Tag: geography

Biggest Volcanoes in the World

Volcanoes are one of the most fascinating and destructive natural phenomena on our planet. They are openings, or vents where lava, tephra (small rocks), and steam erupt onto the Earth’s surface. Volcanic eruptions can last days, months, or even years. They are formed when magma, molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface, rises up and erupts, releasing lava, ash, and gases. Some volcanoes are small and relatively harmless, while others are massive and capable of catastrophic eruptions. In this article, you will read about some of the biggest volcanoes in the world.

  1. Mauna Loa – Hawaii, USA: Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano and the largest subaerial volcano in both mass and volume. It rises 4,170 meters (13,678 feet) above sea level, but most of its bulk is beneath the ocean surface. Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since its first well-documented eruption in 1843 and is considered one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.

  2. Tamu Massif – Pacific Ocean: Tamu Massif is an enormous underwater volcano in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles east of Japan. It is the largest known volcano on Earth, with a height of 4,460 meters (14,628 feet) and a diameter of about 640 km (400 mi). Tamu Massif is thought to have formed about 145 million years ago during the Jurassic period and is now extinct.

  3. Ojos del Salado – Argentina/Chile: Ojos del Salado is the highest active volcano in the world, standing at 6,893 meters (22,615 feet) above sea level. It is located on the border between Argentina and Chile and has erupted several times in the last 1,000 years. Ojos del Salado is part of the Andes mountain range, which is known for its many active and dormant volcanoes.

  4. Mount Kilimanjaro – Tanzania: Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa and one of the most famous mountains in the world. It is actually a dormant volcano that last erupted about 360,000 years ago. Kilimanjaro stands 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) tall and is composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.

  5. Eyjafjallajökull – Iceland: Eyjafjallajökull is a stratovolcano located in Iceland and is known for its 2010 eruption, which caused widespread disruption to air travel across Europe. It stands 1,666 meters (5,466 feet) tall and last erupted in 2010. Eyjafjallajökull is part of a larger volcanic system in Iceland and is considered one of the country’s most active volcanoes.

  6. Mount Etna – Italy: Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with frequent eruptions over the past 2,000 years. Mount Etna stands 3,329 meters (10,922 feet) tall and is composed of several overlapping cones and craters. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular destination for tourists.

  7. Krakatoa – Indonesia: Krakatoa is a volcanic island located in Indonesia and is best known for its catastrophic eruption in 1883. The eruption was one of the deadliest and most destructive in recorded history, causing a massive tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people. Today, the island is still home to an active volcano, although it is closely monitored for signs of another major eruption.

Define coastal zone and its characteristics. Also make a map highlighting the coastal lines of India.

Coastal zone is the area where land meets the sea, it’s a dynamic and constantly changing environment. It typically includes a range of habitats, such as beaches, dunes, cliffs, estuaries, and wetlands. The characteristics of coastal zones vary depending on the specific location, but some common features include:High biological productivity due to the mixing of nutrient-rich water from the ocean and freshwater from rivers.
High levels of biodiversity, with many unique species adapted to the coastal environment.
High levels of human activity, including residential and commercial development, fishing, and tourism.
Vulnerability to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, storm surges, and tsunamis.
India has a long coastline of approximately 7,517 km, which runs along the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean in the south. The coastal zone of India is a unique and diverse environment that supports a variety of ecosystems and habitats, including beaches, mangrove forests, coral reefs, estuaries, and wetlands. The following are some of the characteristics of the coastal zone in India:

High biodiversity: The coastal zone of India is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, many of which are endemic to the region. The mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, for example, are home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, while the coral reefs of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands support a diverse array of marine life.
High levels of human activity: The coastal zone of India is densely populated and supports a variety of economic activities, including fishing, aquaculture, tourism, and port development. This has led to significant environmental degradation, including pollution, habitat loss, and overexploitation of natural resources.
Vulnerability to natural disasters: The coastal zone of India is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, including cyclones, storm surges, and sea-level rise. In recent years, severe weather events such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2017 Cyclone Ockhi, and the 2019 Cyclone Fani have caused significant damage and loss of life along the Indian coast.
Coastal erosion: The coastal zone of India is experiencing significant coastal erosion, particularly in areas of high wave energy and human activity. This is leading to the loss of beaches, dunes, and other important habitats, and is exacerbating the impacts of climate change on the region.
In conclusion, the coastal zone of India is a unique and diverse environment that supports a wide variety of ecosystems and habitats, but is also facing significant environmental challenges. It is important to implement sustainable coastal management practices that balance economic development with environmental conservation and protection of vulnerable coastal communities.

