Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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A recent study mapped Bolivia’s Uturuncu Volcano and found its unusual ground movement is caused by hot fluids and gases, not rising magma indicating an eruption. Uturuncu is a dormant stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains of southwestern Bolivia. It is 6,008 metres above sea level and is the tallest peak in southern Bolivia. It last erupted 2,50,000 years ago but remains seismically active with hundreds of small quakes each year. It sits above the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body, a 200-kilometre-wide active magma reservoir. Its “zombie” behaviour is due to underground liquid and gas movement with low eruption risk.

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Researchers from Poland, United States, and Slovenia created exact equations to explain stalagmite shapes and verified them using samples from Postojna Cave, Slovenia. Postojna Cave lies in western Slovenia and is carved over millions of years by the Pivka River. It is the only karst cave with a railway, making it unique for visitors and scientists. The cave hosts Proteus anguinus, a blind, colorless, snake-like amphibian with lungs and gills, feeding on snails and worms.

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Iran attempted cloud-seeding over the Lake Urmia basin to induce rainfall amid its worst drought in decades. Lake Urmia is located in northwestern Iran, fed by rivers including Zarīneh and Sīmīneh. The lake has lost over 90% of its original water volume due to damming, agricultural diversion, and climate stress. It is designated as a Ramsar Site and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

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Guinea-Bissau recently came under military rule. It is one of the smallest countries in Africa with Bissau as its capital city. The country borders Senegal to the north and Guinea to the east and south, with a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The terrain is mostly low-lying coastal plains with estuaries, rising to savanna in the east, and the Fouta Djallon Plateau dominates the southeast.

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Fresh lava fountains erupted from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, almost a year after its ongoing eruptive phase began. Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located in the southeastern part of Hawaii Island, United States. It is a shield-type volcano, formed due to the Hawaiian hot spot. The summit caldera contains the lava lake Halema‘uma‘u, considered the home of the Hawaiian volcano goddess, Pele.

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After record-breaking rains, an ancient lake in Death Valley National Park, previously vanished, has reappeared. Death Valley National Park is located in southeastern California, USA, and is the hottest and driest place in North America. It holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States. It is the largest national park in the continental US. The valley is a rift valley (graben) formed by the sinking of rock between major block-faulted mountains running parallel in the east and west.

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Iran’s Hormuz Island recently gained global attention as its coastlines turned blood-red overnight, creating a surreal natural spectacle. Hormuz Island is a hilly island located in the Strait of Hormuz, between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, about 8 km off the coast of Iran. The island covers an area of 41.9 sq. km and is famous for its unique scenery and colorful soil, earning it the nickname “Rainbow Island”. Its terrain is composed of sedimentary rock and volcanic ash, and due to low precipitation, both the soil and water are salty.

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Bezymianny Volcano, a cone‑shaped stratovolcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, is now rising faster than scientists expected after a massive past explosion. It lies on the southeast slope of the extinct Kamen Volcano, separated by a high narrow saddle. The east and west slopes have wide, sloping valleys; upper slopes feature several lava flows, and lower slopes have domes along the southern and western sides. Since 1955, Bezymianny has had eruptions with dome growth, explosions, pyroclastic flows, ash plumes, and ashfall. The 1956 eruption was one of the most significant explosive events of the 20th century.

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Gandikota Canyon, located in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, is emerging as a major geological and heritage tourist site, often called the Grand Canyon of India. A canyon is a deep, narrow valley with cliffs, formed mainly by long-term erosion from rivers and other natural forces, exposing rock layers that reveal geological history. Gandikota Canyon lies within the Erramala Hills on the banks of the Penna River, forming a deep gorge carved through red sandstone and granite over millions of years. It is part of the Rayalaseema plateau, within the Deccan peninsular system.

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Recently, Indonesian authorities raised the alert level for Mount Bur Ni Telong due to increased volcanic activity and frequent earthquakes. Mount Bur Ni Telong is an active stratovolcano located in Aceh, the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is one of the most popular climbing destinations in the Aceh region. The volcano rises to about 2,624 metres above sea level. It is situated at the southern base of the large Bur Ni Geureudong volcanic complex in northern Sumatra. The volcano has a conical shape formed by layers of lava and eruptive material.