Physical Geography — UPSC Prelims PYQs (Set 1)

Q1. Tungurahua Volcano, which was declared a Global Geopark by UNESCO in 2025, is situated in which one among the following countries ? UPSC Prelims 2026

Question 1 optionsAEcuadorBPeruCBoliviaDColombia
Q2. With reference to the climate of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. The climate can be defined as a humid, tropical coastal climate.
2. It receives rainfall from both South-west monsoon and North-east monsoon.
3. Maximum precipitation is between December and May.
Select the answer using the code given below : UPSC Prelims 2026

Question 2 optionsA1 onlyB1 and 2C2 and 3D3 only
Q3. Consider the following countries :
I. Bolivia
II. Brazil
III. Colombia
IV. Ecuador
V. Paraguay
VI. Venezuela Andes mountains pass through how many of the above countries? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 3 optionsAOnly twoBOnly threeCOnly fourDOnly five
Q4. Consider the following water bodies :
I. Lake Tanganyika
II. Lake Tonlé Sap
III. Patos Lagoon Through how many of them does the equator pass? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 4 optionsAOnly oneBOnly twoCAll the threeDNone
Q5. Which of the following are the evidences of the phenomenon of continental drift?
I. The belt of ancient rocks from Brazil coast matches with those from Western Africa.
II. The gold deposits of Ghana are derived from the Brazil plateau when the two continents lay side by side.
III. The Gondwana system of sediments from India is known to have its counterparts on six different landmasses of the Southern Hemisphere.
Select the correct answer using the code given below : UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 5 optionsAI and III onlyBII and III onlyCI, II and IIIDI and II only
Q6. Consider the following statements :
Statement I : The amount of dust particles in the atmosphere is more in subtropical and temperate areas than in equatorial and polar regions.
Statement II : Subtropical and temperate areas have less dry winds.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 6 optionsABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement IBBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement ICStatement I is correct but
Statement II is not correctDStatement I is not correct but
Statement II is correct
Q7. Consider the following statements :
Statement I : In January, in the Northern Hemisphere, the isotherms bend equatorward while crossing the landmasses, and poleward while crossing the oceans.
Statement II : In January, the air over the oceans is warmer than that over the landmasses in the Northern Hemisphere.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 7 optionsABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement IBBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct but Statement II does not explain Statement ICStatement I is correct but
Statement II is not correctDNeither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Q8. Consider the following statements :
Statement I : In the context of effect of water on rocks, chalk is known as a very permeable rock, whereas clay is known as quite an impermeable or least permeable rock.
Statement II : Chalk is porous and hence can absorb water.
Statement III : Clay is not at all porous.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 8 optionsABoth Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement IBBoth Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement ICOnly one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains
Statement IDNeither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Q9. Consider the following statements :
Statement I : Scientific studies suggest that a shift in taking place in the Earth's rotation and axis.
Statement II : Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections bombarded the Earth's outermost atmosphere with tremendous amount of energy.
Statement III : As the Earth's polar ice melts, the water tends to move towards the equator.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 9 optionsABoth Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement IBBoth Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement ICOnly one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement IDNeither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Q10. With reference to the planet Earth, consider the following statements :
I. Rain forests produce more oxygen than that produced by oceans.
II. Marine phytoplankton and photo-synthetic bacteria produce about 50% of world's oxygen.
III. Well-oxygenated surface water contains several folds higher oxygen than that in atmospheric air.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 10 optionsAI and IIBII onlyCI and IIIDNone of the above statements is correct
Q11. Consider the following statements :
I. Anadyr in Siberia and Nome in Alaska are a few kilometers from each other, but when people are waking up and getting set for breakfast in these cities, it would be different days.
II. When it is Monday in Anadyr, it is Tuesday in Nome.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? UPSC Prelims 2025

Question 11 optionsAI onlyBII onlyCBoth I and IIDNeither I nor II
Q12. Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : The atmosphere is heated more by incoming solar radiation than by terrestrial radiation.
Statement-II : Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are good absorbers of long wave radiation.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ? UPSC Prelims 2024

Question 12 optionsABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-IBBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-ICStatement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrectDStatement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Q13. Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : Thickness of the troposphere at the equator is much greater as compared to poles.
Statement-II : At the equator, heat is transported to great heights by strong convectional currents.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ? UPSC Prelims 2024

Question 13 optionsABoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-IBBoth Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-ICStatement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrectDStatement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct
Q14. Consider the following :
1. Pyroclastic debris
2. Ash and dust
3. Nitrogen compounds
4. Sulphur compounds
How many of the above are products of volcanic eruptions ? UPSC Prelims 2024

Question 14 optionsAOnly oneBOnly twoCOnly threeDAll four
Q15. Which of the following is/are correct inference/inferences from isothermal maps in the month of January ?
1. The isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent.
2. The presence of cold ocean currents, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift make the North Atlantic Ocean colder and the isotherms bend towards the north.
Select the answer using the code given below : UPSC Prelims 2024

Question 15 optionsA1 onlyB2 onlyCBoth 1 and 2DNeither 1 nor 2
Q16. Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : Rainfall is one of the reasons for weathering of rocks.
Statement-II : Rain water contains carbon dioxide in solution.
Statement-III : Rain water contains atmospheric oxygen.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ? UPSC Prelims 2024

Question 16 optionsABoth Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them explain Statement-IBBoth Statement-II and Statement-III are correct, but only one of them explains Statement-ICOnly one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement-IDNeither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct

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Physical Geography — UPSC Prelims PYQs (Set 1)

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