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Myanmar Matriculation Geography practice questions

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Question 1Physical Geography

Which layer of the Earth's atmosphere contains almost all of its water vapour and is where most weather phenomena such as clouds and rain occur?

  1. Thermosphere
  2. Stratosphere
  3. Mesosphere
  4. Troposphere Correct answer.

Explanation

The troposphere is the lowest atmospheric layer, extending from the surface to roughly 8 km at the poles and 16 km at the equator. It holds about three-quarters of the atmosphere's mass and nearly all its water vapour, so cloud formation and most weather take place there. Temperature decreases with height within it, which drives vertical mixing.

Question 2Physical Geography

The imaginary line of latitude at 23.5°N, which marks the northern limit of the region where the Sun can appear directly overhead, is called the:

  1. Arctic Circle
  2. Tropic of Cancer Correct answer.
  3. Equator
  4. Tropic of Capricorn

Explanation

The Tropic of Cancer lies at 23.5°N and is the northernmost latitude reached by the overhead Sun at the June solstice. The Tropics are defined by the Earth's axial tilt of about 23.5°. Together with the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5°S, they bound the tropical zone.

Question 3Physical Geography

Which of the following is the main process by which water vapour from the oceans enters the atmosphere?

  1. Precipitation
  2. Evaporation Correct answer.
  3. Condensation
  4. Infiltration

Explanation

Evaporation is the change of liquid water into vapour, driven by solar energy, and it is the principal input of moisture to the atmosphere over the oceans. Condensation is the reverse change, forming clouds and droplets. Precipitation returns water to the surface, and infiltration moves surface water into the soil.

Question 4Physical Geography

A river's load that is carried in solution, having been dissolved from rocks such as limestone, is known as the:

  1. Bed load
  2. Suspended load
  3. Saltation load
  4. Dissolved load Correct answer.

Explanation

The dissolved load consists of material carried in chemical solution after being weathered from soluble rocks. It is invisible and travels with the water rather than rolling or bouncing along the bed. Limestone regions produce a notably high dissolved load of calcium and bicarbonate ions.

Question 5Physical Geography

Which type of plate boundary is associated with the formation of mid-ocean ridges and the creation of new oceanic crust?

  1. Convergent boundary
  2. Transform boundary
  3. Divergent boundary Correct answer.
  4. Subduction boundary

Explanation

At a divergent boundary, two plates move apart and magma rises to fill the gap, solidifying as new oceanic crust. This sea-floor spreading builds mid-ocean ridges such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Convergent and transform boundaries destroy or slide crust rather than create it.

Question 6Physical Geography

In the classification of rocks, limestone formed from the accumulation of shell fragments and coral on a sea floor is an example of:

  1. Metamorphic rock
  2. Sedimentary rock Correct answer.
  3. Plutonic rock
  4. Igneous rock

Explanation

Sedimentary rocks form when sediments such as shell fragments, sand, or mud are deposited in layers and later compacted and cemented. Limestone of organic origin is a classic sedimentary rock. Igneous rocks solidify from magma, and metamorphic rocks form by heat and pressure alteration.

Question 7Physical Geography

The instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure is called a:

  1. Anemometer
  2. Barometer Correct answer.
  3. Hygrometer
  4. Thermometer

Explanation

A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, usually in millibars or hectopascals. Pressure readings help forecast weather because falling pressure often signals approaching storms. The other instruments measure humidity, wind speed, and temperature respectively.

Question 8Physical Geography

Which soil horizon consists mainly of partly decomposed organic matter, such as leaf litter, at the surface of a soil profile?

  1. B horizon
  2. O horizon Correct answer.
  3. A horizon
  4. C horizon

Explanation

The O horizon is the organic layer at the top of a soil profile, made of fresh and partly decomposed plant litter. Below it the A horizon is the mineral topsoil rich in humus, the B horizon is subsoil, and the C horizon is weathered parent material. The O horizon is thin in cultivated soils but thick in forests.

