UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on Wular lake, Huelva region and more (Week 118)

QUESTION 1

With reference to the Wular lake, consider the following statements:

1. It is Asia’s largest freshwater lake.

2. It is surrounded by the Harmukh mountains.

3. The lake basin was formed as a result of tectonic activity and is fed by the Chenab River.

4. The lake is designated as a Ramsar site.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— Wular Lake, located about 67 kilometres from Srinagar and surrounded by the foggy Harmukh mountains, is once again becoming home to lotuses, 30 years after a disastrous flood swept them out of the area. It is the largest freshwater lake in India. Hence, statement 1 is not correct and statement 2 is correct.

— The transformation is the result of the Wular Conservation and Management Authority’s conservation initiatives. The authorities had begun desilting the lake in an attempt to remove silt deposits from the flood.

— The Jhelum River feeds the lake basin, which formed as a result of tectonic activity. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The lake is one of the Indian wetlands which is classified as Ramsar sites. However, it suffers environmental challenges such as the conversion of major portions of the lake’s catchment areas to agricultural land, pollution from fertilisers and animal waste, hunting of waterfowl and migrating birds, and weed infestation in the lake itself. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— The Tulbul Project is a “navigation lock-cum-control structure” near the outlet of Wular Lake.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: bandipore.nic.in)

QUESTION 2

With reference to palm oil, consider the following statements:

1. It is semi-solid at room temperature.

2. It contains tocotrienols, which help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— According to a food and beverage industry association, using labels like “palm oil free” or “no palm oil” is misleading and based on marketing rather than science.

— Palm oil is one of the world’s most cheap and versatile edible oils, recognised for its extended shelf life and neutral taste. Most packaged items, such as potato chips, biscuits, ice cream, and chocolates, include palm oil.

— Palm oil is semi-solid at room temperature, therefore it does not require hydrogenation. Indeed, health worries over hydrogenated oils fuelled palm oil’s growth in popularity beginning in the 1990s. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Most oils also contain small components like tocopherols and sterols, which are naturally occurring antioxidants that give oils their characteristic taste. Palm oil includes tocotrienols, which can help decrease blood cholesterol levels. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements about Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM):

1. It is an import duty that is imposed by Europe on goods produced in other countries by processes that lead to greater carbon emissions than domestic European manufacturers are allowed to emit.

2. Its purpose is to check “carbon leakage”.

3. It does not have any effect on the manufacturing of steel or cement.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The BRICS nations have “condemned and rejected” the European Union’s (EU) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAM) and similar restrictive trade measures, claiming they hamper their transition to a clean economy.

— CBAM is an import duty imposed by Europe on items manufactured in foreign nations using procedures that result in more carbon emissions than domestic European businesses are permitted to generate. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The stated goal is to reduce “carbon leakage,” but this has the effect of raising the cost of steel and cement produced in nations such as India, making them less competitive in European markets. Hence, statement 2 is correct and statement 3 is not correct.

— Developing countries, especially India and China, have sharply criticised CBAM, seeing it as a unilateral and discriminatory trade barrier. They have claimed that CBAM breaches international trade and climate agreements, and they have brought this up in a number of international forums, including annual climate conferences. But the EU has refused to budge.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The Mocho Choshuenco volcano was recently in the news. It is located in:

(a) Brazil

(b) Venezuela

(c) Argentina

(d) Chile

Explanation

— A new study suggests that melting glaciers and ice caps could lead to more frequent and powerful volcanic eruptions. It also noted that the greatest risk of volcanic eruptions resuming is in West Antarctica, where roughly 100 volcanoes are buried behind thick ice. Due to rising global temperatures, this ice is anticipated to melt over the next few decades or millennia.

— The research was presented at the 2025 Goldschmidt Conference, which is now taking place in Prague. The Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry have hosted the largest international geochemistry conference to date.

— The most recent study supported these findings. It investigated Chile’s Mocho Choshuenco volcano to determine the age of volcanic rocks formed prior to, during, and following the last ice age. The study discovered that pressure from a thick ice sheet atop the volcano reduced the amount of eruptions between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago. This resulted in the creation of a massive magma reservoir 10 to 15 km below the volcano’s surface. However, as this ice sheet thawed, some 13,000 years ago, explosive eruptions occurred.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The Huelva region was in the news due to extreme heat. The region is part of:

(a) Russia

(b) China

(c) Spain

(d) Norway

Explanation

— Extreme heat has stifled Europe. The heatwave, which began in late June, has harmed thousands of people across the continent, resulting in record-breaking temperatures and unpleasant conditions. So far, the heat has killed eight people, including a little toddler.

— While temperatures in Spain’s Huelva region reached 46 degrees Celsius, setting a new national record for June, temperatures in France soared to 40 degrees. The Health Ministry of Italy issued the highest-level heat alert for 20 cities, including Rome and Milan, as temperatures were predicted to hit 37 to 38 degrees Celsius. Between June 30 and July 3, Germany issued over 200 excessive heat warnings. Central European countries such as Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, and Slovenia have also issued high-level red alerts.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 116)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 117)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 117)

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