You'll Take the Low Road Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ethiopia

Since 1993, when Ethiopia's federation with the coastal Eritrea region was severed, the road and railway links with Djibouti have been a vital link to the sea. Djibouti's roads are largely unpaved and difficult and dangerous to drive, especially in the area around Lac Assal where the high temperatures and salt-laden atmosphere make driving unpleasant. Lac Assal is about 150m below sea-level.

Answer: Iceland

The Afar Depression (about 125m below sea-level) is where the Arabian plate is separating (along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden) from the African plate, which is splitting along the Great Rift Valley into the Nubian and Somalian parts. The area is characterised by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions of basaltic lava characteristic of the formation of oceanic crust along a mid-oceanic ridge. It is expected that once the split is complete, water from the Red Sea will flood the depression, cutting off the Horn of Africa from the rest of the continent.

Iceland is situated on the mid-Atlantic ridge where the North American and Eurasian plates are moving away from each other. In both cases, there may be a geological "hotspot" or magma chamber feeding the eruptions.

Answer: Continental collision

The continental collision of the Indian into the Eurasian Plate gave rise to the Himalayas, and as it continued northwards the effects of the collision resulted in the particular configuration of the Turpan Depression. At over 150 m below sea level, it is the lowest point in Asia. Turpan means "fertile land" and the area is known for agricultural produce, such as grapes and watermelons. The northern branch of the "Silk Road", a network of routes originally based on the trade in Chinese silk, passed through the Turpan and there are many historic and religious sites to visit.

A subduction zone occurs when a dense oceanic plate collides with a plate of lighter continental crust and is forced underneath it. A divergent boundary occurs when plates move apart, as in a mid-oceanic ridge. Transform faults occur when tectonic plates slide past each other as in California along the San Andreas Fault.

Answer: It is a freshwater lake.

Most of the rivers (including the Volga) flowing into the Caspian Sea are in the north where the water is almost fresh. Further south, however, the water retains much of its original salinity and, overall, the Caspian is about one third as salty as the oceans. The Caspian is the largest inland body of water in the world and the area is rich in mineral resources, such as oil.

A branch of the Silk Road wound its way past the Caspian Sea which, is a favourite destination for the people of Tehran, Iran at weekends. Road 59, which takes them there, is one of the busiest roads in Iran.

Answer: Edinburgh

Fenland, the low-lying, marshy area near The Wash on the east coast of England, began to be drained several centuries ago with the help of Dutch engineers. The early methods used huge drainage channels but when the peat dried out, the land was lower than before and even more susceptible to flooding. Modern drainage relied firstly on wind, then steam, then diesel and finally electrical pumps. The land has continued to shrink and there are extensive flood protection measures throughout the area.

The Great North Road was originally a mail coach route from London to York, later Edinburgh.

Answer: Mediterranean Sea

The Chott El Jerid, which is about 5000 square kilometres in area (the largest salt pan in the Sahara), dries out in the summer but is fed by rainfall in winter when it becomes more dangerous. It is known for its mirages, caused by the reflection of sunlight from the salt crystals. In the surrounding mountains, there are lots of freshwater springs which could drain into the lake and keep water in it all year round, but they are used for irrigation so that it regularly dries out.

The P16 road goes from Douz, a small town on the edge of the Sahara, to Tamarza, an oasis watered by a perennial spring.

Answer: Dead Sea

At more than 400 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea and its shores are the lowest land in the world. The Dead Sea is fed by the River Jordan and some perennial springs but has no outlets. Several million years ago it was connected to the Mediterranean via what is now the Jezreel Valley, but due to tectonic activity in the area the connection was broken. As evaporation greatly exceeds precipitation in the area, the Dead Sea has become more and more saline.

Israeli roads are numbered according to whether they go south-north (even) or west-east (odd), and the further north or east, the higher the number.

Answer: 100-150 years ago

The modern lake, which is located directly on the San Andreas fault, began to fill up in 1905 when the Colorado River was carrying so much rain and melt-water that it breached the headgates of the Alamo Canal which took irrigation water from the river.

The Alamo Canal could not withstand the increased flow and the water cut channels through the desert. Over the next couple of years, the Colorado drained into the previously dry Salton Sea and brought the modern lake into being. The area around the lake is predominantly agricultural, but does have some tourist attractions.

The water level in the Salton Sea is about 69 metres below sea level.

Answer: Endorheic

Endorheic has Greek roots - "endo" meaning "in" and "rhein" meaning "to flow". Lacustrine just means pertaining to lakes. Limnic means to do with freshwater. Exorheic lakes have some form of external outflow, usually a river. Patagonia is the name given to those parts of Chile and Argentina which form the tip of South America.

Answer: South Australia

Lake Eyre is in the outback of Australia and the basin drains a sixth of the continent but as many of the rivers and streams are ephemeral, due to the arid climate, the Lake itself varies considerably in size and shape. When full, it is Australia's largest lake. To get there, you need to take the National Highway A1 north from Adelaide or south from Darwin, but make sure you have a well-maintained four-wheel drive vehicle; otherwise you won't make much progress around Lake Eyre itself.

It's worth a visit for the geological formations and the wildlife, particularly birds.

The Lake is about 16 metres below sea level.