Question 9Physical Geography

Rain shadow deserts form on the leeward side of mountain ranges because:

  1. The leeward slope receives more direct sunlight throughout the year
  2. The leeward slope has thinner soil and therefore cannot hold moisture
  3. Air descending the leeward slope warms and its relative humidity falls Correct answer.
  4. The windward slope blocks cold ocean currents from reaching the leeward side

Explanation

Moist air is forced to rise on the windward slope, cools, and releases rain as it expands. On crossing the crest it descends, warms by compression, and its relative humidity drops, so little rain falls. This orographic effect produces dry leeward zones such as the rain shadow behind the Himalayas.

Question 10Physical Geography

The seasonal reversal of prevailing winds that brings heavy summer rainfall to parts of South and Southeast Asia is known as the:

  1. Monsoon Correct answer.
  2. Trade winds
  3. Foehn wind
  4. Sea breeze

Explanation

The monsoon is a seasonal reversal of wind direction caused by differential heating of land and sea. In summer, moist winds blow from the ocean onto the heated land, producing heavy rain. In winter the flow reverses and dry continental air moves seaward.

Question 11Physical Geography

A river meander that has been cut off from the main channel, leaving a crescent-shaped body of water on the floodplain, is called a(n):

  1. Levee
  2. Delta
  3. Oxbow lake Correct answer.
  4. Waterfall

Explanation

An oxbow lake forms when erosion on the outer bank and deposition on the inner bank of a meander cause the neck to be breached. The river then takes a straighter course, abandoning the loop as a crescent lake. Over time it silts up and becomes marshy ground.

Question 12Physical Geography

Which of the following best explains why temperatures in the interior of a large landmass vary more between summer and winter than at a coastal location at the same latitude?

  1. Land heats and cools faster than water because of its lower specific heat capacity Correct answer.
  2. The interior is at a higher altitude and therefore colder in all seasons
  3. Ocean currents warm the interior through underground channels
  4. Coastal areas receive less solar radiation than inland areas

Explanation

Land has a lower specific heat capacity than water, so it warms and cools more quickly for the same energy input. The sea moderates coastal temperatures by absorbing and releasing heat slowly. This produces a continental climate inland with greater annual temperature range.

Question 13Physical Geography

The boundary between two air masses of different density and temperature, along which fronts and depressions commonly develop, is called a:

  1. Isohyet
  2. Isobar
  3. Front Correct answer.
  4. Isotherm

Explanation

A front is the sloping boundary where contrasting air masses meet. Warm air rises over cold air along it, producing clouds and rainfall. Fronts are associated with mid-latitude depressions and their passage brings changes in temperature and weather.

Question 14Physical Geography

In a V-shaped valley in the upper course of a river, the dominant process shaping the valley sides is:

  1. Vertical erosion Correct answer.
  2. Meander migration
  3. Lateral erosion
  4. Deposition on the floodplain

Explanation

In the upper course, the river's steep gradient gives it high energy, so downcutting by vertical erosion dominates. This deepens the channel and produces the steep-sided V-shaped cross-section. Lateral erosion becomes more important in the middle and lower courses.

Question 15Physical Geography

Which of the following best describes a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal as it approaches Myanmar?

  1. A cold anticyclone bringing dry, cool air from the north
  2. A high-pressure system with descending air and clear skies
  3. A low-pressure system with inward-spiralling winds around a centre Correct answer.
  4. A stationary front with no rotation of winds

Explanation

A tropical cyclone is an intense low-pressure system in which air converges and spirals inward, then rises to form towering clouds and heavy rain. Around the centre is the calm eye, surrounded by the most violent winds in the eyewall. Such systems bring storm surges and flooding to coastal Myanmar.

Question 16Physical Geography

Chemical weathering of limestone by rainwater containing dissolved carbon dioxide produces which distinctive landscape feature?

