MV Ganga Vilas : World’s Longest River
Cruise
MV Ganga Vilas : World’s Longest River Cruise The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways stated that the
Prime Minister of India will flag off the world’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ from Varanasi in Uttar
Pradesh on the 13th of January 2023.
Indus Waters Treaty
Indus Waters Treaty: India recently issued a notice to Pakistan for modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Indus Water Treaty was signed in September
1960 between India and Pakistan.
- The treaty fixed and delimited
the rights and obligations of both countries concerning the use of the
waters of the Indus River system.
- It gives control
over the waters of the three “eastern
rivers’ the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej to India, while control over the waters
of the three “western rivers’ ‘ the Indus, Chenab, and Jhelum to Pakistan.
- The treaty allows India to use the western river waters for limited irrigation use and unlimited non-consumptive use for such applications as power generation, navigation, floating of property, fish culture, etc.
YayaTsoLake :Ladakh’s First Biodiversity Heritage Site
February 2,
2023 (February 2, 2023)
YayaTsoLake : Ladakh’s First Biodiversity Heritage Site Yaya Tso Lake was
declared Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site under the Biological
Diversity Act. The
Biodiversity Management Committee, the panchayat of Chumathang village, along
with the SECURE Himalaya
Project recently resolved
the issue and declared YayaTso Lake a biodiversity heritage site.
Jupiter : Planet With Most Moons
Jupiter : Planet With Most Moons Latest discovery
revealed Jupiter has 12 more moons. With this, the count of Jupiter’s moons increased to 92. Today Jupiter has the maximum number of
moons. The 12 new moons around
Jupiter were discovered by
the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Cyclone Gabrielle : New Zealand
Cyclone Gabrielle : New Zealand Cyclone Gabrielle hit the New Zealand coast and caused
severe damage. After Three
Dead, New Zealand declares state of emergency At least three people have died
and about a third of the country’s population of five million live in affected
areas.
6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New
Zealand
6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New Zealand: After Cyclone
Gabrielle, New Zealand
faced yet another disastrous natural calamity. An earthquake of 6.1 Ritcher
shook the country. The epicentre was at a depth of 57.4 km and 50 km from Paraparaumu.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre was right at the Cook Strait.
February
24, 2023 (February 23, 2023)
Earthquake In
Tajikistan: An earthquake of 7.2
Ritcher recently hit Tajikistan.
The epicentre of the earthquake was just 82 km away from China border. The
quake was felt in the western part of the Xinjiang region. The earthquake was
first reported by the Chinese. A
severe earthquake of 7.8 Richter struck Turkey and Syria.
- Turkey is located in a seismically
fragile zone.
- It is at the tri-junction of three plates namely the Arabian
plate, the African plate, and the Eurasian plate.
- The recent
earthquakes are because of the
movement of the African plate, Arabian plate, and Indian plate.
Cyclone Freddy: World Meteorological Organisation recently
announced the constitution of an expert committee to evaluate the intensity and lifespan of Cyclone Freddy, which is on track to set a record as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record. It originated off the northern coast of Australia and became a named
storm on February 6, 2022.It crossed the entire South Indian Ocean and traveled
more than 8,000 kilometers, affecting Mauritius and La Réunion, before making
landfalls in Madagascar two weeks later and then Mozambique.Freddy
was the first tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere to undergo six
separate rounds of rapid intensification. It also holds the record for
all-time accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) (storm strength during its lifetime)
for the Southern Hemisphere.Freddy is fuelled by the energy provided by the
warm ocean surface, consistently sourcing heat and moisture throughout its
lifetime.
Merapi Volcano
Erupted: Merapi (Mountain of Fire)
is the most active of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia and has repeatedly erupted with lava and gas
clouds recently. It rises to 2,911 metres and has steep slopes with dense
vegetation on its lower sides.
Zojila Pass: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) recently
reopened the strategic Zojila Pass that acts as a gateway between the union
territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. Zojila Pass, also known
as ‘The Mountain Pass of Blizzards’, is a strategic pass that connects Kashmir
Valley to Ladakh. It is located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway
Vernal Equinox (spring
equinox) : The vernal equinox is observed on March 21st 2023. Equinox
happens twice a year when the sun is directly above the equator, and it occurs
on approximately 21st March and 23rd September. During an equinox, both the
Northern and Southern Hemispheres have equal day and night time.
