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
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, the basalt of the Deccan trap. 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 valley and Nimar. Option A, granite, is the parent rock of the red and yellow soils of the eastern districts, where the old crystalline shield is exposed. Option B, sandstone, underlies much of the Vindhyan plateau and gives thin, stony soils. Option D, limestone, occurs in the Vindhyan series and is quarried for cement but is not the parent of black soil. One sentence to carry away: basalt plus monsoon gives black cotton soil.
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
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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
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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 →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
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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 →Pachmarhi, the only hill station of Madhya Pradesh, and Dhupgarh, its highest point, lie in which range?
- A.Vindhya
- B.Satpura
- C.Maikal
- D.Kaimur
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Pachmarhi sits on a plateau in the Satpura range south of the Narmada, and Dhupgarh beside it, at about 1,350 metres, is the highest point of Madhya Pradesh; the height gives the place its cool climate, its heavy rain and the biosphere reserve around it.
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