Test: Geography - 3 - UPSC MCQ

• The Canary Current (cold) is a wind-driven surface current that is part of the North Atlantic Gyre. This eastern boundary current branches south from the North Atlantic Current and flows southwest about as far as Senegal where it turns west and later joins the Atlantic North Equatorial Current. Hence option 1 is not correct.

• The Mozambique Current is an ocean current in the Indian Ocean, usually defined as warm surface waters flowing south along the African east coast in the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar. Hence option 2 is correct.

• The North Equatorial Current (warm) is found in the North Atlantic from about 7°N to about 20°N. Fortified by the Atlantic trade wind belt, the NEC is a broad westward flowing current that forms the southern limb of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. The current originates from the northwestern coast of Africa, where it is fed mainly by the cooler waters flowing from the northeast Atlantic. Hence option 3 is correct.

• Sub-Polar low-pressure belt is located between 60-65 degree latitudes in both the hemispheres. The low-pressure belt does not appear to be thermally induced because there is low temperature throughout the year. The surface air spreads outward from this zone due to the rotation of the earth and low pressure is caused. Instead of a regular and continuous belt, there are well-defined low-pressure centres or cells over the oceans in the northern hemisphere e.g. in the neighbourhood of the Aleutian Islands in the Pacific Ocean and between Greenland and Iceland in the Atlantic Ocean. Hence option (c) is the correct answer.

• The sub-tropical highs extend from near the tropics to about 35°N and S. After saturation (complete loss of moisture) at the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the air moving away from equatorial low pressure belt in the upper troposphere becomes dry and cold. This dry and cold wind subsides at 30°N and S. So the high pressure along this belt is due to subsidence of air coming from the equatorial region which descends after becoming heavy.

• Equatorial Low Pressure Belt lies between 10°N and 10°S latitudes. This belt is the zone of convergence of trade winds from two hemispheres from sub-tropical high pressure belts. As this region lies along the equator, it receives highest amount of insolation. Due to intense heating, air gets warmed up and rises over the equatorial region (convection).Whenever there is vertically upward movement of air, the region at the surface will be at low pressure. Thus the belt along the equator is called equatorial low pressure belt.

• The polar highs are small in area and extend around the poles. They lie around poles between 80 – 90° N and S latitudes. The air from sub-polar low pressure belts after saturation becomes dry. This dry air becomes cold while moving towards poles through upper troposphere. The cold air (heavy) on reaching poles subsides creating a high pressure belt at the surface of earth.

• Dal is a freshwater lake in Srinagar. Hence option 1 is correct.

  • It is also an important source for commercial operations in fishing and water plant harvesting.

  • The floating gardens, known as “Raad” in Kashmiri, blossom with lotus flowers during July and August in this lake. o It is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir and is named the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”.

• Wular Lake is the largest freshwater lake in India and lies in the Kashmir Valley, 40 km northwest of Srinagar City. Hence option 2 is correct.

• Pangong Tso lake is located in the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is situated at a height of almost 4,350m and is the world’s highest saltwater lake. Hence option 3 is not correct.

  • It acts as a huge absorption basin for annual floodwater in Kashmir Valley.

  • The Jhelum river flows into it, 40 km down from Srinagar, and then out again.

  • Lake basin is formed by the tectonic activity and is fed by the Jhelum river.

  • Extending to almost 160 km, one-third of the Pangong Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China.

• Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in North East India. Hence option 4 is correct.

  • Loktak Lake is fed by the Manipur river and several tributaries and ‘Ungamel Channel’ (Ithai Barrage) is its only outlet now.

  • Keibul Lamjao national park- the only floating national park in the world lies in the lake.

  • The national park is the last habitat of endangered Sangai deer also called as dancing deer.

  • The lake is famous for Phumdis- floating mass of entangled vegetation formed by the accumulation of organic debris and biomass with soil.

• Tropical cyclones originate and intensify over warm tropical oceans. The conditions favourable for the formation and intensification of tropical storms are:

  • Large sea surface with a temperature higher than 27° C; Hence option 1 is correct.

