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Subject: Geography

  • What is South Atlantic Anomaly?

    New data obtained by the European Space Agency (ESA) Swarm satellites has revealed the existence of a mysterious anomaly weakening the Earth’s magnetic field. Termed as ‘South Atlantic Anomaly’, it extends all the way from South America to southwest Africa.

    The term ‘South Atlantic Anomaly’ at its first sight looks similar to any climate/oceanic current related phenomena. But it’s not! This is where you can end up losing 2.66 marks in the prelims!

    What is South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA)?

    • The SAA is referred to the behaviour of Earth’s Geo-Magnetic field in an area between Africa and South America.
    • The SAA is an area where the Earth’s inner Van Allen radiation belt comes closest to the Earth’s surface, dipping down to an altitude of 200 kilometres.
    • This leads to an increased flux of energetic particles in this region and exposes orbiting satellites to higher-than-usual levels of radiation.
    • The effect is caused by the non-concentricity of the Earth and its magnetic dipole.
    • The SAA is the near-Earth region where the Earth’s magnetic field is weakest relative to an idealized Earth-centered dipole field.

    Weakening of the magnetic field

    • Over the last 200 years, the magnetic field has lost around 9% of its strength on a global average.
    • A large and rapid shrink has been observed in the SAA region over the past 50 years just as the area itself has grown and moved westward.
    • The weakening of the magnetic field is also causing technical difficulties for the satellites and spacecraft orbiting the planet.
    • The study conducted between 1970 and 2020, said that the magnetic field weakened considerably in a large region stretching from Africa to South America, known as the ‘SAA’.
    • This area has grown and moved westward at a rate of around 20 km per year.

    Its impact

    • The magnetic shield has an important role to play in keeping unwanted radiation away as well as helping determine the location of magnetic poles.
    • Even though unlike global warming or any weather change, this anomaly doesn’t directly impact human lives, it could actually bring on a change in the way we access technology.
    • The reversal and apparent shift, which could keep extending could actually impact satellite and telecommunication system, which means that some of the internet and mobile phone functioning which depend on satellite signals can possibly get disrupted.
    • It could also affect the mapping and navigation systems in smartphones.
    • The weakening of earth’s magnetic field could also impact migratory movement.
    • Birds, animals- all those who migrate with the change in season depend on the earth’s mapping to move about can find it a little difficult.
    • This is only a possibility, but we don’t know the extent of the damage till now.

    About the Van Allen Radiation Belt

    • A Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles, most of which originate from the solar wind, that are captured by and held around a planet by that planet’s magnetic field.
    • The belts are located in the inner region of Earth’s magnetosphere. The belts trap energetic electrons and protons.
    • Earth has two such belts and sometimes others may be temporarily created.
    • Most of the particles that form the belts are thought to come from solar wind and other particles by cosmic rays.
    • By trapping the solar wind, the magnetic field deflects those energetic particles and protects the atmosphere from destruction.

    Also read:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/shifting-north-magnetic-pole-forces-urgent-navigation-fix/

    Back2Basics: Swarm  Constellation

    • Swarm is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission to study the Earth’s magnetic field.
    • It is ESA’s first constellation of satellites for Earth observation.
    • The Swarm constellation consists of three satellites (Alpha, Bravo and Charlie) placed in two different polar orbits, two flying side by side at an altitude of 450 km and a third at an altitude of 530 km.

  • Super Cyclone Amphan and its threats

    The storm system in the Bay of Bengal, Amphan, developed into a super cyclone and is expected to make landfall along the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast very soon.

    Realted PYQ:

    Q. In the South Atlantic and South Eastern Pacific regions in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is the reason? (CSP 2015)

    (a) Sea Surface temperature are low
    (b) Inter Tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs
    (c) Coriolis force is too weak
    (d) Absence of land in those regions

    Super Cyclone Amphan

    • Cyclone Amphan is a tropical cyclone formed over the Bay of Bengal that has intensified and likely to turn into a “super cyclonic storm (maximum wind speed is 224 kmph)”.
    • It has been named by Thailand.
    • Amphan is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
    • By the time it makes landfall in West Bengal, Amphan is expected to tone down into a category 4 Extremely Severe Cyclonic (ESC) storm with a wind speed of 165-175 kmph and gusting to 195 kmph.

