UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 December 2024

  UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 17 December 2024 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles   InstaLinks :  Insta Links help you think beyond the  current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. …

La Niña

Source:  TH Context: La Niña, a critical phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), significantly influences global and regional weather patterns, including India’s monsoons and winters. Its delayed onset in 2024 has led to varied climatic effects. About La Niña: What it is: A cooling phase of the Pacific Ocean, characterized by lower-than-average sea …

India views La Nina favourably but dreads the arrival of El Nino. Discuss the reasons behind these differing perspectives.

Topic: Important Geophysical Phenomena Q1.  India views La Nina favourably but dreads the arrival of El Nino. Discuss the reasons behind these differing perspectives. 10M Difficulty level: Moderate Reference: Deccan herald Why the question: Ebbing El Nino effect and projected normal monsoon are likely to boost agriculture sector growth to 3.7 per cent in the …

El Niño likely to bring extreme weather across the world

GS Paper 1  Syllabus: Important Geophysical Phenomena   Source: HT  Context: According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the world should prepare for the development of El Niño, which is often associated with increased heat, drought or rainfall in different parts of the world.   Background: La Niña has now ended after persisting for three …

Heat stroke

GS Paper 1  Syllabus: Important geophysical phenomenon/Disaster management   Source: IE  Context: 13 people died due to heatstroke after they attended a large public gathering in the open in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.     Why did a heat stroke event happen in Maharashtra? Two different observatories recorded 34.1 and 38 degrees Celsius as the maximum …

The link between ‘flash droughts’ and climate change

GS Paper 1  Syllabus: Important Geophysical Phenomena   Source: IE    Context: According to a new study, flash droughts are becoming more common and faster to develop around the world, and human-caused climate change is a major reason.     Highlights of the study: Flash droughts occurred more often than slower ones in tropical/humid places …

El Nino and Monsoon

GS Paper 1  Syllabus: Important Geophysical Phenomena   Source: HT  Context: According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), there is nearly a 70% probability of an El Nino developing this monsoon. Understanding La Nina and El Nino:   Summary of the 2023 Southwest Monsoon Season Rainfall: According to the IMD, the country as a whole …

Why India is watching the El Niño forecast with bated breath

GS Paper 1 Syllabus: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, Volcanic activity, cyclones, etc.   Source: The Hindu  Context: The La Niña itself is going on for a record-breaking third consecutive year; forecasts for 2023 are predicting that El Niño– will occur with more than a 50% probability.    About El Niño and La …

Explain the mechanism of La-Nina. Examine the impact of La Nina on the Indian subcontinent.

Topic: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. 1. Explain the mechanism of La-Nina. Examine the impact of La Nina on the Indian subcontinent. (250 words) Difficulty …

El Niño:

GS Paper 1: Topics Covered: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.   Context: The southwest monsoon is likely to be “normal” in 2022, though rainfall in August, the second rainiest month, will likely be subdued, according to the private weather company Skymet.   Key findings: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram …

Interaction between La Niña and the warm Arctic:

GS Paper 1: Topics Covered: Important Geographical phenomenon.   Context: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) declared the season’s first heat wave and severe heat wave March 11 and the first depression March 3. Experts say this is early compared to previous years and may be because of an unexpected climatic anomaly which could, in turn, …

Why has the Northeast monsoon remained subdued this year?

GS Paper 1: Topics Covered: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.   Context: Faced with the fourth consecutive year of flooding and landslips since 2018, two months of the northeast monsoon alone has caused massive losses in terms of damage to life, property, and crops. The overall estimated damage caused by …

What is La Niña?

GS Paper 1 Topics Covered: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.   Context: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently declared that La Niña has re-developed. Consecutive La Ninas following a transition through ENSO neutral conditions are not uncommon and can be referred to as a “Double-Dip.”   Background: El …

Impact of climate change on El Niño-Southern Oscillation:

GS Paper 1 Topics Covered: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc.   Context: There is a growing body of research suggesting that climate change can cause extreme and more frequent El Niño and La Niña events. A study was conducted recently on this using one of South Korea’s fastest supercomputers,   …

Compare and contrast between El-Nino and La-Nina. How does El-Nino impact Indian Monsoon? Can better prediction models help mitigate its adverse impact?

Topic: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. 3. Compare and contrast between El-Nino and La-Nina. How does El-Nino impact Indian Monsoon? Can better prediction models help …