Stalactite, stalagmite and pillars are the depositional landforms of
- A.running water.
- B.wind.
- C.glacier.
- D.underground water.
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, underground water. Stalactites, stalagmites and pillars form inside limestone caves from minerals left behind by water seeping underground.
Rainwater with dissolved carbon dioxide dissolves limestone and hollows out caves; this is called karst topography. When the lime-rich water drips from a cave roof, part of it evaporates and calcium carbonate is left behind. Icicle-like columns that hang from the roof are stalactites, those that rise from the floor are stalagmites, and when the two meet they form a pillar or column. Sinkholes and caves are the erosional features of the same agent.
A is wrong because running water deposits alluvial fans, deltas, levees and floodplains. B is wrong because wind deposits sand dunes and loess. C is wrong because glaciers deposit moraines, drumlins, eskers and outwash plains.
Exam tip: stalactite hangs from the ceiling (c for ceiling), stalagmite grows from the ground (g for ground).
Practice Questions
View allConsider the following characteristics of a cloud type : 1. They are born through convection. 2. Only cloud type that can produce hail, thunder and lightning. 3. They are large cauliflower-shaped towers, often with 'anvil tops'. Identify the type of cloud on the basis of the given characteristics.
- A.Stratocumulus
- B.Cumulonimbus
- C.Cirrocumulus
- D.Nimbostratus
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Cumulonimbus clouds form by strong convection, grow into huge cauliflower-like towers with flat anvil-shaped tops, and are the only clouds that bring hail, thunder and lightning.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about the Indus Waters Treaty is/are correct ? 1. The term 'Eastern Rivers' means the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi taken together. 2. The term 'Western Rivers' means the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab taken together. Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
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The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 defines the Eastern Rivers as the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi, and the Western Rivers as the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following fishing banks is located off the coast of the United Kingdom?
- A.Great Fisher Bank
- B.Grand Banks
- C.Dogger Bank
- D.Reed Bank
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The Dogger Bank is a large shallow sandbank in the North Sea about 100 kilometres off the east coast of England, one of the richest fishing grounds of Europe.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following is not a tributary of river Luni?
- A.Khari
- B.Sukri
- C.Jawai
- D.Banas
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The Banas is not a tributary of the Luni; it flows east and joins the Chambal, which belongs to the Ganga basin.
Read the full explanation →An avalanche is a type of which one of the following disasters ?
- A.Atmospheric
- B.Terrestrial
- C.Aquatic
- D.Biological
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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.
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