Uplands: It lies east of the Aravalli ranges also known as Marwar Upland with an elevation ranging between 250-500 m. It slopes eastwards
  • The Central Uplands: The central uplands are also known as Madhya Bharat Pathar located in the east of Marwar uplands. Most of it comprises the basin of Chambal river. The area is famous for ravines and badlands.
  • Chhota Nagpur Plateau: Lying to the west of the Bengal basin and east of Baghelkhand, Chhotanagpur Plateau covers mostly Jharkhand, northern Chhattisgarh, and the Purulia district of West Bengal.
  • Deccan Plateau: This is the largest unit of the peninsular plateau of India covering an area of about 5 lakh sq. kms. This triangular plateau lies between Eastern and the Western Ghats and Satpuras and Vindhyan hills in the northwest, Mahadev and Maikal hills in the north.
• Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

• About a fifth of the world's land is made up of deserts, some rocky, others stony and the rest sandy. Deserts that are absolutely barren and where nothing grows at all are rare and they are better known as true deserts.
• Landforms of Wind Erosion in Deserts: In the combined processes of abrasion, deflation and attrition, a wealth of characteristic desert landforms emerge.
  • Rock pedestals or mushroom rocks:
    • The sand- blasting effect of winds against any projecting rock masses wears back the softer layers so that an irregular edge is formed on the alternate bands of hard and soft rocks. Grooves and hollows are cut in the rock surfaces, carving them into fantastic and grotesque looking pillars called rock pedestals Such rock pillars will be further eroded near their bases where the friction is greatest. This process of under-cutting produces rocks of mushroom shape called mushroom rocks or gour in the Sahara.
  • Zeugen:
    • These are tabular masses which have a layer of soft rocks lying beneath a surface layer of more resistant rocks. Mechanical weathering initiates their formation by opening up joints of the surface rocks. Wind abrasion further eats' into the under- lying softer layer so that deep furrows are developed.
  • Yardangs:
    • Quite similar to the ridge and furrow' landscape of zeugen are the steep-sided yardangs. Wind abrasion excavates the bands of softer rocks into long, narrow corridors, separating the steep-sided over-hanging ridges of hard rocks, called yardangs. They are commonly found in the Atacama Desert, Chile, but the more spectacular ones with yardangs rising to 25-50 feet are best developed in the interior deserts of Central Asia where the name originated.
  • Ventifacts or dreikanter:
    • These are pebbles faceted by sand-blasting. They are shaped and thoroughly polished by wind abrasion to shapes resembling Brazil nuts. Rock fragments, mechanically weathered from mountains and upstanding rocks, are moved by wind and smoothed on the windward side.
  • Deflation hollows:
    • Winds lower the ground by blowing away the unconsolidated materials, and small depressions may form. Similarly, minor faulting can also initiate depressions and the eddying action of on-coming winds will wear off the weaker rocks until the water table is reached. Water then seeps out forming oases or swamps, in the deflation hollows or depressions.
• Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

Israel shares a border with Egypt and Jordan.
For further clarification refer to the map given below:

• The highest peak in the Indian Garhwal Himalayas has two summits, the main summit at 7,816 m and Nanda Devi East at 7, 434 m. The mountain is surrounded by a number of peaks over 21,000 ft, making it an extremely difficult place to even reach.
• Nanga Parbat, also called Diamir, is one of the world’s tallest mountains, 8,126 meters high, situated in the western Himalayas 27 km in Kashmir. The mountain’s steep south wall rises nearly 4,600 meters above the valley immediately below and the north side drops about 7,000 meters to the Indus River.
• Annapurna, Nepali Annapurna Himal, lies in north-central Nepal. It forms a ridge some 48 km long between the gorges of the Kali (Kali Gandak; west) and Marsyandi (east) rivers north of the town of Pokhara. The mountain contains four main summits, two of which are Annapurna I (8,091 meters) and II (7,937 meters).
• Dhaulagiri is a mountain massif of the Himalayas in west-central Nepal. It is situated on the western side of the deep Kali (Kali Gandak) River gorge, about 65 km northwest of Annapurna. Many of Dhaulagiri’s snow- and glacier-covered peaks exceed 7,620 meters, including Dhaulagiri I, II, III, and IV. The tallest, Dhaulagiri I, reaches an elevation of 8,167 meters and is the world’s seventh-highest mountain. Kamet is the second-highest mountain in the Garhwal region of India, after Nanda Devi. It lies in the Chamoli District of Uttarakhand, close to the border with Tibet. Due to its position near the Tibetan Plateau, Kamet is remote and not as accessible as some Himalayan peaks. It also receives a great deal of wind from the Plateau. Part of the Zaskar Range, it is 7,756 meters high. Hence, option (c) is the correct answer

