Soils MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Soils - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Solar energy production.

Key Points

• Desertification is a form of dryland land degradation in which biological productivity is lost as a result of innate processes or as a result of human-induced activities.
• It causes productive areas to become more and more arid.
• Western Rajasthan is experiencing a problem with desertification, which is brought on by both accelerated and natural processes.
• This problem is exhibited by degraded features such as sand sheets, drifting sand, active dunes, deflation hollows, rills, and gullies, soil crust, salt encrustations, restricted drainage, poor vegetation cover, low plant density, and low biomass production under various rainfall zones.
• The main causes of desertification are wind erosion and deposition, salinization, and waterlogging.
• The two main mechanisms that cause croplands and grazing pastures to degrade are water erosion and wind deposition. ​​

Additional Information

• Overgrazing:
  • Overgrazing is when livestock or other animals graze to the extent that the grass cover is destroyed, leaving exposed, vulnerable soil regions.

The correct answer is:

1. (a) - (iv), (b) - (i), (c) - (ii), (d) - (iii)

 Important Points

• Marble is a type of metamorphic rock that is formed from limestone.
• Sandstone is a type of sedimentary rock that is composed of sand-sized grains of mineral, rock, or organic material.
• Coal is a type of fossil fuel that is formed from the remains of dead plants that have been buried and subjected to high pressure and temperature over millions of years.
• Granite is a type of igneous rock that is formed from the slow cooling and solidification of magma.

Key Points

• Typhoons are tropical cyclones that occur mainly in the Northwest Pacific region between 6° and 20° latitude north and south of the equator.
• The warm ocean waters in these regions provide the necessary energy for the development of typhoons.
• The Coriolis effect, which is minimal near the equator, becomes significant at these latitudes, aiding the rotation of typhoons.
• These weather systems are characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and low-pressure centers, often causing significant damage to coastal areas.

Additional Information

• Typhoon:
  • A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that forms in the Northwest Pacific Ocean. It is equivalent to hurricanes in the North Atlantic and cyclones in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.
  • Typhoons typically occur in the warm months of the year, between May and November.
  • They are driven by warm ocean temperatures (at least 26.5°C or 80°F) and high humidity in the atmosphere.
  • The wind speeds of typhoons can exceed 119 km/h (74 mph), and they are often accompanied by torrential rains.
• Latitudinal Zones:
  • The 6° to 20° North and South of the equator region is ideal for typhoon formation as it offers warm ocean temperatures and sufficient Coriolis force for rotation.
  • Regions closer to the equator (0° to 5°) lack the Coriolis effect necessary for cyclonic rotation.
  • Higher latitudes (beyond 30°) are less conducive for typhoon formation due to cooler ocean temperatures and increased wind shear.

The correct answer is: "It originates from volcanic rocks, is rich in minerals but deficient in phosphorus and nitrogen."

Key Points

• Origin of Black Soil:
  • Black soil, also known as Regur soil, is primarily formed by the weathering of volcanic rocks, particularly basalt.
  • It is predominantly found in regions with historical volcanic activity, especially the Deccan Plateau, covering states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Tamil Nadu.
• Mineral Content:
  • Black soil is rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, and alumina, making it highly fertile.
  • However, it is notably deficient in essential nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic matter (humus).
• Suitability for Crops:
  • Due to its moisture-retentive capacity and mineral richness, black soil is ideally suited for cotton cultivation and is often called "black cotton soil."
  • It is also suitable for growing crops like groundnut, sunflower, sorghum, and pulses.

Additional Information

• "It is found mainly in the northern plains and is rich in humus."
  • This description matches alluvial soil, not black soil.
  • Alluvial soil, deposited by rivers, is the most extensive soil type in India, especially in the Indo-Gangetic plains, and is highly fertile due to its high humus content.
  • It supports crops like wheat, rice, sugarcane, and pulses.
• "It is highly porous, acidic, and best suited for tobacco cultivation."
  • This statement describes red soil rather than black soil.
  • Red soil is formed from the weathering of ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks and is typically porous, slightly acidic, and poor in nutrients.
  • It is suitable for crops like millets, pulses, and tobacco, provided it is fertilized appropriately.
• "It is formed in regions with dense forest cover and heavy rainfall."
  • This statement pertains to forest soil, not black soil.
  • Forest soil develops in areas with sufficient rainfall and dense vegetation, mainly found in hilly and mountainous regions.
  • It varies in fertility and texture, supporting different types of forests depending on climatic conditions.

