← All questionsGS1 · 2023 · Geography ·Fjords: Formation and Scenic Value
QUESTION 6
GS1
10 marks

How are the fjords formed? Why do they constitute some of the most picturesque areas of the world?

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7 min
150 words
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What the examiner wants

Explain how glaciers form fjords and why fjords are among the world's most scenic landscapes.

ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1Formation: glacial erosion of a U-shaped valley below sea level, later drowned by the sea after the ice melted≈35 words
  2. 2Why picturesque: steep cliffs, waterfalls, deep narrow inlets, snow peaks≈35 words
  3. 3Examples: Norway, New Zealand (Milford Sound), Chile, Greenland, Alaska≈35 words

Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.

Answer plan

Define fjordStages of formation (diagram)Scenic featuresExamplesConclusion

Where marks usually go

  • Confusing fjords with rias (drowned river valleys)
  • No diagram or named example

Draw this

  • Cross-section showing a glaciated U-shaped valley drowned by the sea

Value addition

  • ExampleGeirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord in Norway are UNESCO World Heritage sites (2005).UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  • ConceptFjords are often deeper inland than at their mouth because a rock threshold (sill) remains at the entrance.NCERT Fundamentals of Physical Geography / standard geomorphology