  • Presence of the Coriolis force Hence option 2 is not correct.

  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed; Hence option 3 is not correct.

  • A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.

  • Upper divergence above the sea level system.

• The cyclones, which cross 20°N latitude generally, recurve and they are more destructive (cyclones do not form near the equator due to the absence of Coriolis force).

• A mature tropical cyclone is characterized by the strong spirally circulating wind around the centre, called the eye. The diameter of the circulating system can vary between 150 and 250 km. The eye is a region of calm with subsiding air.

• Around the eye is the eyewall, where there is a strong spiralling ascent of air to a greater height reaching the tropopause. The wind reaches maximum velocity in this region, reaching as high as 250 km per hour. Torrential rain occurs here.

• From the eyewall, rain bands may radiate and trains of cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds may drift into the outer region. The diameter of the storm over the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and Indian ocean is between 600 and 1200 km. The system moves slowly about 300 - 500 km per day. The cyclone creates storm surges and they inundate the coastal low lands. The storm peters out on the land.

• Antigens included in vaccines prompt the immune system to launch an immunological response. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• Low-income countries consistently struggle to access vaccines that are in-demand by high-income countries. The "Global Vaccine Market Report 2022" was released by the World Health Organization (WHO). Hence, statement 2 is correct. Free market dynamics is depriving some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people of their right to health.

• Rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) of the earth’s surface are exposed to denudational agents, and are broken up into various sizes of fragments. Such fragments are transported by different exogenous agencies and deposited. These deposits through compaction turn into sedimentary rocks. This process is called lithification.

• Depending upon the mode of formation, sedimentary rocks are classified into three major groups:

  • mechanically formed - sandstone, conglomerate, shale, loess etc. are examples;

  • organically formed - geyserite, chalk, limestone, coal etc. are some examples;

  • chemically formed - chert, limestone, halite, potash etc. are some examples. Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

• Granite, gabbro, pegmatite, basalt, volcanic breccia and tuff are some of the examples of igneous rocks.

• Gneissoid, syenite, slate, schist, marble, quartzite etc. are some examples of metamorphic rocks.

• The shape of the earth’s orbit is elliptical and the sun occupies one focus of the ellipse. This leads to variations in the distance of the earth from the sun. The distance between the earth and the sun is least i.e.147.3 million km on January 3. In this position, the earth is said to be in perihelion. After this, the earth moves away from the sun and on July 4, it is at the farthest point, being 152 million km from the sun. At this time, the earth is said to be in aphelion.

• The plane in which the earth’s orbit lies is known as the plane of the ecliptic. The plane of the earth’s equator is inclined as an angle of 231/2° with the plane of the ecliptic. The earth's axis makes an angle of 661/2° with the plane of the ecliptic, and is tilted at 231/2° from a line perpendicular to that plane. This inclination is responsible for change of seasons on the Earth. The Sun rays can be experienced overhead till the tropic of cancer and capricorn in the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth respectively. Beyond this point, the earth does not tilt to the point that it receives the direct rays. So, the sun is never overhead beyond the tropics due to the latitudes. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• During the course of its revolution around the sun, the earth passes through different phases and occupies different positions. Four such positions, 2 solstices and 2 equinoxes occur in four different seasons.

  • Solstice: Solstice Solstice is the time when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator and the sun’s rays are vertical either at the Tropic of Cancer or at the Tropic of Capricorn.

  • Summer Solstice: On June 21 or 22, the northern hemisphere has maximum leaning towards the sun and receives more insolation than the southern hemisphere. Duration of day increases towards the north and decreases towards the south. The Sun’s vertical rays are at the Tropic of Cancer.