The Himalayan ranges exhibit a diverse range of vegetation that transitions from tropical to tundra with increasing altitude. Deciduous forests are prevalent in the foothills, followed by wet temperate forests between 1,000-2,000 meters. Evergreen broad-leaf trees like oak dominate higher hill ranges, alongside commercial species like Chir Pine. Deodar, prized for its durable wood, thrives in the western Himalayas, while species like chinar and walnut sustain Kashmir handicrafts. Blue pine and spruce appear at altitudes of 2,225-3,048 meters, often accompanied by temperate grasslands. Alpine forests and pastures emerge at higher elevations, hosting silver firs, junipers, and rhododendrons. These pastures are utilized by tribes like Gujjars and Bakarwals for transhumance. The southern slopes boast denser vegetation due to higher precipitation. Mosses and lichens characterize the tundra vegetation at extreme altitudes.

Additionally, the Himalayas comprise three major regions: Himadri (greater Himalaya), Himachal (lesser Himalaya), and Shivalik (outer Himalaya). These regions are geologically distinct and are traversed by major rivers like the Indus and Brahmaputra. The northernmost range includes the Karakoram Mountains, extending into Pakistan and China, while the Zanskar and Ladakh ranges lie south of the Karakoram. The region is home to some of the world's highest peaks and is the source of numerous glacier-fed rivers.

 B [In the Rann of Katch]

Notes:
Luni is a river in Rajasthan which originates in the Pushkar Valley of Aravalli range near Ajmer and ends in marshy lands of Rann of Kutch in Gujarath.

• The Aravali range is the oldest mountain range in India. The Aravalli range is the eroded stub of a range of ancient folded mountains. Aravalli Range is one of India's most popular mountain ranges, also known as Mewat hills.
• The Western Ghats are also known as Purva Ghat, Kizahakku Thodarchi Malai in the south. They are way older than the Eastern Ghats. The Western Ghats were the first to evolve, and the Eastern Ghats the last. This fact makes the Western Ghats much older than its eastern counterpart and perhaps the oldest in the land, except for the Aravallis, amongst the oldest on Earth.
• The Himalayas are the youngest fold mountain range in the entire world. The Himalayas and the Northern Plains are the most recent landforms. The Himalayas' whole mountain system represents a youthful topography with high peaks, deep valleys and fast-flowing rivers. So, Option (c) is correct.

Statement 1 is correct and Statement 2 is not correct.

• Sutlej River is the  tributary of the Indus River.
• It rises on the north slope of the Himalayas in Lake La’nga (Lake Rakshastal) in southwestern Tibet, at an elevation above 15,000 feet (4,600 meters).
• Flowing through Himalayan gorges, it enters and crosses the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
• Continuing southwestward in a broad channel, it receives the Beas River and forms 105 km of the India-Pakistan border before entering Pakistan and joins the Chenab River (Pakistan).

In News: A powerful earthquake struck Morocco, claiming more than 2,800 lives. Morocco is a mountainous country of western North Africa.

