Consider the following features about a geographical phenomenon : 1. Torrents of snow and ice roaring down a steep mountain side 2. It is hazardous to skiers and mountaineers 3. It involves a mix of falling, rolling, sliding and flowing of materials Which of the following phenomena can be identified with the above features?
- A.Slump and earthflow
- B.Avalanche
- C.Landslide
- D.Rockslide
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Avalanche. A rapid rush of snow and ice down a steep mountain slope, dangerous to skiers and climbers, is an avalanche.
An avalanche starts when a mass of snow on a steep slope becomes unstable, often after fresh snowfall, a rise in temperature, strong wind or the weight of a person. As it moves, the snow falls, rolls, slides and flows, picking up speed and material, and can bury roads, camps and villages. In India, avalanches are a regular hazard in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim, and the Siachen glacier region is especially exposed.
A is wrong because a slump and an earthflow are slow movements of soil and weathered rock, not of snow and ice. C is wrong because a landslide is the downslope movement of rock, soil and debris, not mainly snow. D is wrong because a rockslide is the sliding of rock masses along a surface such as a bedding plane.
Exam tip: snow and ice on the move is an avalanche; rock and soil on the move is a landslide.
Practice Questions
View allAn avalanche is a type of which one of the following disasters ?
- A.Atmospheric
- B.Terrestrial
- C.Aquatic
- D.Biological
Show answer
An avalanche is a sudden slide of snow, ice and debris down a mountain slope, a movement of material on the land surface, so it is grouped with terrestrial disasters.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Angular velocity for all locations on the Earth's surface is the same while linear velocity varies. 2. Linear velocity is maximum at the equator and minimum at the poles. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Every point on the Earth turns through 360 degrees in the same time, but points nearer the equator travel a longer circle and so move faster.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following tributaries of river Ganga : 1. Gandak 2. Kosi 3. Ghaghara 4. Gomti Which one of the following is the correct order of the above rivers from east to west?
- A.3-4-1-2
- B.2-1-3-4
- C.2-3-1-4
- D.1-2-4-3
Show answer
Going from east to west, the order is Kosi, Gandak, Ghaghara and Gomti. All four join the Ganga from the north.
Read the full explanation →The extent of damage caused by earthquake is not influenced by which one of the following ?
- A.Strength of earthquake
- B.Population density
- C.Type of building
- D.Climate of the area
Show answer
The damage an earthquake does depends on how strongly the ground shakes and on what, and who, stands on it, not on the region's climate.
Read the full explanation →What is culturable wasteland?
- A.Land that has been left fallow in last four years
- B.Land that has been left fallow between one and two years
- C.Land that has been left fallow for less than one year
- D.Land that has been left fallow for more than five years
Show answer
In India's land-use records, land that can be farmed but has lain uncultivated for over five years is called culturable wasteland.
Read the full explanation →