50 important short questions and answers on Geomorphology
byGeo InfoPedia•
0
50 important short questions and answers on Geomorphology
Q ➤ 1. Q: What is Geomorphology?Ans ➤ A: Geomorphology is the study of the Earth's landforms and the processes that shape them.
Q ➤ 2. Q: What are endogenic processes?Ans ➤ A: Endogenic processes are internal forces that shape the Earth's surface, such as tectonic activity and volcanic eruptions.
Q ➤ 3. Q: Name an example of exogenic processes.Ans ➤ A: Weathering and erosion are examples of exogenic processes that shape the Earth's surface.
Q ➤ 4. Q: How does physical weathering differ from chemical weathering?Ans ➤ A: Physical weathering involves the breakdown of rocks without changing their composition, while chemical weathering alters the rock's chemical structure.
Q ➤ 5. Q: What is erosion?Ans ➤ A: Erosion is the process of carrying away soil, rock, or sediment by wind, water, or ice.
Q ➤ 6. Q: How are valleys formed?Ans ➤ A: Valleys can be formed by a combination of tectonic activity, erosion by rivers, and glaciation.
Q ➤ 7. Q: Define a watershed.Ans ➤ A: A watershed is an area of land where all the water that falls within it drains into the same river or body of water.
Q ➤ 8. Q: What is a delta?Ans ➤ A: A delta is a landform formed at the mouth of a river where sediment is deposited, often in a triangular shape.
Q ➤ 9. Q: How are caves typically formed?Ans ➤ A: Caves are often formed by the dissolution of limestone and other soluble rocks by acidic water.
Q ➤ 10. Q: Name a landform created by glacial erosion.Ans ➤ A: U-shaped valleys are a landform created by glacial erosion.
Q ➤ 11. Q: What is a fjord?Ans ➤ A: A fjord is a long, narrow inlet of the sea with steep cliffs, formed by glacial erosion.
Q ➤ 12. Q: How do dunes form?Ans ➤ A: Dunes form when wind carries sand and deposits it in mounds or ridges.
Q ➤ 13. Q: What is a mesa?Ans ➤ A: A mesa is a flat-topped hill with steep sides, often found in arid regions.
Q ➤ 14. Q: How are barrier islands created?Ans ➤ A: Barrier islands are created by the deposition of sand and sediment parallel to a coast by ocean currents.
Q ➤ 15. Q: What is a fault?Ans ➤ A: A fault is a fracture in the Earth's crust along which movement has occurred.
Q ➤ 16. Q: What are the three types of plate boundaries?Ans ➤ A: The three types of plate boundaries are divergent, convergent, and transform.
Q ➤ 17. Q: Give an example of a divergent plate boundary.Ans ➤ A: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of a divergent plate boundary.
Q ➤ 18. Q: What forms at a convergent boundary between an oceanic plate and a continental plate?Ans ➤ A: A subduction zone and a trench often form at this type of boundary.
Q ➤ 19. Q: Name a famous transform boundary.Ans ➤ A: The San Andreas Fault in California is a well-known transform boundary.
Q ➤ 20. Q: How do stalactites and stalagmites form in caves?Ans ➤ A: Stalactites form from the ceiling, while stalagmites form from the ground as mineral-rich water drips and evaporates.
Q ➤ 21. Q: What causes earthquakes?Ans ➤ A: Earthquakes are caused by the sudden release of energy along faults due to tectonic movements.
Q ➤ 22. Q: Define alluvium.Ans ➤ A: Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated sediment deposited by water, often in floodplains.
Q ➤ 23. Q: How does wind contribute to erosion?Ans ➤ A: Wind erodes the land by carrying away small particles, such as sand and silt, and depositing them elsewhere.
Q ➤ 24. Q: What is a drumlin?Ans ➤ A: A drumlin is a smooth, elongated hill formed by glacial deposition.
Q ➤ 25. Q: Explain the process of karst topography formation.Ans ➤ A: Karst topography forms in areas with soluble rock like limestone, where water dissolves the rock to create sinkholes, caves, and underground streams.
Q ➤ 26. Q: How do glaciers shape the landscape?Ans ➤ A: Glaciers reshape the landscape by eroding rock and sediment as they move and depositing material when they melt.