  1. Glacial cirque
  2. Sand dune
  3. Oxbow lake
  4. Karst cave with stalactites Correct answer.

Explanation

Carbon dioxide dissolved in rainwater forms weak carbonic acid, which dissolves calcium carbonate in limestone. This carbonation process hollows out caves and leaves deposits such as stalactites and stalagmites. The resulting karst landscape includes sinkholes and underground drainage.

Question 17Physical Geography

A place at 30°S has a prevailing wind blowing from the southeast toward the northwest. Which pressure belt lies closest to this latitude?

  1. The subpolar low-pressure belt
  2. The subtropical high-pressure belt Correct answer.
  3. The equatorial low-pressure belt
  4. The polar high-pressure belt

Explanation

In the Southern Hemisphere, the southeast trade winds blow from the subtropical high near 30°S toward the equatorial low. A wind moving toward the northwest therefore indicates the subtropical high-pressure belt at about 30°S. This belt is associated with descending air and generally dry conditions.

Question 18Physical Geography

Sheet erosion differs from gully erosion mainly because sheet erosion:

  1. Transports material by wind rather than by water
  2. Removes a thin, fairly uniform layer of topsoil over a wide area Correct answer.
  3. Occurs only on steep slopes where mass movement takes place
  4. Cuts deep channels that cannot be crossed by farm machinery

Explanation

Sheet erosion is the removal of a thin layer of soil by a broad sheet of running water, often unnoticed until fertility declines. Gully erosion concentrates flow into channels and cuts deep incisions. Both are forms of water erosion, but they differ in the concentration of flow.

Question 19Physical Geography

Which of the following is the most direct cause of the high rainfall recorded on the windward side of the Arakan Yoma during the southwest monsoon?

  1. The mountains attract moist air by their magnetic field
  2. Air descending the slope is compressed and cools
  3. Air rising over the mountains cools and condenses Correct answer.
  4. Ocean currents carry rain clouds inland

Explanation

Moist southwest monsoon air is forced to rise over the Arakan Yoma. As it rises it expands and cools, so water vapour condenses into cloud and falls as heavy orographic rain. The descending leeward air then warms and dries, producing a rain shadow.

Question 20Physical Geography

Which statement correctly explains why the equatorial low-pressure belt experiences heavy convectional rainfall almost every afternoon?

  1. The Coriolis force is strongest at the equator and lifts the air
  2. Cold air sinks and condenses into cloud near the surface
  3. Trade winds converge and are forced downward
  4. Intense heating causes moist air to rise, cool, and condense Correct answer.

Explanation

At the equator the Sun is nearly overhead all year, so intense heating makes the moist surface air unstable and it rises. As the air ascends it cools and its vapour condenses, forming towering cumulonimbus and afternoon downpours. This convectional mechanism drives the equatorial rainy belt.

Question 21Physical Geography

The main reason why a delta is unlikely to form where a river enters a sea with strong tidal currents and powerful wave action is that:

  1. Sediment is removed by tides and waves faster than it is deposited Correct answer.
  2. Deltas can only form where the river flows northward
  3. The water is too saline for sediment to settle
  4. The river carries no sediment at its mouth

Explanation

A delta builds only where the supply of sediment exceeds the rate at which coastal processes remove it. Strong tides and waves sweep the sediment away, so the mouth is kept clear and an estuary may form instead. The direction of river flow has no bearing on delta formation.

Question 22Physical Geography

Which of the following is a depositional landform created by a glacier?

  1. Arete
  2. Moraine Correct answer.
  3. Cirque
  4. Hanging valley

Explanation

A moraine is an accumulation of unsorted rock debris deposited directly by a glacier, forming ridges such as lateral and terminal moraines. Cirques, aretes, and hanging valleys are all erosional features carved by ice. Distinguishing erosional from depositional landforms is a common exam skill.

Question 23Physical Geography

A coastal area experiences a spring tide. Which alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth produces this condition?

