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Physical geography
Contributed by: McLoughlin
  • 1. Physical geography is the sub-field of geography that involves studying the natural features and processes of the Earth's surface, including landforms, climate, soils, vegetation, and water resources. It is concerned with understanding the spatial patterns and relationships of physical elements that shape the environment, such as mountains, rivers, deserts, and oceans. Physical geography also examines the interactions between human activities and the natural environment, exploring topics such as environmental degradation, natural hazards, and climate change. By analyzing the physical characteristics of the Earth's surface, physical geography provides insights into how landscapes are formed, how they evolve over time, and how they influence human societies and ecosystems.

    Which layer of the Earth's atmosphere is closest to the surface?
A) Mesosphere
B) Thermosphere
C) Troposphere
D) Stratosphere
  • 2. What is the term for an area drained by a river and its tributaries?
A) Continental Divide
B) Watershed
C) Lithosphere
D) Subduction Zone
  • 3. Which type of soil is best for agriculture due to its high fertility and ability to hold moisture?
A) Sand
B) Silt
C) Loam
D) Clay
  • 4. What is the correct term for the process where water changes from a gas to a liquid?
A) Precipitation
B) Infiltration
C) Evaporation
D) Condensation
  • 5. Which planet in our solar system is known as the 'Red Planet'?
A) Mercury
B) Mars
C) Jupiter
D) Venus
  • 6. Which of the following is NOT a major type of biome?
A) Rainforest
B) Desert
C) Tundra
D) Taiga
  • 7. What is the term for the slow movement of large masses of ice down a slope or valley?
A) Landslide
B) Glacier
C) Tsunami
D) Avalanche
  • 8. Which of the Earth's layers is made up of tectonic plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere?
A) Outer Core
B) Mantle
C) Lithosphere
D) Inner Core
  • 9. What is the term for the process by which glaciers carve out U-shaped valleys?
A) Glacial Erosion
B) Aeolian Erosion
C) Landslide Erosion
D) Fluvial Erosion
  • 10. Which ocean is the largest and deepest on Earth?
A) Indian Ocean
B) Pacific Ocean
C) Atlantic Ocean
D) Arctic Ocean
  • 11. What is the term for the wearing away and movement of soil and rock by water, wind, or ice?
A) Sedimentation
B) Deposition
C) Weathering
D) Erosion
  • 12. What is the highest mountain in the world?
A) Mount Everest
B) Mount McKinley
C) Mount Kilimanjaro
D) K2
  • 13. What is the process by which rocks are broken down into smaller particles?
A) Erosion
B) Weathering
C) Deposition
D) Abrasion
  • 14. What is the imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres?
A) Tropic of Cancer
B) Tropic of Capricorn
C) Prime Meridian
D) Equator
  • 15. What is the term for the wearing away of rock by a moving glacier?
A) Abrasion
B) Erosion
C) Weathering
D) Deposition
  • 16. What is the process by which liquid water changes into water vapor?
A) Precipitation
B) Evaporation
C) Transpiration
D) Condensation
  • 17. What is the term for the process by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate?
A) Accretion
B) Collision
C) Rift
D) Subduction
  • 18. Which type of soil has the smallest particles and holds the most water?
A) Sand
B) Loam
C) Clay
D) Silt
  • 19. What is the name for the process by which soil nutrients are transported downward through the soil profile?
A) Leaching
B) Weathering
C) Transpiration
D) Erosion
  • 20. Which of the following is a primary greenhouse gas responsible for global warming?
A) Nitrogen
B) Oxygen
C) Argon
D) Carbon dioxide
  • 21. What are the large seas or oceans partially enclosed by land called?
A) Lakes
B) Bays
C) Gulfs
D) Marginal seas
  • 22. Which region of the United States is known for its tornadoes and severe thunderstorms?
A) Hurricane Coast
B) Earthquake Zone
C) Blizzard Belt
D) Tornado Alley
  • 23. What is the term for the collection of water in the air that falls as rain, snow, sleet, or hail?
A) Evaporation
B) Precipitation
C) Transpiration
D) Condensation
  • 24. Which landform is a large area of flat or gently rolling land?
A) Plateau
B) Island
C) Plain
D) Valley
  • 25. What is the term for the bending of waves as they move from one material to another?
A) Absorption
B) Reflection
C) Refraction
D) Diffraction
  • 26. What is the outermost layer of the Earth called?
A) Core
B) Mantle
C) Crust
D) Lithosphere
  • 27. What is a large, swirling mass of water typically caused by opposing tides or currents?
A) Whirlpool
B) Eddy
C) Rip current
D) Jet stream
  • 28. What is the area where a river meets the sea called?
A) Estuary
B) Delta
C) Fjord
D) Cove
  • 29. Approximately how much of the Earth's surface is covered by water?
A) 71%
B) 33%
C) 50%
D) 90%
  • 30. What is the term for a body of air with horizontally uniform temperature, humidity, and pressure?
A) Anticyclone
B) Cyclone
C) Front
D) Air mass
  • 31. What is the term for the level at which a rock formation is exposed to the surface of the Earth?
A) Outcrop
B) Fault
C) Stratum
D) Fold
  • 32. What is the Earth's innermost layer composed of primarily?
A) Carbon and sulfur
B) Silicon and oxygen
C) Iron and nickel
D) Aluminum and magnesium
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