NCERT Class 11 Geography Chapter 6: LANDFORMS AND THEIR EVOLUTION | Line-by-Line MCQs & Mains Questions for UPSC

Chapter Insights: Chapter - 6 - LANDFORMS AND THEIR EVOLUTION

📚 NCERT Integrated 📖 Standard Book Ref ✅ PSC & UPSC Aligned

This chapter explores how various geomorphic agents—running water, groundwater, glaciers, waves, and wind—sculpt the Earth's surface through erosion and deposition, creating diverse landforms. It begins by differentiating between a landform (a small to medium tract of the earth's surface) and a landscape (a collection of related landforms), and introduces the concept of their evolution through stages of youth, maturity, and old age.

The chapter provides a detailed, agent-wise breakdown. For running water in humid regions, it explains erosional features like valleys, gorges, potholes, and depositional forms such as alluvial fans, deltas, floodplains, and natural levees. It then covers groundwater processes, focusing on karst topography characterized by sinkholes, caves, stalactites, and stalagmites in limestone regions.

The work of glaciers is described, forming U-shaped valleys, cirques, horns, and depositing moraines, eskers, and drumlins. Coastal processes by waves create cliffs, stacks, spits, and bars along high rocky coasts, while building beaches and dunes on low sedimentary coasts.

Finally, in arid environments, wind acts as a dominant agent, eroding to form pediments, deflation hollows, and mushroom rocks, and depositing sorted materials as various types of sand dunes. The chapter emphasizes that the evolution of these landforms is a dynamic and continuous process.

Note on Coverage: These questions are developed through a line-by-line analysis of the textbook. This ensures that even the smaller details and nuanced concepts often overlooked are covered for comprehensive exam preparation.

Preparation Method

We recommend reading the NCERT chapter thoroughly before attempting these questions. The page numbers provided correspond to the actual textbook pages to help you locate the source material quickly.

Section A: Descriptive Questions

  1. What is a landform? How is it different from a landscape? (Pg. 1) Page 47
  2. Describe the three stages of landscape development (Youth, Mature, Old) in a running water regime. (Pg. 2) Page 48
  3. How are potholes formed by stream erosion? (Pg. 2-3) Page 48-49
  4. What are river terraces and how are they formed? (Pg. 3) Page 49
  5. Explain the difference between an active floodplain and an inactive floodplain. (Pg. 4) Page 50
  6. Explain why meanders develop over flood and delta plains. (Pg. 5) Page 51
  7. What is the difference between a solution sink and a collapse sink (doline)? (Pg. 6-7) Page 52-53
  8. Name and describe the two main depositional features found within limestone caves. (Pg. 7) Page 53
  9. What is a horn and how is it formed? Give an example. (Pg. 8) Page 54
  10. What are moraines? Name and describe three types. (Pg. 9-10) Page 55-56
  11. What is the primary difference between high rocky coasts and low sedimentary coasts? (Pg. 11-12) Page 57-58
  12. How does a spit form? (Pg. 12-13) Page 58-59
  13. Explain the formation of a pediplain through the parallel retreat of slopes. (Pg. 13-14) Page 59-60
  14. How does wind act as a sorting agent in forming depositional landforms? (Pg. 14) Page 60

Section B1: Multiple Choice Questions

Page 47

What is considered the most important geomorphic agent in degrading land surfaces in humid regions? (Pg. 1)

A) WindB) GroundwaterC) Running WaterD) Glaciers
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 47
Page 48

What is the plain formed as a result of stream erosion called? (Pg. 2)

A) Alluvial PlainB) Delta PlainC) PeneplainD) Floodplain
View Answer
Answer: C
Source Reference: Page 48
Page 49

What are the large, deep holes at the base of waterfalls called? (Pg. 3)

A) PotholesB) Plunge PoolsC) SinkholesD) Swallow Holes
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 49
Page 49-50

What are the broad, cone-shaped deposits formed when streams break into foot slope plains called? (Pg. 3-4)

A) Alluvial FansB) DeltasC) Natural LeveesD) Point Bars
View Answer
Answer: A
Source Reference: Page 49-50
Page 51

What are the low, linear ridges of coarse deposits along the banks of large rivers called? (Pg. 5)

A) Point BarsB) Natural LeveesC) Oxbow LakesD) Distributaries
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 51
Page 52

A limestone region showing typical landforms produced by groundwater action is called ______ topography. (Pg. 6)

A) GlacialB) KarstC) AridD) Coastal
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 52
Page 53

What are long, narrow to wide trenches formed when sinkholes join together called? (Pg. 7)

A) LapiesB) UvalasC) CavesD) Pavements
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 53
Page 54

What are masses of ice moving as sheets over land or down mountain valleys called? (Pg. 8)

A) Ice SheetsB) GlaciersC) MorainesD) Fjords
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 54
Page 55