  • Winter Solstice: On December 21 or 22 the earth travels to the opposite end of its orbit and the southern hemisphere has maximum inclination towards the sun. The sun’s vertical rays are at the Tropic of Capricorn. This is the time of winter season in the northern hemisphere and this position is known as winter solstice. The duration of day light increases towards the south and decreases towards the north. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is expected to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for the people in India. Eat Right India is aligned to the National Health Policy 2017. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• ‘Eat Right India’, is built on three broad pillars of ‘Eat Healthy’, ‘Eat Safe’ and ‘Eat Sustainably’. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• The equatorial or tropical fronts are called intertropical fronts (ITF) or intertropical convergence (ITC). These fronts represent the meeting ground of north-east and south-east trade winds. This convergence zone lies more or less parallel to the equator but moves north or south with the apparent movement of the sun. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• As these winds converge, moist air is forced upward, producing cumulus clouds and heavy precipitation. These clouds occur in scattered masses about 100 km across.

• Thus it is the region of ascending air, maximum clouds and heavy rainfall. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• The northern and southern boundaries of intertropical convergence are called north intertropical convergence (NITC) and south intertropical convergence (SITC) respectively.

• On an average, there is westerly air circulation (from west to east) in the doldrums or say in the intertropical convergence. These westerly winds have been called by Flohn as equatorial westerlies. The equatorial westerlies are associated with strong atmospheric disturbances (cyclonic storms).

• Mascarene High: This high-pressure region located between 25°S-35°S and 40°E-90°E near the Mascarene Islands in the southern Indian Ocean is a source of Southwest monsoon in India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• Since, it is a high pressure area, it is also known as Mascarene high. This is responsible for cross-equatorial flow through south Arabian Sea and it acts as southern hemispheric linkage. The variation in the intensity of High Pressure causes monsoon surges across equatorial flow. These surges are responsible for heavy rains along the west coast.

• If there is a delay in the formation of Mascarene High there is a possibility of delay in the onset of Indian Monsoon. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Sub-Tropical high-pressure belt is not thermally induced because this zone, besides two to three winter months, receives fairly high temperature throughout the year. Thus, this belt owes its origin to the rotation of the earth and sinking and settling down of winds. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• It is, thus, apparent that the sub-tropical high-pressure belt is dynamically induced. This zone is characterized by anticyclonic conditions which cause atmospheric stability and aridity. This is one of the reasons for the presence of hot deserts of the world in the western parts of the continents in a zone extending between 25 degree – 35 degree in both the hemispheres. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

• This zone of high pressure is called ‘horse latitude’ because of the prevalence of frequent calms. There are daily, seasonal and annual changes in the pressure because of the northward and southward movement of the overhead sun (summer and winter solstices), contrasting nature of heating and cooling of land and water etc.

• Expect polar high-pressure belt all the pressure belts move northward with the northward movement of the Sun during the summer solstice. On the other hand, except the polar high-pressure belt, all the belts move southward due to southward movement of the sun during winter solstice when the sun is vertical at the tropic of Capricorn.

• The pressure belt occupies a normal ideal position at the time of vernal equinox (21 March) and the autumnal equinox (23 September) when the sun is vertical at the equator. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• The latitude of a place on the earth’s surface is its distance north or south of the equator, measured along the meridian of that place as an angle from the centre of the earth. Lines joining places with the same latitudes are called parallels. The value of equator is 0° and the latitude of the poles are 90°N and 90°S. All latitudes are parallel to the Equator. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• On a globe, parallels of latitudes appear as circles. If the earth were a perfect sphere, the length of 10 of latitude (a one degree arc of a meridian) would be a constant value, i.e. 111 km everywhere on the earth. But to be precise, a degree of latitude changes slightly in length from the equator to the poles. While at the equator, it is 110.6 km at the poles, it is 111.7 km. Hence statement 2 is not correct. • The latitudes from the equator to the poles are used to demarcate temperature zones, i.e. 0° to 23 1⁄2° north and south as the torrid zone, 23 1⁄2° to 66 1⁄2° as the temperate zone and 66 1⁄2° to 90° as the frigid zone.

• Horse latitudes are the subtropical latitudes between 30 and 35 degrees both north and south where Earth's atmosphere is dominated by the subtropical high pressure zone which suppresses precipitation and cloud formation, and has variable winds mixed with calm winds. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

• An aquifer is an underground layer of rocks which can hold water. They act like sponges and hence are also called as sponge rocks. Aquifers are highly permeable formations and hence they are considered as main sources of groundwater applications.

