Which one of the following best describes the Lithosphere?
- A.Upper and lower mantle
- B.Crust and core
- C.Crust and upper mantle
- D.Lower mantle and core
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Crust and upper mantle. The lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the Earth, made of the crust and the uppermost, solid part of the mantle.
It is about 100 km thick on average, thinner under the oceans and thicker under old continents. The lithosphere is broken into the tectonic plates, which slide over the weaker, partly molten asthenosphere just below it. That movement causes earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain building along plate boundaries. The word comes from the Greek "lithos", meaning stone.
A is wrong because most of the mantle, including all of the lower mantle, lies far below the lithosphere.
B is wrong because the core sits at the centre of the Earth, below 2,900 km, not in the outer shell.
D describes the deep interior of the Earth, the opposite of the lithosphere.
Exam tip: lithosphere (rigid, crust + upper mantle) rides on the asthenosphere (soft, partly molten).
Practice Questions
View allConsider the following places of India :
1. Itanagar
2. Imphal
3. Agartala
4. Aizawl
Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the above places in terms of sunrise time?
- A.3-2-1-4
- B.2-1-4-3
- C.1-4-3-2
- D.4-3-2-1
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The sun rises first in the place farthest east, so the order follows longitude: Imphal, Itanagar, Aizawl and then Agartala.
Read the full explanation →"Viticulture" is a common feature of which one of the following Australian cities ?
- A.Adelaide
- B.Darwin
- C.Hobart
- D.Brisbane
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Viticulture, the growing of grapes, is a hallmark of Adelaide, which is surrounded by Australia's best-known wine regions. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, the conditions grapevines like best.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements regarding Barchan is/are correct ?
1. It is a crescent shaped mound of sand, which is deposited by the wind blowing constantly from one direction in a desert.
2. The windward side has a convex steep slope with maximum height at the centre.
3. Two ends of Barchan are called horns and point opposite to the direction the wind blows.
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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A barchan is a crescent-shaped sand dune built by wind from one steady direction, but its windward slope is gentle and its horns point downwind.
Read the full explanation →Which part of India has the Kalakot tertiary coal field ?
- A.Brahmaputra river basin of Assam
- B.Damodar river basin of Jharkhand and West Bengal
- C.Himalayan mountain region
- D.Cardamom hills in Kerala
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Kalakot lies in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, in the foothills of the Himalaya. India's coal is of two ages.
Read the full explanation →National Water Academy, a centre of excellence in training and capacity building in water resource, is located at
- A.New Delhi
- B.Kolkata
- C.Pune
- D.Chennai
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The National Water Academy functions at Khadakwasla in Pune, Maharashtra, under the Central Water Commission. The academy began in 1988 as the Central Training Unit of the Central Water Commission and was renamed the National Water Academy in 1997.
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