• It lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain.
• Capital: Rabat
• It borders Algeria to the east and southeast, Western Sahara to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north.
• It is the only African country with coastal exposure to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

The monsoon winds originating over the Arabian Sea further split into three branches:

• Its one branch is obstructed by the Western Ghats. These winds climb the slopes of the Western Ghats from 900-1200 m. Soon, they become cool, and as a result, the windward side of the Sahyadris and Western Coastal Plain receives very heavy rainfall ranging between 250 cm and 400 cm. After crossing the Western Ghats, these winds descend and get heated up. This reduces humidity in the winds. As a result, these winds cause little rainfall east of the Western Ghats. This region of low rainfall is known as the rain-shadow area. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Another branch of the Arabian sea monsoon strikes the coast north of Mumbai. Moving along the Narmada and Tapi river valleys, these winds cause rainfall in extensive areas of central India. The Chotanagpur plateau gets 15 cm of rainfall from this part of the branch. Thereafter, they enter the Ganga plains and mingle with the Bay of Bengal branch. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• The third branch of this monsoon wind strikes the Saurashtra Peninsula and the Kachchh. It then passes over west Rajasthan and along the Aravalis, causing only a scanty rainfall. In Punjab and Haryana, it too joins the Bay of Bengal branch. These two branches, reinforced by each other, cause rains in the western Himalayas. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• India occupies an important strategic position in South Asia. India shares its land boundaries with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the northwest, China (Tibet), Nepal and Bhutan in the north and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east. Our southern neighbors across the sea consist of two island countries, namely Sri Lanka and Maldives.
• Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar while Maldives Islands are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.
• India has 15,106.7 Km of land border and a coastline of 7,516.6 Km including island territories.

• The Big Bang Theory/ expanding universe hypothesis considers the following stages in the development of the universe.
  • In the beginning, all matter forming the universe existed in one place in the form of a “tiny ball” (singular atom) with an unimaginably small volume, infinite temperature, and infinite density.
  • At the Big Bang, the “tiny ball” exploded violently. This led to a huge expansion. It is now generally accepted that the event of the big bang took place 13.7 billion years before the present. The expansion continues even to the present day. As it grew, some energy was converted into matter. There was particularly rapid expansion within fractions of a second after the bang. Thereafter, the expansion slowed down. Within the first three minutes of the Big Bang event, the first atom began to form.
  • Here the expansion of the universe means an increase in space between the galaxies. Hence statement 1 is correct.
  • Within 300,000 years from the Big Bang, the temperature dropped to 4,500K (Kelvin) and gave rise to atomic matter. The universe became transparent. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

1. It is a very sensitive anti-personnel landmine.

   • This statement is correct. Butterfly mines, also known as PFM-1 mines, are a type of anti-personnel landmine known for being sensitive and dangerous.

2. It is very sensitive to the touch, and just the act of picking it up can set it off.

   • This statement is correct. Butterfly mines are designed to be highly sensitive and can be triggered by minimal pressure or handling.

3. These are termed as 'soft target blast munition' by the DRDO.

   • This statement is incorrect. Butterfly mines are not specifically termed 'soft target blast munition' by the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This designation does not align with common terminology used for these mines.

4. It is banned by the International Convention on land mines.

   • This statement is correct. Butterfly mines are banned under the Ottawa Treaty, also known as the Mine Ban Treaty, which aims to eliminate anti-personnel landmines.

Given this analysis, the incorrect statement is: These are termed as 'soft target blast munition' by the DRDO

The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest water body, enclosed or bordered by land on all sides. This massive lake is located between Asia and Europe. Five countries in Asia and Europe share the Caspian Sea’s coastline. It is bordered to the north and east by Kazakhstan and from north to the west by Russia. Azerbaijan borders the sea to the southwest, while Iran is in the south. Turkmenistan lies along the southern portion of the eastern coast. So, Option (d) is correct.

In News:  Rwanda stands out both in Africa and globally for its efforts in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, and particularly in the area of political participation.