• An aquiclude is a geological formation which is impermeable to the flow of water. It contains a large amount of water in it but it does not permit water through it and also does not yield water. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• Clay is highly porous due to its fine particle texture and thus absorbs a huge amount of water. However, the pore-spaces are so small and less interconnected making it impermeable and thus clay acts as an aquiclude. On the other hand, granite which is a crystalline rock and consequently non-porous is often permeable due to the presence of numerous joints and cracks through which the water can pass through. Hence, Granite doesn't act as an aquiclude. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

• In our country, debris avalanches and landslides occur very frequently in the Himalayas. There are many reasons for this.

  • One, the Himalayas are tectonically active.

  • They are mostly made up of sedimentary rocks and unconsolidated and semi-consolidated deposits.

  • The slopes are very steep.

• Compared to the Himalayas, the Nilgiris are relatively tectonically stable and are mostly made up of very hard rocks; but, still, debris avalanches and landslides occur in these hills. Why?

  • Many slopes are steeper with almost vertical cliffs and escarpments in the Western Ghats and Nilgiris.

  • Mechanical weathering due to temperature changes and ranges is pronounced.

  • They receive heavy amounts of rainfall over short periods.

• So, there is almost direct rock fall quite frequently in these places along with landslides and debris avalanche.

Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

• The Mahananda is an important tributary of the Ganga rising in the Darjeeling hills. The river flows southwards through the fertile agricultural area of Bihar and enters West Bengal. It joins the Ganga as its last left bank tributary in West Bengal. Then flows in the southeast direction into Bangladesh, near Tentulia in Panchagarh District. The major tributaries of the Mahananda are Balason, Mechi, Ratwa and Kankai. It has three tributaries in the Siliguri area called the Trinai, Ranochondi and the pair of Chokor and Dauk taken as a single tributary. Hence only option 3 is not correct.

• The Chambal rises near Mhow in the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh and flows northwards through a gorge upwards of Kota in Rajasthan, where the Gandhisagar dam has been constructed. From Kota, it traverses down to Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Dholpur, and finally joins the Yamuna. It joins the Yamuna in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh. The Chambal is famous for its badland topography called the Chambal ravines.

• The Ken river has its origin from the Ahirgawan village on the north-west slopes of the Kaimur hills in the Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of about 550 meters above mean sea level. The Ken is an interstate river between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The total length of the river from its origin to the confluence with the river Yamuna is 427 km, out of which 292 km lies in Madhya Pradesh, 84 km in Uttar Pradesh and 51 km forms the common boundary between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The river is the last tributary of Yamuna before the Yamuna joins the Ganga.

Both of the statements are correct.

Explanation:

Waves are oscillatory movements that result in the rise and fall of the water surface. The movement of each water particle in a wave is to and from in the vertical direction, while the wave itself moves forward horizontally. In other words, the particles move in a circular motion, with the wave crest being the highest point and the wave trough being the lowest point. Therefore, statement 1 and statement 2 are both correct.

• The lowermost layer of the atmosphere is known as the troposphere and is the most important layer because almost all of the weather phenomena (e.g. fog, cloud, dew, frost, rainfall, hailstorm, storms, cloud thunder, lighting, etc.) occur in this layer. Thus, the troposphere is of utmost significance for all the life forms including man in the biosphere ecosystem because these are concentrated in the lowest part of the atmosphere.

• Temperature decrease with increasing height at the rate of 6.5 degrees per 1000 m (This rate of decrease of temperature is called normal lapse rate). There is seasonal variation in the height of the troposphere. In the other words, the height of the troposphere changes from the equator towards the poles (decreases) and from one season of a year to other season (increases during summer while it decreases during winter). The average height of the troposphere is about 16 km over the equator and 6 km over the poles. The upper limit of the troposphere is called Tropopause which is 1.5 km thick. The height of the tropopause is 17 km over the equator and 9 to 10 km over the poles. Hence statement 1 is correct .