Q ➤ 27. Q: What is a caldera?Ans ➤ A: A caldera is a large, basin-shaped depression formed when a volcano collapses into its emptied magma chamber.
Q ➤ 28. Q: What is the difference between a desert and a desertification?Ans ➤ A: A desert is a naturally arid area, while desertification is the process of fertile land becoming desert due to human activity.
Q ➤ 29. Q: How does frost action contribute to rock weathering?Ans ➤ A: Frost action occurs when water freezes in cracks of rocks, causing the rock to break apart.
Q ➤ 30. Q: Name a coastal erosional landform.Ans ➤ A: Sea cliffs are a coastal erosional landform formed by the action of waves.
Q ➤ 31. Q: What causes beach drift?Ans ➤ A: Beach drift is caused by the zigzag movement of waves along the shoreline, transporting sand and sediment.
Q ➤ 32. Q: Define a meander in a river.Ans ➤ A: A meander is a bend or curve in a river's course, formed by erosion and deposition.
Q ➤ 33. Q: How does mass wasting contribute to landform changes?Ans ➤ A: Mass wasting, or the downhill movement of rock and soil due to gravity, can create new landforms such as landslides and rockfalls.
Q ➤ 34. Q: What is a playa?Ans ➤ A: A playa is a flat, desert basin that occasionally fills with water to form a temporary lake.
Q ➤ 35. Q: How are atolls formed?Ans ➤ A: Atolls are formed from coral reefs that grow around the rim of a submerged volcanic island.
Q ➤ 36. Q: Explain the concept of isostasy.Ans ➤ A: Isostasy is the equilibrium between the Earth's lithosphere and the underlying asthenosphere, causing adjustments in response to the addition or removal of weight.
Q ➤ 37. Q: What is the main force behind mass wasting?Ans ➤ A: Gravity is the primary force that drives mass wasting processes.
Q ➤ 38. Q: How do terraces form in a landscape?Ans ➤ A: Terraces form as a result of tectonic uplift or changes in base level, causing rivers to downcut and leave behind abandoned floodplain levels.
Q ➤ 39. Q: What is a geologic fault scarp?Ans ➤ A: A geologic fault scarp is a steep slope created by a fault's vertical displacement of rock layers.
Q ➤ 40. Q: What are loess deposits?Ans ➤ A: Loess deposits are fine, wind-blown sediment that accumulates to form fertile soils.
Q ➤ 41. Q: Explain how a natural arch forms.Ans ➤ A: A natural arch forms when softer rock is eroded away beneath harder rock, leaving behind an arch-like structure.
Q ➤ 42. Q: How do inselbergs form?Ans ➤ A: Inselbergs are isolated rock hills or mountains that result from differential erosion of surrounding rock.
Q ➤ 43. Q: What is a regolith?Ans ➤ A: Regolith refers to the layer of loose, fragmented material covering solid bedrock on the Earth's surface.
Q ➤ 44.. Q: How does a cirque form in a glacial landscape?Ans ➤ A: A cirque forms when a glacier erodes a hollow depression in a mountain, often resulting in a bowl-like shape.
Q ➤ 45. Q: What is a natural levee in a river system?Ans ➤ A: A natural levee is a raised landform along a riverbank formed by the deposition of sediment during flood events.
Q ➤ 46. Q: What role do mudslides play in geomorphology?Ans ➤ A: Mudslides, or debris flows, are mass wasting events involving the rapid downhill movement of a mixture of water, rock, and soil.
Q ➤ 47. Q: Define exfoliation in relation to rocks.Ans ➤ A: Exfoliation is the process by which outer layers of rocks peel away due to pressure release.
Q ➤ 48. Q: How does the concept of base level relate to erosion?Ans ➤ A: Base level is the lowest point to which a river can erode. As rivers approach base level, they tend to meander and deposit sediment.
Q ➤ 49. Q: Describe a hanging valley's formation.Ans ➤ A: A hanging valley forms when a smaller glacial tributary valley meets a larger main valley, resulting in a waterfall or steep drop.
Q ➤ 50. Q: What is a peneplain?Ans ➤ A: A peneplain is a nearly level surface formed by the long-term erosion of mountains and highlands.