Which one of the following is a major environmental issue in eastern Canada ?
- A.Acid precipitation
- B.Groundwater depletion
- C.Land degradation
- D.Desertification
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Acid precipitation. Sulphur and nitrogen oxides from industries in the Great Lakes region and the US Midwest are carried by westerly winds and fall as acid rain and snow over eastern Canada.
Eastern Canada, especially Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, lies on the hard granite rocks of the Canadian Shield. Its thin soils and lakes have little limestone to neutralise acids, so thousands of lakes became acidic and lost their fish from the 1970s onwards, and forests such as the sugar maple stands were damaged. The problem led to the Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement of 1991, which cut emissions of sulphur dioxide from power plants and smelters such as those at Sudbury.
B is wrong because groundwater depletion is a serious issue of dry farming regions such as the US High Plains or north-west India, not humid eastern Canada. C is wrong because land degradation is not the leading issue there. D is wrong because desertification belongs to dry lands such as the Sahel, not a cool, wet region.
Exam tip: acid rain hits regions downwind of industry on rocks poor in lime: Scandinavia, eastern Canada, north-east USA.
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following Ramsar Wetland sites is not situated in any of the Union Territories of India ?
- A.Hokera Wetland
- B.Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary
- C.Tsomoriri Lake
- D.Wular Lake
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Point Calimere, also called Kodiakkarai, lies in the Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, a state, where the Coromandel Coast turns west towards Palk Strait.
Read the full explanation →In which one of the following groups of States in India is the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Project being implemented as a pilot investment?
- A.Gujarat, Kerala and Goa
- B.Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
- C.Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal
- D.Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
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The India Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project was launched by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2010 with World Bank support.
Read the full explanation →Statement I : Global warming signifies the rise in global surface temperature. Statement II : The increase of concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere causes the rise in global surface temperature.
- A.Both the statements are individually true and Statement II is the correct explanation of Statement I
- B.Both the statements are individually true but Statement II is not the correct explanation of Statement I
- C.Statement I is true but Statement II is false
- D.Statement I is false but Statement II is true
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Global warming is the long-term rise in the average temperature at the earth's surface, and it is driven mainly by the growing amount of greenhouse gases in the air, so Statement II explains Statement I. Sunlight warms the ground, which gives off heat as infrared radiation.
Read the full explanation →Identify the land biome on the basis of the given characteristics : 1. Their climates are characterised by high rainfall and temperatures that vary from cold to mild. 2. These forests contain primarily deciduous trees - including maple, oak, hickory and beechwood. 3. Raccoons, opossums, bats and squirrels are found in the trees. Select the correct land biome from the options given below :
- A.Tropical forest
- B.Temperate forest
- C.Boreal forest
- D.Mediterranean forest
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Mild to cold seasons, good rainfall, broad-leaved deciduous trees like maple and oak, and animals like raccoons and squirrels mark the temperate deciduous forest.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following critical minerals : I. Neodymium II. Tellurium III. Dysprosium IV. Gallium Which of the above minerals are not used for the production of photovoltaic cells used in solar panels?
- A.I and IV
- B.II and III
- C.I and III
- D.II and IV
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Neodymium and dysprosium are rare earth elements used mainly in strong permanent magnets, not in solar cells, while tellurium and gallium are used in photovoltaic cells.
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