Geophysical Phenomenon

Context: According to a study, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is losing its stability and is very likely that AMOC will decline over the 21st century. What is Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation(AMOC)? AMOC is a large system of ocean currents. It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or Thermohaline circulation (THC) and distributes …

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Context: The intensity of severe cyclonic storms in the North Indian Ocean region has shown an increasing trend in the past four decades. Why do we need to study the North Indian Ocean? The impact of global warming due to climate change and its effect on extreme weather events such as frequency and high-intensity tropical cyclones formed …

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Utility: Direct question can be asked on this topic. Context: Parts of Canada and USA are reeling under severe heatwave caused due to a heat dome. What is a heat dome? According to The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a heat dome occurs when the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a lid or cap. Heat …

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Context: Earth’s axis of rotation has been rotating faster than normal since the 1990s due to the significant melting of glaciers caused by global warming. According to NASA, the spin axis drifted around 10 cm every year in the 20th century. It means, in a year, polar motion exceeds 10 metres. Concept of earth’s axis …

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Volcanic Eruptions Volcanic eruptions happen when lava and gas are discharged from a volcanic vent. The most common consequences of this are population movements as large numbers of people are often forced to flee the moving lava flow. Types: Volcanic activity and volcanic areas are commonly divided into six major types: Icelandic: It is characterized by effusions of …

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Calving is the glaciological term for the mechanical loss (or simply, breaking off) of ice from a glacier margin. Calving is most common when a glacier flows into water (i.e. lakes or the ocean) but can also occur on dry land, where it is known as dry calving. Process: Before calving occurs, smaller cracks and fractures in glacier ice grow into larger …

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 Why in news? The seismic noise level has dropped by as much as 50 per cent between March and May due to lockdowns this year, according to researchers. What is Seismic Noise? Seismic noise refers to vibrations within the Earth, which are triggered by natural and man-made phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes and bombs. Seismometers, specialised …

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 Babu ChunderSikur Chatterjee’s paper was the earliest record of a tornado’s dynamics in the history of meteorology. What is a Tornado? A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. …

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Tropical cyclones remain the deadliest natural climate hazard that causes an unacceptably high loss of life, property and infrastructure.  Global warming has already resulted in a detectable increase in the number of higher intensity cyclones as well as their intensification. What is Rapid Intensification of Cyclones? RI is defined as an increase in maximum sustained …

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