Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT

Welcome, friends!

In this blog article on Class 9 Geography Chapter 2 – Shaping of the Earth’s Surface, we will explore the most important questions and

Their well-explained answers.

This chapter introduces several fascinating yet challenging concepts, including plate tectonics, endogenic and exogenic forces, weathering, erosion, and

landform formation.

Many students find this chapter interesting but often struggle to write accurate, well-structured answers in class tests and examinations.

This article has been specially prepared to help you understand the concepts clearly and present your answers effectively.

Each question is explained in simple language, following the latest CBSE pattern, making your exam preparation easier and more effective.

So, without any further delay, let’s begin our journey of understanding the Shaping of the Earth’s Surface through solved questions and answers.

Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT

Multiple Choice Questions

Here, we are providing you with one competency-based MCQ from each major sub-heading.

Answers are also given for your convenience.

Introduction: Earth’s Surface

Q1. The Earth’s surface is constantly changing. Which statement best explains?

A. The Earth is shrinking.
B. Internal and external forces continuously modify landforms.
C. Human activities change the Earth’s surface.
D. Mountains remain unchanged forever.

Answer: B

Interior of the Earth

Q2. A scientist studies the movement of magma beneath the Earth’s crust. Which layer is mainly responsible for this movement?

A. Crust
B. Mantle
C. Inner Core
D. Outer Core

Answer: B

Plate Tectonics

Q3. The Himalayas were formed mainly because of:

A. Divergence of the Indian and Eurasian Plates
B. Collision of the Indian and Eurasian Plates
C. Movement of ocean currents
D. River erosion

Answer: B

Types of Plate Boundaries

Q4. A new ocean floor is formed where two tectonic plates move away from each other. This is called a:

A. Divergent boundary
B. Convergent boundary
C. Transform boundary
D. Sea floor spreading.

Answer: A

Continental Drift

Q5. Which evidence best supports the Continental Drift Theory?

A. Similar fossils are found on different continents
B. Equal amount of rainfall on all continents
C. Similar population density worldwide
D. Volcanic eruptions on different continents.

Answer: A

Folding

Q6. The landform that is most likely to develop due to the folding of rock layers?

A. Meanders
B. Sand Dune
C. Cirque
D. Fold Mountains

Answer: D

Faulting

Q7. A large block of land sinks between two faults due to tectonic forces. This landform is called a:

A. Ring of Fire
B. Mid Oceanic Ridge
C. Subsuction
D. Block Mountain

Answer: C

Volcanoes

Q8. Why do farmers often cultivate their crops near dormant volcanoes? 

A. Is it due to the salinity of the soil?
B. Due to moist soil.
C. Is it due to its richness in minerals
D. Due to it’s Sandy nature

Answer: C

Earthquakes

Q9. Name the point on the Earth’s surface that is directly above the focus of an earthquake.

A. Epicentre
B. Crater
C. Fault Line
D. Mantle

Answer: A

Weathering

Q10. Water enters in the gaps of the rocks, freezes, and expands, due to which the rock cracks. This is an example of:

A. Chemical weathering
B. Biological weathering
C. Mechanical weathering
D. Soil erosion

Answer: C

Erosion

Q11. Which agent is mainly responsible for carving deep V-shaped valleys in mountainous regions?

A. Sea Waves
B. Winds
C. Glaciers
D. Running Water

Answer: D

Deposition

Q12. Which landform is formed at the mouth of a river?

A. V-Shaped Valley
B. Delta
C. Ox-Bow lake
D. Canyons

Answer: B

Landforms Created by Rivers

Q13. How is an oxbow lake formed?

A. Is it due to terrace farming
B. Due to the cutting off of a river meander
C. Is it due to the fast flow of water
D. Due to deposition of silt in the delta region.

Answer: B

Landforms Created by Wind

Q14. Which landform is commonly formed due to the deposition of sand by wind?

A. Oasis
B. Cliff
C. Mushroom Rock
D. Sand-dune

Answer: D

Landforms Created by Glaciers

Q15. What is the deposition of debris by a glacier called?

