Second Order Formations MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Second Order Formations - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Only two.

Key Points

• Hanging valleys occur when a smaller tributary glacier joins a larger glacier at a higher elevation, resulting in an abrupt drop at the junction. Hence statement 1 is correct
• Once the glaciers melt, waterfalls often form at these sites due to the steep drop. Hence statement 2 is correct
• They are not found in deserts, as they are exclusively glacial features. Hence statement 3 is incorrect
• Famous examples include Yosemite National Park (USA) and Glacier National Park (Canada).

The correct answer is 1 and 2 only

 Key Points

• Mushroom rocks are formed due to abrasion by wind, which erodes the lower portion of the rock more than the upper part. Hence statement 1 is correct
• Dreikanter forms in a manner similar to mushroom rocks but has three wind-faceted surfaces, creating a cone-like shape with a small base. Hence statement 2 is correct
• Yardangs are formed by wind erosion, not glaciers, and resemble table-like ridges due to differential erosion. Hence statement 3 is incorrect
• Mushroom rocks are common in desert areas such as the Sahara Desert

The correct answer is All three.

Key Points

• Oxbow lakes are formed when meanders become highly curved, and sediment deposition cuts off the old channel. Hence statement 1 is correct
• Natural levees are raised embankments along riverbanks, formed by repeated flood deposits. Hence statement 2 is correct
• Floodplains are enriched with silt and nutrients during floods, making them highly fertile agricultural lands. Hence statement 3 is correct
• Floodplains are crucial for riverine agriculture but are also prone to seasonal flooding.

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Points

• River capture occurs when a lower stream extends its valley due to headward erosion, intercepting another stream from a higher valley. Hence option 2 is correct
• It requires three conditions:
  • Difference in elevation between the two streams.
  • The lower stream should be on the windward side to receive rainfall for erosion.
  • The steeper gradient of the lower stream aids in headward erosion.
• The Yamuna River is believed to have captured the Saraswati River, leaving Ghaggar as a seasonal stream.
• River capture is also known as stream piracy and significantly alters drainage patterns

The correct answer is option 4.

Key Points

• Oxbow Lake → Correct Match 
  • Formation Agent: River 
  • Erosional/Depositional: Depositional 
  • Explanation: Oxbow lakes form when a river meander gets cut off, leaving an isolated water body due to sediment deposition.
• Inselberg → Correct Match 
  • Formation Agent: Wind 
  • Erosional/Depositional: Erosional 
  • Explanation: Inselbergs are isolated hills that remain after extensive wind erosion removes softer surrounding rock.
• Sea Arch → Correct Match 
  • Formation Agent: Coastal Waves 
  • Erosional/Depositional: Erosional 
  • Explanation: Sea arches are formed by continuous wave erosion on rocky coastlines.
• Loess → Correct Match 
  • Formation Agent: Wind 
  • Correct Type: Depositional 
  • Explanation: Loess is fine, wind-blown sediment that accumulates over time. It is deposited by wind, not glaciers.
• Thus,
  • Oxbow Lake (Correct)
  • Inselberg (Correct)
  • Sea Arch (Correct)
  • Loess (Correct)
• All four pairs are correctly matched.
• Correct Answer: (d) All Four

The correct answer is Europe, Antarctica, South America, and North America.

Key Points

• A continent is a large continuous landmass, separated from other continents by water or other geographical features.
• Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water.
• And the remaining 29% of the Earth's surface is land.
• The continents are, from largest to smallest:
  • Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.

Important Points

• The world’s largest continent is Asia.
• Asia is the most populous continent in the world (30% of the world’s land area and 60% of the world’s people).
• The world’s smallest continent is Australia and is also referred to as an “island continent” because it is surrounded on all sides by the ocean.
• North America is the only continent having five time zones and every type of climate.
• Antarctica is the coldest continent in the world.

The correct answer is Karbi Anglong Hills.

Key Points

• The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada. 
• The Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north, while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the Maikal range form its eastern extensions.
• An extension of the Plateau is also visible in the northeast, locally known as the Meghalaya, Karbi-Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills. 
• It is separated by a fault from the Chotanagpur Plateau.
• The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.
  • ​Its average elevation is 600 m.
  • It rises to 1000 m in the south but dips to 500 m in the north.

The correct answer is Granite.

Key Points

• Granite is an example of an igneous rock, not a metamorphic rock.
• Metamorphic rocks are formed by transforming existing rocks under heat and pressure.
• Quartzite is a metamorphic rock formed from sandstone.
• Gneiss is a metamorphic rock formed from shale or granite.
•  Schist is a metamorphic rock formed from shale, slate, or phyllite.

Additional Information

• Quartzite is a hard, durable rock often used for building and decorative purposes.
• Gneiss is a foliated rock with distinct banding patterns commonly used as a building material.
• Schist is a foliated rock with a characteristic layered appearance used for decorative purposes.

The correct answer is Colorado.

Mistake Points

• Area of Columbia Plateau: approximately 163,000 square kilometres
• Area of Colorado Plateau: approximately 386,242 square kilometres

Key Points

• Colorado is the largest plateau.
• Denver is the capital and most populous city in Colorado.
• Colorado has a diverse landscape of arid desert, river canyons, and the snow-covered Rocky Mountains, which are partly protected by Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • It is the largest plateau in America.
  • It is divided by the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon.
• This plateau is an example of the intermontane plateau.
• Mesas and buttes are found here at many places.
• The plateau is known for the groundwater which is under positive pressure and causes the emergence of springs called Artesian wells.
• Colorado is one of the Mountain States and is a part of the western and southwestern United States.
• Hence, option 3 is correct.