  1. The Moon is at its greatest distance from the Earth
  2. The Sun, Moon, and Earth are approximately in a straight line Correct answer.
  3. The Sun and Moon are at right angles relative to the Earth
  4. The Sun is directly above the equator while the Moon is over the pole

Explanation

Spring tides occur at new and full moon, when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are nearly aligned and their gravitational pulls act together. The tidal range is then at its greatest. When the Sun and Moon are at right angles, neap tides with a smaller range occur instead.

Question 24Physical Geography

Which of the following combinations of factors would most strongly favour the rapid formation of a deep, well-developed soil profile?

  1. Freezing temperatures, high altitude, and thin moss cover
  2. Warm, humid climate, gentle slope, and dense vegetation Correct answer.
  3. Cold climate, steep slope, and sparse vegetation
  4. Arid climate, flat plateau, and bare rock surface

Explanation

Warm, humid conditions speed chemical weathering and biological activity, and dense vegetation supplies abundant humus. A gentle slope reduces erosion so the profile can deepen over time. Cold, arid, or steep settings slow soil formation.

Question 25Physical Geography

Two coastal cities lie at the same latitude; one is on a western coast washed by a cold current and the other on an eastern coast washed by a warm current. Which difference in climate is most likely?

  1. The western city is warmer and wetter because cold currents add moisture
  2. Both cities have identical climates because latitude is the only control
  3. The western city is cooler and drier, while the eastern city is warmer and more humid Correct answer.
  4. The eastern city is cooler because warm currents raise air pressure

Explanation

Cold currents chill the air above them, increasing stability and reducing evaporation, so adjacent western coasts tend to be cooler and drier, often with fog. Warm currents raise temperature and humidity, favouring greater rainfall on eastern coasts. Ocean currents therefore modify the basic latitude control.

Question 26Physical Geography

Which layer of the Earth's interior is composed mainly of liquid iron and nickel and is responsible for generating the planet's magnetic field?

  1. The inner core
  2. The continental crust
  3. The lower mantle
  4. The outer core Correct answer.

Explanation

The outer core lies between the solid inner core and the mantle and is molten iron-nickel alloy. Convection of this conducting liquid, combined with the Earth's rotation, generates the geomagnetic field through the geodynamo process. The inner core is solid because of extreme pressure despite equally high temperature.

Question 27Physical Geography

A geographer describes a rock that formed when molten magma cooled and solidified beneath the surface, producing large interlocking crystals. This rock is best classified as:

  1. Biochemical sedimentary
  2. Regionally metamorphosed
  3. Intrusive igneous Correct answer.
  4. Extrusive igneous

Explanation

Igneous rocks form from cooling magma or lava. When magma solidifies slowly at depth, crystals have time to grow large, giving a coarse texture typical of intrusive rocks such as granite. Rapid cooling at the surface produces fine-grained extrusive rocks instead.

Question 28Physical Geography

Which of the following is the correct order of the four main layers of the Earth, from the surface inwards?

  1. Crust, mantle, inner core, outer core
  2. Mantle, crust, inner core, outer core
  3. Crust, outer core, mantle, inner core
  4. Crust, mantle, outer core, inner core Correct answer.

Explanation

The Earth is layered by density, with lighter materials concentrated near the surface. Beneath the thin crust lies the thick silicate mantle, then the liquid outer core, and finally the solid inner core. This arrangement reflects progressive sorting of materials during the planet's early molten history.

Question 29Physical Geography

The process by which water-soaked soil and rock move slowly downslope as a viscous, flowing mass is known as:

  1. Rockfall
  2. Sheet wash
  3. Mudflow Correct answer.
  4. Soil creep

Explanation

A mudflow is the rapid downslope movement of a highly fluid mixture of water, clay and rock debris, often triggered by heavy rain on steep slopes. It flows as a channelled mass rather than by gradual grain-by-grain displacement. Its high water content distinguishes it from slower mass movements.