Western Ghats of India

The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Mountain Range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biodiversity hotspot located along the western coast of India. It spans over 1,600 km and covers six Indian states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, and Gujarat. The Western Ghats are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world and have significant ecological, cultural, and economic importance. In this article, we will discuss the significance of the Western Ghats and the conservation efforts undertaken to protect this important ecosystem.

Source – Shutterstock

Significance of the Western Ghats

Ecological Significance:

The Western Ghats are home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, with over 5,000 species of flowering plants, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species, and 290 freshwater fish species. The region is also home to numerous endemic species, which are found nowhere else in the world. The Western Ghats also serve as a catchment area for several major rivers in India, including the Godavari, Krishna, and Cauvery.

Cultural Significance:

The Western Ghats have been inhabited by numerous indigenous communities for thousands of years. These communities have a rich culture and tradition that is closely linked to the natural environment. The Western Ghats are also home to several important pilgrimage sites, including the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala.

Economic Significance:

The Western Ghats are an important source of timber, fuelwood, and non-timber forest products. The region is also home to several important industries, including agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. The Western Ghats also provide numerous ecosystem services, such as regulating the water cycle, carbon sequestration, and soil conservation.

Conservation Efforts

The Western Ghats face numerous threats, including deforestation, mining, hydroelectric projects, and climate change. To protect this important ecosystem, several conservation efforts have been undertaken by the Indian government, non-governmental organizations, and local communities. Some of the key conservation efforts are:

  1. Protected Areas:
    Several protected areas have been established in the Western Ghats to conserve the region’s biodiversity. These include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves. Some of the notable protected areas in the Western Ghats include the Silent Valley National Park, Periyar National Park, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, and Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

  2. Forest Conservation:
    Several initiatives have been undertaken to conserve the forests of the Western Ghats. These include community-based forest management programs, afforestation, and reforestation efforts. The Indian government has also launched several programs, such as the Green India Mission and the National Afforestation Program, to increase forest cover in the region.

  3. Biodiversity Conservation:
    Several initiatives have been undertaken to conserve the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. These include species conservation programs, habitat restoration, and research and monitoring programs. The Indian government has also launched several initiatives, such as the National Biodiversity Act and the National Wildlife Action Plan, to conserve the biodiversity of the Western Ghats.

  4. Community-based Conservation:
    Several community-based conservation programs have been launched in the Western Ghats. These programs involve local communities in the conservation of natural resources and provide them with livelihood opportunities. Some of the notable community-based conservation programs in the Western Ghats include the Malnad Mela, the Bhadra Nethravathi River Valley Community Conserved Area, and the Kerala Conservation Alliance.

How did plate tectonics led to continental drift?

Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that explains the movement and behavior of the Earth’s lithosphere, the outermost layer of the Earth that includes the crust and upper part of the mantle. The theory states that the lithosphere is broken up into several large plates that are constantly moving and interacting with one another.


Source – World Atlas

The movement of the plates is driven by the process of convection in the mantle, which is the transfer of heat from the Earth’s interior to its surface. Hot material rises from the Earth’s core and moves towards the surface, while cooler material sinks back down towards the core. This movement creates a circular flow, known as a convection current, which drives the motion of the plates.

There are three types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform.

  • At divergent boundaries, plates are moving apart from each other. This typically occurs at mid-ocean ridges, where new crust is being created as magma rises up to fill the space created by the diverging plates. This process is known as seafloor spreading.
  • At convergent boundaries, plates are moving towards each other. When one plate is forced underneath another, a process called subduction, it creates a deep ocean trench and can trigger earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. If two plates of continental crust collide, it can result in the formation of mountains. The collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates is responsible for the formation of the Himalayas.
  • At transform boundaries, plates are moving past each other horizontally. This can create faults, which can lead to earthquakes as the plates rub against each other. The San Andreas Fault in California is an example of a transform boundary.