• The temperature at the top of the tropopause is lowest over the equator (-70 degree celsius) and is relatively high over the poles. Since the temperature decreases upward at the rate of 6.5 degree Celsius per 1000m and hence it is natural that temperature at the height of 17 km over the equator becomes much lower than at the height of 9-10 km over the poles. The word troposphere literally means ‘zone or region of mixing’ whereas the word tropopause means ‘where mixing stops’. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Factors affecting ocean salinity are mentioned below:

• The salinity of water in the surface layer of oceans depend mainly on evaporation and precipitation.

• Surface salinity is greatly influenced in coastal regions by the fresh water flow from rivers, and in polar regions by the processes of freezing and thawing of ice.

• Wind, also influences salinity of an area by transferring water to other areas.

• The ocean currents contribute to the salinity variations. Salinity, temperature and density of water are interrelated. Hence, any change in the temperature or density influences the salinity of an area.

Distribution of Salinity:

• Salinity of the Open Seas:

  • Highest salinity is found near the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This is due to active evaporation owing to clear skies, high temperature and steady trade winds.

  • Salinity is low at the equator. There is heavy rainfall and big rivers like Amazon and Zaire bring large quantities of fresh water to the ocean.

  • Salinity is very low in the polar areas. There is very little evaporation and this, coupled with the melting of ice yielding fresh water, leads to a decrease in salinity

• Salinity of Partially Closed Seas:

  • Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea and Persian Gulf have high salinity where it varies from 37 to 41 per thousand. This is due to high rate of evaporation and absence of large rivers which could provide fresh water to these seas.

  • Salinity in Baltic Sea is extremely low. Here evaporation is very low due to low temperature and In addition, several small streams bring large quantity of fresh water which is supplemented by snow melt in the Scandinavian mountains.

• Salinity of Enclosed Seas and Lakes:

  • Enclosed seas and lakes have exceptionally high proportion of salinity. eg: Dead sea, Great Salt Lake etc.

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, originally named Muhiyuddin Ahmad, was born in 1888 in Mecca, Saudi-Arabia. He was a proponent of Hindu Muslim unity, opposed to Partition. In 1912, he started a weekly journal in Urdu called Al-Hilal which played an important role in forging Hindu-Muslim unity after the bad blood created between the two communities in the aftermath of Morley-Minto reforms (1909).

• Under the 1909 reforms, the provision of separate electorates for Muslims was resented by Hindu. The government regarded Al- Hilal as a propagator of secessionist views and banned it in 1914. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad then started another weekly called Al-Balagh with the same mission of propagating Indian nationalism and revolutionary ideas based on Hindu-Muslim unity.

Hence, option C is correct.

• The earth rotates around its axis from west to east, i.e., in anticlockwise direction and completes one rotation in about 24 hours. The axis of the earth is an imaginary line passing through the centre of the earth and joining north and south poles. It is tilted at an angle of about 661⁄2° to the plane of the elliptic, i.e., at an angle of about 231⁄2° from the line perpendicular to that plane. The velocity of rotation decreases from equator to poles because the length of parallels also decreases as we move from the equator toward the poles.

• The earth’s rotation has a large number of effects on our everyday life.

• The main effects are:

  • Formation of day and night: The spinning of the Earth around its own axis causes day and night. The Earth completes one full rotation every 24 hours. This is why the Sun appears to rise in the East and set in the West. This motion creates day and night approximately every 12 hours.

  • Concept of time: Earth's rotation period (the time elapsed for one rotation) with respect to the stars is called a sidereal day. A sidereal day is 24 sidereal hours, or 23 hours and 56 minutes on a normal clock. Our clock time is based on the earth's rotation with respect to the sun from solar noon to solar noon.

  • Deflection of winds and ocean currents: Because the Earth rotates on its axis, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This deflection is called the Coriolis effect. If the Earth did not rotate on its axis, the atmosphere would only circulate between the poles and the equator in a simple back-and-forth pattern.

  • Spheroidal shape of the earth: The rotation of the earth causes the earth to swell more at the equator, compared to at the poles. When the earth rotates, there is a strong outward force on the earth matter near the equator. This force causes the swelling, and gives the earth the oblate spheroid shape.