    What makes it a nightmare?

    • This is the first super cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal after the 1999 super cyclone that hit Odisha and claimed more than 10,000 lives.
    • It is the third super cyclone to occur in the North Indian Ocean region after 1999 which comprises of the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the northern part of the Indian Ocean.
    • The other two super cyclones were Cyclone Kyarr in 2019 and Cyclone Gonu in 2007.

    Recent cyclones in the region

    • From 1965 to 2017, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea collectively registered 46 ‘severe cyclonic storms’.
    • More than half of them occurred between October and December.
    • Seven of them occurred in May and only two (in 1966 and 1976) were recorded in April, according to data from the IMDs cyclone statistics unit.
    • Cyclone Phailin in 2013 and the super cyclone of 1999 — both of which hit coastal Odisha — have been the most powerful cyclones in the Bay of Bengal in the past two decades in terms of wind speed.
    • Last year, Fani, which was an ESC made landfall in Odisha and ravaged the State, claiming at least 40 lives.

    Back2Basics: Tropical Cyclones

    • Cyclones are formed over slightly warm ocean waters.
    • The temperature of the top layer of the sea, up to a depth of about 60 metres, need to be at least 28°C to support the formation of a cyclone.
    • This explains why the April-May and October-December periods are conducive for cyclones.
    • Then, the low level of air above the waters needs to have an ‘anticlockwise’ rotation (in the northern hemisphere; clockwise in the southern hemisphere).
    • During these periods, there is an ITCZ in the Bay of Bengal whose southern boundary experiences winds from west to east, while the northern boundary has winds flowing east to west.
    • This induces the anticlockwise rotation of the air.
    • Once formed, cyclones in this area usually move northwest. As it travels over the sea, the cyclone gathers more moist air from the warm sea and adds to its heft.

    What strengthens them?

    • A thumb rule for cyclones is that the more time they spend over the seas, the stronger they become.
    • Hurricanes around the US, which originate in the vast open Pacific Ocean, are usually much stronger than the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, a relatively narrow and enclosed region.
    • The cyclones originating here, after hitting the landmass, decay rapidly due to friction and absence of moisture.

    Grading of Cyclones

    • Tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are graded according to maximum wind speeds at their centre.
    • At the lower end are depressions that generate wind speeds of 30 to 60 km per hour, followed by:
    1. cyclonic storms (61 to 88 kmph)
    2. severe cyclonic storms (89 to 117 kmph)
    3. very severe cyclonic storms (118 to 166 kmph)
    4. extremely severe cyclonic storms (167 to 221 kmph) and
    5. super cyclones (222 kmph or higher)

  • Risk of Early Locusts Attacks: A new concern

    Locusts normally arrive during July-October but have already been spotted in Rajasthan. At a time India is battling COVID, they present a new worry with their potential for exponential growth and crop destruction.

    Along with being a disaster issue, Locust attack is also a challenge for India’s food security. Discuss what socio – economic and technological ways can be adopted to tackle this menance.

    What exactly are Locusts?

    • The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a short-horned grasshopper that is innocuous while it is in a “solitary phase” and moving about independently.
    • These winged insects differ from normal hoppers and become dangerous only when their populations build up rapidly and the close physical contact in crowded conditions triggers behavioural changes.
    • They, then, enter the “gregarious phase”, by grouping into bands and forming swarms that can travel great distances (up to 150 km daily), while eating up every bit of vegetation on the way.
    • If not controlled at the right time, these insect swarms can threaten the food security of countries.

    How seriously should the first sightings be viewed?

    • The damage potential of locusts has been limited in India only because of the country hosting a single breeding season — unlike Pakistan, Iran and East Africa, where they also multiply during January-June.
    • There’s nothing much to worry right now, as the rabi crop has already been harvested and farmers are yet to commence plantings for the new Kharif season.
    • The locusts’ bands so observed are less populated. But their timing, though, is cause for concern.
    • The normal breeding season for locusts in India is July-October. But this time, they have been sighted by mid-April.
    • Last year, too, they were seen towards end-May as isolated grasshoppers.
    • The longer time to breed is more conducive for a build-up of gregarious insect swarms, as opposed to solitary, innocuous hoppers.