A. Moraine
B. Delta
C. Sea Arch
D. Meander

Answer: A

Landforms Created by Sea Waves

Q16. Continuous deposition by sea waves can eventually form a:

A. Sand Dune
B. Sea Arch
C. Sea Beach
D. Plateau

Answer: C

Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT

Short Answer Type Questions

 Introduction: Earth’s Surface

Q1. Why is the Earth’s surface described as dynamic in nature?

Answer: The Earth’s surface is called dynamic because:

Firstly, it is constantly changing due to the action of endogenic (internal) forces such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and

Secondly, exogenic (external) forces such as rivers, wind, glaciers, and sea waves.

These processes continuously create, modify, and destroy landforms.

Interior of the Earth

Q2. Name the three main layers of the Earth and mention one feature of each.

Answer: The three main layers of the Earth are

The Crust: It forms the outermost and thinnest layer where we live.

Mantle: The Mantle is the thickest layer containing semi-molten rocks (magma) that drive plate movements.

Core: It is the innermost layer, mainly composed of iron and nickel, and is the hottest part of the Earth.

Plate Tectonics

Q3. What is meant by plate tectonics?

Answer: It is the theory that the Earth’s lithosphere is divided into large and small rigid plates.

These plates move slowly over the semi-molten mantle.

Their movement causes earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the formation of mountains.

Types of Plate Boundaries

Q4. Differentiate between convergent and divergent plate boundaries.

Answer:

Continental Drift

Q5. State any two pieces of evidence that support the Continental Drift Theory.

Answer: Two pieces of evidence that support the Continental Drift Theory

Firstly, similar fossils of plants and animals have been found on continents now separated by oceans.

Secondly, the coastlines of South America and Africa fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Folding

Q6. How are fold mountains formed?

Answer: Fold mountains are formed when two tectonic plates collide.

The compressional forces cause rock layers to bend and fold upwards, forming mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.

Faulting

Q7. What is faulting? Name the two major landforms associated with it.

Answer: Faulting is the breaking and displacement of rocks in the Earth’s crust due to tectonic forces.

The two major landforms formed are:

i. Block Mountain 

ii. Rift Valley 

Volcanoes

Q8. What is a volcano? Why is volcanic soil often considered fertile?

Answer:
A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust through which magma, ash, and gases escape to the surface.

It is fertile because it is rich in minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, and iron, which enrich the soil.

Earthquakes

Q9. What is the difference between the focus and the epicentre of an earthquake?

Answer: The difference between the focus and the epicentre of an earthquake is

Focus is the point inside the Earth where an earthquake originates, whereas Epicentre is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus where

the earthquake’s effects are usually strongest.

Weathering

Q10. What is weathering? Mention the types of weathering.

Answer:
Weathering is the process of breaking down rocks at or near the Earth’s surface without transporting them.

Its major types are:

1. Mechanical (Physical) Weathering
2. Chemical Weathering
3. Biological Weathering

Erosion

Q11. How does running water act as an agent of erosion?

Answer:
Running water erodes the land by removing soil and rocks.

It cuts valleys, gorges, and waterfalls in the upper course and transports sediments downstream.

Deposition

Q12. What is deposition? Give one example of a depositional landform.

Answer:
Deposition is the process by which transported sediments are laid down when the transporting agent loses its energy.

Example: Delta formed at the mouth of a river.

Landforms Created by Rivers

Q13. Explain how an ox-bow lake is formed.

Answer:
Firstly, an ox-bow lake is formed when a river develops large meanders.

Secondly, during floods, the river cuts through the narrow neck of a meander, leaving the old loop separated from the main channel, forming a crescent-

Shaped lake.

Landforms Created by Wind

Q14. What are dunes and where are they commonly found?

Answer:
Dunes are the hills of sand deposited by the wind.

They are commonly found in desert regions.

Landforms Created by Glaciers

Q15. What is a moraine?

Answer:
A moraine is a ridge or accumulation of rocks, soil, and other debris deposited by a glacier as it moves or melts.

Landforms Created by Sea Waves

Q16. How are sea arches formed?

Answer: Sea arches formed IN the following ways:

Firstly, they are formed when sea waves continuously erode the weaker parts of a coastal headland.

Secondly, over time, caves enlarge from both sides and join together to form a natural arch.

Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT

Competency-Based Question

1. Plate Tectonics

Q1. During a science exhibition, a student demonstrates two cardboard pieces moving towards each other. The edges crumple and rise upwards.