Daylight Saving Time (DST): Lebanon saw mass confusion after its
government at the last minute delayed the start of daylight saving time by a
month. Lebanon usually sets its
clocks forward an hour on the last Sunday in March.
Z-Morh Tunnel: Union Minister for Road Transport and
Highways said that the crucial Z-Morh
tunnel will be inaugurated soon. Z-Morh Tunnel is an under-construction 2-lane road tunnel
between Gagangir and Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh Highway
in Jammu and Kashmir. It is named for the
Z-shaped stretch of road between Sonamarg and Gagangir
Hybrid Solar Eclipse: A
‘hybrid’ solar eclipse called the Ningaloo Eclipse is set to happen on April
20, 2023. Hybrid solar eclipse
is a type of solar eclipse that looks like an
annular solar eclipse or a total solar eclipse, depending on the observer’s
location along the central eclipse path.
The people of Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj were
graced by an inspiring phenomenon called Sun Halo. It is an optical phenomenon
that occurs due to sunlight refracting millions of hexagonal ice crystals
suspended in the atmosphere. When white light passes through unique hexagonal
ice crystals found in upper-level cirrus clouds, causing the halo to have
colours. The clouds contain
millions of tiny ice crystals, which refract, split and even reflect the light
to give an impression of a circular rainbow ring. The crystals have to be
oriented and positioned just so with respect to your eye, for the halo to
appear. Light undergoes two refractions as it passes through the ice crystals
and the bending that occurs depends on the ice crystal’s diameter. The two
refractions bend the light by 22 degrees from its original point, producing a
ring of light around the Sun or the Moon. The lunar halos are mostly colour less
as moonlight is not very bright.
Penumbral Lunar
Eclipse : On May 5, 2023, as a penumbral
lunar eclipse is set to occur, is the first of two lunar eclipses that are
expected to occur that year. There are three types of lunar eclipses –
total lunar eclipses, partial lunar eclipses, and penumbral lunar eclipses.A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the moon
moves through the outermost region of the Earth’s shadow known as the penumbra.
During this event, the
moon appears slightly darker than usual.
Cyclone Mocha: The
Indian Meteorological Department, IMD has issued a warning that a cyclonic
circulation is likely to develop over the Southeast Bay of Bengal by May 7,
2023 IMD has calculated that a low-pressure area is expected to take shape,
which is usually a precursor to the development of a cyclone. This would
be the first cyclone to form this year
and will be named Cyclone Mocha, proposed by Yemen after the Yemini city Mocha
(Mokha) located on the Red sea coast.
The naming of this
cyclone was done as per the decree issued by the World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO), which states that each cyclone must be named to avoid
confusion in instances where multiple systems operate in one location.
All
India Radio : Known As Akashvani
All India Radio : Known As Akashvani. The Centre, ordered that public broadcaster, previously known as All India Radio (AIR), be exclusively referred to as Akashvani in all broadcasts and programmes. All India Radio (AIR) is the radio vertical of PrasarBharati.It’s motto is ‘BahujanHitaya :BahujanSukhaya’. It is one of the largest broadcasting organisations in the world in terms of the number of languages of broadcast and the spectrum of socioeconomic and cultural diversity. AIR’s home service comprises 470 Broadcasting centres located across the country, covering nearly 92% of the country’s area and 99.19 % of the total population. AIR originates programming in 23 languages and 179 dialects.
India’s First
International Cruise Vessel MV Empress: The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping
& Waterways and Ayush, flagged off
India’s first international cruise vessel, MV Empress, from Chennai to Sri
Lanka.
Kakhovka Dam: A huge Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River in
southern Ukraine, known as the Kakhovka Dam, was breached, resulting in
flooding across the war zone. The
dam was an important part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, supplying
water to the Crimean Peninsula and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Cyclonic Storm “Biporjoy” intensifies in the
Arabian Sea, posing significant risks
and uncertainties for the affected regions. The India Meteorological Department
(IMD) reports the storm’s rapid development, expecting it to strengthen into a
severe cyclonic storm with winds reaching 115-125 kmph and gusts of 140 kmph on
June 8, 2023.The name ‘Biparjoy’ meaning calamity or disaster was given by
Bangladesh.
Kilauea
Volcano : Erupted Recently
Kilauea Volcano : The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island
erupted recently, according to an advisory from the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS). Kilauea Volcano is the youngest and most active Hawaiian shield
volcano, located on the
southern part of the Island of Hawaii, known as Big Island.
