Daily Static Quiz (Geography) October 16, 2025

Question 1: Which of the following statements about the Earth’s interior is/are correct?

1. The outer core is in a liquid state while the inner core is in a solid state

2. S-waves can pass through both the mantle and the outer core

3. The temperature increases continuously from the surface towards the center of the Earth

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Question 2: Consider the following statements regarding seismic discontinuities:

1. The Mohorovičić discontinuity separates the crust from the mantle

2. The Gutenberg discontinuity lies between the mantle and the core

3. At the Conrad discontinuity, the velocity of seismic waves decreases abruptly

4. The Lehmann discontinuity separates the outer core from the inner core

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 1, 2 and 4 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Question 3: With reference to seismic waves and shadow zones, consider the following statements:

1. P-waves travel faster than S-waves

2. The shadow zone for S-waves is larger than that of P-waves

3. The existence of shadow zones provided evidence for the liquid outer core

4. S-waves can travel through liquids but at a reduced velocity

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Question 4: The Earth’s magnetic field is primarily generated by:

(a) The solid inner core

(b) The liquid outer core

(c) The lower mantle

(d) The asthenosphere

Question 5: Consider the following pairs:

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Question 6: Which of the following statements about weathering and mass movements is/are correct?

1. Mass movements are aided by gravity alone and no geomorphic agent participates in the process

2. Weathering is a prerequisite for mass movements

3. Physical weathering involves chemical alteration of rocks

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Question 7: In the context of geological folds, which of the following statements is correct?

(a) In an anticline, the youngest rock layers are at the center

(b) In a syncline, the oldest rock layers are at the center

(c) An anticline is a fold that is convex upward

(d) A synclinorium is a large anticline with minor folds superimposed on it

Question 8: Consider the following information:

How many of the above rows are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Question 9: With reference to the theory of plate tectonics, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. The Earth’s lithosphere is divided into seven major plates and several minor plates

2. At divergent boundaries, new crust is generated as plates pull away from each other

3. Transform boundaries are characterized by plates sliding horizontally past each other

4. The Pacific Ring of Fire is associated with convergent plate boundaries

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Question 10: Consider the following statements about endogenic and exogenic processes:

1. Diastrophism and volcanism are endogenic geomorphic processes

2. Orogenic processes involve mountain building through severe folding

3. Epeirogenic processes are continental building processes involving uplift or warping of large parts of the Earth’s crust

4. Weathering and erosion are endogenic processes

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1, 2 and 3 only

(c) 2, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

ANSWER KEY WITH EXPLANATIONS

Question 1: (b) 1 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The outer core is indeed in a liquid state (composed of molten iron and nickel), while the inner core is in a solid state due to immense pressure despite high temperatures.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: S-waves (Secondary or Shear waves) cannot pass through liquids. They travel through the solid mantle but are completely stopped by the liquid outer core. This property of S-waves provided crucial evidence for the liquid state of the outer core.

• Statement 3 is correct: Temperature increases continuously from the Earth’s surface towards the center. In the upper 100 km, it increases at about 12°C per km, and in the next 300 km at 20°C per km. The rate decreases with depth, but temperature continues to increase, with the center estimated to be between 3000°C and 5000°C.

Question 2: (b) 1, 2 and 4 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho) is the boundary between the Earth’s crust and the mantle. It lies at a depth of about 35 km beneath continents and 8 km beneath oceanic crust.

• Statement 2 is correct: The Gutenberg discontinuity is located at a depth of about 2,900 km and separates the lower mantle from the outer core. It is characterized by a sudden change in seismic wave velocity.

• Statement 3 is incorrect: At the Conrad discontinuity (the boundary between the upper and lower crust), the velocity of longitudinal seismic waves increases abruptly from approximately 6 to 6.5 km/sec, not decreases.

• Statement 4 is correct: The Lehmann discontinuity is the transition zone between the outer core and inner core, marking the boundary between liquid and solid core.

Question 3: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: P-waves (Primary waves) are compressional waves that travel faster than S-waves (Secondary waves). P-waves are the first to arrive at seismograph stations after an earthquake.

• Statement 2 is correct: The shadow zone for S-waves is much larger than that of P-waves. The entire zone beyond 105° from the epicenter does not receive S-waves, covering over 40% of the Earth’s surface. P-wave shadow zone exists between 105° and 145° from the epicenter.

• Statement 3 is correct: The existence of shadow zones, particularly the complete absence of S-waves beyond 105° and the behavior of P-waves, provided strong evidence that the Earth’s outer core is in a liquid state.

• Statement 4 is incorrect: S-waves cannot travel through liquids at all. They can only travel through solid media. This is a fundamental property of shear waves and is the reason they are completely stopped by the liquid outer core.

Question 4: (b) The liquid outer core

Explanation:
The Earth’s magnetic field is primarily generated by the liquid outer core. The outer core consists of molten iron and nickel, and the movement of these electrically conducting fluids generates electric currents through a process called the geodynamo effect. These currents, in turn, produce magnetic fields. The convection currents and rotation of the Earth cause the molten metals to move, creating the planet’s magnetic field. This is why the Gutenberg discontinuity and the behavior of seismic waves that confirmed the liquid state of the outer core were so important in understanding Earth’s magnetism.