The Correct Answer is It can retain moisture.

Key Points

• Black soil is favorable for the cultivation of cotton.
• Because of this character of slow absorption and loss of moisture, the black soil retains the moisture for a very long time, which helps the crops, especially, the rain-fed ones, to sustain even during the dry season.
• Black Soil
  • These soils are also known as the ‘Regur Soil’ or the ‘Black Cotton Soil’.
  • The black soils are generally clayey, deep, and impermeable.
  • They swell and become sticky when wet and shrink when dried. 
  • So, during the dry season, this soil develops wide cracks. Thus, there occurs a kind of ‘self-plowing’.
  • The black soils are rich in lime, iron, magnesia, and alumina. They also contain potash.
  • They lack phosphorous, nitrogen, and organic matter.
  • The color of the soil ranges from deep black to grey.
  • Along with cotton, the soil is suitable for the cultivation of crops like groundnut, tobacco, chilies, and Jowar.

Additional Information

• Cotton is a Kharif crop in the major parts of the country.
• Black soil covers most of the Deccan Plateau which includes parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and some parts of Tamil Nadu.
• Cotton quickly exhausts the fertility of the soil. Therefore, regular application of manures and fertilizers to the soils is very necessary. 
• Cotton is grown both under irrigated and rain-fed conditions. 

The correct answer is Iron Oxide.

Key Points

• Laterite is a Latin word that means "Later".
• Francis Hamilton (a Scottish Physician) first described and named a laterite formation in Southern India in 1807.
• Laterite is both soil and a rock type and rich in Iron & Aluminium.
• Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content.
• They evolve by intense and sustained weathering of the underlying parent rock.
• Laterite soils have a high content of clay, which ensures that they have a greater ability to exchange cations and retain water than sandy soils, and can thus be used as a hard material like a brick.
• It is formed in hot & wet tropical areas & majorly found between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
• Angkor wat in Cambodia is an example for use of laterite soil as a construction material. 

Example of construction with Laterite in Angkor, Cambodia

The correct answer is Wheat.

• Black soil retains moisture and is rich in clay content, making it highly suitable for cotton and sugarcane cultivation.
• Wheat requires well-drained loamy or alluvial soil, which provides better aeration and drainage, making black soil less suitable.
• Groundnut can grow in black soil, but it thrives best in well-drained sandy loam or sandy clay loam with moderate organic matter.
• Cotton is the most suitable crop for black soil, which is why it is also called "Regur soil" or "Black cotton soil".

Additional Information 

• Black soil is known as Tropical Chernozems and Regur Soil.
• Major crops grown on black soils include Groundnut, jawar, linseed, Virginia tobacco, cotton, and sugarcane.

The correct answer is Glacial action.

Key Points:

• A Moraine is a material that is left behind by moving glaciers and this material is usually soil and rock.
• Glacier transport all sorts of dirt and boulder that build up to form a moraine.

The correct answer is Sheet erosion.

Key Points

• Sheet erosion is the LEAST visible form of land erosion.
• Sheet erosion is the process of uniform removal of soil in thin layers by the forces of raindrops on land.
• It is caused by the force of rainfall.
• It takes place in levelled lands and plowed fields after a heavy shower and the soil, removal is not easily noticeable, but it is harmful since it removes the finer and more fertile topsoil.

Additional Information

• Rill and gully erosion:
  • In rill erosion, finger-like rills appear on the cultivated land after it has undergone sheet erosion.
  • These rills are usually smoothened out every year while forming.
  • Each year the rills slowly increase in number and become wider and deeper.
  • Gully erosion is the removal of soil along drainage lines by surface water runoff.
  • When rills increase in size, they become gullies.
  • Once started, gullies will continue to move by headward erosion or by slumping of the side walls.
  • Gullies formed over a large area give rise to badland topography (Chambal Ravines).
  • When a gully bed is eroded further due to headward erosion, the bed gradually deepens and flattens out, and a ravine is formed.
  • The depth of a ravine may extend to 30 meters.
• Landslides
  • Landslides and slope instability cause problems in many parts of the world.
  • A landslide is primarily a combination of several geological processes that include physical factors like earth movements like extensive slope failure, rocks falling, and debris flow.
  • These ground movements may take place in a coastal, offshore, or far onshore environment.
  • Gravity, in addition to other factors that affect ground stability, is the main force that causes landslides.
  • Normally, the ground characteristics develop particular sub-surface soil conditions that cause slope failure.
  • However, the real landslide needs a trigger before it can be initiated. It is normally feasible to recognize the main landslide origin and the landslide triggers.

