DAY – 14 ( INSTA REVISION TEST)INSTA REVISION PLAN 3.0, 2020

Solution: D

Effects of El Nino

• The warmer waters had a devastating effect on marine life existing off the coast of Peru and Ecuador.
• Fish catches off the coast of South America were lower than in the normal year (Because there is no upwelling).
• Severe droughts occur in Australia, Indonesia, India and southern Africa.
• Heavy rains in California, Ecuador, and the Gulf of Mexico.

How El Nino impacts monsoon rainfall in India

• El Nino and Indian monsoon are inversely related.
• The most prominent droughts in India – six of them – since 1871 have been El Nino droughts, including the recent ones in 2002 and 2009
• However, not all El Nino years led to a drought in India. For instance, 1997/98 was a strong El Nino year but there was no drought (Because of IOD).
• On the other hand, a moderate El Nino in 2002 resulted in one of the worst droughts.
• El Nino directly impacts India’s agrarian economy as it tends to lower the production of summer crops such as rice, sugarcane, cotton and oilseeds.
• The ultimate impact is seen in the form of high inflation and low gross domestic product growth as agriculture contributes around 14 per cent to the Indian economy.

Solution: A

Indian Ocean Dipole effect

• However, it was discovered that just like ENSO was an event in the Pacific Ocean, a similar seesaw ocean-atmosphere system in the Indian Ocean was also at play. It was discovered in 1999 and named the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).
• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is defined by the difference in sea surface temperature between two areas (or poles, hence a dipole) – a western pole in the Arabian Sea (western Indian Ocean) and an eastern pole in the eastern Indian Ocean south of Indonesia.
• IOD develops in the equatorial region of Indian Ocean from April to May peaking in October.
• With a positive IOD wind over the Indian Ocean blow from east to west (from Bay of Bengal towards Arabian Sea). This results in the Arabian Sea (western Indian Ocean near African Coast) being much warmer and eastern Indian Ocean around Indonesia becoming colder and dry.
• In the negative dipole year (negative IOD), reverse happens making Indonesia much warmer and rainier.
• It was demonstrated that a positive IOD index often negated the effect of ENSO, resulting in increased Monsoon rains in several ENSO years like the 1983, 1994 and 1997.
• Further, it was shown that the two poles of the IOD – the eastern pole (around Indonesia) and the western pole (off the African coast) were independently and cumulatively affecting the quantity of rains for the Monsoon in the Indian subcontinent.
• Similar to ENSO, the atmospheric component of the IOD was later discovered and named as Equatorial Indian Ocean Oscillation [EQUINOO][Oscillation of warm water and atmospheric pressure between Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea].

Impact on IOD on Cyclonogeneis in Northern Indian Ocean

• Positive IOD (Arabian Sea warmer than Bay of Bengal) results in more cyclones than usual in Arabian Sea.
• Negative IOD results in stronger than usual cyclonogenesis (Formation of Tropical Cyclones) in Bay of Bengal. Cyclonogenesis in Arabian Sea is suppressed.

Solution: D

Gale is a crater, and probable dry lake, on Mars. It is 154 km in diameter and estimated to be about 3.5-3.8 billion years old. Scientists chose Gale Crater as the landing site for Curiosity because it has many signs that water was present over its history.

https://www.firstpost.com/tech/science/scientists-think-they-know-what-the-source-of-methane-in-mars-atmosphere-could-be-6373891.html

Solution: A

The El Niño Modoki

El Niño Modoki is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon in the tropical Pacific.

It is different from another coupled phenomenon in the tropical Pacific namely, El Niño.

Conventional El Niño is characterized by strong anomalous warming in the eastern equatorial Pacific.

Whereas, El Niño Modoki is associated with strong anomalous warming in the central tropical Pacific and cooling in the eastern and western tropical Pacific.

El Niño Modoki Impacts

• The El Niño Modoki phenomenon is characterized by the anomalously warm central equatorial Pacific flanked by anomalously cool regions in both west and east.
• Such zonal gradients result in anomalous two-cell Walker Circulation over the tropical Pacific, with a wet region in the central Pacific.

Solution: D

Context: EPCA comes out with parking management plan for Delhi. In report, agency flags free parking on public land, multiplicity of agencies to be key cause of congestion and parking menace.

About Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA):

• EPCA was constituted with the objective of ‘protecting and improving’ the quality of the environment and ‘controlling environmental pollution’ in the National Capital Region. The EPCA also assists the apex court in various environment-related matters in the region.
• EPCA is Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region. It was notified in 1998 by Environment Ministry under Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Composition:

Besides the chairman, the EPCA has 14 members, some of whom are the environment secretary of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council, transport commissioner of the NCT, the commissioners of various municipal corporations of Delhi and professors at IIT Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Functions:

• To protect and improve quality of environment and prevent and control environmental pollution in National Capital Region.
• To enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in NCR as per the pollution levels.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/04/01/environment-pollution-prevention-and-control-authority-epca/

Solution: C

Trade Winds

• The trade winds are those blowing from the sub-tropical high-pressure areas towards the equatorial low-pressure belt.
• Therefore, these are confined to a region between 30°N and 30°S throughout the earth’s surface.
• They flow as the north-eastern trades in the northern hemisphere and the south-eastern trades in the southern hemisphere.
• This deflection in their ideally expected north-south direction is explained on the basis of Coriolis force and Farrel’s law.
• Trade winds are descending and stable in areas of their origin (sub-tropical high pressure belt), and as they reach the equator, they become humid and warmer after picking up moisture on their way.
• The trade winds from two hemispheres meet at the equator, and due to convergence they rise and cause heavy rainfall.
• The eastern parts of the trade winds associated with the cool ocean currents are drier and more stable than the western parts of the ocean.

Solution: C

Rossby Waves

• The meandering jet streams are called Rossby Waves.
• Rossby waves are natural phenomenon in the atmosphere and oceans due to rotation of earth.
• In planetary atmospheres, they are due to the variation in the Coriolis effect (When temperature contrast is low, speed of jet stream is low, and Coriolis force is weak leading to meandering) with latitude.
• Rossby waves are formed when polar air moves toward the Equator while tropical air is moving poleward.
• The existence of these waves explains the low-pressure cells (cyclones) and high-pressure cells (anticyclones).

Solution: C

The International Energy Agency ‘s (IEA) Global Energy & CO2 Status Report provides a snapshot of recent global trends and developments across fuels, renewable sources, and energy efficiency and carbon emissions

http://www.iea.org/events/global-energy-co2-status-report

Solution: B

British Type Climate

• Westerlies come all the year round.
• There is a tendency towards an autumn or winter maximum of rainfall.
• Light snow falls in winter.
• Ports are never frozen but frosts do occur on cold nights.
• The seasons are very distinct.
• And the climate is very favorable for maximum human output.

British Type Climate or Cool Temperate Western Margin Climate or North-West European Maritime Climate.

• The cool temperate western margins are under the influence of the Westerlies all-round the year.
• They are the regions of frontal cyclonic activity [Temperate Cyclones].
• This type of climate is typical to Britain, hence the name ‘British Type’.
• Also called as North-West European Maritime Climate due to greater oceanic influence.

British Type Climate

• Moderately warm summers and fairly mild winters.
• Rainfall occurs throughout the year with winter maxima.

Solution: B

The Outer Space Treaty was considered by the Legal Subcommittee in 1966 and agreement was reached in the General Assembly in the same year ( resolution 2222 (XXI)). The Treaty was largely based on the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which had been adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 1962 (XVIII) in 1963, but added a few new provisions. The Treaty was opened for signature by the three depository Governments (the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) in January 1967, and it entered into force in October 1967. The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the following principles:

• the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and shall be the province of all mankind;
• outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;
• outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means;
• States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner;
• the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes;
• astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;
• States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities;
• States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and
• States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

The Outer Space Treaty prohibits only weapons of mass destruction in outer space, not ordinary weapons.

As of February 2019, 108 countries are parties to the treaty, while another 23 have signed the treaty but have not completed ratification.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/outer-clarity/article26737897.ece

https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html

Solution: C

Why no significant rainfall in Gujarat and Rajasthan? Explain the formation of Thar Desert?

• Monsoons winds flowing in Rajasthan and Gujarat are not obstructed by any orographic barrier and hence these regions receive no rainfall.
• [Monsoon winds blow almost parallel to Aravalis and hence there is no orographic rainfall].
• [No convection cell or vertical wind movements arise in Rajasthan and Gujarat: Monsoon winds blow towards low pressure cells in Tibet and hence only horizontal wind movements exist in Gujarat and Rajasthan]
• [Sub-tropical high pressure belt: In winter the region experiences strong divergence because of the STJ – Sub-Tropical Jet.]

