Earthquakes & Volcanoes – NDA Geography PYQs

Question 1 [NDA 2007-I]
In which country is the active volcano Mount Merapi located?
(a) Philippines
(b) Japan
(c) Indonesia
(d) Italy

Answer: (c) Indonesia
Mount Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, located on the island of Java in Indonesia. It has erupted many times in recorded history and is one of the most densely populated volcanic areas on Earth.

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Question 2 [NDA 2007-II]
Mount Merapi is located on which one of the islands?
(a) Java
(b) Sumatra
(c) Borneo
(d) Celebes

Answer: (a) Java
Mount Merapi is on the island of Java — the most populous island of Indonesia. Sumatra (home to Mount Sinabung and others), Borneo, and Celebes (Sulawesi) are separate islands.

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Question 3 [NDA 2008-II]
Which of the following features is the product of vulcanicity?
(a) Fold Mountain
(b) Escarpment
(c) Geosynclines
(d) Caldera

Answer: (d) Caldera
A caldera is a large circular depression formed when a volcano’s summit collapses after a massive eruption empties the magma chamber below. It is a direct product of volcanic activity. Fold mountains and geosynclines are tectonic features unrelated to volcanoes.

Question 4 [NDA 2009-I]
Match List I (Volcano) with List II (Country):
A. Mount Etna — 1. India
B. Kilimanjaro — 2. USA
C. Katmai — 3. Tanzania
D. Barren Island — 4. Italy

(a) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
(b) A-4, B-2, C-3, D-1
(c) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
(d) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1

Answer: (d) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
Mount Etna is in Italy (4). Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania (3) — Africa’s highest peak. Katmai is in Alaska, USA (2). Barren Island is in the Andaman Islands, India (1) — India’s only active volcano.

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Question 5 [NDA 2015-II]
An upfold in rock is:
(a) Graben
(b) Horst
(c) Anticline
(d) Syncline

Answer: (c) Anticline
An anticline is an upward arch in folded rock — the rock layers curve upward like an inverted U. A syncline is a downward fold. A graben is a block that has sunk between faults. A horst is a block elevated between faults.

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Question 6 [NDA 2019-I]
Consider the following statements relating to Richter scale:

1. It was devised in 1935 by Charles F. Richter.
2. It describes the quantity of energy released by a single earthquake.
3. Richter Scale has no upper limit.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
All three statements are correct. The Richter scale was devised in 1935 to measure earthquake magnitude. It expresses the energy released. There is no theoretical upper limit — though in practice the largest recorded earthquakes have been around magnitude 9.5.

Question 7 [NDA 2019-II]
In which one of the following folds is the axial plane found to be virtually horizontal?
(a) Isoclinal
(b) Anticline
(c) Recumbent
(d) Monoclinal

Answer: (c) Recumbent
A recumbent fold is one where the folding is so extreme that the axial plane — the plane dividing the fold into two halves — is nearly horizontal. The fold has essentially been pushed over on its side.

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Question 8 [NDA 2021-I]
Point of Origin of Earthquake Wave is known as:
(a) Epicentre
(b) Focus
(c) Photosphere
(d) Seismic Zone

Answer: (b) Focus
The focus (also called hypocentre) is the point INSIDE the Earth where the earthquake originates — where rocks first slip and energy is released. The epicentre is the point on the SURFACE directly above the focus.

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Question 9 [NDA 2021-I]
A large body of magmatic material that cools in the deeper depth of the Earth’s crust and develops in the form of large domes is known as:
(a) Batholiths
(b) Lacoliths
(c) Lopoliths
(d) Phacoliths

Answer: (a) Batholiths
A batholith is the largest intrusive igneous feature — formed from magma that cooled slowly at great depth. After erosion exposes them over millions of years, they appear as large dome-shaped masses. The word means “deep stone” in Greek.

Question 10 [NDA 2021-I]
Advantage(s) of tectonic activity in Iceland include(s):

1. Source of natural geothermal energy
2. Creation of new land
3. Attraction of tourists

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
All three statements correctly describe advantages of volcanic and tectonic activity. Iceland uses geothermal energy extensively for heating and electricity. Volcanic eruptions have added new land to Iceland over time. The dramatic volcanic landscape attracts significant tourism.

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Question 11 [NDA 2023-I]
Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Hypocenter is the point on the surface of the Earth, nearest to the focus.
2. Velocity of earthquake waves is higher in denser materials.
3. P waves move faster and are the first to arrive at the surface of the Earth.

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 3 only

Answer: (b) 2 and 3
Statement 1 is wrong — the hypocentre IS the focus (the origin point inside the Earth), not the surface point nearest to it. That surface point is the epicentre. Statement 2 is correct — seismic waves travel faster through denser materials. Statement 3 is correct — P waves are the fastest and always arrive first.

Question 12 [NDA 2023-I]
Which one of the following is the lowermost/innermost intrusive igneous rock?
(a) Laccolith
(b) Batholith
(c) Lopolith
(d) Phacolith

Answer: (b) Batholith
Batholiths form deepest — at the base of the crust or in the upper mantle. They are the deepest and most massive of all intrusive igneous features. Laccolith, Lopolith, and Phacolith all form at shallower depths within the crust.

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Question 13 [NDA 2024-I]
Which of the following statements regarding earthquakes is/are correct?

1. The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus is called the epicentre.
2. Earthquakes generate Primary and Secondary waves that radiate outward from the focus.
3. Deep-focus earthquakes are likely to cause more damage than shallow-focus earthquakes.

(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only
Statement 1 is correct — the epicentre is on the surface directly above the focus. Statement 2 is correct — P and S waves both radiate outward from the earthquake focus. Statement 3 is wrong — shallow-focus earthquakes cause MORE damage because the energy reaches the surface with less distance to travel and dissipate.

Question 14 [NDA 2025-I]
Which of the following statements with reference to L-Wave or Long Wave generated by an earthquake is/are correct?

1. They follow the Earth’s circumference.
2. They travel at more or less at a constant rate.

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
L waves (surface waves) travel along the Earth’s surface following its circumference — they do not penetrate the interior. They also travel at a roughly constant rate. They are the slowest but most destructive of all seismic waves.

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Question 15 [NDA 2025-II]
Which of the following statements with reference to shadow zones in an event of an earthquake is/are correct?

1. Zone between 105° and 145° from epicentre was identified as the shadow zone for both P-waves and S-waves.
2. The shadow zone of P-waves is much larger than that of the S-waves.

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Statement 1 is wrong — the zone between 105° and 145° is specifically the shadow zone for P waves only, not for both P and S waves. Statement 2 is wrong — the S wave shadow zone is actually LARGER than the P wave shadow zone, because S waves cannot pass through the liquid outer core at all.

Question 16 [NDA 2025-II]
Which one among the following volcanic island chains is NOT associated with mid-oceanic ridge?
(a) Azores Islands
(b) Ascension Islands
(c) Hawaiian Islands
(d) Tristan da Cunha

Answer: (c) Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are formed by a hot spot — the Pacific Plate moving over a stationary plume of hot mantle material. They are not at a mid-oceanic ridge. The Azores, Ascension Islands, and Tristan da Cunha are all located on or near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.