UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment, Geography, Sci-Tech MCQs on Neutron stars, Arun River basin and more (Week 78)

1. Nepal

2. Tibet

3. Northern India

4. Bhutan

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 4

(d) 1 and 2 only

Explanation

— According to a new study, Mount Everest, which stands at 8,849 metres, has grown around 15 to 50 metres higher than expected during the last 89,000 years due to a nearby river eroding rock and soil at its base, causing it to rise.

— The loss of landmass in the Arun River basin, which spans Nepal and Tibet and is 75 kilometres from Everest, is causing the world’s highest mountain to increase by up to 2 millimetres every year, according to the study.

— While Everest and the rest of the Himalayas have been gently rising for around 50 million years as a result of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates, changes in the Arun river network are adding to the mountains’ ongoing elevation.

— Everest has been getting an additional boost in height due to a geological process known as isostatic rebound. It refers to the rise of land masses on the Earth’s crust as the weight of the surface decreases.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Which of the following countries are most affected by the rise in sea levels?

1. Fiji

2. Tuvalu

3. Maldives

4. Hungary

5. Malawi

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 5 only

(c) 1, 3, 4 and 5

(d) 3, 4 and 5 only

Explanation

— Sea level is driven by global warming, caused by carbon dioxide, methane and other emissions released from the burning of fossil fuels for uses including energy, industry, and transport.

— Low-lying small islands, such as Fiji, the Maldives and Tuvalu, are facing some of the most critical threats from sea level rise — with even a moderate increase posing an existential danger.

— Hungary and Malawi are the landlocked countries of Europe and Africa respectively.

— However, sea level rise poses a global concern because about 40% of the world’s population lives along the coast, with approximately 900 million living in low-elevation areas.

— Coastal cities and villages around the world are already dealing with coastal erosion, agriculture, and freshwater issues caused by saltwater intrusion and increasingly destructive flooding and storms.

— According to a 2022 study, tropical regions, notably in Asia, will be struck the most, with Bangladesh, India, and China being particularly vulnerable. River deltas, which are large areas where rivers meet the sea and are frequently home to port towns, will be among the most susceptible areas.

— Megacities including Cairo, Lagos, Los Angeles, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, and London are predicted to suffer major consequences.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The Vainganga-Nalganga river-linking project lies in

(a) Marathwada region

(b) Vidarbha region

(c) Kutch region

(d) Saurashtra region

Explanation

— Maharashtra approved a proposal to boost the penalties for chopping trees without a licence to Rs 50,000 from the current Rs 1000. The government will take the cut tree as well as the instruments used to cut it.

— The state Cabinet has also approved the Vidarbha region’s ambitious Vainganga-Nalganga river-linking project, which costs Rs 87,342 crore.

— Water from the Vainganga river in Godavari sub basin will be fed into the Nalganga project in Buldhana district, west Vidarbha, as part of the project, which seeks to irrigate 3.74 lakh hectares of land. The project will involve the construction of canals totalling 426.52 kilometres in length.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements about neutron stars:

1. They are superdense astrophysical objects formed at the end of a massive star’s life in a supernova explosion.

2. They constantly gain energy by emitting gravitational waves until they eventually collide and merge.

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

— Neutron stars are superdense astrophysical objects formed at the end of a massive star’s life in a supernova explosion. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Sometimes, neutron stars orbit each other in binary systems.

— These systems constantly lose energy by emitting gravitational waves until they eventually collide and merge. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Researchers may now examine the physical characteristics of the universe’s most severe states because of these mergers. For instance, heavy metals like gold are formed under the circumstances of these high-energy collisions.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

In which of the following states the development of the ecosystem will be assessed through the Gross Environmental Product Index?

(a) Sikkim

(b) Meghalaya

(c) Uttarakhand

(d) Arunachal Pradesh

Explanation

— Uttarakhand’s ecosystem growth will henceforth be judged using the Gross Environmental Product (GEP) index.

— Uttarakhand is the world’s first state to analyse ecosystem growth using the Gross Environmental Product Index.

— GEP can be released with GDP in the state. Its appraisal will result in greater harmony between ecology and economy.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

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

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 78)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 78)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 77)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 77)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 77)

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