Second-Largest
Road Network In The World : India
India now has the second-largest road network in
the world, after the US.
In 2013-14, the total length of National
Highways was 91,287 km, which has increased to 1,45,240 km in 2022-23. India
has a total length of 4,219 km of expressways.
First Supermoon Of
2023: As per Scientists, the first supermoon of
2023, which will be seen in July, will appear brighter in the night sky
compared to any other full moon that has been witnessed this year. Supermoon
occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time that the
Moon is full.
As the Moon orbits the
Earth, there is a point of time when the
distance between the two is the least (called the perigee
when the average distance is about 360,000 km from the Earth) and a
point of time when the distance is the most (called the apogee
when the distance is about 405,000 km from the Earth).
Now, when a full Moon
appears at the point when the distance between the Earth and the Moon is the least, not only does it
appear to be brighter but it is also larger than a regular full moon.
The term “Supermoon” was coined by astrologer
Richard Nolle in 1979, defining it as a
special event when a full moon is within 90 percent of its closest point to Earth.
In a typical year, there may be two to four
full supermoons and two to four new
supermoons in a row.
Flood
Warning : Delhi Government
The Delhi government
recently issued a flood warning as Haryana released more than one lakh cusecs
of water into the
Yamuna river from the Hathnikund barrage. Yamuna River is the major
tributary of the Ganges River. It rises in the high Himalaya, in the Yamunotri Glacier
Alaska
Peninsula : 7.2-Magnitude Earthquake
A powerful 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck
the Alaska Peninsula region. Alaska Peninsula is a long, narrow strip of
land located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It extends about 800 kilometres (500 miles) in
a southwest direction from the mainland of Alaska.
Ghaggar
River : Floodplains In Haryana
The Ghaggar River and its tributaries caused havoc after reclaiming
their floodplains in Haryana.
Ghaggar, Tangri, Markanda and others
are considered dead rivers in the state and heavily encroached upon but in this
monsoon season they reclaimed their floodplains and caused heavy losses.
Project
Devika : North India’s First River Rejuvenation
It was announced that North
India’s first River Rejuvenation Project Devika is nearing its
completion. It was Built at a cost
of over Rs 190 crore on the lines of ‘Namami Ganga’, the Project was launched
by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Project Devika launched in 2019.
A powerful solar flare
disrupted radio and navigation signals across North America recently. A
solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of
magnetic energy associated with sunspots. Flares are our solar system’s
largest explosive events. They are seen as bright areas on the sun
Lake
Titicaca : Threat From Climate Change
Lake Titicaca is facing a
serious threat from climate change and drought. It is the largest
freshwater lake in South America and the highest of the world’s largest lakes.
The lake, which lies on the border
between Bolivia and Peru, has seen its water levels drop to near-record
lows.The lack of rainfall and the increased evaporation due to rising
temperatures have reduced the inflow and volume of the lake.This has resulted
in stranded boats, exposed shorelines, and diminished fish populations.The lake
is also home to more than 500 species of plants and animals, some of which are
endemic and endangered.
Pong
Dam : Release Of a Substantial Amount Of Water
Pong Dam : Release Of a Substantial Amount Of Water
Several villages within the Beas River catchment area in Punjab have been submerged.
Pong Dam also known as the
Beas Dam,is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Beas River in the state of
Himachal Pradesh.The purpose of the dam
is water storage for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.The
construction of the dam began in the year 1961 and was completed in 1974 and at
that time was known as the tallest of its type in the country.
Heavy rain and floods in
Himachal Pradesh have battered the 94-km-long Kalka-Shimla railway line, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kalka-Shimla Railway line was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 8, 2008. It is located at an elevation
of 2,152 ft above sea level in Haryana, to the capital of Himachal at
6,808 ft. The narrow gauge “toy train”
passes through 18 stations, 102 tunnels, and over 988 bridges.
Hurricane Hilary is a
major Category 4 hurricane that formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean on 16th
August 2023. Hurricanes are categorized on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale,
which rates them on a scale of 1 to 5 based on wind speed. Hurricanes
that reach category three or higher are classified as major
hurricanes.It is the first tropical storm to hit Southern
California since 1939.
