World & Physical Geography MCQs

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Radiation from Sun comes to earth in the form of smaller waves and earth being cooler body, gives off energy in the form of long-wave. These are then radiated back to the atmosphere. This this Long-Wave Radiation from the earth’s surfaces heats the lower layers of the atmosphere. The Atmospheric conduction occurs at the interface of (zone of contact between) the atmosphere and the earth’s surface. However, it is actually a minor method of heat transfer in terms of warming the atmosphere since it affects only the layers of air closest to the earth’s surface. This is because air is a very poor conductor of heat. ‘ When the pockets of air near the surface are heated, they expand in volume, become less dense than the surrounding air, and therefore rise. This vertical transfer of heat through the atmosphere is called convection, and is the same type of process by which heated water circulates in a pan while heating. The currents set into motion by the heating of a fluid (liquid or gas) make up a convectional system. Most vertical transfer of heat within the atmosphere & Oceans occurs via Convection and is a major cause of clouds and precipitation.

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Pemba Island is famous for the cultivation of cloves. The island is part of the Zanzibar Archipelago in Tanzania, which is located in the Indian Ocean. Pemba is known as the “clove island” because it is the world’s main exporter of cloves. The island has 3.5 million clove trees, which is the largest concentration of clove trees in Zanzibar. Pemba’s growing conditions are better than those on Unguja island.  Zanzibar’s main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism. The islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. The Zanzibar Archipelago, along with Tanzania’s Mafia Island, are sometimes called the “Spice Islands”.

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“Lithium triangle” is a group of three South American countries viz. Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. These three have much of the world’s lithium deposits. Countries nowadays in order to cut the emissions are relying on alternative fuels for petrol and diesel. Lithium-ion battery is one of the most preferred options for electric vehicles. To meet its target of becoming 100 per-cent e-vehicle nation by 2030, India is highly dependent on import of lithium-ion batteries.

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One loses a day when he/she crosses 180 degrees longitude from east to west and gains a day when crosses 180 degrees from west to east. Depending on which time zone the country follows, the time difference on either side of the line is not always 24 hours.

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Savannas are generally found between the desert biome and the rainforest biome. They are mostly located near the equator. The largest savanna is located in Africa. Nearly half of the continent of Africa is covered with savanna grasslands.

Notes:
• The Florida Current is a thermal ocean current that flows from the Straits of Florida around the Florida Peninsula and along the southeastern coast of the United States before joining the Gulf Stream Current near Cape Hatteras. Its contributing currents are the Loop Current and the Antilles Current.
• The Benguela Current is a cold, wide current that flows northwards along the west coast of southern Africa. It is an Eastern Boundary Current and forms the eastern flank of the South Atlantic Gyre The ocean current “begins” roughly where the eastward-flowing South Atlantic Current swings northward at the Agulhas.
• The Peruvian Current, also called the Humboldt Current, is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the western coast of South America. It is an eastern boundary current flowing in the direction of the equator, and extends 500–1,000 km (310–620 mi) offshore.
• The Kuroshio a warm northeasterly ocean current off the coast of JAPAN. This current is also called the gulf stream of the Pacific or Japan Current. Kuroshio means “the black stream” in Japanese, named after the deep ultramarine color of the high salinity water, which is found flowing north of the current’s axis.

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The Bonin Islands are also known as the Ogasawara Islands, located to the south of Tokyo, Japan. They have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as they have never been connected to a continent and the unique evolution of their plants and animals.

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Vatnajokull Glacier is located in the country of Iceland. It is the largest and the most voluminous ice cap in Iceland. Also, it is the second largest ice cap in Europe, in terms of area. It is also known as Vatna Glacier.

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Hispar Glacier is located in Pakistan. It is 49 km long and lies in the Karakoram Mountain range of Gilgit-Baltistan. It meets with the Biafo Glacier and forms the longest Glacial system in non polar regions.

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Glenwood Canyon is located on the Colorado River. It is a 20 km long canyon in the western Colorado in the United States. It is also the largest canyon on the Upper Colorado.