UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on Microalgae, Longwood Shola and more (Week 69)

Statement-I: Many of the small island developing states (SIDS) — located in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea — are facing existential threats due to rising oceans.

Statement-II: Small islands are particularly vulnerable to these changes due to their low elevation and high dependency on marine resources.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II in correct

Explanation

— Earlier in June, around 300 families were relocated off the island of Gardi Sugdub in Panama’s Guna Yala province due to concerns over rising sea levels.

— Gardi Sugdub is home to nearly 1,300 members of the Guna community, an indigenous population settled in autonomous regions of Panama and a few villages in Colombia.

— Many of the small island developing states (SIDS) — located in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and South China Sea — are facing existential threats due to rising oceans. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— According to a 2022 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) — a UN body, small islands are particularly vulnerable to these changes due to their low elevation and high dependency on marine resources. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— SIDS such as Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati are experiencing some of the most dramatic effects of rising sea levels. These islands, along with losing their land, are also facing existential threats to their culture and economies.

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Longwood Shola, a Ramsar site is located in:

(a) Karnataka

(b) Andhra Pradesh

(c) Lakshadweep

(d) Tamil Nadu

Explanation

— Longwood Shola in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris and Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary in Ariyalur district are the most recent additions to the state’s Ramsar sites list.

— The Ariyalur wetland is one of Tamil Nadu’s most important bird and biodiversity regions, with around 500 species of flora and wildlife.

— The sanctuary is located along the Central Asian Flyway and serves as an important breeding and foraging habitat for waterbird species. The marsh also contributes to irrigation and groundwater recharge in the area.

— Nilgiris is home to around 700 varieties of flora and animals. Out of the 177 bird species found at the site, 14 are indigenous to the Western Ghats.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Microalgae, consider the following statements:

1. They have low photosynthesis efficiency.

2. They serve as industrial raw materials.

3. They grow very slowly.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), Bhavnagar has licensed its technology to extract crude oil from a species of microalga to Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL), Mumbai for production of automobile fuel.

— Microalgae are capable of growing rapidly, their high photosynthesis efficiency coupled with the ability to accumulate a large amount of bioproducts within their cells make them a suitable candidate to serve as industrial raw material. Hence, statement 1 and 3 are not correct and statement 2 is correct.

— TCL, one of India’s largest chemical businesses, is the first commercial company to sign a deal with the CSMCRI to cultivate this species of microalgae and extract biodiesel from them. The Chlorella genus comprises 13 species of single-celled green algae. CSMCRI identified a species that can grow in both freshwater and marine.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the RudraM-II, consider the following statements:

1. It is a solid-propelled missile system.

2. The missile is meant for air-to-surface role.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— India successfully test-fired a Rudra air-to-surface missile from a Su-30 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) off the coast of Odisha.

— RudraM-II is an indigenously developed solid-propelled air-launched missile system meant for air-to-surface role to neutralise several types of enemy assets. Hence, statement 1 and 2 are correct.

— The flight-test met all the trial objectives, validating the propulsion system and control and guidance algorithm.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission will study:

(a) Heat loss to space in Earth’s polar regions

(b) Gravitational waves

(c) Imaging of astronomical radio sources

(d) Asteroid deflection by changing an asteroid’s motion in space

Explanation

— The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched one of the two climate satellites, which would study heat emissions at Earth’s poles.

— NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (US) collaborated to construct the PREFIRE mission (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment).

— The two shoebox-sized cube satellites, or CubeSats, will measure how much heat the Arctic and Antarctica — two of the world’s coldest locations — emit into space and how this affects the planet’s climate.

— Far-infrared radiation, with wavelengths ranging from 3 μm to 1,000 μm, accounts for a significant portion of the heat emitted from the Arctic and Antarctica. However, there is currently no method for measuring this form of energy. As a result, there is a knowledge gap about the planet’s energy balance.

— The observations of the PREFIRE mission will help us understand the fundamentals of Earth’s heat balance, allowing us to better predict how our ice, seas, and weather will change in the face of global warming.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 69)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 69)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 68)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 68)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 68)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLhPd8bUaQ?si=Ei3tRf0GADIAD55g