Likaru-Mig
La-Fukche Road : World’s New Highest Motorable
The construction of the
world’s new highest motorableLikaru-Mig La-Fukche road began in Ladakh
recently.The Border Roads
Organization (BRO) is working on constructing the ‘Likaru-Mig La-Fukche’ road
in Ladakh, which will be the new highest motorable road in the world.Likaru-Mig La-Fukche road is the highest
motorable road in the world. It will surpass the Umling La Pass.Umling La Pass is located at an altitude of
19,300ft, is the highest motorable road in the world currently. It will
connect Likaru to Fukche, situated 3 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Jaya
VermaSinha : First Woman To Lead The Railway Board
Jaya Verma Sinha has become the first woman to
lead the Railway Board (in the Railway Board’s 118-year history), the
top decision-making body for India’s Ministry of Railways. The Ministry of Railways was founded in 1905; HQ: Rail Bhawan, New
Delhi
Super
Blue Moon : Observed On 30 Aug 2023
On August 30, 2023,
the night sky was illuminated by a rare phenomenon: a super blue moon. However, despite its name, this full moon was
neither blue in colour nor super in size. The last blue supermoon was in
2009. A supermoon occurs
when the moon aligns closely with Earth during its orbit, making it appear
larger and brighter.This alignment, called
perigee, contrasts with apogee, when the moon is farthest in its elliptical orbit around earth. While the difference is subtle, near the
horizon, an optical illusion can make it seem larger.The term “supermoon”
was coined in 1979 by astrologer Richard Nolle.A blue moon is the second full
moon in a month.
Zealandia
: The Missing Continent Discovered
Geoscientists recently
discovered a continent known as Zealandia that had been hiding in plain
sight for almost 375 years. Zealandia is a long, narrow micro continent that is mostly
submerged in the South Pacific Ocean. It is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, primarily to
the east of Australia
A powerful earthquake
of magnitude 6.8 struck central Morocco, 72 kilometres southwest of Marrakesh. Morocco is a mountainous country in
western North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar. It
retains much of its ancient architecture and even more of its traditional
customs. Morocco’s largest city and major Atlantic Ocean port is
Casablanca, an industrial and commercial centre.
The Annular solar
eclipse will occur on October 14. Annular solar eclipse is often referred to as the “ring of
fire. This eclipse happens when the moon is at or near its farthest point
from Earth in its orbit.
Vizhinjam
International Seaport : Docking Of The First Ship
The docking of the
first ship at the Vizhinjam International Seaport has been deferred recently Vizhinjam
International Seaport is located at Vizhinjam, a coastal town in
Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. It is designed primarily to cater to
container transshipment besides multi-purpose and break bulk cargo.
The South Lhonak Lake
in Sikkim experienced a breach, leading to severe flooding in downstream areas.
This caused casualties
and displacements in the state. Glacial lakes are large bodies of water formed
in front of, on top of, or beneath melting glaciers. They can become
increasingly dangerous as they expand
The Minister of State
for Ports, Shipping and Waterways inaugurated the dredging work at National
Waterways 44, Ichamati River in West Bengal. Ichamati River is actually
a trans-boundary river that flows through India and Bangladesh. It acts as
a boundary between the two nations.
Mont
Blanc Shrinks : New research
New research has
revealed that Mont Blanc, France’s highest mountain has witnessed a
reduction in its height over the past two years. Mont Blanc is the highest peak
(4,807 metres) in Europe. It is located in the Alps and lies along the
French-Italian border and reaches into Switzerland.
A 6.3 magnitude
earthquake struck about 40km from the western city of Herat, Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the death toll from strong
earthquakes has risen to over 2,400 as search and rescue efforts continue amid
reports that some people may be trapped under collapsed buildings.
Hailstorm
: Damage To The Crops
An intense hailstorm
recently caused massive damage to the crops and fruits in south Kashmir’s
Kulgam and Shopian districts. Hail is a type of
solid rain made up of balls or lumps of ice. Storms that produce hail that reaches the ground are known as
hailstorms.
Cyclone Tej, initially
forming over the Arabian Sea, has intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic
storm, with projections
indicating a northwestward trajectory and an expected landfall near Al Ghaidah
(Yemen). The name ‘Tej,’ which means ‘speed’ in Hindi, was chosen by India.
The cyclonic storm
“Hamoon” that has formed over the Bay of Bengal has rapidly intensified into a severe
cyclonic storm as per recent reports. Cyclone Hamoon is brewing near India over
the Bay of Bengal.