Question 30Physical Geography

Which type of weathering involves the breakdown of rock by the repeated freezing and thawing of water in cracks?

  1. Frost shattering Correct answer.
  2. Carbonation
  3. Oxidation
  4. Hydrolysis

Explanation

Water trapped in rock joints expands by about nine per cent when it freezes, exerting pressure that prises the rock apart. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles in cold, wet uplands break rock into angular fragments, a mechanical process known as frost shattering. The other options are chemical weathering processes.

Question 31Physical Geography

The boundary along which two tectonic plates slide horizontally past one another is called a:

  1. Transform boundary Correct answer.
  2. Divergent boundary
  3. Convergent boundary
  4. Subduction zone

Explanation

At a transform boundary, plates move laterally in opposite directions without significant creation or destruction of crust. The San Andreas Fault is a well-known example, and such boundaries generate shallow-focus earthquakes. Divergent and convergent boundaries involve plates moving apart or together.

Question 32Physical Geography

Which of the following is the main cause of the daily rise and fall of tides along a coast?

  1. The melting of polar ice during summer
  2. The rotation of the Earth on its axis alone
  3. The prevailing winds blowing across the sea surface
  4. The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun on the oceans Correct answer.

Explanation

Tides result mainly from the gravitational attraction of the Moon, with a smaller contribution from the Sun, acting on the water of the oceans. The Moon's pull raises a bulge of water on the side facing it and, through inertia, on the opposite side. As the Earth rotates through these bulges, coastal water levels rise and fall.

Question 33Physical Geography

The permanent layer of frozen subsoil found beneath the surface in high-latitude tundra regions is known as:

  1. Regolith
  2. Permafrost Correct answer.
  3. Moraine
  4. Loess

Explanation

Permafrost is ground that remains at or below 0 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive years. It underlies much of the tundra and boreal regions and prevents deep drainage, producing waterlogged summer surfaces. Its thawing creates characteristic thermokarst features.

Question 34Physical Geography

A river in its middle course flows across relatively flat land, so its energy is no longer needed to overcome a steep gradient. Which change in the river's work is most likely to result?

  1. Lateral erosion and deposition become more important than vertical erosion Correct answer.
  2. The river cuts down rapidly to form a deep gorge
  3. The river's load is deposited only where it enters the sea
  4. The river begins to erode backwards towards its source

Explanation

In the middle course the gradient is gentler, so the river has surplus energy for sideways swinging and transport. Lateral erosion widens the valley and deposition builds floodplain and point-bar features. Vertical incision dominates mainly in the steep upper course.

Question 35Physical Geography

A river flows from mountains onto a dry plain and spreads its load in a fan-shaped deposit at the foot of the slope. This landform is a:

  1. Waterfall
  2. Levee
  3. Alluvial fan Correct answer.
  4. Oxbow lake

Explanation

When a steep mountain stream reaches flatter ground, its velocity falls abruptly and it deposits its coarse load in a fan shape. These alluvial fans are common where mountain valleys open onto arid plains. The coarsest material settles near the apex, with finer sediment spreading outwards.

Question 36Physical Geography

A cave in a limestone region contains a downward-tapering stalactite hanging from the roof and a upward-growing stalagmite on the floor. Which process forms both features?

  1. Erosion by underground streams dissolving the rock
  2. Freeze-thaw shattering of the cave roof
  3. Wind abrasion of the cave walls
  4. Deposition of calcium carbonate from dripping water Correct answer.

Explanation

Water rich in dissolved calcium bicarbonate drips into the air-filled cave and loses carbon dioxide, so calcium carbonate is precipitated. Deposition on the roof builds stalactites downwards, while drips landing on the floor build stalagmites upwards. Where the two join, a pillar is formed.

Question 37Physical Geography

Which of the following best explains why a glacier is able to erode solid bedrock?