• Nearly two third (61%) of its parliamentary seats and 55% of cabinet position is held by women
• Rwanda is a country situated in Central Africa.
• Capital City : Kigali
• It is  bordered to the North by Uganda, to the East by Tanzania, to the South by Burundi and to the West by the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• It is also known as ’The Land of a Thousand Hills’

• The Ninety East Ridge is a ridge located on the floor of the Indian Ocean. The ridge stretches for 5,000 km and has an average width of 200 m, beginning in the Bay of Bengal and extending south to the South East Indian Ridge (SEIR). Additionally, the ridge extends further north for several more kilometers but is hidden below the sediments of the Bengal Fan.
• The northern segment of Ninety East Ridge is composed of a sequence of massive individual volcanoes, while the southern portion is tall and nearly continuous. The middle section of the ridge contains a mixture of small seamounts and straight segments.
• Geologists believe that the diverse features contained within the Ninety East Ridge are the result of its unique formation process. The Ninety East Ridge divides the Indian Ocean into the West Indian Ocean and the eastern Indian Ocean and also separates the Nicobar Fan from the Bengal Fan.
• The Ninety East Ridge is composed primarily of Ocean Island Tholeiites (OIT), which is a type of sub-alkaline basalt rock. So, Option (d) is correct.

Critical minerals are the building blocks of essential modern-day technologies and are at risk of supply chain disruptions. These minerals are now used everywhere, from making mobile phones and computers to batteries, electric vehicles and green technologies like solar panels and wind turbines. Different countries create their lists based on their individual needs and strategic considerations. However, such lists mostly include graphite, lithium and cobalt, which are used for making EV batteries; rare earth, used for making magnets and silicon, a key mineral for making computer chips and solar panels. Aerospace, communications and defence industries also rely on several minerals used in manufacturing fighter jets, drones, radio sets and other critical equipment. So, Option (b) is correct.

• Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. These columns of vapor move with the weather, carrying an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow. Hence option (c) is the correct answer.
• Not all atmospheric rivers cause damage; most are weak systems that often provide beneficial rain or snow that is crucial to the water supply. Atmospheric rivers are a key feature in the global water cycle and are closely tied to both water supply and flood risks

• The mainland of India extends from Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south and Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Gujarat in the west.
• India’s territorial limit further extends towards the sea up to 12 nautical miles (about 21.9 km) from the coast.
• Guhar Moti is the westernmost point of India. It is a small village located in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The northernmost point of India is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas, near Indira Col, Siachen Glacier. The easternmost point is Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Our southern boundary extends up to 6°45' N latitude in the Bay of Bengal. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India is roughly about 30 degrees. Whereas the actual distance measured from north to south extremity is 3,214 km, and that from east to west is only 2,933 km. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• This difference is based on the fact that the distance between two longitudes decreases towards the poles whereas the distance between two latitudes remains the same everywhere.

• Atlas Mountains
  • Mountain range across the north-western stretch of Africa extending about 2,500 km (1,600 mi) through Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Hence pair 1 is correctly matched.
  • The highest peak is Toubkal (4,165 metres) in southwestern Morocco.These mountains were formed when Africa and Europe collided.
• Alps:
  • The mountains were formed as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. Extreme folding caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc (4,810 m) (French–Italian border). Hence pair 2 is not correctly matched.
  • NOTE: Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in Europe. Its summit is 18,510 feet (5642 meters) above sea level and it is located in Russia.
• Andes:
  • The Andes is the longest continental mountain range in the world. The Andes is the world’s highest mountain range outside of Asia with an average height of 4000 m. The highest peak is Mount Aconcagua
  • NOTE: World’s highest volcanoes are in the Andes. Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) (active volcano) on the Chile-Argentina border is the highest volcano on earth. Hence pair 3 is not correctly matched.

