RBSE VU Geography key terms

A very large body of intrusive igneous rock that solidified deep beneath the surface and is exposed only after overlying rock is eroded away.

The state of gravitational balance in which lighter crustal blocks float on the denser mantle, rising or sinking as their load changes.

Slow circulation of heated mantle rock in which hot material rises, spreads sideways, cools and sinks, providing the driving force for plate movement.

The theory that Earth's rigid outer shell is broken into plates that drift over the asthenosphere, colliding, separating or sliding past one another.

A convergent boundary where one lithospheric plate descends beneath another, generating deep ocean trenches, earthquakes and volcanic arcs.

The in-place breakdown of rocks by physical, chemical or biological processes without any transport of the broken material.

The removal and transport of weathered rock debris by moving agents such as water, wind, ice or gravity.

The laying down of transported sediment when the carrying agent loses energy, forming features such as deltas, dunes and alluvial plains.

A landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rock such as limestone, marked by caves, sinkholes, swallow holes and underground drainage.

A fan-shaped deposit of sediment where a steep mountain stream abruptly loses gradient and spreads onto a flatter plain.

The incoming solar radiation received at Earth's surface, varying with latitude, season, time of day and atmospheric transparency.

The proportion of incoming solar radiation reflected back by a surface, high for fresh snow and low for dark forest or open ocean.

The rate at which atmospheric pressure changes over horizontal distance; a steep gradient produces stronger winds.

An apparent deflection of moving air or water caused by Earth's rotation, to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern.

A narrow, fast-moving band of upper-tropospheric westerly wind that steers weather systems and influences monsoon onset.

A seasonal reversal of prevailing winds, typical of South Asia, bringing a rainy summer phase and a dry winter phase.

An abnormal warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific that disrupts global weather, often weakening the Indian summer monsoon.

The slow global overturning of ocean water driven by differences in temperature and salinity, which transports heat between latitudes.

The total mass of dissolved salts in seawater, usually expressed in parts per thousand and highest in warm, evaporation-dominated subtropical seas.

The upper boundary of the saturated zone in the ground, below which all pore spaces are filled with groundwater.

A rock or sediment body that stores and transmits groundwater in usable quantities, such as sand, gravel, sandstone or fractured limestone.

The whole area drained by a river and its tributaries, bounded by a divide, treated as a unit for water resource planning.

The benefits people obtain from functioning ecosystems, including food, clean water, pollination, flood control and climate regulation.

A vertical section through soil showing horizons from the organic surface layer down to weathered parent material and bedrock.

The detachment and removal of topsoil by water or wind, reducing fertility and often accelerating downstream sedimentation.

A region with exceptionally high numbers of endemic species that has already lost a large share of its original natural vegetation.

The historical shift of a population from high birth and death rates to low ones, passing through a phase of rapid growth.

The average number of people per unit area of land, used to compare crowding and pressure on resources between regions.

The rising share of a population living in towns and cities, accompanied by the physical expansion of built-up areas.

Growing a planned sequence of different crops on the same field to maintain soil fertility and interrupt pest cycles.

Small-holding farming that uses heavy labour and inputs on limited land to feed the farmer's own household, common in monsoon Asia.

A manufacturing activity whose location is not tied to raw material sources because its inputs are light and transport costs are low.

A demarcated area with relaxed tax, customs and regulatory rules designed to attract export-oriented investment and industry.

An ancient, heavily eroded fold mountain belt running south-west to north-east across Rajasthan, acting as a barrier to desert spread.

The arid sandy region of north-west India and adjoining Pakistan, with low rainfall, shifting dunes and inland drainage.

A soil and water conservation practice in which low earth ridges are built along contour lines to slow runoff and trap moisture.

A line on a map joining all points of equal elevation above a datum, whose spacing shows the steepness of the slope.

A large-scale map showing relief, drainage, settlement and land use in detail, usually with contour lines and grid references.

Acquiring information about Earth's surface from sensors on aircraft or satellites, using reflected or emitted electromagnetic radiation.

Computer software for capturing, storing, analysing and displaying spatially referenced data as layered maps and databases.

Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, balancing economic, social and environmental goals.

Systematic efforts to reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability through planning, early warning, preparedness and resilient infrastructure.