Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, heavy rainfall caused severe flooding and damage in central Texas, especially along the Guadalupe River. The Guadalupe River is located in Texas, United States. Guadalupe River is a spring-fed river that starts from the North and South Forks in Kerr County, Texas. It flows into San Antonio Bay, which connects to the Gulf of Mexico. The river basin includes Canyon Reservoir and Edwards Aquifer in the Balcones Fault Zone, San Antonio portion. The area is known as “Flash Flood Alley” due to frequent flash floods.

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Physicists recently highlighted Helgoland as the birthplace of quantum theory. Helgoland is a small red-sandstone island in the German Bay (Deutsche Bucht) of the North Sea. It covers less than one square kilometre and was once used as a naval fortress. In June 1925, physicist Werner Heisenberg, suffering from hay fever, moved to Helgoland for relief. There, he abandoned the idea of electrons orbiting nuclei and focused only on observable experimental data. He organized light absorption and emission data into grids called matrices.

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Recently, Mount Rainier in Washington, United States, experienced over 300 small earthquakes, marking the most significant seismic activity since 2009, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington state, standing at 4,392 metres. It covers 260 square kilometers and has the largest single-mountain glacier system in the U.S. outside Alaska. It is an active stratovolcano formed by lava flows that began about one million years ago. Its last eruption occurred around 150 years ago.

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Recently, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Gaurav Gogoi urged the Prime Minister to resolve the worsening connectivity crisis in Barak Valley. Barak Valley is the southernmost region of Assam, named after the Barak River. It includes three districts – Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj – covering about 9% of Assam’s area. It borders Meghalaya (north), Mizoram (south), Manipur (east), and Tripura and Bangladesh (west).

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A volcano recently erupted in Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, marking the ninth eruption in the region since late 2023. Reykjanes Peninsula is located in southwest Iceland and spans 829 square kilometers. It lies where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge surfaces, meeting point of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This location makes the region highly volcanically active with frequent eruptions and earthquakes.

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The Geological Survey of India (GSI) recently warned the Jammu and Kashmir administration about a serious threat to the Guryul Ravine fossil site near Khonmoh, Srinagar. Guryul Ravine is located in the Vihi district of Jammu and Kashmir and is geologically significant. It contains fossils from the Permian–Triassic extinction event that occurred around 260 million years ago. This event, known as the End-Permian Extinction or the Great Dying, wiped out nearly all life on Earth. The site also records the world’s first-ever tsunami event, still visible in its rock layers.

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Recently, the Tamil Nadu government announced the development of Chola Gangam Lake. The lake is also known as Ponneri Lake, meaning “Golden Lake.” It is located in Ariyalur district, Tamil Nadu. It was built by Rajendra Chola I in Gangaikondacholapuram, his newly established capital. Gangaikondacholapuram was founded to commemorate his victorious northern campaign. Rajendra Chola I had conquered the Gangetic plains during this campaign.

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Recently, the Preah Vihear Temple became the flashpoint in deadly border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. The temple is called Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Phra Viharn in Thailand. It is located atop the Dangrek Mountains along the Thailand-Cambodia border. The 11th-12th century temple was built by the Khmer Empire and is sacred to both Theravada-Buddhist nations. Despite a 1962 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling giving Preah Vihear to Cambodia, Thailand disputes it. Tensions flared again in 2008 after Cambodia listed the temple as a UNESCO site, provoking Thai nationalist anger. Both nations claim ownership, fueling long-standing historical and territorial tensions.

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Recently, Kerala High Court directed the State Government and State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) to set up an Ashtamudi Wetland Management Unit within two months of notification. The direction aims to conserve the Ashtamudi wetland, which is facing pollution and encroachment issues. Ashtamudi Lake is located in Kollam district, Kerala. It is the second largest lake in Kerala after Vembanad Lake. It was declared a Ramsar site in 2002 under the Ramsar Convention for wetland conservation.

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Krasheninnikov volcano erupted on 2 August 2025 in Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It was the first recorded eruption of the volcano in modern times. The eruption occurred three days after a nearby magnitude 8.8 earthquake. Ash emissions from the volcano reached an altitude of 20,000 feet. Krasheninnikov is an active stratovolcano located in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. It lies within a 9 km wide caldera formed by a massive eruption 39,600 years ago. The volcano is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has two eruptive cones.