14. Which of the following is a depositional landform found at the mouth of a river where it enters a sea or lake?
a) Levee
b) Meander
c) Delta
d) Oxbow Lake
Answer: c) Delta
Explanation: A delta is a landform created by the deposition of sediment carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or standing water, such as a sea or lake. Levees are natural embankments along the river channel, and meanders and oxbow lakes are features of the river's middle course.
15. The steep, deep part of the ocean basin that marks the boundary between the continental crust and oceanic crust is the:
a) Continental Shelf
b) Abyssal Plain
c) Continental Slope
d) Seamount
Answer: c) Continental Slope
Explanation: The continental slope is the steeply sloping surface that connects the shallow continental shelf (a) with the deep ocean floor (abyssal plain (b)). It is a topographical expression of the transition from continental to oceanic crust.
Integrated Physical Geography
16. Salt weathering is most effective in:
a) Cold, polar climates
b) Hot, humid climates
c) Hot, arid climates
d) Temperate, maritime climates
Answer: c) Hot, arid climates
Explanation: Salt weathering occurs when salts crystallize from solution in rock pores, exerting pressure that breaks the rock apart. This process is most effective in hot, arid (desert) environments where high rates of evaporation draw saline groundwater to the surface, where it then crystallizes.
17. The 'rain shadow' effect is responsible for:
a) High rainfall on the windward side of a mountain.
b) The formation of coral reefs.
c) Arid conditions on the leeward side of a mountain.
d) The creation of fjords.
Answer: c) Arid conditions on the leeward side of a mountain.
Explanation: As moist air ascends the windward side of a mountain range, it cools and condenses, leading to precipitation. By the time the air mass descends on the leeward side, it has lost most of its moisture and becomes warmer and drier, creating an area of reduced rainfall called a rain shadow.
18. The deepest part of the ocean is found in the:
a) Abyssal Plain
b) Oceanic Trench
c) Mid-Ocean Ridge
d) Continental Rise
Answer: b) Oceanic Trench
Explanation: Oceanic trenches are long, narrow depressions on the seafloor that form at subduction zones where tectonic plates converge. They represent the deepest parts of the ocean, with the Mariana Trench being the most famous example.
19. Which factor is the PRIMARY control of a region's climate?
a) Ocean Currents
b) Latitude
c) Altitude
d) Prevailing Winds
Answer: b) Latitude
Explanation: Latitude is the most fundamental control of climate because it determines the angle at which the sun's rays strike the Earth, which in turn determines the amount of solar energy (insolation) a region receives. This establishes the basic pattern of global temperature zones (tropical, temperate, polar).
20. Fjords, such as those in Norway, are deep glacial valleys that have been:
a) Excavated by wind erosion.
b) Submerged by a rise in sea level.
c) Created by volcanic activity.
d) Formed by river deposition.
Answer: b) Submerged by a rise in sea level.
Explanation: Fjords are U-shaped valleys carved by the immense erosive power of glaciers. After the glaciers retreated at the end of the last ice age, global sea levels rose, flooding these deep valleys with seawater to create the dramatic, steep-sided inlets known as fjords.