October
27, 2023 (October 27, 2023)
Hunter’s Moon Lunar
Eclipse seen on October 28th,2023. The “Hunter’s Moon” will officially be 100%
illuminated at 3:35 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 28, 2023. The Hunter’s
Moon is one of the many names given to the full moons throughout the
year.
E
Prime Layer : Outermost Part Of Earth’s Core
A study by an
international team of researchers revealed the formation of a new enigmatic
layer – E prime layer at the outermost part of Earth’s core. E prime layer was believed that a material
exchange between the core and mantle is small.
Astronomers recently
reported the discovery of 63 new giant radio galaxies. Radio Galaxies, also known as
radio-luminous galaxies or radio-loud galaxies, are a particular type of active
galaxy that emits more light at radio wavelengths than at visible wavelengths. These
happen through the interaction between charged particles and strong magnetic
fields
Earthquake
of 3.0 Magnitude Hit Haryana’s Sonipat Region
An Earthquake of 3.0
magnitude hit Haryana’s Sonipat region. The epicentre of the earthquake was
in Sonipat and occurred at latitude 29.15 degrees north and longitude 76.97
degrees east, at a depth of 5 km. An earthquake is the shaking or trembling
of the earth’s surface.
GajrajSuraksha
: Indian Railways New Approach
Indian Railways has
introduced a cutting-edge technology named ‘Gajraj’ to prevent elephant
accidents on railway tracks Gajraj Suraksha uses an AI-based algorithm and a network
of sensitive optical fibre cables to detect elephants getting close to railway
tracks.
Cyclone Michaung is a
tropical cyclone that is track northwest in the western Bay of Bengal. ‘Michaung’
is named after a suggestion provided by Myanmar. It means strength and
resilience.
Indonesia’s Mount
Marapi in West Sumatra province erupted, spewing white-and-grey ash plumes for
more than 3,000 metres (about 9,800 feet) into the air. Mount Marapi is located in West Sumatra. Its
name means Mountain of Fire. With over 60 eruptions to its credit since the
late 18th century
Painganga River : Protest Against a Proposed Dam Project
Protests were staged
against a proposed dam project on the Painganga river in the Vidarbha region of
Maharashtra recently. Painganga River is the chief river of the
Yavatmal district in Maharashtra and flows along the south-east boundaries of the district in a
winding, meandering course.
Shaikh
Hassan Khan Climbed Mount Vinson
Kerala government
employee Shaikh Hassan Khan has climbed Mount Vinson. Mount Vinson is the highest mountain in
Antarctica. It rises 4,892 metres (16,050 feet) above sea level. It is part
of the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, near the Ronne Ice
Shelf.
December
23, 2023 (December 23, 2023)
India’s the longest
night of the year on December 22, a phenomenon known as the Winter Solstice. The winter solstice marks the shortest day of
the year. The Earth is tilted 23.4 degrees on its axis.
Indian Meteorological Department : New Logo
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recently got a new logo ahead of the commencement of its 150th year of providing weather and climate services to the country.
- The new logo, in a mix of orange and green colours, depicts numerical 150 embedded with the present logo showing the Indian monsoon winds crossing over India.
- IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
- It works as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
- It is headquartered in New Delhi.
- IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.
- Roles and Responsibilities is to take meteorological observations and to provide current and forecast meteorological information for optimum operation of weather-sensitive activities like agriculture, irrigation, shipping, aviation, offshore oil explorations, etc. and To warn against severe weather phenomena like tropical cyclones, norwesters, dust storms, heavy rains and snow, cold and heat waves, etc., which cause destruction of life and property.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recently got a new logo ahead of the commencement of its 150th year of providing weather and climate services to the country.
- The new logo, in a mix of orange and green colours, depicts numerical 150 embedded with the present logo showing the Indian monsoon winds crossing over India.
- IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
- It works as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
- It is headquartered in New Delhi.
- IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.
- Roles and Responsibilities is to take meteorological observations and to provide current and forecast meteorological information for optimum operation of weather-sensitive activities like agriculture, irrigation, shipping, aviation, offshore oil explorations, etc. and To warn against severe weather phenomena like tropical cyclones, norwesters, dust storms, heavy rains and snow, cold and heat waves, etc., which cause destruction of life and property.
Source - https://crackittoday.com/category/current-affairs/geography-current-affairs/
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