The theory of plate tectonics has provided explanations for many geological phenomena, such as the formation of mountains, the creation of ocean basins, and the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It has also helped explain the distribution of natural resources, such as oil, gas, and mineral deposits.

One example of how plate tectonics has influenced the Earth’s surface is the formation of the continents. Over millions of years, the movement of plates has caused the continents to break apart and come together in different configurations. This process is known as continental drift, and it has played a crucial role in the evolution of life on Earth. The separation of the supercontinent Pangaea into the current configuration of continents allowed for the development of unique ecosystems and species that would not have been possible otherwise.

The study of plate tectonics is ongoing, and scientists continue to explore and discover new aspects of this theory. For example, recent research has shown that the movement of plates can be influenced by factors such as changes in sea level and the formation of mantle plumes, which are hotspots of magma that rise up from the Earth’s core. By understanding the behavior of the plates, scientists can gain insights into the history and future of the Earth’s geological processes.

What are Agro-Climatic Regions of India?

 Geographers use the term “area” to refer to any particular portion of Earth’s surface. It may be as small as a park or a neighborhood, or as large as a continent or an ocean. Metropolitan areas, for example, help define the borders of large population centers for a census and other official purposes. The metropolitan area of Delhi, Mumbai are urban geographic areas.  Area is also an exact measure of the size of a surface with specific boundaries.

The geographical area of India is divided into 15 agro-climatic regions. These are further divided into more homogeneous 72 sub-zones. The 15 agro-climatic zones are:

  • Zone 1 – Western Himalayan Region: Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh
  • Zone 2 – Eastern Himalayan Region: Assam, Sikkim, West Bengal and all North-Eastern states
  • Zone 3 – Lower Gangetic Plains Region: West Bengal
  • Zone 4 – Middle Gangetic Plains Region: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
  • Zone 5 – Upper Gangetic Plains Region: Uttar Pradesh
  • Zone 6 – Trans-Gangetic Plains Region: Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan
  • Zone 7 – Eastern Plateau and Hills Region: Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal
  • Zone 8 – Central Plateau and Hills Region: MP, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
  • Zone 9 – Western Plateau and Hills Region: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
  • Zone 10 – Southern Plateau and Hills Region: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
  • Zone 11 – East Coast Plains and Hills Region: Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry
  • Zone 12 – West Coast Plains and Ghat Region: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra
  • Zone 13 – Gujarat Plains and Hills Region: Gujarat
  • Zone 14 – Western Dry Region: Rajasthan
  • Zone 15 – The Islands Region: Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep
Geographic Areas Examples
Tropical Rainforest Assam and parts of the Sahyadri Mountain Range
Tropical Savannah Sahyadri Mountain Range and parts of Maharashtra
Tropical and subtropical steppe Parts of Punjab and Gujarat
Tropical Desert Most parts of Rajasthan
Moist subtropical with winter Parts of Punjab, Assam, and Rajasthan
Mountain climate Parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttaranchal
Drought Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana
Tropical semi-arid steppe Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and other parts of South India

Structure of the Earth

 The earth’s interior is divided into three layers: crust, mantle, and core. The crust is the earth’s outermost layer, and the core is the earth’s innermost layer, located at a depth of 2900 kilometers. This article provides a brief overview of the earth’s three interior layers.

Core

The core is the source of the Earth’s internal heat. This is due to the presence of radioactive materials, which emit heat as they degrade into more stable materials. The core is located at the center of the Earth. It has two layers –
  • Inner core
  • Outer core

Inner Core – The inner core can reach temperatures of up to 4000°C, while the outer core can reach temperatures of up to 3600°C. The Lehmann Discontinuity is a liquid-solid boundary that exists between these two layers. This is the most intense part of the core. It’s as hot as the Sun’s surface!

The inner core is approximately 1216 km thick. It’s made of solid iron and nickel. These heavy metals would have sunk to the centre of the young Earth. The liquid outer core rotates around the solid inner core.

