The ravines of the Chambal valley are the standard Indian example of
- A.Wind erosion
- B.Sheet erosion
- C.Badland topography
- D.Waterlogging
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, badland topography. Running water cuts gullies in the soft alluvium of the Chambal basin, and where those gullies deepen and spread over a wide tract the land becomes a maze of steep channels and ridges unfit for cultivation, which geographers call badland and local people call the ravines or beehad. Option A is wrong because wind erosion, which works by lifting and rolling loose sand, dominates in the dry west of Rajasthan rather than in this river valley. Option B is wrong because sheet erosion removes a thin even film of soil and leaves no visible channels, the opposite of what the Chambal shows. Option D is wrong because waterlogging is the rise of the water table in canal-irrigated flat land, which brings salts to the surface and is a problem of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh.
Read the full article: Soils of India: Types, Distribution, Erosion and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allThe deltas of the Mahanadi and the Godavari are rich in ______ soil.
- A.black
- B.arid
- C.forest
- D.alluvial
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A delta is built out of silt that a river carries down and drops where it meets the sea, so deltaic land is alluvial by definition, and the eastern coastal deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri are among the most fertile rice tracts of the country.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about black soil is INCORRECT?
- A.It is found along the Deccan trap.
- B.It is rich in phosphoric content.
- C.It has a good capacity to hold moisture.
- D.It develops deep cracks during hot weather.
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What it is rich in is calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime, and remembering that short list is the safest way to answer any statement question on this soil.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is the LEAST visible form of land erosion?
- A.Gully erosion
- B.Landslides
- C.Sheet erosion
- D.Ravine formation
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In sheet erosion water spreads over a wide slope and carries away a thin, even film of topsoil, so nothing obvious is left behind to see, and the loss is noticed only years later as falling yields.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is NOT a method of soil conservation?
- A.Intercropping
- B.Mulching
- C.Contour Ploughing
- D.Weathering
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Weathering is the natural breaking down of rock by temperature, water, wind and living things, and it is the process that makes soil in the first place; it is not a technique that a farmer applies to save soil, so it cannot be a conservation method.
Read the full explanation →What makes the soil fertile?
- A.Overabundance of acidic materials in the soil
- B.The right mix of minerals and inorganic matter
- C.The right mix of minerals and organic matter
- D.High levels of salt in the soil
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Fertility needs mineral nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from the weathered rock, and organic matter, that is humus from decayed plants and animals, which holds water, feeds soil organisms and releases nutrients slowly.
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