Question

UPSC Prelims 2021 Question:

The black cotton soil of India has been formed due to the weathering of

1. brown forest soil
2. fissure volcanic rock
3. granite and schist
4. shale and limestone

Answer (Detailed Solution Below)

Option 2: fissure volcanic rock

Detailed Solution

Explanation:

Black soil, often referred to as ‘regur’, are derivatives of trap lava (fissure volcanic rock) and are spread mostly across interior Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh on the Deccan lava plateau and the Malwa Plateau.

Since cotton has been the most common traditional crop in areas where they are found, it is popularly known as “black cotton soils”.

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.

Subject: Geography | Soils

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