UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on Nazca plate, Methane and more (Week 87)

1. It is little effectual than c dioxide astatine trapping heat.

2. Wetlands merchandise methane arsenic ungraded microbes interruption down carbon-rich works matter.

3. From 2020 to 2022, methane concentrations successful the ambiance person decreased.

How galore of the statements fixed supra are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Tropical wetlands emit tremendous amounts of methane, jeopardising planetary attempts to code clime change. According to research, rising temperatures and dense rains are expanding methane emissions, which were antecedently underestimated successful technological models and nationalist clime plans.

— Methane, a beardown greenhouse gas, traps vigor 80 times much efficaciously than c dioxide during a 20-year period. Hence, connection 1 is not correct.

— Wetlands emit methane arsenic ungraded bacteria interruption down carbon-rich works matter, a process accelerated by rising temperatures and accrued wetland country owed to floods. Hence, connection 2 is correct.

— From 2020 to 2022, methane concentrations successful the ambiance reached their highest levels since 1980. According to studies, tropical regions are mostly liable for the increase, with the Congo, Southeast Asia, the Amazon, and confederate Brazil contributing significantly. Nature Climate Change information recovered that wetland emissions had exceeded worst-case forecasts by 500,000 tonnes per twelvemonth implicit the past 2 decades. Hence, connection 3 is not correct.

Therefore, enactment (a) is the close answer.

QUESTION 2

Consider the following:

1. Algae

2. Jellyfish

3. Crustaceans

4. Sea stars

How galore of the supra tin nutrient their ain light?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— Bioluminescence is the quality of a surviving carnal to make and radiate light. This improvement is antithetic successful terrestrial ecosystems but prevalent successful marine environments.

— Many marine animals, including bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crabs, oversea stars, fish, and sharks, tin make their ain light. Deep-living and planktonic creatures grounds higher luminescence than shallow species. Furthermore, the quality of bioluminescent airy varies depending connected the situation and carnal successful which it is present.

— According to NOAA, bioluminescence is the merchandise of an enzyme reaction. An enzyme accelerates a chemic absorption by assisting a substrate successful reacting. The enzyme is reused successful the process alternatively than being converted into different molecule.

— Luciferase is the enzyme that causes bioluminescent reactions. The varied substrates are known arsenic luciferins. Luciferase catalyses the chemic absorption betwixt luciferins and oxygen. During this chemic reaction, the luciferin molecule is oxidised, producing airy and a new, inactive molecule called oxyluciferin.

Therefore, enactment (d) is the close answer.

QUESTION 3

With notation to the elephants counting successful India, see the following:

1. In 2023, the “indirect dung number method” was introduced successful the confederate states.

2. Until 2012, elephants were counted successful India by the “total nonstop count” method, which means a elemental caput number of elephants that were sighted.

Which of the statements fixed supra is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— The Environment Ministry has shelved its elephant census report, ‘Status of Elephant successful India 2022-23’, blaming a hold successful the Northeast census. The study connected the contiguous presumption of the nationalist practice carnal successful the remainder of India has been printed, but it volition not beryllium released until astatine slightest June 2025.

— The leaked probe reveals a terrible simplification successful elephant populations successful the east-central and confederate areas. The diminution is astir pronounced successful Southern West Bengal (84%), Jharkhand (64%), Odisha (54%), and Kerala (51%).

— According to the paper, “mushrooming developmental projects” similar “unmitigated mining and linear infrastructure construction” airs a terrible menace to the species.

— However, the caller counting methods whitethorn not wholly explicate the diminution successful elephant populations. “The caller method based connected DNA profiling has not brought down the numbers successful the bluish (Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plain) scenery wherever the latest fig (2,062) intimately aligns with the result of the erstwhile census (2,096),” a Bengaluru-based wildlife biologist observed. “So, the drastic autumn successful numbers elsewhere can’t beryllium dismissed arsenic a fallout of methodological variation,” the evolutionary biologist explained.

— Until 2002, elephants successful India were tallied utilizing the “total nonstop count” approach, which involves a basal caput number of elephants that are spotted. According to the astir caller census report, this strategy has “limited oregon nary technological ground for ample landscapes oregon populations”. Hence, connection 2 is not correct.

— In 2002, the “indirect dung number method” was implemented successful the Southern States. Enumerators strolled crossed the wood successful predetermined consecutive lines, counting elephant droppings and measuring the “dung decay rate”. The information were extrapolated to estimation elephant density successful a fixed country by taking elephant “defecation rate” into account. Hence, connection 1 is not correct.

Therefore, enactment (d) is the close answer.

QUESTION 4

The Nazca sheet is located successful the portion of:

(a) Central Asia

(b) South-east Asia

(c) Northern Europe

(d) South America

Explanation

— Hundreds (if not thousands) of past geoglyphs tin beryllium recovered connected the desolate Nazca Pampa, astir 400 kilometres southbound of Lima successful Peru.

— The Nazca Lines were recovered by coincidence successful the mid-1920s. It took astir a period to uncover astir 430 of these geoglyphs. Then, successful nether six months, artificial quality (AI) sparked a surge of 303 caller discoveries.

— Geoglyphs are motifs formed connected the crushed by manipulating aboveground stones, soil, and gravel. The ones successful Nazca, the oldest of which is astir 2,000 years old, were constructed by removing rocks and world to signifier “negative” images. The desert’s topsoil has oxidised to a heavy rust colour, making the furrows basal retired from the surrounding landscape. And due to the fact that the determination receives astir nary rainfall and small wind, the patterns person mostly avoided erosion and survived for thousands of years.

— The Nazca plate, sometimes known arsenic the Nasca plate, is an oceanic tectonic sheet successful the eastbound Pacific Ocean basin disconnected South America’s westbound coast. It was named aft the Nazca portion successful confederate Peru.

Therefore, enactment (d) is the close answer.

QUESTION 5

With notation to the star eclipse, see the pursuing statements:

1. Total star eclipse is precise communal and it happens each 2 months.

2. A star eclipse takes spot erstwhile the Moon and Sun are aligned connected the aforesaid broadside of Earth.

Which of the statements fixed supra is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— A solar eclipse takes spot erstwhile the Moon moves successful the mediate of Earth and the Sun. The Moon blocks the airy of the Sun, either afloat oregon partially, which casts a immense shadiness connected immoderate parts of the world.

— There are 4 antithetic types of star eclipses, including full star eclipse, yearly star eclipse, partial star eclipse, and hybrid star eclipse.

— A star eclipse is witnessed lone during the caller moon.

— It takes spot erstwhile the Moon and Sun are aligned connected the aforesaid broadside of Earth. Hence, connection 2 is correct.

— However, the star eclipse does not hap each month. It takes spot lone betwixt 2 to 5 times annually.

— The Moon does not orbit Earth successful the aforesaid level arsenic the Earth orbits the Sun. In fact, the Moon is tilted by astir 5 degrees with respect to Earth. As a result, astir of the clip erstwhile the Moon is successful betwixt the Sun and Earth, its shadiness is either excessively precocious oregon excessively debased to autumn connected the Earth.

— There tin beryllium betwixt 2 and 5 star eclipses each year, total eclipses lone hap astir erstwhile each 18 months oregon so. Hence, connection 1 is not correct.

Therefore, enactment (b) is the close answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 87)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 87)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 87)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 86)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 86)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 86)

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