What geological feature is being represented? Explain why it is formed.

Answer:
The model represents the formation of fold mountains.

When two tectonic plates collide at a convergent boundary, compressional forces fold the rock layers, forming mountains such as the Himalayas.

2. Weathering

Q2. A large rock in a desert breaks into smaller pieces during the day and night without changing its chemical composition.

Which type of weathering is taking place? Why?

Answer: If a rock breaks into smaller pieces during the day and night without changing its chemical composition

It is mechanical (physical) weathering.

Extreme temperature changes cause rocks to expand during the day and contract at night, leading to cracks and breaking without altering their chemical

composition.

3. Volcanoes

Q3. Farmers living near a dormant volcano produce high crop yields despite occasional volcanic activity.

Why is farming successful in such areas?

Answer:
Volcanic ash and lava weather into mineral-rich soil containing nutrients like potassium and phosphorus, making the land highly fertile for agriculture.

4. Rivers

Q4. A village located along a river frequently receives fertile deposits after floods.

Which geomorphic process is responsible for this? Explain.

Answer:
The process is deposition. During floods, the river slows down and deposits nutrient-rich alluvium on nearby land, increasing soil fertility.

5. Earthquakes

Q5. Two towns are at the same distance from an earthquake’s focus. One suffers greater damage than the other.

Suggest one geographical reason for this difference.

Answer:
The town may be located closer to the epicentre or on soft, unconsolidated soil, which amplifies seismic waves and causes greater damage.

6. Wind Action

Q6. A traveller notices crescent-shaped heaps of sand in a hot desert.

Identify the landform and explain how it was formed.

Answer:
The landform is a sand dune. Strong winds transport sand and deposit it where wind speed decreases, gradually building dunes.

7. Glaciers

Q7. After a glacier melts, heaps of rocks and soil are found along its sides.

What are these deposits called?

Answer:
These deposits are called moraines. They consist of rocks, gravel, and soil carried and deposited by glaciers.

8. Sea Waves

Q8. A tourist observes a cave on a rocky coast that has gradually become a natural arch.

Explain how this transformation takes place.

Answer:
Continuous wave erosion enlarges the sea cave from both sides. Eventually, the cave breaks through the headland, forming a sea arch.

9. Continental Drift

Q9. Scientists discovered identical fossils on the coasts of South America and Africa.

How does this support the Continental Drift Theory?

Answer:
The presence of identical fossils suggests that these continents were once connected as part of a single landmass before drifting apart.

10. Weathering and Erosion

Q10. A hill has become smoother over thousands of years due to the combined action of rain, wind, and temperature changes.

Differentiate between the roles of weathering and erosion in this process.

Answer:

Weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces at their original location.

Erosion removes and transports the weathered materials by agents such as rivers, wind, glaciers, or sea waves.

Class 9 Geography Shaping of the Earth’s Surface Lesson Plan as Per New NCERT Syllabus

Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT

Long Answer Type Questions

Plate Tectonics

Q1. Describe the Plate Tectonics theory. Describe one landform that formed at each of the three types of plate borders.

Answer

Plate Tectonics Theory

The Plate Theory.

According to tectonics, the lithosphere, the outermost layer of the Earth, is separated into several big and small hard plates known as tectonic plates.

However, the semi-molten asthenosphere beneath these plates allows them to float.

The plates move slowly, a few centimeters per year, as a result of convection currents within the Earth’s mantle.

Major geological processes, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain construction, and the creation of trenches and oceans, are brought on by

the movement of these plates.

Therefore, the creation of different landforms on Earth and the shifting positions of continents are explained by this idea.

Three Types of Plate Boundaries and Landforms Formed

1. Divergent Boundary (Constructive Boundary

Two tectonic plates move away from each other. Magma rises from below, cools, and forms new crust.

Landform Formed: Mid-Ocean Ridge / Rift Valley

Example: Mid-Atlantic Ridge, East African Rift Valley

2. Convergent Boundary (Destructive Boundary)

Two plates move towards each other. One plate may subduct beneath the other, or both continental plates may collide.

Landform Formed: Fold Mountains (continental collision) or Ocean Trench (subduction)

Example: Himalayas, Andes, Mariana Trench

3. Transform Boundary (Conservative Boundary)

Two plates slide horizontally past each other without creating or destroying crust.