    Control measures in India

    • India has a Locust Control and Research scheme that is being implemented through the Locust Warning Organisation (LWO), established in 1939.
    • It was amalgamated in 1946 with the Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) of the Ministry of Agriculture.
    • The LWO’s responsibility is monitoring and control of the locust situation in Scheduled Desert Areas mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and partly in Punjab and Haryana.
    • The LWO publishes a fortnightly bulletin on the locust situation.

    What kind of damage can they cause?

    • Locusts are polyphagous, i.e. they can feed on a wide variety of crops.
    • Secondly, they have the ability to multiply rapidly. A single female desert locust lays 60-80 eggs thrice during its roughly 90-day life cycle.
    • It is estimated that a 1-square-km area can accommodate 40-80 million of these insects, making the growth of their swarms exponential quite like the Covid-19 virus.

    What is the genesis of the present locust upsurge, particularly in East Africa?

    • It lies in the Mekunu and Luban cyclonic storms of May and October 2018 that struck Oman and Yemen, respectively.
    • These turned large desert areas in remote parts of the southern Arabian Peninsula into lakes, which allowed the insects to breed undetected across multiple generations.
    • The swarms attacking crops in East Africa reached peak populations from November onwards while building up since the start of this year in southern Iran and Pakistan.
    • Widespread rains in East Africa in late March and April have enabled further breeding.
    • Prior to that, the locusts from spring breeding areas of southwest Pakistan and southern Iran would arrive in Rajasthan and Gujarat during May-June.
    • They would, then, breed with the onset of the southwest monsoon rains and continue doing so through the Kharif cropping season.

    What can and should be done?

    • If the monsoon is good, and in the absence of control operations, the magnitude of attack could be worse than in the 2019-20 rabi season.
    • The last year’s locust incursions were the first and most significant since 1993.
    • Local authorities in Rajasthan and Gujarat had to treat over 4.30 lakh hectares of infested areas with sprayers mounted on tractors and other vehicles.

    Pesticides give better control

    • The old generation organophosphate insecticides such as Malathion (96% ultra-low volume aerial application) are effective against locusts.
    • About one litre of the chemical is necessary to treat a hectare of their breeding areas, including trees where they halt for the night.
    • There is ample stock of pesticides to control any swarms in India.

    Click here to read about the complete genesis of Locusts and their origin:

    Locust Invasions and its mitigation

  • Vizag Gas Leak: What is Styrene Gas?

    A gas leak has claimed at least 11 lives and affected thousands of residents in five villages in Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.  The source of the leak was a styrene plant owned by South Korean electronics giant LG.

    Practice question:

    Despite a robust policy framework governing the hazardous chemicals in India, the recent gas leakage incident in Vizag highlights India’s unaddressed vulnerability to chemical disasters. Criticallly comment.

    Vizag gas lead: What is styrene?

    • It is a flammable liquid that is used in the manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fibreglass, rubber, and latex.
    • Styrene is also found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables.
    • According to The Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989, styrene is classified as a toxic and hazardous chemical.

    What happens when exposed to styrene?

    • A short-term exposure to the substance can result in respiratory problems, irritation in the eyes, irritation in the mucous membrane, and gastrointestinal issues.
    • And long-term exposure could drastically affect the central nervous system and lead to other related problems like peripheral neuropathy.
    • It is, likely, a carcinogenic substance that can react with oxygen in the air to mutate into styrene dioxide, a substance that is more lethal.
    • However, there is no sufficient evidence despite several epidemiology studies indicating there may be an association between styrene exposure and an increased risk of leukaemia and lymphoma.

    What are the symptoms?

    • Symptoms include headache, hearing loss, fatigue, weakness, difficulty in concentrating etc.
    • Animal studies have reported effects on the nervous system, liver, kidney, and eye and nasal irritation from inhalation exposure to styrene.

    How bad is the situation in Visakhapatnam?

