Daily Quiz #19 UPSC Prelims Marathon – August 23, 2019

Explanation: Moraines, eskers, drumlins, etc., are some examples of glacial depositional landforms. Although glaciers cover only a small part of the Earth’s surface today and are constantly retreating due to climate change, the situation was very different in the past. Scientists believe that there were times when nearly the entire surface of the Earth was under ice and snow. The glacial erosional and depositional features visible on the surface of the Earth today serve as proof of the above fact.
Moraine: A moraine is another glacial depositional feature. It consists of accumulated rocks, dirt, and other debris that have been deposited by a glacier. The size of deposits in moraines vary from tiny particles of sand to large boulders. The deposits accumulate on the surface in an unstratified manner without any type of sorting. Moraines are commonly occurring glacial landforms and are often seen in the Himalayan and Alpine mountain regions, Greenland, etc.
Drumlin: Drumlins are depositional landforms formed by a glacier. A drumlin appears in the form of an elongated hill, a shape that can be compared with that of an inverted spoon or an egg buried partly. Drumlins are formed when glaciers move across till or rock debris. They mostly occur in flat lowland areas and extend in a direction parallel to the glacial flow. The drumlins are high and steep at glacier side and tapering and smooth on the lee slope. These landforms are usually found in clusters and often impede the movement of flowing water bodies. Thus, swamps and lake are formed between these landforms. Drumlins are common in Ireland.
Esker: An esker is also a depositional landform formed by glacial action. It exists as a long narrow ridge that winds along a glacial valley or canyon. Due to their peculiar shape, these landforms are often compared to railway embankments. Eskers are usually several kilometers long. They are made up of layers of gravel and sand. Eskers are formed when glacial channels running beneath, within or above a glacier, deposit sediments along their length of flow. Eskers usually form at the terminal region of glaciers where the flow of the glacier is sluggish in nature and is loaded with sediments. The Eiscir Riada is one of the best-known examples of a system of eskers. It runs for a distance of about 200 km covering nearly the entire width of Ireland from Galway to Dublin.

Explanation: Shillong Plateau, highland region in eastern Meghalaya state, northeastern India. It is a rolling tableland and the highest portion of the hill mass that comprises most of Meghalaya. The plateau’s western, northern, and southern escarpments are called the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia hills, respectively. The Shillong Plateau is an outlier of the plateau of peninsular India and is composed primarily of ancient rocks. It contains reserves of coal and iron ore, and limestone is quarried. The highest point is Shillong Peak, at 6,433 feet (1,961 metres) located 3 miles (5 km) south of the city of Shillong.
Khasi Hills is perhaps best known for Sohra (Cherrapunjee), geographically famous for being the wettest place on earth and also Shillong, one of the most beautiful hill stations in India. Infact the entire Khasi Hills region that forms the central part of Meghalaya is richly endowed with natural beauty. Everywhere you go, you will never cease to be mystified by the spectacular charm the state offers. So, Khasi hills are the part of plateau not the Himalayas. And they receive the rainfall from the southwest monsoon.

Explanation: Shillong Plateau, highland region in eastern Meghalaya state, northeastern India. It is a rolling tableland and the highest portion of the hill mass that comprises most of Meghalaya. The plateau’s western, northern, and southern escarpments are called the Garo, Khasi, and Jaintia hills, respectively. The Shillong Plateau is an outlier of the plateau of peninsular India and is composed primarily of ancient rocks. It contains reserves of coal and iron ore, and limestone is quarried. The highest point is Shillong Peak, at 6,433 feet (1,961 metres) located 3 miles (5 km) south of the city of Shillong.
Khasi Hills is perhaps best known for Sohra (Cherrapunjee), geographically famous for being the wettest place on earth and also Shillong, one of the most beautiful hill stations in India. Infact the entire Khasi Hills region that forms the central part of Meghalaya is richly endowed with natural beauty. Everywhere you go, you will never cease to be mystified by the spectacular charm the state offers. So, Khasi hills are the part of plateau not the Himalayas. And they receive the rainfall from the southwest monsoon.

Explanation: Natural vegetation refers to a plant community that has been left undisturbed over a long time, so as to allow its individual species to adjust themselves to climate and soil conditions as fully as possible. The southern mountain forests include the forests found in three distinct areas of Peninsular India viz; the Western Ghats, the Vindhyas and the Nilgiris. As they are closer to the tropics, and only 1,500 m above the sea level, vegetation is temperate in the higher regions, and subtropical on the lower regions of the Western Ghats, especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The temperate forests are called Sholas in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Palani hills.

Explanation: The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a low pressure zone located at the equator where trade winds converge, and so, it is a zone where air tends to ascend. In July, the ITCZ is located around 20°N-25°N latitudes (over the Gangetic plain), sometimes called the monsoon trough. This monsoon trough encourages the development of thermal low over north and northwest India. Due to the shift of ITCZ, the trade winds of the southern hemisphere cross the equator between 40° and 60°E longitudes and start blowing from southwest to northeast due to the Coriolis force. It becomes southwest monsoon. In winter, the ITCZ moves southward, and so the reversal of winds from northeast to south and southwest, takes place. They are called northeast monsoons.