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UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1, question 33

Topic: World and physical geography

Q33

Consider the following statements :

Statement-I : Scientific studies suggest that a shift is taking place in the Earth's rotation and axis.

Statement-II : Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections bombarded the Earth's outermost atmosphere with tremendous amount of energy.

Statement-III : As the Earth's polar ice melts, the water tends to move towards the equator.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. (a) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct and both of them explain Statement-I
  2. (b) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct but only one of them explains Statement-ICorrect answer
  3. (c) Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement-I
  4. (d) Neither Statement-II nor Statement-III is correct

Solution.

Answer: (b) Both Statement-II and Statement-III are correct but only one of them explains Statement-I

  1. Statement-I is correct: geophysical observations confirm that a measurable shift is taking place in the Earth's rotational pole and axis.
  2. Statement-II is correct, but it does not explain Statement-I: solar flares and coronal mass ejections bombard the Earth's upper atmosphere with energy (causing auroras and geomagnetic storms), but they do not shift the solid Earth's axis of rotation.
  3. Statement-III is correct and explains Statement-I: as polar ice sheets melt and groundwater is depleted, water mass redistributes toward the equator, changing the Earth's moment of inertia and causing its rotational axis to drift.