Geography · General Awareness

Geology and Earth Structure

1,345 Questions

Geology and Earth Structure explores the physical composition of the planet, including its layers, tectonic plates, and seismic activity. This topic is a core component of geography and general science sections in various competitive exams. Reviewing these concepts builds a solid foundation for answering questions related to natural phenomena.

Layers of the EarthTectonic PlatesEarthquakes and VolcanoesGeomagnetism ApplicationsGeophysical MethodsLandform Formation

Geology and Earth Structure Questions

Multiple choice

What is measured on the Richter scale?

  1. Depth of sea

  2. Velocity of wind

  3. Earth quakes

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale used to measure the magnitude of earthquakes.

Multiple choice

Earthquakes are caused by the

  1. Movement of water inside

  2. Movement of earth plates

  3. Tilting of earth's axis

  4. High pollution
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

a sudden violent shaking of the ground, typically causing great destruction, as a result of movements within the earth's crust or volcanic action.

Multiple choice

Mohoroviac Discontinuity is�

  1. a tear fault in occan floor

  2. the boundary between Earth's crust and mantle

  3. sliding rigid Plates of lithosphere

  4. mid-Atlantic ridge
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Mohorovicic discontinuity, often called the Moho, is the boundary layer that separates the Earth's crust from the underlying mantle.

Multiple choice

Mohorovicic discontinuity separates

  1. Core and Mantle

  2. Mantle and asthenosphere

  3. Upper mantle and lower crust

  4. Inner solid core and outer liquid core
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Mohorovicic discontinuity, or Moho, is the boundary between the Earth's crust and the mantle. It is characterized by a significant increase in seismic wave velocity.

Multiple choice

The Gutenberg discontinuity is between

  1. the upper and the mantle

  2. the outer core and the lower mantle

  3. the crust and the mantle

  4. the inner and outer cores
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Gutenberg discontinuity is located at a depth of about 2,900 km, marking the boundary between the Earth's lower mantle and the outer core. It is where seismic S-waves stop traveling, indicating the outer core is liquid.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements regarding Earth's topmost layer:

  1. Transverse earthquake waves move at a speed of 3.5 km/second in that layer.
  2. The specific gravity is 2.7.
  3. It is shallowest under the continents and deepest under the oceans.
  4. Magnesium is present in abundance.

Which of the above statements are correct?

  1. 2 and 3

  2. 1 and 2

  3. 1, 2 and 4

  4. 3 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Earth's topmost layer (the continental crust) has a specific gravity of about 2.7 and seismic waves (P-waves) travel through it at roughly 6-7 km/s, though S-waves are slower. Statement 3 is incorrect because the crust is thickest under continents and thinnest under oceans. Statement 4 is incorrect because the continental crust is primarily granitic (rich in silica and aluminum), not magnesium-rich (which is characteristic of the oceanic crust).

Multiple choice

Which of the following sets of lakes is of tectonic origin?

  1. Chand, Biwa and Sambar

  2. Ladoga, Onega, and Superior

  3. Baikal, Tanganyika and Rudolf

  4. China, Pulicat, and Dal
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

One of the significant lake-forming force is movement of the tectonic plates that form the Earth's crust. When adjacent plates separate at fault lines, the steep, narrow gap between them can result in the formation of a graben. Some of the largest, deepest, and oldest lakes on Earth are graben lakes. Perhaps the most famous graben lakes are Lake Baikal, Lake Tanganyika and Rudolf.

Multiple choice

Which of the following gives the constitution of the earth in the correct descending order of layers?

  1. Barysphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere

  2. Hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, barysphere

  3. Atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, barysphere

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Earth's layers are categorized by density and position. The atmosphere is the outermost gaseous layer, followed by the hydrosphere (water), the lithosphere (crust), and the barysphere (core).