Which one of the following major river basins of India is the shortest in length and smallest in terms of catchment area?
- A.Cauvery
- B.Mahi
- C.Penner
- D.Sabarmati
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Sabarmati. Of the four, the Sabarmati is both the shortest river and the one with the smallest basin.
The Sabarmati rises in the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan and flows about 370 km south-west through Gujarat, past Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, into the Gulf of Khambhat. Its basin covers only about 21,700 sq km. The Central Water Commission lists it among India's major river basins, those above 20,000 sq km, and it is the smallest of them. The Mahi, flowing about 580 km with a basin of about 34,800 sq km, also ends in the Gulf of Khambhat and is known for crossing the Tropic of Cancer twice.
A is wrong: the Cauvery runs about 800 km and drains roughly 81,000 sq km, by far the largest of the four.
B is wrong: the Mahi is longer than the Sabarmati and its basin is half as large again.
C is wrong: the Penner flows about 600 km across Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, with a basin of about 55,000 sq km.
Exam tip: Sabarmati and Mahi both empty into the Gulf of Khambhat; the Sabarmati is the smallest major basin.
Practice Questions
View allBroadly both birth and death rates are low in which one of the following stages of demographic transition model?
- A.High stationary stage
- B.Early expanding stage
- C.Late expanding stage
- D.Low stationary stage
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In this last stage both the birth rate and the death rate are low, so the population grows very slowly or stays almost steady.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is the deepest, inland and protected port on the east coast of India ?
- A.Chennai
- B.Paradip
- C.Tuticorin
- D.Visakhapatnam
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It is the deepest landlocked and well-protected port on India's east coast. Visakhapatnam port in Andhra Pradesh lies in a natural harbour cut into the land, sheltered by the Dolphin's Nose headland, which protects ships from the waves of the Bay of Bengal.
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- A.Jet Stream
- B.Geostrophic Wind
- C.Westerlies
- D.Easterlies
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A geostrophic wind blows high above the surface, where the pressure gradient force and the Coriolis force balance and the air flows parallel to the isobars.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is a permeable rock that allows water to pass through it?
- A.Granite
- B.Limestone
- C.Quartzite
- D.Sill
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Water passes through limestone along its joints and bedding planes, and slowly dissolves the rock as it goes. Limestone is a sedimentary rock made mainly of calcium carbonate.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements regarding the rotation of the Earth : 1. Since the Earth rotates by 15° each hour, time zones normally differ by one hour 2. At the International Date Line, the calendar day changes - advancing a day for eastward travel, dropping back a day for westward travel 3. Daylight saving time advances the clock by one hour 4. The Moon rotates and revolves about the Earth in the same direction that the Earth revolves around the Sun Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- A.1 only
- B.3 and 4 only
- C.1, 3 and 4
- D.2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Only statement 2 is wrong, because it reverses the date-line rule. The Earth turns 360° in 24 hours, or 15° every hour, so neighbouring standard time zones are usually one hour apart (statement 1).
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