The correct answer is hydrogen.

Key Points

• The acidic nature of the soil is shown by the high concentration of hydrogen.

• Soil pH shows the potentiality of H+ ions.
• It determines the acidic or alkaline reaction of the soil.
• More hydrogen ion (H+) concentration shows the acidic nature of the soil.
• The concentration of more hydroxyl (OH-) ions represents its alkaline nature.
• Maximum nutrients are available to crops when the pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.

Additional Information

• Soil is a mixture of microorganisms, organic matter, and minerals.
• Each layer differs in feel (texture), colour, depth, and chemical composition.
• These layers are referred to as horizons.
• The uppermost layer of soil is generally dark in colour as it is rich in humus and minerals.
• The mixture of rock particles and humus is called the soil.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Black.

Key Points

The correct answer is Clayey soil.

Key Points

• Clayey soil, also known as clay, is any sort of soil with extremely fine particles.
• They have the capacity to retain water.
• In comparison, the soil has other types of particles that are larger and have a strong drainage quality.
• The large surface area of the clay particles allows them to hold a greater quantity of water.
• Thus, the water holding capacity is the highest in clayey soil due to the large surface area as well as the tightly packed particles that restrict the water from percolating.
  • Clay soils feel very sticky and roll like plasticine when wet.
  • They are normally fairly rich in potash
  • They can hold more total water than most other soil types

Additional Information

• When the percentage of sand is high in a specific soil then it is called sandy soil.
  • Sandy soil is also known as “Light soil”.
  • Generally, sandy soil is composed of 35% sand and less than 15% silt and clay.
  • In sandy soil, most of the soil particulars are bigger than 2mm in diameter. 
  • Sandy soil is suitable for vegetables like potatoes, grams, tomatoes, etc.
• Loamy Soil is the mixture of clay, sand, and silt soil which consists of additional organic matter and is very fertile compared to other types of soil.
• It is well suited for cultivation as the plant roots get a sufficient amount of water and nutrients for their growth and development.

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Clay.

• Clay soils have very fine particles through which water cannot easily percolate.
• What is percolation - 
  • When we sprinkle water on the ground, it is soon absorbed by the soil.
  • The process in which water passes down slowly through the soil is called the percolation of water.
• Percolation varies with soil type while sandy soli allows maximum percolation, clay soil allows minimum percolation of water.

• Type of soil In India - 
  • Alluvial Soils
  • Black soil
  • Red soils
  • Laterite and Lateritic soils
  • Forest and Mountain soils
  • Arid and desert soils
  • Peaty and Marshy soils

The correct option is Iron.

Key Points

• Laterite Soil is poor in lime but rich in Iron.
• Laterite Soil is poor in lime, phosphorous, calcium, and nitrogen.
• Bricks are made for house construction by laterite soil.
• Laterite Soil is peculiar to India- Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Odisha.
• Cashew, Tapioca, Coffee, and Rubber are the important crops of laterite soil.

Important Points

Alluvial Soil:

• Alluvial Soil is rich in lime and potash, and poor in phosphorous, and humus.
• Alluvial Soil is very fertile, fine-grained both in new alluvium (Khadar) and old alluvium.
• Alluvial Soil is found in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal.
• Rice, Wheat, Sugarcane, Cotton, Oilseeds, and Jute are the major crops of alluvial soil.

The correct option is 2 i.e., Alluvial soil.

• Alluvial soil is found maximum in Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

• Alluvial soil:
  • The alluvial soil occurs mainly in the Satluj- Ganga- Brahmaputra Plains.
  • They are also found in the valleys of the Narmada, Tapi and in the Eastern and Western coastal plains.
  • Alluvial soil has potash deficiency.
  • The colour of soil varies from light grey to ash.
  • Alluvial soil is suited for Rice, maize, wheat, sugarcane, etc.

Additional Information

• Black soil:
  • Black soil is also known as cotton soil.
  • This is the third largest group in India.
  • Black soil is formed from rocks of cretaceous lava.
  • Black soil stretches over the parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Western parts of Madhya Pradesh, North-Western Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand up to Raj Mahal hills.
  • The soil is rich in iron, lime, calcium, potash, magnesium and aluminium.
  • Black soil has high water retaining capacity and is good for cotton cultivation, Tobacco, citrus fruits, castor, and linseed.