  • Regular intervals of tides: Earth's rotation and the gravitational pull of the sun and moon create tides on our planet.

  • Weight of a body is less at the equator than at the poles due to greater centrifugal force at the equator caused by the Earth’s rotation.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

• Frigid Zone extending between 66.5-degree latitude and the poles in both the hemispheres is characterized by more oblique sun’s rays throughout the year resulting into exceptionally very low temperature. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• The length of day and night is more than 24 hours. Days and nights are of 6 months duration at the poles. Sun is never vertical and the ground is covered with snow as temperature more or less remains below freezing point. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• The Indus also known as the Sindhu, is the westernmost of the Himalayan rivers in India.

• It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu (31°15' N latitude and 81°40' E longitude) in the Tibetan region at an altitude of 4,164 m in the Kailash Mountain range. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• In Tibet, it is known as ‘Singi Khamban. Yarlung Tsangpo is the upper stream of the Brahmaputra River located in Tibet. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

• Satluj River: It originates in the ‘Raksas tal’ near Mansarovar at an altitude of 4,555 m in Tibet where it is known as Langchen Khambab.

• It flows almost parallel to the Indus for about 400 km before entering India, and comes out of a gorge at Rupar. It is the eastern most tributary of River Indus. Hence statement 3 is correct.

• Saline soils also known as Usara soils contain a larger proportion of sodium, potassium and magnesium, and thus, they are infertile, and do not support any vegetative growth. They have more salts, largely because of dry climate and poor drainage.

• They occur in arid and semi-arid regions, and in waterlogged and swampy areas. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• Their structure ranges from sandy to loamy. They lack in nitrogen and calcium.

• Saline soils are more widespread in western Gujarat, deltas of the eastern coast and in Sunderban areas of West Bengal. In the Rann of Kuchchh, the Southwest Monsoon brings salt particles and deposits there as a crust. Seawater intrusions in the deltas promote the occurrence of saline soils.

• In the areas of intensive cultivation with excessive use of irrigation, especially in areas of green revolution, the fertile alluvial soils are becoming saline. Excessive irrigation with dry climatic conditions promotes capillary action, which results in the deposition of salt on the top layer of the soil. In such areas, especially in Punjab and Haryana, farmers are advised to add gypsum to solve the problem of salinity in the soil. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224 and originally the Andromeda Nebula, is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth and the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way. The galaxy's name stems from the area of Earth's sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda.

• The virial mass of the Andromeda Galaxy is of the same order of magnitude as that of the Milky Way, at 1 trillion solar masses (2.0 × 10⁴² kilograms). Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

• At 2.5 million light-years, it’s also the most distant thing visible to your unaided eye. To the eye, this galaxy appears as a smudge of light larger than a full moon.

• Cyclonic or frontal rainfall occurs due to ascending of moist air and adiabatic cooling caused by convergence of two extensive air masses.

• The mechanism of cyclonic precipitation is of two types on the basis of two types of cyclones viz. temperate cyclones and tropical cyclones. Rainfall associated with temperate cyclones occurs when two extensive air masses of entirely different physical properties converge.

• When two contrasting air masses coming from opposite directions converge along a line, a front is formed. The warm wind is lifted upward along this front where as cold air being heavier settles downward. Such cyclonic fronts are created in temperate regions where cold polar winds and warm westerlies converge. The warm air lying over cold air is cooled and gets saturated and condensation begins around hygroscopic nuclei.

• Since the lifting of warm air along the warm front of temperate cyclone is slow and gradual, with the result precipitation occurs in the form of drizzles but continues for longer duration. Thus, the precipitation associated with warm front is widespread and of long duration. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

• On the other hand, the precipitation associated with cold fronts is always in the form of thunder showers but is of short duration. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Statue of Prosperity is the statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. He was the chieftain under the Vijayanagara Empire of the 16th century. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• As per the ‘World Book of Records’, it is the first and the tallest bronze statue of a founder of a city. Renowned sculptor and Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar has designed the statue. Hence, statement 2 is correct. Sutar had built the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat and the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Bengaluru’s ‘Vidhana Soudha’.