Outer Core – The outer core is approximately 2270 km thick. It’s made of liquid iron and nickel. Because it is under less pressure than the inner core, it is liquid. This layer is also electrically conductive. This produces the electrical currents that make up the Earth’s magnetic field.

Mantle

The mantle is located above the core. The mantle is composed of two layers of hot, dense, semi-solid rock. The mantle, like the core, has two layers – 

  • Lower Mantles
  • Upper Mantles

These are approximately 2885 km thick. This layer is so massive that it accounts for approximately 84% of the total volume of the Earth! The mantle’s temperature is lower than the core’s. It only gets to about 3000°C. The material becomes less dense as you move from the lower to upper mantle.

A transition zone exists between the lower and upper mantles. It is located 400-660 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface.

The upper mantle is located above the transition zone. This zone extends from 400 km below the Earth’s surface to the crust layer. The asthenosphere is the uppermost part of the upper mantle. The asthenosphere is composed of fluid, soft rock.

Crust 

The crust is our planet’s solid, rigid outer layer. The crust is not a continuous layer of rocks, but consists of large masses called plates, which are free to drift slowly on top of the asthenosphere. It ranges in thickness from 5 to 80 km. The lithosphere is made up of the upper asthenosphere and the crust. 
The ocean floor contains the thinnest parts of the crust. It contributes to the formation of the oceanic crust. This section of the crust may be as thin as 5 km.
The continents contain the thickest parts of the Earth’s crust. It contributes to the formation of the continental crust. This layer of the crust can be up to 80 kilometers thick.
The crust closest to the mantle has a temperature of about 500°C. The temperature of the crust near the Earth’s surface is roughly the same as the temperature of the air.

Salient features of world’s physical geography.

Earth is splendid terrestrial haven. It is imperative to know physical geography through its display of environmental diversity. In scientific studies, it is established that Geography is a word that originated from two Greek roots. Geo-denotes to “Earth,” and graphy stands for “picture or writing.” Geography is the study of earth as the home of present day human being (Sagmit, 1998).The main objective of geography is the assessment, and explanation of Earth, its variability from place to place, the way places and features transform over time, and the processes responsible for these variations and changes. Geography is termed as the spatial science because it incorporates recognizing, analysing, and explaining the variations, similarities, or differences in phenomena situated on the surface of Earth. Geography is unique among the sciences by virtue of its characterization and central purpose. It describes the values and attitudes towards environment and sharpen intellectual and practice skill.

Earth’s structure is divided into three zones that include crust, Mantle and core. Crust is the solid outer layer of the Earth, and its depth is usually never more than 1 per cent of the Earth’s radius, or averaging 40–50 km, but this varies significantly around the sphere. These are two different types: oceanic and continental. Mantle is the region within the Earth’s interior that range from 25 to 70 km below the surface, to a depth of ~2,900 km. It is composed mainly of silicate rocks, rich in iron and magnesium. At the base of the mantle, temperatures may reach up to 5,000°C. These high temperatures may help to generate convection currents which drive plate tectonics. Core is the very centre of the Earth and is composed of iron and nickel. It consists of an outer core (semi-molten) and inner core (solid). The temperature at the very centre of the Earth (~6,300 km below surface) may reach 5,500°C.

Geography is inherently encompassing discipline. It brings together facts from other sciences such as physical biological and social. Physical geography is related to the physical science. Physical geography includes the processes and attributes that constitute Earth which incorporate human activities where they interface with the atmosphere. Different branches of Physical geography are climatology, Meteorology, Geomorphology and pedageography (Sagmit, 1998).Scientific studies have revealed that physical geographers are more interested in comprehending all aspects of Earth and can be considered generalists because they are qualified to scrutinize a natural environment in its entirety, and how it functions as a unit. In physical geography, researchers study about lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Due to interaction of these elements, numerous changes occur on earth surface. Most physical geographers concentrate on advanced study in one or two specialties. For instance, meteorologists and climatologists believe how the interaction of atmospheric components influences weather and climate. Meteorologists focus their studies learning the atmospheric processes that affect daily weather, and they use current data to predict weather conditions. Climatologists are interested in the averages and extremes of long-term weather data, regional classification of climates, monitoring and understanding climatic change and climatic hazard, and the long term impact of atmospheric conditions on human actions and the surroundings.

