UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 6)

QUESTION 1

With reference to the Large Hadron Collider, consider the following statements:

1. It is a complex machine built to study particles that are the smallest known building blocks of all things.

2. It uses a distribution system of liquid helium to keep its critical components ultracold at minus 271.3 degrees Celsius.

3. It has been developed by European Organisation for Nuclear Research.

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

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 1 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

QUESTION 2

This wetland lies downstream of Wular Lake with which it is connected, and forms an important site for biodiversity conservation. It lies on the Central Asian Flyway; over 40,000 migratory and resident bird species have been recorded annually. This wetland is located within the Jhelum River basin and plays a significant role in flood control, aquifer recharge, and regulating the water flow of Wular Lake. 

The above-mentioned lines refer to which of the following wetland?

(a) Hokera Wetland

(b) Hygam Wetland

(c) Surinsar-Manasar Wetland

(d) Renuka Wetland

QUESTION 3

With reference to the hydrogen fuel cell, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. It uses only hydrogen to generate electricity and produces heat and water in the process.

2. It works in a similar manner to conventional batteries found in electric vehicles.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 4

Which strait connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara?

(a) Bosporus strait

(b) North channel

(c) Strait of Dover

(d) Strait of Otranto

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Mangrove Alliance for Climate, consider the following statements:

1. India and UAE have launched it on the sidelines of the UN climate summit COP27.

2. The alliance aims to strengthen the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems worldwide.

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

QUESTION 6

Consider the following statements about sickle cell anaemia:

1. It is an inherited genetic disease where a point mutation in haemoglobin makes it abnormal and prone to structural change.

2. It causes the white blood cells to take an abnormal sickle shape, which obstructs blood flow.

3. There is no complete cure for this disease.

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

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1 and 3 only

QUESTION 7

“Yankti Kuti Valley” was recently in the news due to multiple events of glacial advances. It is located in:

(a) Himachal Pradesh

(b) Arunachal Pradesh

(c) Ladakh

(d) Uttarakhand

QUESTION 8

Consider the following factors:

1. Earthquake

2. Soil erosion

3. Mining activities

4. Soil compaction

Which of the factors are responsible for land subsidence?

(a) 1, 3 and 4 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

ANSWERS TO MCQs

1. (d)

FYI:

— The Large Hadron Collider is a giant, complex machine built to study particles that are the smallest known building blocks of all things. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— It is structurally a 27-km-long track loop buried 100 metres underground on the Swiss-French border. It fires two beams of protons almost at the speed of light in opposite directions inside a ring of superconducting electromagnets.

— The magnetic field created by the superconducting electromagnets keeps the protons in a tight beam and guides them along the way as they travel through beam pipes and finally collide.

— Prior to the collision, another type of magnet is used to ‘squeeze’ the particles closer together to increase the chances of collisions.

— The particles are so tiny that the task of making them collide is akin to firing two needles 10 km apart with such precision that they meet halfway,” according to the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, or CERN, in French), which runs the particle accelerator complex that houses the LHC. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The LHC’s powerful electromagnets carry almost as much current as a bolt of lightning, they must be kept chilled. The LHC uses a distribution system of liquid helium to keep its critical components ultracold at minus 271.3 degrees Celsius, which is colder than interstellar space. Given these requirements, it is not easy to warm up or cool down the gigantic machine. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

2. (b)

FYI:

— India adds 11 more wetlands to the list of Ramsar sites to make total of 75 Ramsar sites covering an area of 13,26,677 ha in the country in the 75th year of Independence.  

— The 11 new sites include four sites in Tamil Nadu, three in Odisha, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

— The Hygam wetland lies downstream of another Ramsar Site, Wular Lake, with which it is connected, and forms an important site for biodiversity conservation.

— It lies on the Central Asian Flyway; over 40,000 migratory and resident bird species have been recorded annually. The wetland also supports mammals, amphibians, and fish including the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and common pochard (Aythya ferina).

— The wetland is located within the Jhelum River basin and plays a significant role in flood control, aquifer recharge, and regulating the water flow of Wular Lake.

— This wetland provides local communities with a range of “ecosystem services”, providing fish, wood and clean water, and regulating the local climate.

— However, it is increasingly threatened by continuous siltation, willow plantations and nutrient accumulation. To tackle these issues, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has been implementing an integrated management action plan since 2002.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Source:(pib.gov.in, rsis.ramsar.org)

3. (b)

FYI:

— A hydrogen fuel cell bus developed by KPIT-CSIR in Pune was unveiled by the Union Minister of State for Science and Technology.