    • It is yet unclear whether the deaths are due to direct exposure to styrene gas or one of its byproducts.
    • However, hundreds of people including many children were admitted to hospitals.
    • The cases are high as the gas leak was only detected at 3 am in the morning, meaning several crucial hours have been lost till safety precautions were taken.
    • More fatally, the gas was leaked while people were fast asleep.

    What caused the leak?

    • Styrene monomer was used at the manufacturing plant to produce expandable plastics.
    • The storage requirement of styrene monomer strictly mentions that it has to be below 17 degrees Celsius.
    • There was a temporary and partial shutdown of the plant because of the nationwide lockdown.
    • The leak occurred as a result of styrene gas not being kept at the appropriate temperature.
    • This caused a pressure build-up in the storage chamber that contained styrene and caused the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage.

    Is it under control?

    • The leak has been plugged and NDRF teams moved into the five affected villages and have started opening the houses to find out if anyone was stranded inside.
    • The Covid-19 preparedness helped a lot as dozens of ambulances with oxygen cylinders and ventilators were readily available.
    • The spread of the gas depends on wind speeds. So far it is estimated that areas within a five-kilometre radius have been affected.

    What are the guidelines on the storage of hazardous chemicals in plants?

    After the Bhopal disaster, much legislation was enacted starting from the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991. They are-

    Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Omnibus act, which gives sweeping powers to Central government to take all measures to protect the environment
    Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 Set discharge and product standards – source standards for restricting pollution; product standards for manufactured goods and ambient air and water standards – for regulating quality of life and environmental protection
    Hazardous Waste (Management Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 1989 Industry required to identify major accident hazards, take preventive measures and submit a report to the designated authorities
    Manufacture, Storage And Import Of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 Importer must furnish complete product safety information to the competent authority and must transport imported chemicals in accordance with the amended rules.
    Chemical Accidents (Emergency, Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996 Centre is required to constitute a central crisis group for management of chemical accidents; set up quick response mechanism termed as the crisis alert system. Each state is required to set up a crisis group and report on its work.
    Factories Amendment Act, 1987 Provision to regulate siting of hazardous units; safety of workers and nearby residents and mandates for on-site emergency plans and disaster control measures
    Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 Imposes a no-fault liability on the owner of hazardous substance and requires the owner to compensate victims of accident irrespective of any neglect or default. For this, the owner is required to take out an insurance policy covering potential liability from any accident.

     

  • ‘Lost at Home’ Report by UNICEF

    More than five million people were internally displaced in India due to natural disasters, conflict and violence in 2019, constituting the highest number of new internal displacements in the world.

    Try to answer:

    ‘Environmental migrant’ is an issue that globally countries should start taking seriously. Discuss the statement with respect to India which already ranks high in climate vulnerability.

    The ‘Lost at Home’ Report

    • The report is published by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
    • It says that almost 33 million new displacements were recorded in 2019 — around 25 million were due to natural disasters and 8.5 million as a consequence of conflict and violence.
    • Of these, there were 12 million new displacements involving children, including around 3.8 million of them caused by conflict and violence, and 8.2 million due to disasters linked mostly to weather-related events.
    • The report said that natural disasters resulted in more new displacements than conflict and violence.
    • Almost 10 million new displacements in 2019 were recorded in East Asia and the Pacific (39 %) — and almost the same number in South Asia (9.5 million).
    • The report looks at the risks internally displaced children face —child labour, child marriage, trafficking among them — and the actions urgently needed to protect them.

    Displacement in India

    • India, the Philippines, Bangladesh and China all suffered from natural disasters leading to displacement in the millions, which accounted for 69% of global disaster-induced displacements.
    • These were overwhelmingly caused by extreme conditions created by dangerous storms and floods.
    • In India, the total number of new internal displacements in 2019 stood at 5,037,000 – including 5,018,000 due to natural disasters and 19,000 because of conflict and violence.