The factors involved in landform development are as varied as the environments on Earth, and include gravity, running water, stresses in the Earth’s crust, flowing ice in glaciers, volcanic activity, and the erosion or deposition of Earth’s surface materials. Biogeographers scrutinize natural and human-modified environments and the ecological processes that influence their characteristics and distributions, including vegetation change over time. They also research and explain the ranges and patterns of vegetation and animal species, seeking to find out the environmental factors that limit or facilitate their distributions. Several soil scientists are geographers, who are concerned in mapping and analysing soil types, determining the aptness of soils for certain uses, such as agriculture, and working to conserve soil as a natural resource. Geographers are broadly concerned to study water bodies and their processes, movements, impact, quality, and other features. They may serve as hydrologists, oceanographers, or glaciologists. Many geographers involved with water studies also function as water resource managers, who work to ensure that lakes, watersheds, springs, and groundwater sources are suitable to meet human or environmental needs, provide an adequate water supply, and are as free of pollution as possible. Hydrology is merging science. It helps to understand the processes in which water plays an important role in nature through oceans, rivers and glaciers in sustaining life forms of earth surface.

IN OUR CHANGING WORLD NOTHING CHANGES MORE THAN GEOGRAPHY

Structures under water

ocean - Major subdivisions of the oceans | Britannica

Oceanography is one of the largest areas of geography as it deals with the largest form on earth, Ocean. More than half of the earth’s surface is covered with water and it mainly consists of oceans. Even though it looks similar when we look from above, there are deep structures inside the water. Just like the land forms we daily see around us; oceans also have a wide variety of structures. In order to gain a clear idea about those, let us look into it in detail:

Major structures

Continental shelf

A continental shelf is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean. Continents are the seven main divisions of land on Earth. A continental shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop-off point called the shelf break. From the break, the shelf descends toward the deep ocean floor in what is called the continental slope. Even though they are underwater, continental shelves are part of the continent. The widths of the continental shelves vary.

Continental shelf

Continental slopes are regions of steeply sloping seafloor that lie between continental shelves and the deep ocean basins. Regional gradients are typically 2–5°, but locally slopes may be much steeper. Their large-scale morphology is a consequence of tectonic processes: the different elevations of continental crust and oceanic crust, the details of the original rift tectonics on passive continental margins, and the styles of subduction and accretion on convergent margins.

Continental rise

continental rise, a major depositional regime in oceans made up of thick sequences of continental material that accumulate between the continental slope and the abyssal plain. Continental rises form as a result of three sedimentary processes: mass wasting, the deposition from contour currents, and the vertical settling of clastic and biogenic particles.

Abyssal plane

The term ‘abyssal plain’ refers to a flat region of the ocean floor, usually at the base of a continental rise, where slope is less than 1:1000. It represents the deepest and flat part of the ocean floor lying between 4000 and 6500 m deep

Minor structures

Abyssal hills

An abyssal hill is a small hill that rises from the floor of an abyssal plain. They are the most abundant geomorphic structures on the planet Earth, covering more than 30% of the ocean floors. Abyssal hills have relatively sharply defined edges and climb to heights of no more than a few hundred meters. They can be from a few hundred meters to kilometers in width.

Trenches

Ocean trenches are steep depressions in the deepest parts of the ocean, where old ocean crust from one tectonic plate is pushed beneath another plate, raising mountains, causing earthquakes, and forming volcanoes on the seafloor and on land.

Submarine canyons

A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf, having nearly vertical walls, and occasionally having canyon wall heights of up to 5 km, from canyon floor to canyon rim, as with the Great Bahama Canyon.

Ocean has several other wonders hid under its deep waters. If we go deeper new structures unfold.

