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GeographyMediumAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2023, GK

Which one of the following landforms is/are formed by wind erosion ?

  1. A.Cirque
  2. B.Stack
  3. C.Zeugen
  4. D.Stack and Zeugen both

Correct answer

C. Zeugen

Explanation

The correct answer is C, Zeugen. A zeugen is a tabular ridge carved by wind abrasion in deserts, while a cirque is glacial and a stack is made by sea waves.

Zeugen form where a hard rock layer lies over softer rock in a dry region. Sand carried by the wind works down along joints and scours away the soft rock beneath, leaving flat-topped ridges of hard rock standing above the furrows. Other landforms of wind erosion include yardangs, mushroom rocks (pedestal rocks), inselbergs and deflation hollows. Sand dunes and loess, on the other hand, are made by wind deposition.

Option A is wrong because a cirque is an armchair-shaped hollow cut by a glacier at the head of a valley. Option B is wrong because a stack is a pillar of rock left in the sea when waves wear away an arch. Option D is wrong because only the zeugen is a wind form.

Exam tip: wind erosion gives zeugen, yardang and mushroom rock; glaciers give cirque and horn; sea waves give arch and stack.

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.