  1. Meltwater dissolves all the minerals in the bedrock
  2. Ice crystals expand and lift bedrock blocks into the glacier
  3. The weight of the ice vaporises the bedrock beneath
  4. Rock fragments frozen into the base of the ice grind against the bedrock Correct answer.

Explanation

As a glacier moves, debris plucked from the bed becomes embedded in its base and acts like abrasive paper, scratching and polishing the rock. This abrasion, together with plucking of loosened blocks, is the main erosive mechanism. The resulting striations and smoothed surfaces record the direction of ice flow.

Question 38Physical Geography

A coastal cliff is retreating inland over time. Which combination of processes most directly explains this retreat?

  1. Chemical solution of the cliff by rainwater alone
  2. Wave erosion at the cliff base followed by collapse of the undermined rock Correct answer.
  3. Deposition of beach sand at the cliff foot raising the cliff top
  4. Wind-blown sand building the cliff face outwards

Explanation

Waves, especially during storms, cut a notch at the base of the cliff through hydraulic action and abrasion. Once the overhanging rock is unsupported, it collapses and the debris is removed, so the cliff line retreats. A wave-cut platform is left at the foot of the retreating cliff.

Question 39Physical Geography

A long ridge of sand and shingle joins an island to the mainland. This depositional coastal feature is called a:

  1. Ria
  2. Spit
  3. Tombolo Correct answer.
  4. Stack

Explanation

A tombolo forms where wave refraction around an island causes sediment to accumulate in the calmer water between island and shore. Continued deposition builds a ridge that eventually connects the island to the mainland. A spit, by contrast, projects across a bay without reaching the far shore.

Question 40Physical Geography

A scientist records that a particular air mass has formed over a tropical ocean. Which two letters would correctly label this air mass in the standard classification?

  1. mT Correct answer.
  2. mP
  3. cA
  4. cP

Explanation

Air-mass symbols combine a lower-case letter for the surface over which the air forms with a capital for latitude. Maritime tropical air, written mT, forms over warm tropical oceans and is both moist and warm. It commonly brings humid, unstable conditions when it moves over land.

Question 41Physical Geography

In a tropical cyclone in the northern hemisphere, the surface winds spiral inwards in which direction?

  1. Directly towards the centre without rotation
  2. Anticlockwise Correct answer.
  3. Outwards from the centre
  4. Clockwise

Explanation

Air flows towards the low-pressure centre and is deflected to the right by the Coriolis effect in the northern hemisphere. This produces an anticlockwise inward spiral around the eye. In the southern hemisphere the same inflow curves to the left, giving a clockwise spiral.

Question 42Physical Geography

A place records a maximum temperature of 32°C and a minimum of 20°C on the same day. What is its diurnal temperature range?

  1. 12°C Correct answer.
  2. 26°C
  3. 52°C
  4. 20°C

Explanation

Diurnal range is the difference between the day's maximum and minimum temperatures. Subtracting the minimum from the maximum gives 32 minus 20, which equals 12 degrees Celsius. It is not the mean temperature or the sum of the two readings.

Question 43Physical Geography

Which of the following best explains why relative humidity usually rises during the night?

  1. Wind speed increases and carries moisture into the area
  2. More water vapour is added to the air by evaporation from the ground after dark
  3. The air pressure falls, allowing more vapour to enter the atmosphere
  4. Air temperature falls, so the same water vapour forms a greater fraction of the air's capacity Correct answer.

Explanation

Relative humidity compares the actual vapour content with the maximum the air could hold at that temperature. Because cooler air has a lower capacity for vapour, the same amount of vapour gives a higher percentage as temperature falls overnight. Absolute humidity does not necessarily change.

Question 44Physical Geography

A weather station at sea level records 1010 hPa. Assuming the normal pressure decrease with height, which value would most likely be recorded at a nearby hilltop about 100 metres higher?