How come Cherrapunji and Mawsynram receive abnormally high rainfall?

• Mawsynram and Cherrapunji

are the wettest places on earth with mean annual rainfall over 1000 cm.

• Copious rainfall in these places is due to funneling effect followed by orographic upliftment. [Funneling effect = clouds are channeled into a narrow region between mountains and hence the cloud density is extraordinary]

Solution: B

Westerly Jet Stream

• Westerly jet stream blows at a very high-speed during winter over the sub-tropical zone.
• Southern branch of the jet stream exercises a significant influence on the winter weather conditions in India.
• This jet stream is responsible for bringing western disturbances from the Mediterranean region in to the Indian sub-continent.
• Winter rain and heat storms in north-western plains and occasional heavy snowfall in hilly regions are caused by these disturbances.
• These are generally followed by cold waves in the whole of northern plains.

Easterly Jet Stream

• Reversal in upper air circulation takes place in summer due to the apparent shift of the sun’s vertical rays in the northern hemisphere.
• The westerly jet stream is replaced by the easterly jet stream which owes its origin to the heating of the Tibet plateau.
• This helps in the sudden onset of the south-west monsoons.

Solution: D

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –“Saubhagya” is a scheme to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas.

The objective of the ‘Saubhagya’ is to provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal household electrification in the country.

The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. However, un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 instalments through electricity bill.

The solar power packs of 200 to 300 Wp with battery bank for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas, comprises of Five LED lights, One DC fan, One DC power plug. It also includes the Repair and Maintenance (R&M) for 5 years.

The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) will remain the nodal agency for the operationalisation of the scheme throughout the country.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/how-to-achieve-24×7-power-for-all/article26714432.ece

https://vikaspedia.in/energy/policy-support/pradhan-mantri-sahaj-bijli-har-ghar-yojana

Solution: A

Red Soils

• Red soils along with its minor groups form the largest soil group of India.
• The main parent rocks are crystalline and metamorphic rocks like acid granites, gneisses and quartzites.

Characteristics of Red Soils

• The texture of these soils can vary from sand to clay, the majority being loams.
• On the uplands, the red soils are poor, gravelly, and porous. But in the lower areas they are rich, deep dark and fertile.

Chemical Composition of Red Soils

• They are acidic mainly due to the nature of the parent rocks. The alkali content is fair.
• They are poor in lime, magnesia, phosphates, nitrogen and humus.
• They are fairly rich in potash and potassium.

Distribution of Red Soils

• These soils mostly occur in the regions of low rainfall.
• They occupy about 3.5 lakh sq km (10.6 per cent) of the total area of the country.

Solution: D

Agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry, is one of the largest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product.

Gross Value Added by agriculture, forestry and fishing is estimated at Rs 17.67 trillion (US$ 274.23 billion) in FY18.

As per estimates by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the share of agriculture and allied sectors (including agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishery) was 15.35 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) during 2015-16.

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices and spice products.

Agricultural export constitutes 10 per cent of the country’s exports and is the fourth-largest exported principal commodity.

India, the second-largest producer of sugar, accounts for 14 per cent of the global output. It is the sixth-largest exporter of sugar, accounting for 2.76 per cent of the global exports. India is the leading producer of wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane & vegetables.

https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/agriculture-needs-a-shift-in-focus-ten-ways-india-can-do-it/1542175/

Solution: A

Forest – Mountain Soils

• These soils occupy about 2.85 lakh sq km or 8.67% of the total land area of India.
• They are mainly heterogeneous soils found on the hill slopes covered by forests.
• The formation of these soils is mainly governed by the characteristic deposition of organic matter derived from forests and their character changes with parent rocks, ground-configuration and climate.
• Consequently, they differ greatly even if they occur in close proximity to one another.

Distribution of Forest – Mountain Soils

• In the Himalayan region, such soils are mainly found in valleys, less steep and north facing slopes. The south facing slopes are very steep and exposed to denudation and hence do not support soil formation.
• Forest soils occur in Western and Eastern Ghats also.

Chemical properties of Forest – Mountain Soils

• The forest soils are very rich in humus.
• They are deficient in potash, phosphorus and lime.
• They require good deal of fertilizers for high yields.

Solution: C

Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the top most layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination.

Contour tillage: Here the fields are ploughed along the contours and not along the hill slope. This type of plantation is very effective as it leads to the formation of ridges and furrows against the direction of flow and decreases the velocity of water.

Contour Bunding: Here first the plants and bushes in the plot of shifting cultivation is cut down. Leaves are slashed down and left on the surface of the soil to get dry. After the decomposition of the leaves and various other plant parts, the dry materials are bundled and arranged in contour lines.

Some other measures to control soil erosion are: construction of check dams, ban on shifting cultivation, controlled grazing, afforestation, mixed cropping and mixed farming etc. Planting species of plants that can restore the ecological balance of an eroded area is also necessary as rehabilitation of the damaged soil is as much important as its prevention from getting eroded.

Solution: B

Chandaka Sanctuary is a wildlife reserve located in north western fringe of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. Chandaka –Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary comprises major forest area i.e. notified forest blocks of Chandaka Wildlife Division.

Context: Four decades later, bamboo rice shows up in Odisha. The rare variety, which was last harvested in Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary in 1979, grows twice or thrice in a century.

What is Bamboo Rice?

Bamboo rice is special rice that is grown out of a dying bamboo shoot. When the bamboo shoot breathes its last, it flowers into a rare variety of rice seeds, which are known as bamboo rice.

Solution: A

Forces Affecting the Velocity and Direction of Wind

The air is set in motion due to the differences in atmospheric pressure. The air in motion is called wind. The wind blows from high pressure to low pressure. The wind at the surface experiences friction. In addition, rotation of the earth also affects the wind movement.

The force exerted by the rotation of the earth is known as the Coriolis force. Thus, the horizontal winds near the earth surface respond to the combined effect of three forces – the pressure gradient force, the frictional force and the Coriolis force. In addition, the gravitational force acts downward.

Solution: C

Context: The 12th edition of joint military exercise between India and Singapore, BOLD KURUKSHETRA 2019, culminated on 11 April 2019 after an impressive closing ceremony held at Babina Military Station. The four day long joint training focused on developing interoperability and conduct of joint tactical operations in mechanised warfare.

Solution: C

A characteristic feature of the cold weather season over the northern plains is the inflow of cyclonic disturbances from the west and the northwest. These low-pressure systems, originate over the Mediterranean Sea and western Asia and move into India, along with the westerly flow.

They cause the much-needed winter rains over the plains and snowfall in the mountains. Although the total amount of winter rainfall locally known as ‘mahawat’ is small, they are of immense importance for the cultivation of ‘rabi’ crops.

Solution: D

La Niña is sometimes referred to as the cold phase of ENSO and El Niño as the warm phase of ENSO. These deviations from normal surface temperatures can have large-scale impacts not only on ocean processes, but also on global weather and climate.

El Niño and La Niña episodes typically last nine to 12 months, but some prolonged events may last for years. While their frequency can be quite irregular, El Niño and La Niña events occur on average every two to seven years. Typically, El Niño occurs more frequently than La Niña.

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html

Solution: C

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

In other words, its role is to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot address their financial issues by simply cutting corners and compromising on safety, security and environmental performance. This approach also encourages innovation and efficiency.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/imos-new-rule-on-electronic-information-exchange-between-ships-and-ports-comes-into-force/article26771859.ece

http://www.imo.org/en/About/Pages/Default.aspx

Solution: A

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain or squalls.

Tropical cyclone is largely of thermal origin. Tropic cyclone can form only on seas.

Temperate Cyclones or Extra tropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth.

Temperate cyclone can form both on land as well as seas. Temperate cyclones typically last for 2-3 weeks.

Solution: C

Indian Army built the longest suspension bridge over Indus River in Leh in just 40 days, making a record of its own. Named Maitri Bridge, the construction of the bridge was undertaken by the combat engineers of ‘Sahas aur Yogyata’ regiment of ‘Fire and Fury Corps’ of the Indian Army. The bridge is built using around 500 tonnes of bridge equipment and construction material.

The 260-feet long bridge is likely to give a major boost to connectivity in remote areas in Ladakh. The cable suspension bridge that has been opened for the public was constructed to help the residents of Choglamsar, Stok and Chuchot villages

https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/longest-suspension-bridge-over-indus-river-opens-to-public-heres-all-you-need-to-know/story/333520.html