Question 5: (b) Only two

Explanation:

• Pair 1 is incorrect: Quartzite is a metamorphic rock, not an igneous rock. It is formed when quartz-rich sandstone (a sedimentary rock) is subjected to high temperature and pressure.

• Pair 2 is correct: Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed from the accumulation of shell, coral, algal, and fecal debris. It can also form through chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate.

• Pair 3 is incorrect: Basalt is an igneous rock, not a metamorphic rock. It is an extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of lava at the Earth’s surface.

• Pair 4 is correct: Granite is an intrusive igneous rock (also called plutonic rock) formed from the slow cooling of magma deep beneath the Earth’s surface.

Therefore, only two pairs (2 and 4) are correctly matched.

Question 6: (a) 1 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Mass movements are aided by gravity and no geomorphic agent like running water, glaciers, wind, waves, or currents participates in the process. The debris may carry air, water, or ice with it, but these agents do not carry the debris. Mass movements do not come under erosion, though there is a shift of materials from one place to another aided by gravity.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: Weathering is not a prerequisite for mass movements, though it aids mass movements. Gravity exerts its force on all matter, both bedrock and weathered products. However, mass movements are more active over weathered slopes than over unweathered materials.

• Statement 3 is incorrect: Physical (or mechanical) weathering involves the disintegration of rocks without any chemical alteration. It depends on applied forces such as gravitational forces, expansion forces due to temperature changes, crystal growth, or water pressure. Chemical weathering involves chemical reactions like solution, carbonation, hydration, oxidation, and reduction.

Question 7: (c) An anticline is a fold that is convex upward

Explanation:

• Option (a) is incorrect: In an anticline, the oldest rock layers are at the center, and the younger layers are on the outer edges. The fold arches upward.

• Option (b) is incorrect: In a syncline, the youngest rock layers are at the center, while the older layers are on the outer parts of the fold. The fold curves downward.

• Option (c) is correct: An anticline is a fold that is convex upward (arching upward like an arch), while a syncline is concave upward (curving downward like a trough).

• Option (d) is incorrect: A synclinorium is a large syncline (not anticline) on which minor folds are superimposed. Similarly, an anticlinorium is a large anticline on which minor folds are superimposed.

Question 8: (d) All four

Explanation:
All four rows are correctly matched:

• Row 1: The Vosges mountains in Europe are indeed block mountains. Block mountains are formed when large areas are broken and displaced vertically due to faulting. The uplifted blocks are called horsts, and the Vosges is a classic example of this type.

• Row 2: The Alps in Europe are fold mountains, formed by the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. They are one of the youngest fold mountains with rugged relief and high conical peaks.

• Row 3: The Appalachians in North America are fold mountains. They are one of the oldest fold mountains in the world, formed during the Paleozoic era.

• Row 4: The Andes in South America are fold mountains, formed by the convergence of the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate. They are one of the youngest and longest fold mountain systems.

Question 9: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The theory of plate tectonics proposes that the Earth’s lithosphere is divided into seven major plates (African, Antarctic, Eurasian, North American, South American, Indo-Australian, and Pacific) and several minor plates (such as Arabian, Caribbean, Nazca, Scotia, Cocos, and Philippine plates).

• Statement 2 is correct: At divergent plate boundaries, plates move away from each other, and new crust is generated as magma rises from the mantle to the surface, solidifying to create new oceanic crust. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a classic example.

• Statement 3 is correct: Transform plate boundaries occur where plates slide horizontally past each other. At these boundaries, crust is neither created nor destroyed. The San Andreas Fault in California is a well-known example.

• Statement 4 is correct: The Pacific Ring of Fire is associated with convergent plate boundaries and subduction zones. It is characterized by a continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts. More than 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes are located in this region, and it experiences frequent earthquakes.

Question 10: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Diastrophism (slow movements involving folding, faulting, warping) and volcanism are endogenic geomorphic processes. Endogenic processes are driven by energy from within the Earth, primarily from radioactivity, rotational and tidal friction, and primordial heat.

• Statement 2 is correct: Orogenic processes involve mountain building through severe folding and faulting, affecting long and narrow belts of the Earth’s crust. These processes are associated with plate tectonics and act tangentially to the Earth’s surface. Examples include the formation of the Himalayas and Alps.

• Statement 3 is correct: Epeirogenic processes are continental building processes that involve the uplift or warping of large parts of the Earth’s crust. They act along the Earth’s radius (radial movements) and can result in subsidence or uplift. Examples include the uplift of the Deccan Plateau and the emergence of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• Statement 4 is incorrect: Weathering and erosion are exogenic processes, not endogenic. Exogenic processes are driven by energy from external sources, primarily the sun, and include weathering, mass wasting, erosion, and deposition. These processes work on the Earth’s surface and are land-wearing forces.

Daily Static Quiz