March 28, 2024

Geography


Aurora

The Hanle and Merak observatories in Ladakh spotted a phenomenon uncommon in India — an intense red aurora. Auroras are patterns of bright lights in the sky that are seen when particles ejected by the Sun interact with the magnetic field around the Earth. The phenomenon is usually visible closer to the poles. Hanle is an ideal place to observe the phenomenon as it is India’s only dark sky reserve — an area where special measures are taken to reduce artificial light pollution. It is located 4500 metres above sea level. Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), operated by the Indian Institute....Read More

A geoglyph in the form of a circle, said to be 3,000 years old, has been unearthed on the outskirts of Mudichu Thalapalli in the Medchal-Malkajgiri district of Telangana. Geoglyphs are a form of rock art, where a design or motif is etched on the ground using stones, iron or some other tools used by prehistoric humans. In this case, archaeologists believe that iron was used in making the geoglyph through a process called ‘pecking.’ It is a first-of-its-kind discovery in Telangana. Etched on a low-lying granitoid hillock, the geoglyph spans 7.5 metres in diameter and has a perfect circular....Read More

Kawah Ijen Lake

European Space Agency (ESA) has recently shared pictures of Kawah Ijen Lake. It is located in East Java, Indonesia. It has pH of less than 0.3 It is a volcanic crater that is ‘full of acid that also spits blue flames’. It is the largest and most acidic crater lake in the world. Geologists call it the ‘The largest acid barrel on Earth’, due to its high concentration of sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, as well as dissolved minerals which also give the lake its blue-greenish colour. It also emits flammable and hot sulfurous gases that ignite upon contact with Earth’s....Read More

Swarm Earthquakes

A seismic swarm has hit the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland with more than 5,500 small earthquakes recently, raising the prospect of a volcanic eruption, the country’s meteorological office (IMO) reported. Earthquakes with a magnitude above 2.5 can often be felt by humans, according to the Michigan Technological University. The quakes originated at a depth of up to 5 km and were caused by a long-term accumulation of magma that has been building pressure and is now slowly drifting towards the surface of the earth. Located between the Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates, among the largest on the....Read More

Cyclone Tej

The Cyclone Tej in the Arabian Sea is turning into a cyclonic storm. It is expected to turn into a severe cyclonic storm and move towards the south coasts of Oman and adjoining Cyclone Tej was named by India. ABOUT CYCLONES A Cyclone is a rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area. In other words, it is a low-pressure system that forms over warm waters. CYCLONES IN INDIA: Tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea) develop during the pre-monsoon (April to June) and post monsoon (October to December) periods. Cyclone Tej is....Read More

Mount Vesuvius

The text in an ancient scroll that was badly burned in a volcanic eruption Mount Vesuvius of nearly 2,000 years ago has been read by artificial intelligence (AI). The papyrus scrolls, still rolled up, were turned into charcoal erupted and reached the Roman town of Herculaneum in 79AD - the same one that buried the city of Pompeii and killed around 16,000 people. ABOUT MOUNT VESUVIUS It is located in southern Italy near the coastal city of Naples. The 4,203-ft tall Vesuvius is the only active volcano in mainland Europe. It has been classified as a complex volcano (or a....Read More

Pontus Tectonic Plate

A long-lost tectonic plate called ‘Pontus’ has been rediscovered 20 million years after disappearing. The plate is known only from a few rock fragments from the mountains of Borneo and the ghostly remnants of its huge slab detected deep in Earth's mantle. It was once a quarter of the size of the Pacific Ocean. Scientists have dubbed it the "Pontus plate" because at the time of its existence, it sat under an ocean known as the Pontus Ocean. Mechanism Tectonic plates constantly move against one another, and the crust in oceanic plates is denser than continental plates, so oceanic plates....Read More

Sela Tunnel

The Sela Tunnel, a strategically crucial project in Arunachal Pradesh, is almost 96% complete and is expected to be inaugurated by the end of the year. The total length of the project, including the tunnels, the approach and the link roads, will be around 12 km. The Sela Tunnel has been excavated below the 4,200-metre (13,800 ft) Sela Pass, which is often closed due to snowfall and landslides. The Sela Pass connects the Tawang district with the rest of Arunachal Pradesh. It will provide year-round access to Tawang and other areas bordering China, enhancing the operational capabilities of the Indian....Read More

Neanderthals

Recent scientific research has revealed that traits inherited from Neanderthals and Denisovans, another extinct hominin species, continue to influence our health, biology, and even our response to diseases like Covid-19. Recent studies have linked Neanderthal DNA to various human traits and diseases. For instance, researchers have found connections between Neanderthal genes and a serious hand disease, the shape of people's noses, and even our immune response to pathogens. The amount of Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA present in modern humans varies depending on geographical location and ancestral lineage. While some African populations have almost no Neanderthal DNA, those from European or....Read More

Mt semeru erupts

Mt Semeru volcano in Indonesa’s East Java province erupted recently, spewing hot ashes. Local authorities have warned people to stay away from the area. It is the highest mountain on the island of Java. It is the part of the Island arcs formed by the subduction of the Indo-Australian plate below Sunda Plate (part of Eurasian Plate). Indonesia has the maximum number of active volcanoes in the world. It is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire.Read More

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