Matric Geography 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the process called where heated air near the Earth's surface rises, cools, and sinks again, driving weather patterns?
- Condensation
- Convection (Correct answer)
- Radiation
- Conduction
Correct answer: Convection
Convection is the transfer of heat through the movement of a fluid (air), where warm air rises and cooler air sinks, creating convection currents that drive weather.
Question 2: Which type of weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces WITHOUT changing their chemical composition?
- Chemical weathering
- Biological weathering
- Carbonation
- Mechanical (physical) weathering (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Mechanical (physical) weathering
Mechanical (physical) weathering, such as freeze-thaw action and exfoliation, disintegrates rocks without altering the minerals they are made of.
Question 3: What is the term for the flat, low-lying land on either side of a river that is periodically flooded and covered with deposited sediment?
- Delta
- Alluvial fan
- Flood plain (Correct answer)
- Estuary
Correct answer: Flood plain
A flood plain is formed by the deposition of fine sediment during river flooding, creating fertile, flat land alongside the river channel.
Question 4: Which cloud type is characterised by its towering, anvil-shaped structure and is associated with thunderstorms and heavy rainfall?
- Stratus
- Cirrus
- Cumulus
- Cumulonimbus (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cumulonimbus
Cumulonimbus clouds extend to great heights in the troposphere and produce thunder, lightning, heavy rain, and sometimes hail.
Question 5: What is the term for the process of wearing away and transporting surface material by agents such as water, wind, and ice?
- Deposition
- Weathering
- Erosion (Correct answer)
- Infiltration
Correct answer: Erosion
Erosion involves both the detachment and removal of rock and soil particles from the Earth's surface by water, wind, glaciers, or waves.
Question 6: Which type of rock is formed when magma cools and solidifies, either below or on the Earth's surface?
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- Igneous (Correct answer)
- Organic
Correct answer: Igneous
Igneous rocks form from the cooling and crystallisation of molten magma; intrusive types (e.g. granite) cool slowly underground, while extrusive types (e.g. basalt) cool quickly on the surface.
Question 7: What term describes permanently frozen subsoil found in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions that remains frozen throughout the year?
- Tundra
- Permafrost (Correct answer)
- Glacier
- Ice sheet
Correct answer: Permafrost
Permafrost is a subsurface layer of soil or rock that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years, found in regions like Siberia and northern Canada.
Matric Geography 1
What is the process called where heated air near the Earth's surface rises, cools, and sinks again, driving weather patterns?