UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on Paris Agreement, ‘landfall’ of a cyclone and more (Week 134)

2. It is a region which refers to a situation where the core of high winds (or eyewall) comes ashore, but the centre of the storm may remain offshore.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Several districts in Andhra Pradesh experienced strong winds and heavy rain as Cyclone Montha approached the coast. The districts of Kakinada, Visakhapatnam, Konaseema, Krishna, West Godavari, and Vizianagaram experienced heavy rainfall, accompanied by wind speeds of up to 80 km per hour.

What is the ‘landfall’ of a cyclone?

— Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone coming onto land after being over water. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a tropical cyclone is said to have made landfall when the centre of the storm – or its eye – moves over the coast. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Crucially, a landfall should not be confused with a ‘direct hit’, which refers to a situation where the core of high winds (or eyewall) comes ashore but the centre of the storm may remain offshore. As per the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), because the strongest winds in a tropical cyclone are not located precisely at the centre, it is possible for a cyclone’s strongest winds to be experienced over land even if landfall does not occur. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Paris Agreement, consider the following statements:

1. It was adopted by 195 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris.

2. The Paris Agreement works on a ten-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action carried out by countries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— When the Paris Agreement was finalised almost a decade ago, countries had committed to limit the Earth’s temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. However, the growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) — the primary driver of global warming — has increased by 2.6 ppm per year between 2015 and 2024 as compared to 1.5 ppm per year in the 1990s.

— The main reason behind this increase in emissions has been the relentless extraction and use of fossil fuels by countries in the Global North. Four such countries — Australia, Canada, Norway, and the United States — have collectively increased their oil and gas production by nearly 40% since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, according to a new report.

About the Paris Agreement

— The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 195 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”

— However, in recent years, world leaders have stressed the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of this century.

— Implementation of the Paris Agreement requires economic and social transformation, based on the best available science. The Paris Agreement works on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action — or, ratcheting up — carried out by countries. Since 2020, countries have been submitting their national climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Each successive NDC is meant to reflect an increasingly higher degree of ambition compared to the previous version. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: unfccc.int)

QUESTION 3

Which of the following are the Monitored Meteorological Parameters under the Air Quality Index?

1. UV Radiation

2. Rainfall

3. Wind speed

4. Wind direction

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation

— Air Quality indicators are monitored at about 3 m height from the ground with online sophisticated instruments. These instruments are operated round the clock, and data is recorded and stored at every 5-minute interval for quality check and further analysis.

— Pollutants monitored: PM1, PM2.5, PM10, Ozone, CO, NOx (NO, NO2), SO2, BC, Methane (CH4), Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), VOC’s, Benzene, Mercury

— Monitored Meteorological Parameters: UV Radiation, Rainfall, Temperature, Humidity, Wind speed, Wind direction, solar radiation.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Source: safar.tropmet.res.in)

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Ghariyal and Crocodile, consider the following statements:

1. They are in Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

2. The Bhitarkanika National Park houses over 80% of India’s gharial population.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Six crocodiles slid into the Narmada River and remained in view for a full hour before disappearing beneath the surface. For Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who presided over the reintroduction of crocodiles in the river with a traditional puja, the moment represented the fulfilment of a spiritual promise as the “crocodile is considered the vehicle of Maa Narmada”.

— Ghariyal and Crocodile are in Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, thereby affording them the highest degree of protection. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, which houses over 80% of India’s gharial population while the Bhitarkanika (Odisha) is famous for saltwater crocodiles, not gharials. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.pib.gov.in)

QUESTION 5

Consider the following statements:

1. This state has about 480km-long coastline along the Bay of Bengal.

2. The state is vulnerable to cyclones.

3. According to the experts, the state was hit by about 110 cyclones between 1891 and 2020.

The above mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Tamil Nadu

(b) Andhra Pradesh

(c) Odisha

(d) West Bengal

Explanation

— As per the IMD forecast, the Odisha government activated its plan keeping eight southern and interior districts in focus, which include Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Kalahandi. The district administrations were put on high alert and asked to ensure the safety of people.

— Odisha, with more than 480km-long coastline along the Bay of Bengal, is vulnerable to cyclones, as experts said the state was hit by about 110 cyclones between 1891 and 2020. The Bay of Bengal is prone to large storm surges, in part because of its funnel-like shape that concentrates atmospheric activity and its unique topography. Another important factor is temperature. The Bay of Bengal has generally recorded higher temperatures than the Arabian Sea.

— Odisha had faced the deadliest super cyclone in 1999 that claimed more than 10,000 lives. The cyclone that made landfall on October 29, 1999, near Paradip caused widespread devastation in half of Odisha’s 30 districts and was considered one of the worst natural calamities in Indian history. Lack of forecast and reliable information about the storm, absence of a robust disaster mitigation plan and lack of infrastructure are some of the reasons for the colossal damage.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 128)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 134)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 134)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 134)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 133)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 133)

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