Structures under water

ocean - Major subdivisions of the oceans | Britannica

Oceanography is one of the largest areas of geography as it deals with the largest form on earth, Ocean. More than half of the earth’s surface is covered with water and it mainly consists of oceans. Even though it looks similar when we look from above, there are deep structures inside the water. Just like the land forms we daily see around us; oceans also have a wide variety of structures. In order to gain a clear idea about those, let us look into it in detail:

Major structures

Continental shelf

A continental shelf is the edge of a continent that lies under the ocean. Continents are the seven main divisions of land on Earth. A continental shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop-off point called the shelf break. From the break, the shelf descends toward the deep ocean floor in what is called the continental slope. Even though they are underwater, continental shelves are part of the continent. The widths of the continental shelves vary.

Continental shelf

Continental slopes are regions of steeply sloping seafloor that lie between continental shelves and the deep ocean basins. Regional gradients are typically 2–5°, but locally slopes may be much steeper. Their large-scale morphology is a consequence of tectonic processes: the different elevations of continental crust and oceanic crust, the details of the original rift tectonics on passive continental margins, and the styles of subduction and accretion on convergent margins.

Continental rise

continental rise, a major depositional regime in oceans made up of thick sequences of continental material that accumulate between the continental slope and the abyssal plain. Continental rises form as a result of three sedimentary processes: mass wasting, the deposition from contour currents, and the vertical settling of clastic and biogenic particles.

Abyssal plane

The term ‘abyssal plain’ refers to a flat region of the ocean floor, usually at the base of a continental rise, where slope is less than 1:1000. It represents the deepest and flat part of the ocean floor lying between 4000 and 6500 m deep

Minor structures

Abyssal hills

An abyssal hill is a small hill that rises from the floor of an abyssal plain. They are the most abundant geomorphic structures on the planet Earth, covering more than 30% of the ocean floors. Abyssal hills have relatively sharply defined edges and climb to heights of no more than a few hundred meters. They can be from a few hundred meters to kilometers in width.

Trenches

Ocean trenches are steep depressions in the deepest parts of the ocean, where old ocean crust from one tectonic plate is pushed beneath another plate, raising mountains, causing earthquakes, and forming volcanoes on the seafloor and on land.

Submarine canyons

A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf, having nearly vertical walls, and occasionally having canyon wall heights of up to 5 km, from canyon floor to canyon rim, as with the Great Bahama Canyon.

Ocean has several other wonders hid under its deep waters. If we go deeper new structures unfold.

Global Warming

Global warming’ is the term used to describe the rise in global surface temperatures. The term is often used interchangeably with ‘climate change’. The phenomenon revolves around the rise in surface temperatures – over land and oceans – that have led to an accelerated increase in temperatures. This has in turn led to the progressive shrinkage of the glaciers and polar ice caps, leading to rise in sea level. Another observed effect has been the disruption of cyclical weather patterns and the rising number of freak natural disasters.

The rise in temperatures has been attributed to the build-up of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, at especially accelerated levels as a result of the industrialisation of the past 100 years. A concerted global effort to counter and mitigate the effects of this phenomenon has been elusive, with developed nations and developing countries facing off over the respective levels of emission cuts they would have to effect domestically.

However, there is also a considerable minority, especially in the US, that holds the assumption that global warming as a hoax perpetrated by certain countries for their own benefit.

Climate change: Everyone Focused on saving lives till now, time to save livelihood as well:

According to a Climate Central map, hundreds of cities on India’s eastern coast will be under water by 2050. CEEW says more than 80% of India’s population is vulnerable to “extreme climate risks”

According to a map created by Climate Central, hundreds of cities on the eastern coast of India will be under water by the year 2050. Over 27 states and union territories in India and more than 80% of the country’s population are vulnerable to “extreme climate risks”, says a report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water.

These statistics show that the lives of many communities are put in danger due to climate change, and that a significant number of them lose their livelihood to it as well. Ritayan Mukherjee, a photojournalist, shares that while covering the pastoral nomads in the Himalayas, he came across the Changpa community who take their yak and sheep to grazing grounds that are 10,000-11,000 feet above the sea level. “The livelihood of these people is directly dependent on nature, because they move with their herd from one place to another,” says he.



