Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes & Volcanoes
प्लेट विवर्तनिकी, भूकंप और ज्वालामुखी
Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes & Volcanoes is part of the UPSC Prelims GS Paper I syllabus, under Geography — Physical. It appeared in Prelims GS Paper I question papers in 5 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024). It is marked high-yield: a topic worth revising more than once.
What should you study in Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes & Volcanoes?
- Continental drift theory & Pangaea
- Sea-floor spreading & mid-ocean ridges
- Plate boundaries (divergent, convergent, transform)
- Hotspots, island arcs & trenches
How often is Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes & Volcanoes asked in UPSC Prelims?
Asked in 5 of 10 years, including 3 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.
- 2016: not asked
- 2017: asked
- 2018: not asked
- 2019: asked
- 2020: not asked
- 2021: asked
- 2022: not asked
- 2023: asked
- 2024: asked
- 2025: not asked
About the Prelims GS Paper I paper
General Studies Paper I is the Prelims paper that decides the cut-off: 100 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks, with negative marking for wrong answers. See all 88 Prelims GS Paper I topics.
Related topics to study next
- Earth's Interior, Structure & Seismic WavesHigh-yieldasked 4/10 yrs
- Geomorphology — Landforms, Weathering & ErosionHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
- Atmospheric Circulation, Pressure Belts & Wind SystemsHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
- Climatology — World Climates, Köppen, Tropical CyclonesHigh-yieldasked 4/10 yrs
- Monsoon — Mechanism, ENSO, IOD, MJO & Indian ImpactHigh-yieldasked 6/10 yrs
- Oceanography — Ocean Floor, Currents, Tides & Marine ZonesHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
- Biogeography — Biomes, Soils & Natural Vegetation ZonesHigh-yieldasked 4/10 yrs
- Distribution of Continents, Oceans & Polar Vortexasked 2/10 yrs
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