— The hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen and air to generate electricity, producing only heat and water in the process. Hence, statement 1 is not correct

— According to the US Department of Energy, fuel cells work in a similar manner to conventional batteries found in electric vehicles but they do not run out of charge and don’t need to be recharged with electricity. They continue to produce electricity as long as there is a hydrogen supply. Hence, statement 2 is correct

— Hydrogen is fed to the anode and air is fed to the cathode. At the anode, a catalyst separates the hydrogen molecules into protons and electrons and both subatomic particles take different paths to the cathode. The electrons go through an external circuit, creating a flow of electricity that can be used to power electric motors. The protons, on the other hand, move to the cathode through the electrolyte. Once there, they unite with oxygen and electrons to produce water and heat.

— The primary advantage of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) is that they produce no tailpipe emissions. They only emit water vapour and warm air. Another advantage is that they are more efficient than internal combustion engine vehicles.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

4. (a)

FYI:

— Turkey is set to implement an international convention on naval passage through two of its strategic straits, which would allow them to limit the movement of Russian warships between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.

— The Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits, also known as the Turkish Straits or the Black Sea Straits, connect the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea via the Sea of Marmara. It is the only passage through which the Black Sea ports can access the Mediterranean and beyond.

— According to the 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, often referred to simply as the Montreux Convention, Turkey has control over both the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (b)

FYI:

— It is an initiative led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Indonesia, the Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC) includes India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan, and Spain. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The alliance aims to strengthen the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems worldwide. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Mangroves are natural armed forces of tropical and subtropical nations. They are the best option to fight against the consequences of climate change such as sea level rise and increasing frequency of natural calamities like cyclones and storm surges.

— Creating a new carbon sink from mangrove afforestation and reducing emissions from mangrove deforestation are two feasible ways for countries to meet their NDC targets and achieve carbon neutrality.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

6. (d)

FYI:

— It is an inherited genetic disease where a point mutation in haemoglobin makes it abnormal and prone to structural change. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— This causes the red blood cells to take an abnormal sickle shape, which obstructs blood flow. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— This can lead to severe haemolysis, persistent anaemia and affects the functioning of other organs in the later stages. Common symptoms are anaemia, jaundice, liver and spleen enlargement.

— In severe cases, patients have debilitating orthopaedic conditions called avascular necrosis of the femur. The disease can be very severe and reduces the quality of life.

There is no complete cure. The only way we can help the patient is by providing symptomatic treatment and pain management. Improve nutritional status. There is a drug called Hydroxyurea that has been shown to reduce morbidity. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

7. (d)

FYI:

— The events of glacial advances have been witnessed from the Yankti Kuti valley in the extreme eastern part of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand.

— The strong tectonic activities that occurred several thousands of centuries ago along a major tributary of Kali Ganga river in the present-day Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand could have led to an abrupt change in the glacial flow direction.

— Kuthi Yankti River is a major tributary of the Kali Ganga River.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Other Source: (pib.gov.in)

8. (d)

FYI:

— Almost a week after cracks appeared in many roads and hundreds of houses of Joshimath, Uttarakhand, was declared as a landslide and subsidence-hit zone. The announcement came after a high-level meeting took place among the senior officials of the Central government, Uttarakhand state officials, and top officers from agencies including the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH).

— According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), subsidence is the “sinking of the ground because of underground material movement”. It can happen for a host of reasons, man-made or natural, such as the removal of water, oil, or natural resources, along with mining activities.

— Earthquakes, soil erosion, and soil compaction are also some of the well-known causes of subsidence.

— The exact reason behind Joshimath land subsidence is still unknown but experts suggest that the incident might have occurred because of unplanned construction, over-population, obstruction of the natural flow of water and hydel power activities. Not only this, the area is a seismic zone, which makes it prone to frequent earthquakes.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Quizzes:

Polity and Governance (Week 3)

Polity and Governance (Week 4)

Polity and Governance (Week 5)

Polity and Governance (Week 6)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 3)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 4)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 5)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 6)

UPSC Weekly Quiz (Current Affairs)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 3)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 4)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 5)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 5)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 3)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 4)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 5)

International Relations (Week 3)

International Relations (Week 4)

International Relations (Week 5)

International Relations (Week 6)

Tomorrow’s Quiz: Weekly Current Affairs Quiz

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