2001 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2001 · General Studies
Question 8: Geography
Identify the correct order of the processes of soil erosion from the following:
aSplash erosion, Sheet erosion, Rill erosion, Gully erosion
bSheet erosion, Splash erosion, Gully erosion, Rill erosion
cRill erosion, Gully erosion, Sheet erosion, Splash erosion
dGully erosion, Rill erosion, Sheet erosion, Splash erosion
AnswerThe answer is (a).
Water erosion moves through stages. Raindrop impact first loosens particles (splash erosion), then a thin film of water carries soil off the whole surface (sheet erosion), then the flow concentrates into small channels (rill erosion), and finally the channels deepen into large gullies (gully erosion). Remember the order from least to most severe: splash, sheet, rill, gully.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Right: splash, sheet, rill, gully.
- (b) Puts sheet before splash and gully before rill, reversing two stages.
- (c) Starts with rill and gully and ends with splash, close to the reverse of the real order.
- (d) This is the exact reverse of the actual sequence.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2001, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.