• The most well-known rift valley on Earth is probably the so-called "Great Rift Valley System" which stretches from the Middle East in the north to Mozambique in the south.
• The area is geologically active, and features volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, and frequent earthquakes. It is a series of contiguous geographic trenches that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa.
• The Afar Triple Junction (also called the Afro-Arabian Rift System) is located along a divergent plate boundary dividing the Nubian, Somali, and Arabian plates. This area is considered a present-day example of continental rifting leading to seafloor spreading and producing an oceanic basin. Here, the Red Sea Rift meets the Aden Ridge and the East African Rift. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Trees in these forests remain green all year round as the region's climate is warm and wet throughout the year. The leaves of these trees do not fall in any particular season. Hence, they are evergreen. These forests are found in areas with more than 200 cm of rainfall and a short dry season. The trees reach a height of up to 60 meters or even more. The dominant plants in these forests are tall, 25-30 meters high, slender trunks that branch only near the tops, forming a dense canopy of leathery evergreen leaves. It has a dense and mixed vegetation of all kinds, including trees, shrubs, climbers, creepers, epiphytes and ferns, giving it a multilayered structure. Therefore, Tropical Evergreen forests Trees are not restricted to 25 to 60 m in height. So, Option (b) is correct.

• The average temperature of surface water in the oceans is about 27°C, gradually decreasing from the equator towards the poles. The rate of decrease of temperature with increasing latitude is generally 0.5°C per latitude. The surface water temperature decreases from the equator to the poles as the sun's rays become increasingly slanted, and therefore the amount of insolation decreases poleward. The surface water temperature between 40°N and 40°S is lower than the air temperature, but it becomes higher than the air temperature between 40° latitude and the poles in both the hemispheres. So, Statement 1 is correct.
• The oceans in the northern hemisphere record relatively higher temperatures than in the southern hemisphere. The highest temperature is not recorded at the equator but slightly towards the north of it. The average annual temperature for the northern and southern hemispheres is around 19° C and 16° C, respectively. This variation is due to the unequal distribution of land and water in the northern and southern hemispheres. It is a well-known fact that the maximum temperature of the oceans is always at their surfaces because they directly receive the heat from the sun, and the heat is transmitted to the lower sections of the oceans through the conduction process. It results in the decrease of temperature with the increasing depth, but the rate of decrease is not uniform throughout. The temperature falls very rapidly up to the depth of 200 m, and after that, the rate of decrease of temperature is slowed down. So, Statement 2 is correct.
• In Northern Atlantic, there is a very low decrease in temperature with increasing latitudes towards the north. However, in the southern Atlantic, the decrease in temperature with increasing latitude is more pronounced. The North Atlantic is the warmest and saltiest, the South Atlantic is the coldest and densest, and the North Pacific is the least dense and least salty. Temperature variations between the northern and southern hemispheres are caused by the different distribution of land and ocean water. Because of warm ocean currents, the temperature decline with increasing latitude in the northern Atlantic Ocean is very low. So, Statement 3 is not correct.

The correct answer is option 3, i.e 3-2-4-1.

• As per the report published by the Forest Survey of India the percentage of forested area in ascending order is:
  • Chhattisgarh (41.09%),
  • Odisha (32.98%),
  • Madhya Pradesh (25.11%),
  • Maharashtra (16.47%)

Statement 1 is not correct and 2 is correct.

• The Yamuna rises on the slopes of the Bandarpunch massif in the Great Himalayas near Yamunotri in Uttarakhand.
• The river flows through the state of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and  the Union Territory of Delhi.
• The important tributaries of the Yamuna River are Tons, Chambal, Hindon, Betwa and Ken.
• Yamuna is the  right bank tributary of river Ganga.

In News : A study just published in the journal Climate and Atmospheric Science reported a sharp change in the potential for cyclones to form over the Arabian Sea during the late 1990s.

• The word Cyclone is derived from the Greek word Cyclos meaning the coils of a snake.
• It was coined by Henry Peddington because the tropical storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea appear like coiled serpents of the sea
• The air circulates inward in an anticlockwise direction in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere.
• Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world – They are known as typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean; hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean; tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA.; willy willies in north-western Australia and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean.