[Mission 2023] STATIC QUIZ, 28 November 2022 – Environment

Solution: c)

How does ground-level ozone form?

Tropospheric, or ground level ozone, is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in the presence of sunlight.

Ozone is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments, but can still reach high levels during colder months. Ozone can also be transported long distances by wind, so even rural areas can experience high ozone levels.

Solution: c)

A black tiger is a rare colour variant of the tiger, and is not a distinct species or geographic subspecies.

Tigers have a distinctive dark stripe pattern on a light background of white or golden. A rare pattern variant, distinguished by stripes that are broadened and fused together, is also observed in both wild and captive populations. This is known as pseudo-melanism, which is different from true melanism, a condition characterised by unusually high deposition of melanin, a dark pigment.

Solution: b)

Methane, a greenhouse gas, is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its global warming capacity. Approximately 40% of methane emitted is from natural sources and about 60% comes from human-influenced sources, including livestock farming, rice agriculture, biomass burning and so forth.

Solution: a)

Several common chemicals are known to cause severe damage to the ozone layer. Halocarbons (Chlorine, Bromine, Fluorine, and Iodine) have very high Ozone-depleting potential.

Man-made chemicals that have played a significant role in the depletion of the Earth’s Ozone layer are Methyl Chloroform, Methyl Bromide, Carbon Tetrachloride, and families of chemicals such as Chlorofluorocarbons, Hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and Halons.

The United Nations observes September 16 as International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

The day originates from the Montreal Protocol that regulates the output and use of around 100 ozone-depleting chemicals substances. The protocol was adopted in 1987.

Solution: d)

HFCs are on average several thousand times more potent than carbon dioxide.

Kigali Amendment is a legally binding agreement designed to create rights and obligations in international law.

While HFCs do not deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, they have high global warming potential, which has an adverse impact on climate.