  1. About 1010 hPa
  2. About 1020 hPa
  3. About 950 hPa
  4. About 1000 hPa Correct answer.

Explanation

Atmospheric pressure falls by roughly 1 hPa for every 8 to 10 metres of ascent near sea level. A rise of 100 metres therefore lowers pressure by about 10 hPa, giving approximately 1000 hPa. Pressure decreases rather than increases with height.

Question 45Physical Geography

The rain-bearing southwest monsoon reaches Myanmar in stages. Which statement best describes the sequence in which it advances across the country?

  1. It reaches the central dry zone before the coastal regions
  2. It begins in the far north and spreads southwards to the coast
  3. It reaches the delta and lower coastal areas first, then spreads northwards and inland Correct answer.
  4. It arrives simultaneously across the whole country

Explanation

The southwest monsoon typically arrives first over the southern coastal areas and delta around mid-May. It then advances northwards and inland, reaching the northern regions later in the season. The Arakan coast receives the earliest and heaviest rainfall.

Question 46Physical Geography

A crop is grown on a steeply sloping field in a high-rainfall area. Which farming practice would most effectively reduce soil erosion there?

  1. Ploughing in lines running straight downhill
  2. Leaving the field bare during the rainy season
  3. Contour ploughing across the slope Correct answer.
  4. Removing all crop residue after harvest

Explanation

Ploughing along the contour creates small ridges that intercept runoff and slow water moving downslope. Slower water carries less sediment and has more time to infiltrate, so erosion is reduced. Contour ploughing is most effective when combined with terracing and cover crops.

Question 47Physical Geography

An area of flat land underlain by permeable sandstone receives heavy rainfall. Which statement best describes what is likely to happen to the rainwater?

  1. It is stored permanently in the sandstone and cannot be abstracted
  2. Most of it runs off immediately as sheet flow because the rock is porous
  3. Much of it infiltrates and moves downwards to recharge the groundwater Correct answer.
  4. It evaporates entirely before reaching the soil

Explanation

Permeable rock allows water to pass through its pores or joints, so on gentle slopes infiltration is high and surface runoff is low. The water percolates downwards to the water table, recharging the aquifer. Such areas commonly have few surface streams but good groundwater supplies.

Question 48Physical Geography

A volcanic cone is built up by alternating layers of lava and ash. Which term best describes this type of volcano?

  1. Shield volcano
  2. Lava plateau
  3. Caldera
  4. Composite volcano Correct answer.

Explanation

Composite volcanoes, also called stratovolcanoes, form where eruptions alternate between viscous lava and explosive ash. The alternating layers build a steep-sided, symmetrical cone. Mount Popa in central Myanmar is a well-known example of this type.

Question 49Physical Geography

Two places lie at the same latitude, but one is on a windward coast and the other in the interior of a continent. Which factor best explains the difference in their annual rainfall?

  1. The difference in the length of their daylight hours
  2. Distance from the sea and the resulting loss of moisture as air moves inland Correct answer.
  3. The difference in their distance from the equator
  4. The difference in the altitude of the two places

Explanation

Maritime air arriving from the sea carries abundant water vapour, so windward coasts receive high rainfall. As the same air travels inland, it loses moisture through orographic lifting and continental heating, so interiors become drier. This continentality effect explains the contrast at equal latitude.

Question 50Physical Geography

A hot, dry region has a mean annual rainfall of 150 mm but experiences occasional intense storms. Which geomorphic process is likely to dominate the shaping of its landscape?

  1. Continuous river flow that meanders across a wide floodplain
  2. Glacial abrasion by ice sheets
  3. Slow chemical solution of limestone by constant percolation
  4. Flash flooding that carries coarse debris in ephemeral channels Correct answer.

Explanation

In arid regions, vegetation cover is sparse and the ground is often baked hard, so rare storms produce rapid runoff. Water concentrates in normally dry channels, called wadis, and moves coarse debris as flash floods. This sporadic but powerful action dominates landscape change.