Mukherjee shares that because of global warming, rising temperatures and the winter months getting shorter, the pastoralists have to take their herds to even higher grazing grounds. A report that Mukherjee worked on for the People’s Archive of Rural India said that the yak population in Leh fell about 57% between 1991-2010, according to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. A lot of these pastoralists don’t just depend on yak for their economic incomes, but they also use the yak-wool to build traditional tents, called Rebos. However, Mukherjee shares that these residential tents have disappeared over the past few years for reasons that can be attributed to climate change.

According to a Climate Central map, hundreds of cities on India’s eastern coast will be under water by 2050. CEEW says more than 80% of India’s population is vulnerable to “extreme climate risks”.

How many headlines and news articles did you come across in the last month that told you the condition of the climate is deteriorating? That a big chunk of our lives will be lost battling global warming in the next few decades? It’s no secret that climate change is impacting lives every single day, but let’s take a look at how it has been affecting us and what we can do to change its course.

GUANO ISLANDS

Guano islands were discovered on a series of islands off the coast of Peru. These islands are rocky and barren and have no vegetation owning to lack of rain in the area.

The word ‘GUANO’ originated from the Andean indigenous language Quechua, which refers to any form of dung used as a fertilizer in agriculture. So what is guano? Dropping of certain fish eating birds are called as guano. Three birds are primarily producers of guano- white breasted cormorants, grey pelicans and white head gannets or piqueros. Millions of this types of birds reside on these islands because of this island isolation from natural predators and large reserves of anchovy fishes. Due to lack of rain their dropping gets baked in the dry atmosphere preventing nitrates in these droppings from evaporating make it a good fertilizer. Over the course of years guano reserves have accumulated into a thick layer of 100-150 feet guano fertilizer.

Guano has valuable agricultural benefits as it’s a natural fertilizer the crop yields improved which made it high prized commodity during 19th century. It was heavily traded by the European and American traders. It helped to build Peru economy. It Haas been estimated that around mid 1800’s Peruvian excavated over 20,000,000 tons of guano making a huge profit. Eventually Peru suffered a loss due depleted guno and introduction of artificial fertilizers.

Since 1909, the Peruvian government has taken measures to conserve guano reserves by establishing the GUANO ADMINISTRATION COMPANY . The methods includes;

. Keeping the islands off limits to reacumulate their guano reserves and not disturbing the natural habitat of these birds.

. Controlling the commercial fishing industry and setting measures to conserve guano birds feeds.

. Establishing preservation parks on the main land where some birds can migrate so that they can be safe from predators.

. Limiting guano exports and preventing disruption of ocean ecosystem.

Knowing the Indian Ocean

After the Pacific and the Atlantic, let’s move onto the Indian ocean

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com

Hope you remember the acronym- PAISA

  1. Pacific
  2. Atlantic
  3. Indian
  4. Southern
  5. Antarctic

These oceans are arranged in the decreasing order of their sizes.

The third largest ocean based upon its size, it is the only ocean in the whole world to be named after a country. It covers 27,240,000 sq ml or 19.8 percent of the world’s water on the Earth’s surface. Bounded by Asia to the north, southern ocean to the south, Africa to the west and the Indonesian islands (the strait of Malacca) and Australia to the east, it also hass many marginal seas and islands.

Marginal Seas:

  1. Bay of Bengal
  2. Arabian sea
  3. Laccadive sea
  4. Java sea
  5. Andaman Sea
  6. Timor Sea
  7. Red sea
  8. Persian Gulf
  9. Gulf of Aden
  10. Gulf of Oman
  11. Gulf of Suez
  12. Molucca sea
  13. Gulf of Khambhat

Major islands

  1. Andaman and Nicobar
  2. Lakshadweep
  3. Maldives
  4. Madagascar
  5. Reunion
  6. Seychelles
  7. Mauritius
  8. Comoros
  9. Indonesia

Enclosed by land on three sides, it is centered along the Indian peninsula and doesn’t extend from pole to pole. It has roughly 800 drainage basin of which 50% are located in Asia, 30 % in Africa and 20% in Australia. It is considered to have subtropical climate. The northern half of the Indian ocean experience monsoon winds that lead to reversal in direction of winds (caused by the movement of ITCZ that in summers reaches above the Tibetan plateau, due to the apparent movement of sun) during summers and winters. This brings the monsoon winds to India during the rainy season(80% of the Monsoon rains dependent on them).

