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GeographyMediumAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2025, GAT

Which one among the following volcanic island chains is NOT associated with mid-oceanic ridge?

  1. A.Azores Islands
  2. B.Ascension Islands
  3. C.Hawaiian Islands
  4. D.Tristan da Cunha

Correct answer

C. Hawaiian Islands

Explanation

The correct answer is C, Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii was built by a hotspot in the middle of the Pacific Plate, far from any plate boundary, not by a mid-oceanic ridge.

Mid-oceanic ridges are divergent plate boundaries where plates move apart and magma rises to form new ocean floor; where volcanoes on a ridge grow above sea level, they form islands. A hotspot is different: a fixed plume of hot mantle that burns through a moving plate. As the Pacific Plate drifts north-west over the Hawaiian hotspot, it leaves a line of islands that get older towards the north-west, while the Big Island, still over the plume, has active volcanoes such as Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

A is wrong because the Azores lie on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. B is wrong because Ascension Island also rises close to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the South Atlantic. D is wrong because Tristan da Cunha lies near the same ridge in the South Atlantic.

Exam tip: Iceland, Azores, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha go with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; Hawaii goes with a hotspot.

Practice Questions

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Q2.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Himalayan rivers have their origin in the snow-covered areas, hence are dry in winter season. 2. Rivers of the Peninsular Plateau have reached maturity. 3. Himalayan rivers depict all the three stages of normal cycle of erosion. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Himalayan rivers are perennial, so statement 1 is wrong, while statements 2 and 3 are correct. Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra rise from glaciers and snowfields and also get monsoon rain, so they flow all year round, including in winter.

Q3.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following statements related to latitude are true? 1. Rainfall, temperature and vegetation vary with latitude. 2. The difference between the longest day and the shortest day increases with latitude. 3. Indira Point is located approximately at 6°45' N latitude. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

All three statements about latitude are true. Latitude decides how directly the Sun's rays strike a place, so temperature, rainfall and the type of vegetation change from the equator towards the poles, from hot, wet rainforests to cold tundra.

Q4.GeographyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2017, GKMedium

Which of the following lakes is/are situated in Ladakh? 1. Tso Kar 2. Pangong Tso 3. Tsomgo 4. Tso Moriri Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Tso Kar, Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri are high-altitude lakes of Ladakh, while Tsomgo lies in Sikkim. Pangong Tso, at about 4,350 metres, is a long, narrow lake that stretches from Ladakh into Tibet, and most of its length lies on the Chinese side.