UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on Aravalli ranges, Ring of Fire and more (Week 125)

QUESTION 1

With reference to the Aravalli ranges, consider the following statements:

1. These are one of the world’s oldest ranges.

2. It lies in western and northwestern India.

3. It acts as a natural barrier against desertification.

4. The highest peak of the Aravalli mountain range is Arma Konda.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— The Haryana government officially defined the “dictionary meaning of forest”.

— Officials say that the state’s definition of a forest “references precedents from Supreme Court rulings” and is aligned with “judicial expectations”. Environmentalists, however, say that it is a narrow definition which will exclude the ecologically sensitive Aravalli ridge from protection, and make it vulnerable to unchecked development, illegal mining and real estate encroachment.

— The Aravalli Mountains, one of the world’s oldest ranges, are a prominent geological feature shaping western and northwestern India. Extending from Gujarat to Delhi, the Aravalli Range plays a crucial ecological role in northwestern India. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

— It serves as a natural barrier against desertification, preventing the expansion of the Thar Desert and protecting cities like Delhi, Jaipur, and Gurgaon. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The range also supports water recharge systems and is the source of important rivers such as Chambal, Sabarmati, and Luni. Its forests, grasslands, and wetlands harbour endangered flora and fauna, contributing to biodiversity and regulating precipitation through evapotranspiration, which helps mitigate droughts.

— The highest peak of the Aravalli mountain range is Guru Shikhar, located in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: moef.gov.in)

QUESTION 2

This river originates from Rakshastal Lake near Mansarovar in Tibet. It enters India at Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh and flows into Punjab at Rupnagar district. It flows through the districts of Ropar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar (via canals), Kapurthala (via canals), Ferozepur and Fazilka in Punjab. The river merges with the Chenab River in Pakistan after meeting the Beas at Harike.

The above mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Ravi

(b) Indus

(c) Sutlej

(d) Beas

Explanation

— Amid the current flood-like conditions in Punjab, several villages across more than 10 districts are affected due to heavy discharge of water from Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams.

— The Sutlej originates from Rakshastal Lake near Mansarovar in Tibet. It enters India at Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh and flows into Punjab at Rupnagar district. It flows through the districts of Rupnagar (Ropar), Ludhiana, Jalandhar (via canals), Kapurthala (via canals), Ferozepur and Fazilka in Punjab. The Sutlej merges with the Chenab River in Pakistan after meeting the Beas at Harike( Tarn Taran district) in Punjab.

— The Bhakra Dam is built on the Sutlej River near Nangal, close to the border of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab (near Rupnagar district). It is one of India’s highest gravity dams. The full reservoir level of Gobind Sagar Lake (Bhakra reservoir) is around 1,680 feet, and the danger level is generally considered near this mark. On August 26, Bhakra’s level was 1,671 feet, according to irrigation department officials.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Screwworms, consider the following statements:

1. They are a type of blue-grey blowfly.

2. They are mainly found in Australia and New Zealand.

3. The parasites are named after the screwlike way they burrow into the tissue.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Department of Health and Human Services on Sunday (August 24) reported the first human case of the flesh-eating parasite, the New World screwworm, in the United States. The case, investigated by the Maryland Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was confirmed on August 4, and involved a person who had recently travelled to El Salvador.

— Screwworms are a type of blue-grey blowfly, typically found in South America and the Caribbean. Screwworms — specifically females — are attracted to and lay eggs on and in open wounds or another entry point like a nasal cavity in warm-blooded animals and, rarely, humans. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.

— One female can lay up to 300 eggs at a time and may lay up to 3,000 eggs during her 10- to 30-day lifespan, according to the CDC.

— These eggs hatch into larvae (known as maggots), which burrow into the wound using their sharp mouth hooks to feed on the living flesh, leading to infestation. After feeding, the larvae fall into the ground, burrow into the soil and emerge as adult screwworm flies. The parasites are named after the screwlike way they burrow into the tissue. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Ring of Fire, consider the following statements:

1. It is home to about 75 per cent of the world’s volcanoes.

2. It lies completely in the Atlantic Ocean.

3. The challenger deep lies within the Ring of Fire.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

Explanation

— The Ring of Fire is essentially a series of hundreds of volcanoes and earthquake sites that span along the Pacific Ocean. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ or Pacific rim, or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is an area along the Pacific Ocean that is characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. It is home to about 75 per cent of the world’s volcanoes – more than 450 volcanoes. Also, about 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes occur here. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Its length is over 40,000 kilometres and traces from New Zealand clockwise in an almost circular arc covering Tonga, Kermadec Islands, Indonesia, moving up to the Philippines, Japan, and stretching eastward to the Aleutian Islands, then southward along the western coast of North America and South America.

— The area is along several tectonic plates including the Pacific plate, Philippine Plate, Juan de Fuca plate, Cocos plate, Nazca plate, and North American plate. The movement of these plates or tectonic activity makes the area witness abundant earthquakes and tsunamis every year.

— The Challenger Deep lies inside the Mariana Trench, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and is located in the western Pacific Ocean. The Mariana Trench is a geologically active region. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), consider the following statements:

1. The EEZ of a country extends from the baseline of its coast to 12 nautical miles into the sea.

2. A nation has exclusive rights to both living and non-living resources in the waters within its EEZ.

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

— India has finished wet testing of its Matsya-6000 submersible, which can dive up to 6 kilometres below the surface to search for subsurface minerals off the coast. The first deep-sea manned vehicle is scheduled to launch later this year, putting India among a narrow handful of nations capable of sending humans to such depths.

— The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) defines a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as extending from the baseline of its coast to 200 nautical miles (approximately 370 kilometres) into the sea. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Within its EEZ, a nation has exclusive rights to both living and non-living resources in the oceans and on the seabed. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 123)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 125)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 125)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 125)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 123)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 124)

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