All Free General Knowledge MCQs with Answers

• A. The Christchurch earthquake
• B. The Niigata earthquake
• C. The Kobe earthquake
• D. The Tohoku earthquake in Japan

Explanation: The 2011 Tohoku earthquake (magnitude 9.1) generated a tsunami that damaged the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

• A. The Kashmir earthquake (October 2005)
• B. The Ziarat earthquake
• C. The Quetta earthquake
• D. The Awaran earthquake

Explanation: The 7.6-magnitude Kashmir earthquake of October 2005 killed tens of thousands in Pakistan.

• A. The Latur earthquake
• B. The Bhuj earthquake
• C. The Chamoli earthquake
• D. The Koyna earthquake

Explanation: The 2001 Bhuj earthquake (magnitude 7.7) devastated Gujarat's Kutch region.

• A. The Dominican earthquake
• B. The Cuba earthquake
• C. The Haiti earthquake
• D. The Chile earthquake

Explanation: The January 2010 Haiti earthquake (magnitude 7.0) killed an estimated 200,000+ people near Port-au-Prince.

• A. The Van earthquakes
• B. The Izmir earthquakes
• C. The Elazığ earthquakes
• D. The Kahramanmaraş earthquakes (February 2023)

Explanation: Twin magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 quakes in February 2023 devastated southern Türkiye and northern Syria.

• A. The Quetta earthquake
• B. The Mach earthquake
• C. The Chaman earthquake
• D. The Sibi earthquake

Explanation: The 1935 Quetta earthquake (magnitude 7.7) levelled the city, killing tens of thousands.

• A. A large tidal wave caused by the Moon
• B. A series of very long sea waves caused by sudden displacement of water, usually from undersea earthquakes
• C. A rogue wave in the open ocean
• D. A storm surge caused by cyclones

Explanation: Tsunamis are long-wavelength waves generated mainly by undersea earthquakes, landslides or eruptions.

• A. Hindi
• B. Chinese
• C. Japanese
• D. Malay

Explanation: "Tsunami" is Japanese for "harbour wave".

• A. Great wave
• B. Sea monster
• C. Tidal surge
• D. Harbour wave

Explanation: In Japanese, "tsu" means harbour and "nami" means wave.

• A. Undersea earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions
• B. High tides
• C. Melting glaciers
• D. Strong winds

Explanation: Sudden vertical displacement of the seafloor or coastal slopes generates tsunami waves.

• A. The Arctic Ocean
• B. The Pacific Ocean
• C. The Atlantic Ocean
• D. The Indian Ocean

Explanation: The Pacific's Ring of Fire produces most of the world's tsunami-generating earthquakes.

• A. In the deep ocean
• B. At the earthquake's epicentre
• C. In shallow water near the coast
• D. In mid-ocean trenches

Explanation: As a tsunami enters shallow water it slows and its height builds dramatically.

• A. The waves get smaller
• B. Nothing unusual happens
• C. The water turns red
• D. The water often withdraws far from the shore

Explanation: The trough of the tsunami can arrive first, exposing the seabed — a natural warning sign.

• A. An opening in Earth's crust through which magma, ash and gases erupt
• B. A hot spring
• C. A crack that releases only gas
• D. A mountain formed by erosion

Explanation: Volcanoes are vents where molten rock, ash and gases escape from inside the Earth.

• A. Lava
• B. Magma
• C. Basalt
• D. Obsidian

Explanation: Molten rock underground is magma; once erupted it is called lava.

• A. Pumice
• B. Tuff
• C. Lava
• D. Magma

Explanation: Erupted molten rock flowing on the surface is lava.

• A. The fissure
• B. The vent
• C. The caldera
• D. The crater

Explanation: The crater is the bowl-like opening at a volcano's summit.

• A. A caldera
• B. A crater lake
• C. A plug
• D. A dyke

Explanation: A caldera is a broad depression formed when a volcano's summit collapses after a major eruption.

• A. A cinder cone
• B. A shield volcano
• C. A lava dome
• D. A stratovolcano

Explanation: Shield volcanoes, like those of Hawaii, are built by fluid lava flows into broad, gentle domes.

• A. The Aletsch Glacier
• B. The Siachen Glacier
• C. The Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan
• D. The Baltoro Glacier

Explanation: The Fedchenko Glacier, about 77 km long, is the longest glacier beyond the polar ice caps.