Solved Question Paper of Recruitment Test (Computer Based Recruitment Test) conducted by UPSC for the Post of Assistant Geologists in Geological Survey of India (GSI) held on 15.12.2018.

1. The Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and African rifts are the examples of radial rift system. In this system:

(a) Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are active divergent boundary and African rift is inactive rift

(b) Red Sea and African rift are active divergent boundary and Gulf of Aden is inactive rift

(c) African rift and Gulf of Aden are active divergent boundary and Red Sea is inactive rift

(d) Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and African rift all three represents active rift system

Answer: (a)

2. In three different seismograph station distance of a quake is 500 km, 1200 km and 2000 km respectively. Location of the earthquake can be estimated by:

(a) An average of the time interval between 𝑃 and 𝑆 waves from 500 km, 1200 km and 2000 km

(b) Drawing circle from each station considering each distance as radius of circle. Intersection of the circles locates earthquake

(c) The time interval between arrival of the first 𝑃 and 𝑆 waves

(d) Drawing a line from each station towards the centre of the earth, intersection of lines locates earthquake

Answer: (b)

3. The process of mass wasting is controlled by shear force, normal force and shear strength, the land (debris) slide takes place when:

(a) Shear force is greater than shear strength

(b) Normal force is greater than shear force

(c) Shear strength is greater than shear force

(d) Normal force is greater than shear force and shear strength

Answer: (a)

4. If two streams flow downhill in an opposite directions on either side of a range, one stream may capture the other if it:

(a) Erodes faster than other stream and cuts through most of the mountain by headward erosion

(b) Superimposes on the range of gently dipping plain

(c) Exists before the origin of other river

(d) Flows in peneplain after erosion

Answer: (a)

5. Natural caves are formed by the chemical weathering of limestone. The chemical equation which shows the development of cave is:

Answer: (a)

6. The glaciers formed due to coalescence of several mountain or valley glaciers at the foothill zone are called:

(a) Cirque glaciers

(b) Continental glaciers

(c) Piedmont glaciers

(d) Niche glaciers

Answer: (c)

7. The correct sequence in descending order for the earthquake zone which follows closely the distribution of volcanoes is:

(a) Mediterranean-Asian mountain system, Continental and oceanic trenches, Circum-Pacific zone

(b) Circum-Pacific zone, Continental and oceanic trenches, Mediterranean-Asian mountain system

(c) Mediterranean-Asian mountain system, Circum-Pacific zone, Continental and oceanic trenches

(d) Circum-Pacific zone, Mediterranean-Asian mountain system, Continental and oceanic trenches

Answer: (d)

8. Theory explaining the evolution of mountain chain or geotectonic cycle is:

(a) Concept of peneplanation

(b) Sediments deposited in ocean trenches

(c) Concept of geosyncline and orogenic cycle

(d) Oceanic basin with renewal sedimentation

Answer: (c)

9. During middle Paleozoic to early Tertiary, the continent of Laurasia in the northern hemisphere was separated from the continent of Gondwana land in the southern hemisphere by Tethys, from which:

(a) Appalachian mountain having a series of alternating ridgelines and valleys emerged

(b) Ural mountain runs approximately from north to south emerged

(c) Alps and Himalayan mountain chains emerged

(d) Atlas mountain range that emerged from a huge Geosynclines

Answer: (c)

10. Late-geosynclinal period follows immediately after orogenic stage and there are narrow troughs, back-deeps and intra-deeps which subside and receive sediments from young mountain ranges which are termed:

(a) Fly ash in Alpine chains of the Mediterranean and non clastic wedges elsewhere

(b) Terrigenous sediments along mid-Atlantic ridge and rift valley

(c) Molasse in the Alpine chains of the Mediterranean region and clastic wedges elsewhere

(d) They are continental and oceanic deposits and turbidities muds

Answer: (c)