UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Science and Technology MCQs on fossil discovery on the Arctic island, Sentinel-6B and more (Week 137)

QUESTION 1

Consider the following statements:

Statement 1: A fossil discovery on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago has revealed the earliest known sea reptile habitat from the age of dinosaurs.

Statement 2: The finding provides a unique window into an ancient ocean environment and revolutionary insights into how marine life regenerated and diversified so quickly following the end-Permian mass extinction.

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

(a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1.

(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.

(c) Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is incorrect.

(d) Statement 1 is incorrect but Statement 2 is correct.

Explanation

— A fossil discovery on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago has revealed the earliest known sea reptile habitat from the age of dinosaurs. More than 30,000 fossils, including teeth, bones, and coprolites (fossilised faeces), have been discovered, representing a vast range of marine reptiles, amphibians, bony fish, and sharks that lived about 249 million years ago. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— This finding provides a unique window into an ancient ocean environment and revolutionary insights into how marine life regenerated and diversified so quickly following the end-Permian mass extinction, the most catastrophic die-off in Earth’s history. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Although the fossils were first discovered in 2015, it took over 10 years of painstaking excavation, preparation, and examination to properly comprehend their significance. The work was done by a group of Scandinavian palaeontologists from the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm and the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo. According to a study published in Science, their results demonstrate that marine life recovered quickly from the end-Permian mass extinction, creating intricate feeding chains only 3 million years after this disastrous occurrence.

Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Sentinel-6B, consider the following statements:

1. It is a joint mission between the United States’ NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

2. It is an ocean-tracking satellite with six onboard science instruments that will measure the rising sea levels and its impacts on the planet.

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

— Sentinel-6B was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It is an ocean-tracking satellite with six onboard science instruments that will measure the rising sea levels and its impacts on the planet. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Sentinel-6B will orbit Earth at a speed of 7.2 km per second, completing one revolution every 112 minutes.

— Data of the oceans, its temperature, sea-levels are vital for weather forecasting, storm predictions, securing undersea pipeline and cable networks, and shipping services. Data from Sentinel-6B is expected to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, including storm and flood predictions, enabling administrators to make better real-time decisions to safeguard public property and protect coastal infrastructure.

— Sentinel-6B is a joint mission between the United States’ NASA and NOAA, and the European Space Agency; it is the latest in a series of satellites launched since the 1990s, mainly by NASA, to measure the sea-level changes from space. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

NASA’s Perseverance rover detected an “unusually shaped rock” at Vernodden, located near the Jezero Crater. The NASA’s Perseverance rover is dedicated to:

(a) Planet Venus

(b) Moon

(c) Planet Mars

(d) Planet Jupiter

Explanation

— NASA’s Perseverance rover noticed an “unusually shaped rock” at Vernodden, located on Mars near the Jezero Crater, during a routine study of the ancient bedrock.

(Image: NASA)

— This rock was identified as a target of interest based on its sculpted, high-standing appearance that differed from that of the low-lying, flat and fragmented surrounding rocks.

— Perseverance targeted Phippsaksla with the SuperCam instrument revealing that it is high in iron and nickel. This element combination is usually associated with iron-nickel meteorites formed in the core of large asteroids, suggesting that this rock formed elsewhere in the solar system.

— According to the NASA blog, this is not the first time a rover has encountered “an exotic rock” on Mars. It said the Curiosity rover has identified many iron-nickel meteorites across its traverse in Gale crater, including the “Lebanon” meteorite in 2014 and the “Cacao” meteorite in 2023.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The Naegleria fowleri is a:

(a) Free-living amoeba that causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM)

(b) Virus that infects the respiratory tract

(c) Bacterium causing meningitis

(d) Parasitic flatworm found in contaminated food

Explanation

— In the wake of cases of Amoebic meningoencephalitis caused by “brain-eating amoeba” Naegleria fowleri found in Kerala, the Karnataka government issued a safety advisory to Sabarimala pilgrims from the state, urging them to be vigilant and adhere to necessary precautions or safety measures to prevent infection.

— Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba mainly found in warm freshwater sources like stagnant water, ponds or swimming pools and lakes.

— Naegleria fowleri is a free-living amoeba mainly found in warm freshwater sources like stagnant water, ponds or swimming pools and lakes.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Tiangong space station is a space station managed by:

(a) Japan

(b) China

(c) South Korea and Japan collectively

(d) China and Russia collectively

Explanation

— Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft after being stranded on the Chinese space station Tiangong for over a week as debris damage rendered their spacecraft, the Shenzhou-20, unsafe for flight.

— After the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) determined that a window fracture had rendered the Shenzhou-20 ship unsafe, it was abandoned at the space station. Subsequently, Shenzhou-21, which was scheduled to return to Earth in six months, brought home the Shenzhou-20 crew comprising Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie.

— Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace”, is China’s permanently manned space station. Two weeks ago, the Shenzhou-21 had carried three astronauts to Tiangong to replace the Shenzhou-20 crew.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 132)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 137)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 136)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 136)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 136)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 136)

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