Glaciated valleys are typically: (Pg. 9)

A) V-shapedB) U-shapedC) RectangularD) Circular
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 55
Page 56

What are sinuous ridges of sand and gravel deposited by streams flowing beneath a glacier called? (Pg. 10)

A) DrumlinsB) EskersC) Outwash PlainsD) Terminal Moraines
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 56
Page 58

What are remnant masses of rock, originally parts of a cliff, standing isolated off the shore called? (Pg. 12)

A) Sea CavesB) StacksC) TerracesD) Spits
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 58
Page 59

Which of the following is NOT a primary erosional action of wind? (Pg. 13)

A) DeflationB) AbrasionC) ImpactD) Solution
View Answer
Answer: D
Source Reference: Page 59
Page 60

Shallow lakes in desert basins that retain water only for a short duration are called: (Pg. 14)

A) Playa LakesB) Oxbow LakesC) Tarn LakesD) Lagoon Lakes
View Answer
Answer: A
Source Reference: Page 60
Page 60-61

Crescent-shaped dunes with points directed downwind are called: (Pg. 14-15)

A) Longitudinal DunesB) BarchansC) Parabolic DunesD) Seif
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 60-61
Page 61

(Exercise) In which stage of landform development is downward cutting most dominant? (Pg. 15)

A) Youth stageB) Late mature stageC) Early mature stageD) Old stage
View Answer
Answer: A
Source Reference: Page 61
Page 61

(Exercise) A deep valley characterised by steep step-like side slopes is known as: (Pg. 15)

A) U-shaped valleyB) GorgeC) Blind valleyD) Canyon
View Answer
Answer: D
Source Reference: Page 61
Page 61

(Exercise) In which region is chemical weathering more dominant than mechanical? (Pg. 15)

A) Humid regionB) Limestone regionC) Arid regionD) Glacier region
View Answer
Answer: B
Source Reference: Page 61
Page 61

(Exercise) Which sentence best defines 'Lapies'? (Pg. 15)

A) A small shallow depressionB) A circular funnel-shaped openingC) A landform from dripping waterD) An irregular surface with sharp ridges
View Answer
Answer: D
Source Reference: Page 61
Page 61

(Exercise) A deep trough with very steep concave walls at its head is known as: (Pg. 15)

A) CirqueB) Glacial valleyC) Lateral MoraineD) Esker
View Answer
Answer: A
Source Reference: Page 61

Section B2: One-Word / Factual Check

The two components of running water are overland flow as a sheet and linear flow as ______. (Pg. 1) Page 47

Show Answer
streams/rivers (Reference: Page 47)

A deep valley with very steep to straight sides is called a ______. (Pg. 2) Page 48

Show Answer
gorge (Reference: Page 48)

Meanders cut into hard rocks are called ______ or entrenched meanders. (Pg. 3) Page 49

Show Answer
incised (Reference: Page 49)

Unlike alluvial fans, the deposits making up ______ are very well sorted with clear stratification. (Pg. 4) Page 50

Show Answer
deltas (Reference: Page 50)

Deposits found on the concave side of meanders are called ______ or meander bars. (Pg. 5) Page 51

Show Answer
point bars (Reference: Page 51)

Small to medium round depressions on limestone surfaces formed by solution are called ______ holes. (Pg. 6) Page 52

Show Answer
swallow (Reference: Page 52)

The irregular limestone surface with sharp pinnacles and ridges is called ______. (Pg. 7) Page 53

Show Answer
lapies (Reference: Page 53)

The most common landform in glaciated mountains, a deep trough at the head of a glacier, is a ______. (Pg. 8) Page 54

Show Answer
cirque (Reference: Page 54)

Very deep glacial troughs filled with seawater are called ______. (Pg. 9) Page 55

Show Answer
fjords (Reference: Page 55)

Smooth, oval-shaped ridges composed of glacial till are called ______. (Pg. 10-11) Page 56-57

Show Answer
drumlins (Reference: Page 56-57)

A ridge of sand and shingle lying parallel to the coast in the offshore zone is called an ______ bar. (Pg. 12) Page 58

Show Answer
off-shore (Reference: Page 58)

Gently inclined rocky floors close to mountains in deserts are called ______. (Pg. 13) Page 59

Show Answer
pediments (Reference: Page 59)

Wind-carved rock remnants with a slender stalk and broad cap are called ______ rocks. (Pg. 14) Page 60

Show Answer
mushroom (Reference: Page 60)

Long ridges of sand aligned parallel to the wind direction in areas of poor sand supply are ______ dunes. (Pg. 15) Page 61

Show Answer
longitudinal (Reference: Page 61)

(Exercise) What do incised meanders in rocks indicate? (Pg. 15) Page 61

Show Answer
Rejuvenation / Stream flowing over steep gradient (Reference: Page 61)

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