Geomorphic Processes

Leaching is the process where water carries dissolved minerals downward through soil layers. Tropism is plant growth response, Induration is soil hardening, and Diagenesis is rock transformation.

Calving is the scientific term for when ice chunks break off from a glacier or ice shelf to form icebergs. 'Breaking' is too generic, while 'Borning' and 'Cubing' are not recognized glaciological terms.

The question asks about the process where fertile soil is dissolved in water and washed away. While 'leaching' typically refers to the removal of soluble nutrients by water percolating through soil, 'eroding' refers to the physical removal and transportation of soil by water, wind, or other agents. The wording 'dissolved in water and washed away' suggests erosion (water erosion) rather than leaching, which is more about chemical removal of compounds. The term 'eroding' best captures the process of fertile topsoil being physically removed by water action.

Pediplains (broad, gently sloping erosional surfaces) and inselbergs (isolated resistant rock hills standing above the pediplain) are characteristic landforms of the arid cycle of erosion. They result from prolonged weathering and sheet erosion in arid and semi-arid environments where chemical weathering and mechanical processes work together over long periods.

Aggradation is the process of land surface buildup by deposition of solid material in lower areas. Abrasion and attrition are erosional processes that wear down surfaces. Agglomeration refers to particles clustering together. The question specifically asks about the process that builds up land through deposition, which is aggradation.

Caves, arches, and stacks are erosional features formed by wave action along coastlines. Waves continuously erode weaknesses in rock headlands, eventually forming caves that extend through to become arches, which then collapse to leave isolated stacks. Wind and glaciers create different landforms, and running water creates valleys and canyons rather than these coastal features.

Blowouts are shallow depressions or hollows formed by wind erosion when wind removes loose sand or soil particles. Mushroom rocks (A) are wind-eroded rocks with a distinctive shape, notches (B) are erosional features at cliff bases, and barchans (D) are crescent-shaped sand dunes, none of which are excavations.

High-elevation areas experience greater erosion due to steeper slopes and higher water velocity, making statement A correct. Low-lying areas are depositional zones where sediment settles after being transported from higher areas, making statement B also correct. Therefore, 'Both the above are correct' (Option C) is the right answer.

Watershed boundaries are defined by areas of high elevation such as ridges, hills, or mountains. These high points separate drainage basins - water falling on one side flows to one watershed, while water on the other side flows to a different watershed. The boundary line is called the drainage divide.

Alluvial refers to soil deposits, typically sediment left by flowing water, such as in river deltas or floodplains. A is to pinch, B means to recount, and D is to combine elements.

A delta is a flat plain of mud or sand formed where a river branches before entering a larger body of water, making 'flat plain of mud or sand between branches of a river' (A) the correct answer. The other options are unrelated - a cavalcade is a procession, avarice is greed, and dislike is aversion.

Irretrievable describes something that cannot be recovered, reclaimed, or restored once lost. The prefix 'ir-' means 'not,' and 'retrievable' means capable of being recovered. It's often used for lost opportunities, time, or items that are gone forever.

When describing land, "rolling" means having long, gentle slopes that rise and fall - like rolling hills in the countryside. This is the correct answer. The other options are unrelated: "granulate" means forming grains, "dwarf" is a small person, and "pare" means trimming.

Accumulation is the correct answer as accretion means the process of gradual increase or accumulation, especially through external additions or growth. Decrease means the opposite, assimilation means absorption, and creation means bringing into existence.

This is the correct answer. The land that is unfit for cultivation is called bad land.