    Global Scenario

    • India is followed by the Philippines, Bangladesh and China.
    • The Philippines accounted for 4.27 million new internal displacements due to natural disasters, conflict and violence, Bangladesh 4.08 million and China 4.03 million.
    • The largest number of internally displaced children due to conflict is found in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and sub-Saharan Africa.
    • Internally displaced persons are concentrated in two regions — the Middle East and North Africa and West and Central Africa.
    • The MENA region recorded over 12 million IDPs as a result of conflict and violence at the end of 2019. Almost all of them lived in just three countries — Syria, Yemen, and Iraq — and around 5 million were children.

    What makes the situation worse?

    • The COVID-19 pandemic is only making a critical situation worse.
    • Camps or informal settlements are often overcrowded and lack adequate hygiene and health services.
    • Physical distancing is often not possible, creating conditions that are highly conducive to the spread of the disease, the report said.

  • [pib] River erosion in Ladakh Himalayas

    Indian researchers have studied rivers in Ladakh Himalaya, bringing out 35 thousand-year histories of river erosion and identified hotspots of erosion and wide valleys that act buffer zones.

    Click here to read more about the Himalayan river systems and its orogeny

    Erosion hotspot: Ladakh region

    • The Ladakh Himalaya forms a high altitude desert between Greater Himalayan ranges and Karakoram Ranges.
    • The Indus and its tributaries are major rivers flowing through the terrain.
    • The Zanskar River is one of the largest tributaries of the upper Indus catchment, draining orthogonally through highly deformed Zanskar ranges.

    Zanskar: A major river in Ladakh

    • Two prominent tributaries of Zanskar River are the Doda and Tsrap Lingti Chu, which confluence at Padam village in the upper valley to form the Zanskar River.
    • Zanskar catchment was explored to understand the landform evolution in the transitional climatic zone, using morpho-stratigraphy and study of landforms like valley fill terraces, alluvial fans (triangle-shaped deposit of gravel, sand, and even smaller pieces of sediment, such as silt).

    Zanskar Padam

    • Zanskar river makes a deep gorge in its lower reaches with the headwaters in upper Zanskar makes wide basin called as Padam.
    • The basin stores large amount of sediments in form of fans and river terrace deposits
    • The research suggested that the wide valley of Padam, with an area of 48 square km, in the upper Zanskar, has stored a vast amount of sediments in these landforms.
    • Thus Padam valley is a hotspot of sediment buffering in the Zanskar.

    Sediment study reveals the erosion

    • The study suggested that most sediments were derived from Higher Himalayan crystalline that lies in the headwater region of Zanskar.
    • It was found out that dominant factors responsible for sediment erosion were deglaciation and Indian Summer Monsoon derived precipitation in the headwaters despite the presence of a geomorphic barrier (the deep, narrow gorge).

    Significance of the study

    • The scientists have traced where the rivers draining Himalaya and its foreland erode the most and identify the zones that receive these eroded sediments and fill up.
    • The study will help understand river-borne erosion and sedimentation, which are the main drivers that make large riverine plains, terraces, and deltas that eventually become the cradle to evolving civilizations.
    • It will also help study the dynamics of devastating floods created by these Himalayan rivers in recent times.
    • Thus, the understanding of water and sediment routing becomes crucial while developing infrastructure and for other development works in the river catchment area.

  • New list of names of tropical cyclones over north Indian Ocean

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released a new list containing 169 names of future tropical cyclones that would emerge in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

    When is the name of a Tropical Cyclone declared?

    • Names are declared when TCs are diagnosed with maximum sustained surface wind-speed of 34 knots (62 kmph) or more as per Global Data Processing and Forecasting System (GDPFS) Manual of WMO.
    • Panel Members’ names will be listed alphabetically country-wise.

    We can expect a statement based prelim question like – Which of the following criterion are followed while naming a tropical cyclone?

    Who is involved in the naming of Tropic Cyclone?

    • Worldwide there are six regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) mandated for issuing advisories and naming of tropical cyclones.
    • IMD is one of the six RSMCs to provide tropical cyclone and storm surge advisories to 13 member countries under WMO/ESCAP Panel.
    • The panel countries include Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
    • RSMC, New Delhi is also mandated to name the Tropical Cyclones developing over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

    Since when did naming begin?

