shaping of the earth's surface

Lithosphere

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, about 100 km thick, comprising the crust and the upper portion of the mantle.

Karst Topography

A landscape shaped by underground water dissolving soluble rocks like limestone, forming caves, sinkholes, and stalactites.

Agents of Gradation

Natural forces that wear down, transport, and deposit materials to level the Earth's surface.

Convection currents

Continuous thermal currents in the mantle caused by heat from the Earth's core that drive the movement of tectonic plates.

Asthenosphere

A hot, mobile layer of partially molten rock beneath the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move

Oasis

A fertile, green spot in a desert created in a deflation hollow where wind erosion has exposed the underground water table

Who proposed the theory of Plate Tectonics?

B) W.J. Morgan

Which plate boundary occurs where plates slide horizontally past one another without creating or destroying crust?

B) Transform boundary

Where is India's only known mud volcano located?

C) Baratang Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Which agent of gradation creates U-shaped valleys, cirques, and moraines?

B) Glacier

The rigid outer layer of the Earth that includes the crust and upper mantle is called the __________.

Lithosphere

Circular heat currents in the mantle that drive the movement of tectonic plates are called _________ currents

Convection

An __________ is formed in a desert when wind erosion creates a deflation hollow that reaches down to the underground water table.

Oasis

Mineral formations that grow upwards from cave floors due to dripping water are called __________.

Stalagmite

True or False: Weathering involves the transportation of broken rock materials from one place to another.

False

True or False: New Earth crust is created along divergent plate boundaries.

True

What is the main difference between physical, chemical, and biological weathering?

Physical: Breaking rocks by physical forces like heating, frost, or wind.

Chemical: Breakdown caused by chemical reactions with water, air, or acids.

Biological: Disintegration caused by living organisms, such as tree roots splitting rock cracks.

How is an Oxbow Lake formed by a river?

In its middle course, a river forms looping bends called meanders. Over time, continuous erosion on outer banks and deposition on inner banks causes the loop to narrow until the river cuts straight through during a flood, leaving behind a isolated crescent-shaped oxbow lake.

What is a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) and what triggers it?

A GLOF is a sudden flood caused by the sudden rupture of a natural ice or moraine dam holding a glacial lake. It is triggered by rapid glacial melting, intense rain, avalanches, or earthquakes weakening the natural dam.

Explain types of plate boundries

Convergent boundary: Plates move towards eachother

Divergent boundary: plates move away from each other

Transform boundary: plates slide past each other