Laterite soil in Madhya Pradesh occurs mainly in which districts?
- A.Indore, Ujjain and Dewas
- B.Bhind, Morena and Sheopur
- C.Mandla, Balaghat and Shahdol
- D.Khargone, Khandwa and Barwani
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Mandla, Balaghat and Shahdol, with Sidhi and Dindori nearby. Laterite forms where heavy rain and warm temperatures wash the silica and bases out of the soil and leave iron and aluminium oxides behind, so it appears on the high rainfall plateau of eastern Madhya Pradesh, where rainfall crosses 1,400 millimetres. The soil hardens when exposed, is poor in nitrogen and lime, and grows rice and coarse millets with manure. Option A, Indore, Ujjain and Dewas, is Malwa, deep black soil. Option B, Bhind, Morena and Sheopur, is the alluvial north. Option D, Khargone, Khandwa and Barwani, is Nimar, again black soil. The rule to carry: laterite follows rainfall, not rock, so look for it where the rain is heaviest. Laterite also hardens into blocks that are quarried for building, which is where its name, from the Latin for brick, comes from.
Read the full article: Climate and Soils of Madhya Pradesh: Rainfall and Soil Types
Practice Questions
View allThe Tropic of Cancer passes through which of the following cities of Madhya Pradesh?
- A.Indore
- B.Bhopal
- C.Gwalior
- D.Rewa
Show answer
The Tropic of Cancer crosses Madhya Pradesh almost through the middle, running past Ratlam, Ujjain, Bhopal, Vidisha, Sagar, Jabalpur and Shahdol, so the state is divided nearly in half by it and more districts of Madhya Pradesh are touched by the line than in any other state.
Read the full explanation →Which soil covers the largest area of Madhya Pradesh?
- A.Alluvial soil
- B.Black soil
- C.Laterite soil
- D.Red and yellow soil
Show answer
The Deccan trap basalt underlies a very large part of the state, from the Malwa plateau through the Narmada valley to Nimar and the Satpura, and its weathering has given black soil, also called regur or cotton soil, the largest share of the state's area.
Read the full explanation →The black soil of Madhya Pradesh has been formed mainly from the weathering of which rock?
- A.Granite
- B.Sandstone
- C.Basalt of the Deccan trap
- D.Limestone
Show answer
The lava flows that spread over central and western India at the end of the Cretaceous left thick sheets of basalt, and when basalt weathers in a monsoon climate it yields a fine clay rich in iron, lime and magnesium, which is exactly the black soil of Malwa, the Narmada…
Read the full explanation →Red and yellow soil in Madhya Pradesh is found mainly in which region?
- A.Malwa plateau
- B.Narmada valley
- C.Baghelkhand and the eastern districts
- D.Nimar
Show answer
There the old crystalline rocks, gneiss and granite, lie at the surface, and the iron released by their weathering gives the soil its red colour, turning yellow where the iron is hydrated by heavier rain.
Read the full explanation →Which region of Madhya Pradesh receives the lowest average annual rainfall?
- A.Balaghat and Mandla
- B.Gwalior and Chambal
- C.Jabalpur and Mandla
- D.Betul and Chhindwara
Show answer
The reason is that the state's rain comes mostly from the Bay of Bengal branch of the monsoon, which enters from the east and weakens as it travels inland, so the farthest north-western corner is driest.
Read the full explanation →