UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on EarthCARE satellite mission, Sea Groynes and more (Week 70)

1. This river is a trans-boundary river which flows through India and Bangladesh and also forms the boundary between the two countries.

2. The river is experiencing a problem of siltation, resulting in a thin flow of water in the dry season and floods in the rainy season.

3. This river flows in three parts.

4. The river is a tributary of Kalindi River.

The above mentioned statements refer to which of the following rivers?

(a) Kushiyara River

(b) Teesta River

(c) Ichamati River

(d) Barak River

Explanation

— The Ichamati River is a transboundary river that flows between India and Bangladesh, serving as the border between the two nations.

— The river is suffering from siltation, resulting in a narrow flow of water in the dry season and floods in the rainy season.

— The Ichamati River flows in three parts:

(1) The lengthier section runs from the Mathabhanga River, a Padma distributary, and after running for 208 km, it enters the Kalindi River near Hasnabad in North 24 Parganas and Debhata in Satkhira District.

(2) Originally the main river west of Dhaka and

(3) Ichamati from Dinajpur.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: iwai.nic.in)

QUESTION 2

Consider the following statements about the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):

1. It was established in 1994.

2. The UN declared the decade of 2020 to 2030 the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight Against Desertification.

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

— Every year, World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed to raise awareness about the earth’s declining land cover and to encourage people to work together to address this pressing issue.

— Currently, one-third of the world’s land is degraded, affecting 3.2 billion people, highlighting the gravity of the crisis and the need for immediate action to battle desertification and drought.

— World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is marked yearly on June 17, and the theme for 2024 is “United for Land, Our legacy, Our future.”

— In the early 1990s, world leaders met at the Rio Earth Summit to address critical challenges such as desertification, biodiversity loss, and climate change. In response, the United Nations established the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in 1994. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— In 2007, the United Nations named 2010 to 2020 the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight Against Desertification. This campaign aims to promote awareness about the need of land preservation and to stimulate community action to battle desertification and droughts. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the EarthCARE satellite mission, consider the following statements:

1. It is a satellite mission operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanese Aerospace Agency (JAXA).

2. It will develop climate and weather forecasting models by understanding the role of cloud-aerosol-radiation interactions.

3. It is a Sun-synchronous orbit mission.

4. It was launched using the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— EarthCARE is a climate satellite mission operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Aerospace Agency (JAXA). Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— It will develop climate and weather forecasting models by studying the interplay between clouds, aerosols, and radiation. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— It is a mission to Sun-synchronous orbit that was launched on May 28, 2024, with the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Hence, statement 3 and 4 are correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.esa.int)

QUESTION 4

Which of the following nuclear power plants has developed the country’s first Indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR)?

(a) Tarapur Atomic Power Plant

(b) Rawatbhata Atomic Power Plant

(c) Kudankulam Atomic Power Plant

(d) Kalpakkam Atomic Power Plant

Explanation

— The crucial second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear programme received a boost with the start of ‘core loading’ at the country’s first indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

— Core loading is the process of inserting nuclear fuel assemblies into the core of a nuclear reactor.

— The completion of core loading will effectively signal the first step towards ‘criticality’ — the start of a self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction that will eventually lead to power generation by the 500 megawatt electric (MWe) FBR.

— India will become the second country, after Russia, to have a commercial working FBR. China has a minor rapid breeder program, but programs in Japan, France, and the United States have been halted because of safety concerns.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Which of the following can be achieved using Sea Groynes?

1. Traps sediments

2. Widening of beaches

3. Reduces erosion

4. Increases the fish concentration in nearby areas.

5. Diverts ocean currents

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 3 and 4 only

(b) 1, 2 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Explanation

— A groyne is a stiff hydraulic structure formed from an ocean coastline (in coastal engineering) or a river bank that disrupts water flow and restricts sediment migration. Hence, 1 is correct.

— These are narrow, shore-perpendicular hard constructions designed to obstruct longshore sediment transport by holding a portion of the sediment that would otherwise be carried alongshore.

— They are typically robust, long-lasting constructions and are regarded as a hard-engineering protection measure. Groynes are typically created on exposed and moderately exposed sedimentary beaches to mitigate erosion risks. They can be built using a range of materials, including rock armour, concrete, dolos, tetrapods, steel piling, and hardwood timber.

— Groyne promotes beach widening, which helps to preserve an appealing beach environment that is valuable for recreation and tourism. Hence, 2 is correct.

— It also holds silt, resulting in beach broadening, reduces erosion, and more wave energy dissipation. Hence, 3 is correct.

— It provides a strong structure for the long-term stabilisation of coasts exploited for social activities.

— Increase in the fish concentration in nearby areas and diversion in ocean currents are not achieved by Sea Groynes. Hence, 4 and 5 are not correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.ctc-n.org)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 70)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 70)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 69)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 69)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 69)

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