Which one of the following is not a soil forming factor?
- A.Parent material
- B.Topography
- C.Climate
- D.Human habitation
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, human habitation. Soil scientists list parent material, topography (relief), climate, biological activity and time as the factors that form soil; where people live is not one of them.
Parent material is the rock that weathers to supply the mineral part of the soil, which is why black soil in India forms over the basalt of the Deccan Traps. Climate, through temperature and rainfall, controls the speed of weathering and leaching; heavy rain and heat give laterite soil. Topography decides whether soil is washed down slopes or collects in valleys. Plants, animals and microbes add humus, and time lets the soil develop distinct layers called horizons.
A, parent material, is a basic factor, as it gives the soil its minerals.
B, topography, is a factor because slope controls erosion and drainage.
C, climate, is often called the most important active factor.
Exam tip: soil forming factors are parent material, relief, climate, organisms and time; the Deccan Traps basalt gives black cotton soil.
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following geographical features or phenomena is/are associated with the Peninsular Block of India ?
1. Submergence of parts of the western coast due to tectonic activity
2. Presence of residual mountain ranges such as the Veliconda hills and Mahendragiri hills
3. Deep, V-shaped river valleys formed by fast-flowing rivers
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 only
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The Peninsular Block is an old, stable landmass with worn-down residual hills and a western edge that sank along faults, but its rivers flow in broad, shallow valleys.
Read the full explanation →The term "Levant" often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions ?
- A.Region along the eastern Mediterranean shores
- B.Region along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
- C.Region along Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
- D.The entire coastal areas of Mediterranean Sea
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The Levant is the land on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia. The word comes from the French 'lever', to rise, meaning the land where the sun rises, as seen from Europe.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate.
2. It receives rainfall from both South-west monsoon and North-east monsoon.
3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May.
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
The islands have a warm, humid tropical maritime climate and get rain from both monsoons, but December to May is their drier part of the year.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs :
Peak — Mountains
1. Namcha Barwa — Garhwal Himalaya
2. Nanda Devi — Kumaon Himalaya
3. Nokrek — Sikkim Himalaya
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- A.1 and 2
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 3
- D.3 only
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Nanda Devi belongs to the Kumaon Himalaya, but Namcha Barwa and Nokrek are wrongly placed. Nanda Devi (7,816 m) is the highest peak lying wholly within India and the highest in Uttarakhand.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following pairs :
Famous place — River
1. Pandharpur : Chandrabhaga
2. Tiruchirappalli : Cauvery
3. Hampi : Malaprabha
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Pandharpur stands on the Chandrabhaga and Tiruchirappalli on the Cauvery, but Hampi lies on the Tungabhadra, not the Malaprabha. Pandharpur in Solapur district of Maharashtra is the seat of Lord Vitthal (Vithoba) and the goal of the Warkari pilgrimage.
Read the full explanation →