    • The WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC) at its twenty-seventh Session held in 2000 in Muscat, agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
    • After long deliberations among the member countries, the naming of the tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean commenced from September 2004.
    • This list contained names proposed by the eight member countries of WMO/ESCAP PTC, viz., Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

    Why name Cyclones?

    The naming of Tropical Cyclones (TC) helps the scientific community, disaster managers, media and general masses to-

    • identify each individual cyclone.
    • create awareness of its development.
    • remove confusion in case of simultaneous occurrence of TCs over a region
    • remember a TC easily
    • rapidly and effectively disseminate warnings to a much wider audience

    Major criteria adopted for naming

    • The proposed name should be neutral to (a) politics and political figures (b) religious believes, (c) cultures and (d) gender
    • The name should be chosen in such a way that it does not hurt the sentiments of any group of the population over the globe
    • It should not be very rude and cruel in nature
    • The maximum length of the name will be eight letters
    • The Panel reserves the right to reject any name if any of the criteria above are not satisfied
    • The names of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean will not be repeated. Once used, it will cease to be used again.

    Back2Basics

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/explained-naming-of-cyclones/

  • Rohtang Pass and its location

    The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has opened the Rohtang Pass, three weeks in advance, for transporting essential supplies and relief materials to Lahaul and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh.

     Rohtang Pass

    • It is a high mountain pass (elevation 3,980 m) on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali.
    • It connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.
    • The pass lies on the watershed between the Chenab and Beas basins.
    • On the southern side of this pass, the Beas River emerges from underground and flows southward and on its northern side, the Chandra River, a source stream of the river Chenab, flows westward.

    Another pass in new:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/sela-pass-tunnel-project/

  • Daporijo Bridge and its significance

    A key bridge over the Subansiri River in Arunachal Pradesh close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in record 27 days.

    North-East has seen the construction of a series of bridges by BRO in recent times post-Doklam standoff. Make a note of all such bridges and the corresponding rivers over which they are built.

     Daporijo Bridge

    • This Bridge is one of the two over River Subansiri which connect Daporji in North Subansiri dist. with rest of state.
    • This and the other bridge at Tamin sustaining more than 600 villages and troops strength of around 3000 personnel manning the LAC which includes disputed Areas of Asaphila and Maza.
    • All supplies, rations, constructional material and medicines pass over this bridge.
    • The new bridge now can withstand 40 tonnes of weight allowing a safe passage for heavier vehicles catering for the requirements of the Indian Army as well as future infrastructure development requirements.

    Significance

    • India has speeded up the construction of critical infrastructure in its northeast in the past half a dozen years including airports, railways and roads with an eye on China that has motorable roads right up to the border.
    • Arunachal Pradesh was the scene of the 1962 India-China border conflict that ended badly for India. China on its parts claims all of the state as “Southern Tibet.”
    • Of the 3488 km long Line of Actual Control with China 1126 lies with Arunachal Pradesh alone.
    • The two countries are yet to demarcate their border with the two sides patrolling the LAC but reporting incursions by the other side since the frontier is not clearly marked.

  • Matterhorn Mountain of the Swiss Alps

    Switzerland has expressed solidarity with India in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic by projecting the tricolour on the famous Matterhorn Mountain in the Swiss Alps.

    It has been long time since a question on global mountains/mountain ranges has not been asked in the prelims. Gear up for the uncertainty. Make a special sheet of geographical locations in news.

    Mt. Matterhorn

    • The Matterhorn is a mountain of the Alps, separating the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy.
    • It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is 4,478 metres.
    • It is one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe (Mont Blanc being highest).
    • The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the Hörnli, Furggen, Leone/Lion, and Zmutt ridges.

    Its formation

    • The Matterhorn is mainly composed of gneisses originally fragments of the African Plate before the Alpine orogeny.
    • The mountain’s current shape is the result of cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from the peak, such as the Matterhorn Glacier at the base of the north face.

    Back2Basics: Alps mountain range

    • The Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe.
    • It stretches approximately 1,200 kilometres across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia.
    • The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided.
    • Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.
    • Mont Blanc spans the French–Italian border, and at 4,809 m (15,778 ft) is the highest mountain in the Alps.