Landform Formed: Fault Line

Example: San Andreas Fault (USA)

Agents Of Gradation

Q2. Describe the role of the agents of gradation in shaping the Earth’s surface. Explain the work of running water, wind, glaciers, waves, and underground

Water in short.

Answer. Role of the Agents of Gradation in Shaping the Earth’s Surface

Natural forces known as agents of gradation constantly erode the Earth’s surface.

It moves the materials that have been eroded and deposits them in new locations.

A more balanced landscape is produced as a result of these processes, which lessen the height disparity between plains and mountains.

1. Running Water

The most significant gradation agent is flowing water.

It moves sediments in the intermediate course of rivers, deposits them in the lower channel, and erodes rocks in the upper flow.

Erosional Landforms: V-shaped valleys, waterfalls, gorges

Depositional Landforms: Flood plains, meanders, deltas

2. Wind

In arid and semi-arid areas, wind is a useful gradation agent.

Through deflation and abrasion, it erodes loose sand and rocks, moves sand particles, and deposits them in different locations.

Erosional Landforms: Mushroom rocks, yardangs

Depositional Landforms: Sand dunes, loess deposits

3. Glaciers

Large, moving volumes of ice called glaciers can be found in polar regions and steep mountains.

They transport rock fragments, degrade rocks via plucking and abrasion, and deposit it as they melt.

Erosional Landforms: U-shaped valleys, cirques

Depositional Landforms: Moraines, drumlins

4. Sea Waves

Sea waves constantly strike the coastline, eroding rocks, transporting sediments, and depositing them along the shore.

Erosional Landforms: Sea cliffs, sea caves, arches, stacks

Depositional Landforms: Beaches, spits, sand bars

5. Underground Water

Underground water dissolves soluble rocks such as limestone, creating unique landforms in limestone regions.

This process is known as karst topography.

Erosional Landforms: Caves, sinkholes, limestone pavements

Depositional Landforms: Stalactites and Stalagmites

Major Landforms And Their Significance

Q3. Explain how different landforms influence human life under the following headings:

i. settlements, 2. agriculture, 3. transport, 4. tourism, and 5. economic development with suitable examples.

Answer:

Influence of Different Landforms on Human Life

Mountains, plains, plateaus, and coastal regions are examples of landforms that have a significant impact on how people live, work, and develop.

The following is an understanding of their influence:

1. Settlements

Because of their level terrain, rich soil, and easy access to water, plains are home to large populations.
Moreover, because of their severe environment and steep slopes, mountains have dispersed settlements.
For instance, the Himalayas are sparsely populated, whereas the Indo-Gangetic Plain is heavily populated.

2. Farming

The abundant soil and level terrain of plains make them perfect for farming.
Plateaus’ black soil makes them ideal for crops like millets and cotton.
For instance, Punjab is well-known for growing wheat, whereas the Deccan Plateau is well-known for growing cotton.

3. Transportation

The flat surface of plains makes transportation easier and less expensive.
Transportation in the mountains is challenging and costly due to the need for tunnels, bridges, and curving roadways.
For instance, the Himalayan region has little transportation options, while the Northern Plains have an extensive road and rail system.

4. Tourism

The natural beauty and leisure opportunities of various landforms draw tourists.
While coastal regions draw beach tourists, mountains draw travelers for hiking and hill stations.
For instance, Goa is well-known for its beaches, yet Shimla and Manali are well-known hill stations.

5. Development of the Economy

The availability of natural resources and economic activity are influenced by landforms.
While lowlands encourage trade and agriculture, plateaus are rich in minerals and support mining and industries.
For instance, India’s mineral-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau.

Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT

Conclusion

Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT is an invaluable educational tool that aids students in gaining a comprehensive comprehension of the mechanisms that constantly sculpt our globe. Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT develops conceptual understanding, enhances answer-writing abilities, and boosts confidence for school exams with well-structured questions and precise answers. By offering trustworthy explanations and exam-focused content in line with the most recent NCERT curriculum, it also functions as an efficient teaching tool for educators. Both students and teachers can improve learning outcomes and academic success with consistent use of Class IX | Shaping Of The Earth’s Surface | Questions – Answers | NCERT.

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