Skip to content
GK24
GeographyMediumAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GK

Cumulonimbus clouds develop from which among the following clouds?

  1. A.Cumulus congestus clouds
  2. B.Cumulus and Nimbostratus clouds
  3. C.Cumulus and Altostratus clouds
  4. D.Cirrocumulus clouds

Correct answer

A. Cumulus congestus clouds

Explanation

The correct answer is A, Cumulus congestus clouds. A cumulonimbus cloud is the final stage of a growing cumulus cloud. On a hot day, rising warm air forms small fair-weather cumulus. If the air keeps rising strongly, the cloud swells into a tall, cauliflower-shaped cumulus congestus. When this tower climbs high enough for its top to freeze and spread out into an anvil, it has become a cumulonimbus, the thunderstorm cloud that brings lightning, heavy showers, hail and squalls. So the parent cloud is cumulus congestus, built by strong vertical convection. Option B is wrong because nimbostratus is a thick layer cloud that gives steady, long rain; it does not grow upward into a thunderstorm tower. Option C is wrong because altostratus is a grey middle-level sheet cloud formed by gentle, widespread lifting, not by convection. Option D is wrong because cirrocumulus is a thin, high cloud of tiny ice ripples. Exam tip: cumulus grows into cumulus congestus, which grows into cumulonimbus, the anvil-topped thundercloud.

View all
Q1.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2019, GATEasy

Loktak lake is situated in the State of

  1. A.Sikkim
  2. B.Manipur
  3. C.Odisha
  4. D.Mizoram
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Manipur

Loktak Lake lies south of Imphal in Manipur and is the largest freshwater lake in North-East India. Loktak is famous for its phumdis, floating masses of soil, vegetation and decaying organic matter that drift on the water.

Q3.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2023, GATHard

Which one of the following statements is NOT correct ?

  1. A.Bokaro steel plant is located in Damodar river basin
  2. B.Jamshedpur steel plant is located on the confluence of Damodar and Barakar
  3. C.Salem steel plant is located on the bank of Kaveri River
  4. D.Bhilai steel plant obtains water from Tandula reservoir
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Jamshedpur steel plant is located on the confluence of Damodar and Barakar

Jamshedpur stands at the meeting point of the Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers, not the Damodar and Barakar. Jamsetji Tata chose Sakchi, later named Jamshedpur, and the Tata Iron and Steel Company began production there in 1912.

Q4.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2025, GATMedium

Which of the following is/are warm ocean current(s) ? 1. Alaska Current 2. Agulhas Current 3. Falkland Current 4. West Australian Current Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.1 and 2
  3. C.3 and 4
  4. D.4 only
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 1 and 2

The Alaska Current and the Agulhas Current carry warm water, while the Falkland and West Australian currents are cold. A useful rule is that currents flowing from the tropics towards the poles are warm and those flowing from high latitudes towards the equator are cold.

Q5.GeographyAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2026, GATMedium

Consider the following statements regarding the nature of rocks : I. Rocks are aggregates of one or more minerals. II. Granite is softer than soapstone. III. Gabbro is black and quartzite can be milky white. IV. Sedimentary rocks are related to foliation. Which of the statements given above are not correct ?

  1. A.I and II
  2. B.I and III
  3. C.II and IV
  4. D.II and III
Show answer
Correct answer: C. II and IV

Granite is far harder than soapstone, and foliation is a feature of metamorphic rocks, not sedimentary ones, so these two statements are wrong.