Geography New Extras Flashcards
Importance of study of seismic waves
- Understanding the internal structure of earth
( draw a dig and mention core, continental vs ocean crust, asethosphere , doscontinuities ) - Earthquake hazard mapping and engineering EQ resistant structures
- Exploration of oil gas and minerals- reflection and refraction recorded to understand sub surface
- To identify geothermal potential - analysing petrophysical parameters of geothermal reservoir
- Understanding effects of climate change and associated cryosphere dynamics
Reasons for the Joshimath cirisis
Natural
1. Ancient landslides, loose soil is the substratum
2. Sesmic zone ( zone V)
3. Alaknanda river and its undercutting - floods and erosion
Anthropogenic
1. Unplanned, unsust devp - hotels , buildings
2. Heavy construction activity - Chardham project
3. Changing of natural drainage - tapovan- vishnugad HEP
4. Estimated that tunnel Boring has led to puncturing and dewatering of aquifer
Governance failure
1. Disregarded the Mishra commitee 1976 report
Wf for joshimath / land subsidence
- Comprehensive survey and hazard mapping
- Nature based solution - afforestation
*** vetiver system - long roots - prevents soil erosion
- Traditional knowledge - Kedarnath shrine able to withstand several disasters
- Eco tourism
- Capacity building , awareness generation and community participation.
Mishra commitee
1. No removal of boulders by digging or blasting hillside
2. Pucca drainage system
3. Restriction on heavy construction
Role of atmospheric factors in determining intensity and distribution of monsoons
- Jet streams
- southern tropical jet stream
- tropical easterly jet stream - Low pressure
- Itcz- low pressure trough - convergence of trade winds
- Localised wind system - land and sea breeze
- Aerosols - modify cloud formation and precipitation process
Role of oceanic factors in determining monsoon
- Sea surface
- strong counter equatorial current - El Niño
- Iod
- Madden Julian oscillation- active and break phases of monsoon
- Warm Oceanic current - Somalian current, west India coastal currents
Introduction to water scarcity
India has 18% of population but only 4% of USABLE water resources and additionally 2/3rd of water resources is confined to 1/3rd of land area
As Karen piper wrote in THE PRICE OF THIRST- people can live in poverty but not without water
Reasons for ground water depletion of india
UNESCO - largest - 25%
- Unsustainable agriculture.
Ex: Punjab - water guzzling crops + power subsidy+ tube well revolution - Increasing population
Ex: chennnai - day zero - population, salt water intrusion, lack of harvesting structures - Unsustainable land use practices
Ex : landfills - Destruction of wetlands and mangroves
- Non conventional energy resources -
Ex: shale gas, cbm
Issues with river interlinking project
Environmental
1. Deforestation- Ken betwa - panna tiger reserves
2. Land submergence
3. Affect migration pattern of fishes
4. Climate is changing - 1/3rd of Himalayas
Social
1. Large scale displacement of people
2. Concern of endangering water security of some areas
Economic
1. Huge budget
Legal
1. Ngt pending
How can floods be converted into source of irrigation and all weather navigation
- River interlinking projects
Ex: Telegu Ganga project - flood water of Krishna to TN - System of dams and lock
Ex: three gorges dam on china’ Yangtze River - Water harvesting system ( draw dig )
- Inundation canals, wiers, small irrigation structures
Why urban flood
- Unplanned development-
- encroachment and concretisation of riparian areas
- poor flood control structures - Loss of water bodies . Ex: Bangalore has lost 65 lakes since 1965
- Change of urban microclimate - pollutant particles- more nuclie for rain producing clouds - intense shower
- Waste management- solid waste disposal
- Outdated infrastructure- Hyderabad century old sewers even after city grew four times
- No capacity building , disaster risk reduction
Way to control urban flood
- Reduce impervious - creating sponge cities - bioswales, green roofs, rain harvesting
- Effective vulnerability assessment and early warning system
Ex: IFLOWS of Mumbai - Natural boundaries ( watershed ) instead of governance boundaries to be considered while infra planning
- NDMA guidelines - trash racks, green roofs , urban flood to be dealt separate from riverine flooding
Humanizing affecting monsoons
- Irrigation
Research - excessive irrigation in northern India reduced temperature and pressure gradient between land and water bodies- reduced rainfall in northern India - Pollutants in urban - nuclei for cloud condensation- increased rainfall
- Urban microclimate changed due to concretisation- more evaporation- more rainfall
- Lesser water percolation- overall water cycle
- Global warming - rise in sea level
Define rare earth elements
Rare Earths are a group of 15 elements in the periodic table known as the Lanthanide series
Major distribution of REE - reserves
- ChinA
- Vietnam , Brazil
- Russia
- Australia
- India
- USA
Production - China, USA, Australia
Application of rare earth elements
- Renewable energy : neodymium in wind turbines
- Electronics - computer hard drives, TV screens - terbium , europium
- Catalytic converter of cars - cerium
- Camera and telescope lenses use lanthanum
- Missile guidance, jet fighter engines etc