• An eclipse is partial or total obstruction of light from a celestial body as it passes through the shadow of another celestial body. On the earth we are familiar with two types of eclipses i.e., solar eclipse and lunar eclipse.

• Solar Eclipse: When the moon comes exactly between the earth and the sun it obstructs a part or whole of the sun and a partial or total solar eclipse occurs. A solar eclipse will occur only if the sun and the moon are on one side of the earth. Usually we have partial solar eclipse but total or full solar eclipse also occurs, although at varying intervals of time depending on the position of the sun, the earth and the moon.

• Lunar Eclipse: Lunar eclipse occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon i.e. lunar eclipse will occur only if the sun and the moon are located on the opposite side of the earth. It usually occurs at full moon. Depending upon the position of the moon during its revolution around the earth, we can have partial or total lunar eclipse. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• One might wonder that why we don’t have a lunar eclipse every month as the moon orbits Earth. It’s true that the moon goes around Earth every month, but it doesn’t always get in Earth’s shadow. The moon’s path around Earth is tilted compared to Earth’s orbit around the sun. The moon can be behind Earth but still get hit by light from the sun. But if the Moon's orbit around the Earth is not tilted compared to the Earth's orbit, Lunar eclipse would occur every month. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that cause the sea-floor to move abruptly resulting in sudden displacement of ocean water in the form of high vertical waves are called tsunamis. Earthquakes cause tsunami by causing a disturbance of the seafloor. Thus, earthquakes that occur along coastlines or anywhere beneath the oceans can generate tsunami. But the sense of displacement is also important. Tsunami are generally formed when an earthquake causes vertical displacement of the seafloor. Hence statement 1 is correct.

• The speed of wave in the ocean depends upon the depth of water. It is more in the shallow water than in the ocean deep. As a result of this, the impact of tsunami is less over the ocean and more near the coast where they cause large-scale devastations. Therefore, a ship at sea is not much affected by tsunami and it is difficult to detect a tsunami in the deeper parts of sea. It is so because over deep water the tsunami has very long wave-length and limited wave-height. Hence statements 2 and 3 are correct.

• When a tsunami enters shallow water, its wave-length gets reduced and the period remains unchanged, which increases the wave- height. Sometimes, this height can be up to 15m or more, which causes large-scale destructions along the shores.

• After reaching the coast, the tsunami waves release enormous energy stored in them and water flows turbulently onto the land destroying port-cities and towns, structures, buildings and other settlements.

• The direction of surface winds is usually controlled by the pressure gradient and rotation of the earth. Because of rotation of the earth along its axis the winds are deflected. The force which deflects the direction of winds is called deflection force. This force is also called coriolis force.

• Because of coriolis force all the winds are deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere while they are deflected to the left in the southern hemisphere with respect to the rotating earth. This is why winds blow counter-clockwise around the centre of low pressure (to make cyclonic circulation) in the northern hemisphere while they blow clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

• The magnitude of deflection (Coriolis effects) is directionally proportional to

  • the sine of the latitude

  • the mass of the moving body, and

  • horizontal velocity of the wind.

Hence, option d is the correct.

• An earthquake is the movement or trembling of the ground produced by the sudden displacement of rock in the Earth's crust. Earthquakes result from crustal strain, volcanism, landslides, and the collapse of caverns. Stress accumulates in response to tectonic forces until it exceeds the strength of the rock. The rock then breaks along a pre-existing or new fracture called a fault. The rupture extends outward in all directions along the fault plane from its point of origin (focus).

• Earthquake prediction is usually defined as the specification of the time, location, and magnitude of a future earthquake within stated limits.

• Some evidence of upcoming Earthquake are the following:

  • A drastic decrease in water level in wells

  • Large scale of fluctuation of oil flow from oil wells

  • Foreshocks or minor shocks before major earthquake

  • Discharge of Radon gas

  • Uplifting of earth surface

  • Change in seismic wave velocity