40 % of the total sediments found in this ocean are the results of deposition of the Ganga and Indus fans, the largest submarine fans of the world. The western Indian ocean has the largest phytoplankton blooms in summer due to the monsoon winds (they lead to the ocean water upwelling, building nutrient rich cold water to the surface of the ocean). These phytoplankton later support a complete ecosystem, acting as the primary food producers in the chain, in the ocean leading to high concentration of fish and other marine organisms. Thus, harm to the growth of these phytoplankton (continuously on the rise due to global warming, dumping of acidic and industrial waste water and algae bloom) can further destroy the fragile marine ecosystem.

There are 10 large marine ecosystems in the Indian Ocean-

  1. Agulhas current
  2. Somali coastal current
  3. Red sea current
  4. Persian gulf current
  5. Arabian sea
  6. Bay of Bengal
  7. Gulf of Thailand
  8. West central Australian shelf
  9. Northwest Australian shelf
  10. Southwest Australian shelf

Coastal reefs, sea grass bed and Mangrove forest: The most productive and important ecosystems. This ocean has 36 biodiversity hotspots and is an actively spreading and expanding ocean(having only two trenches- The Java and Sunda trench and the Makaran trench). It also has an active volcanic hotspot- The Reunion hotspot(currently below the reunion islands). Salinity follows the trends similar to the Atlantic ocean(though it doesn’t extend towards the poles.)

This is all about the Indian ocean. See you tomorrow with the Southern ocean.

Well, It’s geographically strange…

Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com

Hey you all there!!

Here are some facts, I heard or read somewhere and it stuck my mind as strange or unique or interesting and I thought that why not share them with you all. And so here we go-

  1. If most of the sunlight falls on the equator then naturally the oceans in this region should have the highest temperature. But, it turns out that the temperate region’s oceans waters have the highest temperature. And here’s why. The temperature at the equator is high but so is the average yearly rainfall. The higher rainfall sort of counter balances the high temperature. But the rainfall at the temperate regions isn’t that high and so the overall temperature there is higher.
  2. The Norwegian sea lies near the Arctic ocean and its neighbouring countries include Iceland, Greenland and Russia. But, even after being in such a low temperature zone, the water of Norwegian sea doesn’t freeze in winters and the ships are still able to pass while those travelling through Russia aren’t. Well, it is due to a warm oceanic current that goes by the name of Norwegian current that keeps the water way above the freezing point.
  3. The northern part of the Indian ocean experiences both clockwise and anti-clockwise direction of ocean current and it is a feature of the country’s seasons. It was a reason of flourishing trade as well as inter-mixing of the Arabian and the Indian people as the ships travelling had to wait for the seasons to change so that the currents could effectively be used to travel.
  4. Japan has a very high land area as mountainous and a very small area of land. Combine this with the steep continental shelf of the nearby Pacific ocean and the meeting of warm and cold oceanic current, it provides for a very good fishing ground. It is why the Japanese people have a staple diet of fish (in addition to some cultural reasons).
  5. Most of the world’s active volcanoes are concentrated in the Pacific ocean in the ring of fire that is a junction point of several tectonic plates, followed by the Mediterranean sea.
  6. The South pole has a lower temperature as compared to that of the North pole. It is because south pole is a land region surrounded with water and the land region has high altitude mountains that help in lowering the temperature. Most of the ozone holes occur in this region.
  7. The Pacific ocean is sinking and after some million years, it won’t be the largest ocean of the world. Oh! And the Atlantic ocean is expanding, all a result of tectonic plate interaction. This is also why the Himalayas in our country is growing(at the rate of 1 cm/year, though the rate might be soon slowing down as the collision between the Eurasian and Indian plate is slowing down.).
  8. 31 December in Alaska is 1 January in Russia. Now, you know what to do if you happen to stumble upon in Russia during the new year’s eve.

Well, this is all in ‘geographically strange’. If you all like it, I will do a part 2 . Next in this series is ‘biologically strange’. So, stay tuned..