Additional Information

• Plateau :
  • A plateau is a flat-topped tableland.
  • Plateaus occur in every continent and take up a third of the Earths land.
  • They are one of the four major landforms, along with mountains, plains, and hills.
  • Plateaus, like mountains, may be young or old.
  • The Deccan plateau in India is one of the oldest plateaus.
  • Valleys form when river water cuts through the plateau.
• Aquarius :
  • The Aquarius Plateau is a physiographic region in the High Plateaus Section of the Colorado Plateau Province.
  • It is located within Garfield and Wayne counties in south-central Utah. 
• Columbia :
  • River Columbia and its tributary Snake meet in this plateau.
  • It is bordered by the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains and divided by the Columbia River.
  • This plateau has been formed as the result of volcanic eruptions with a consequent coating of basalt lava.
  • The Columbia Plateau, between the Cascade and Rocky mountains in the northwestern United States, is cut through by the Columbia River.

The correct answer is Fold Mountain.

Key Points

• Fold mountains are the most common type of mountain in the world.
• The rugged, soaring heights of the Himalayas, Andes, and Alps are all active fold mountains. 
• Earth's hard outer layer is called the crust. It is made up of large interlocking slabs called tectonic plates.
• Fold mountains are created where two or more of Earth's tectonic plates are pushed together.
• At these boundaries, rocks and debris are warped and folded into hills, mountains, and entire mountain ranges. 
• The Himalayas stretch through the borders of China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Pakistan.

The correct answer is An Isthmus.

Key Points

• Isthmus of Panama
  • The Isthmus of Panama in Panama links the continents of North and South America and separates the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
  • The Panama Canal stretches 77 kilometers (48 miles) across the isthmus and allows cargo ships to travel from eastern North America to western North America without having to go around South America.
  • The Panama Canal revolutionized shipping and travel in the 20th century, allowing for faster and more efficient transportation of goods and people.
  • North America is the third largest continent in the world.
  • The continent lies completely in the Northern and Western Hemisphere.
  • An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and separates two bodies of water. 
    • Isthmuses have been strategic locations for centuries.
    • They are natural sites for ports and canals linking terrestrial and aquatic trade routes.
    • Isthmuses are also key sites for communications and cultural exchange, as well as military outposts.

Additional Information

• The Isthmus of Suez in eastern Egypt connects the continents of Africa and Asia and separates the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
• The Suez Canal is 192 kilometers (119 miles) long and allows cargo ships to travel between Europe, North Africa, western Asia (via the Mediterranean Sea in the north), and eastern and southern Asia without having to go around Africa.
• The Suez Canal facilitated trade and travel in the 19th century and continues to define the oil trade today.

Inselberg - Glaciers is not correctly matched.Key Points

• Inselberg is formed by wind, not Glacier.
• An inselberg is an isolated rock hill or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping surrounding plain. 

Additional Information

The correct answer is Neither 1 nor 2.

Key Points

Primary Waves:

• Primary waves (P-waves) are compressional waves that are longitudinal in nature. Hence, Statement 1 is incorrect.
• P waves are pressure waves that travel faster than other waves through the earth to arrive at a seismograph.
• These waves can travel through any type of material, including fluids as well as solid.
• They travel faster than S-waves.

Secondary Waves:

• Secondary waves (S-waves) are shear waves that are transverse in nature. Hence, Statement 2 is incorrect.
• S-waves can travel only through solids, as fluids (liquids and gases) do not support shear stresses.
• S-waves are slower than P-waves.

Important Points

• Earthquake waves get recorded in seismographs located at far off locations.
• It has been inferred indirectly using the time of travel of refracted and reflected seismic waves created by earthquakes.
• The changes in seismic velocity between different layers cause refraction due to Snell's law.
• S wave shadow zone forms the boundary of the outer core as it is in a liquid state.
• There exist some specific areas where the waves are not reported. Such a zone is called the ‘shadow zone’.

The correct answer is Erosion.

Key Points

• The phenomenon of wearing down of relief variation of the surface of the earth through erosion is known as gradation.
  • Water, wave, wind, ice etc are the important gradational agents which act on the surface of the earth. 
  • These forces break up rock materials erode them, transport them, and deposit them.
• Erosion is the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind or water.
  • ​In chemical erosion, rock’s chemical composition changes. e.g: when limestone dissolves due to carbonation. 
    In physical erosion, the rock breaks down but its chemical composition remains unaltered. e.g: during a landslide.

Additional Information

• The deposition is the opposite process of erosion.
• Volcanism is the phenomenon of eruption of molten rock, volcanic gases to the surface through a vent.
• Diastrophism is the deformation of the Earth’s crust due to deforming movements like folding, faulting, warping etc.

The correct answer is Asia.

Key Points

• There are seven major continents. These are separated by large water bodies.
• These continents are – Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica.
• The greater part of the landmass lies in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The combined landmass of Europe and Asia is called Eurasia (Europe + Asia).
• Asia Continent
  • Asia is the world's largest continent, having an area of 44,444,100 km². Hence, Option 2 is correct.
  • It covers about one-third of the total land area of the earth.
  • The continent lies in the Eastern Hemisphere.
  • The Tropic of Cancer passes through this continent.
  • Asia is separated from Europe by the Ural mountains on the west.
  • It covers 8.8% of the Earth’s total surface area with a population of 4.4 billion which is 60 % of the world’s total population.
  • It is a continent of contrast in relief, temperature, vegetation, and people also.
  • Asia is to the east of the Suez Canal, the Ural River, and the Ural Mountains, and south of the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian and Black Seas.
  • It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the north by the Arctic Ocean.
  • The earth’s highest and lowest places are both in Asia:
    • The highest place on earth: Mount Everest
    • The lowest place on earth: Dead Seashore