Masters of survival: Nature's top adaptors
Emperor Penguins survive by teamwork
These Antarctic birds huddle in rotating groups to share warmth in -40°C winters, relying on collective effort to endure the harsh climate.
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Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: India's First Polar Research Vehicle – A must-know for UPSC
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: Arctic sea ice has been shrinking for decades. Several expeditions have been sent to study the impact of climate change in this region. In 2018, a Mains question was asked on India's interest in the Arctic region. Prelims question was asked on the Arctic Council. In this regard, India's signing of the MoU for the building of the first-ever polar research vehicle is an important development for your UPSC exam.) On June 3rd, Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), a Government of India undertaking, signed an MoU with Norwegian firm Kongsberg to co-design and build India's first-ever polar research vehicle (PRV) indigenously. GRSE, which has built warships, survey and research vessels, will build the PRV in its yard in Kolkata. 1. The MoU was signed in Oslo in the presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, who termed it 'a commitment to fostering scientific discovery, advancing India's capabilities in polar and ocean research, and contributing to global efforts to address pressing challenges like climate change.' 2. A PRV is a ship that serves as a platform for research in the polar regions (areas surrounding the North and South Poles). It can also help scientists undertake research in the ocean realm. The PRV will be equipped with the latest scientific equipment, enabling researchers to explore the oceans' depths and study marine ecosystems. 3. India currently operates three research base stations in the polar regions — Bharati and Maitri in Antarctica, and Himadri in the Arctic region — and had been planning to have its own PRV for a while now. 4. The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), operating under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, is the nodal agency responsible for the planning and execution of research expeditions to the Arctic, the Antarctic and the Himalayas. 5. The polar regions, the Arctic and Antarctica, offer pristine environments for scientists to study a range of natural phenomena for atmospheric, oceanic, biological, geological, glaciological and earth sciences research. In recent years, climate change research has been attracting scientists to the Arctic region. 6. Arctic sea ice has been shrinking for decades. In the last 40 years, the sea ice extent has been decreasing by 12.6% each decade, according to a 2023 report in the MIT Climate Portal. Expeditions have been sent to study lightning over the Arctic in winter, the role of precipitation in climate change, the characterisation of radio frequency environment, and the role of aerosols on climate change. In this regard, the decision to build the first-ever polar research vehicle is an important development. Research base stations of India 1. India signed the Svalbard Treaty in Paris in 1920. According to the website of arcticportal, 'The treaty establishes Norway's full and undivided sovereignty over Svalbard. Svalbard is part of the Kingdom of Norway, and it is Norway that ratifies and enforces the legislation that is to apply to the archipelago.' 2. It was not until 2007 that the first Indian expedition comprising five scientists visited the International Arctic Research Facilities at Ny-Ålesund with the purpose of initiating studies in Arctic microbiology, atmospheric sciences, and geology. India's permanent research station, Himadri, began operations in July 2008. 3. Dakshin Gangotri in Antarctica was set up in 1983, two years after India's first expedition there. Dakshin Gangotri is now submerged under ice, but India's two other stations, Maitri and Bharti, are in use. It is governed by the Antarctic Treaty. 4. The Antarctic Treaty was originally signed by 12 countries — Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, Belgium, Japan, and South Africa — on December 1, 1959 to provide a framework for peaceful coexistence and scientific cooperation in the continent. 5. Currently, 56 countries are part of the treaty — 29 of which, including all 12 original signatories, are 'Consultative Parties', which are part of the decision-making process. India, which joined the treaty in 1983, is also a Consultative Party. 1. India is making bold moves in shipbuilding. The 2025 Union budget laid the foundation for a maritime resurgence, with mega clusters, a Rs 25,000-crore Maritime Development Fund (MDF), customs duty exemptions, and infrastructure status for large vessels. 2. The Rs 25,000 crore maritime development fund will be for distributed support and promoting competition. The government will contribute 49 per cent of the fund, with the remainder to be mobilised from ports and the private sector. 3. India is increasingly investing in shipbuilding clusters, as India's outward remittance on transport services is increasing with rising exports. In 2022, traders remitted over $109 billion as transport service charges. 4. MDF will facilitate the financing for ship acquisition with the aim of boosting the Indian flagged ships' share in the global cargo volume up to 20% by 2047. By 2030, MDF is aiming at generating upto ₹1.5 lakh crore investment in the shipping sector. 5. The Budget also extended the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Policy (SBFAP) 2.0 with the total budget outlay of Rs 18,090 crore. It offers direct financial subsidies to Indian shipyards to enhance their competitiveness in the global market. (1) Consider the following statements: 1. India signed the Svalbard Treaty in 1983, leading to India's first research station, Dakshin Gangotri. 2. Himadri is India's permanent research station in Antarctica. Which of the following statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None (2) Consider the following countries: (UPSC CSE 2014) 1. Denmark 2. Japan 3. Russian Federation 4. United Kingdom 5. United States of America Which of the above are the members of the 'Arctic Council'? (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 1, 4 and 5 only (d) 1, 3 and 5 only Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
NDTV
6 days ago
- NDTV
Will Surging Sea Levels Kill The Great Barrier Reef? Here's What Might Help
In the 20th century, global sea level rose faster than at any other time in the past 3,000 years. It's expected to rise even further by 2100, as human-induced climate change intensifies. In fact, some studies predict a rise of up to 1.6 metres and possibly more due to the rapid melting of the Antarctic ice sheets. These changes will have huge impacts on coastal ecosystems around the world, including coral reefs. To understand these future impacts, it can be useful to understand similar events from history. Our new research, published today in Nature Communications, does just that. It reveals how the Great Barrier Reef in northern Australia responded to a dramatic rise in sea level some 13,000 to 10,000 years ago. A Hotly Debated Event Several ' meltwater pulse events ' have been documented in the past. These occur when ice sheets disintegrate in a catastrophic fashion, resulting in a rapid surge in global sea levels. One of these events, known as 'meltwater pulse 1B', remains hotly debated. It occurred roughly 11,500 years ago. Early evidence from reef cores in Barbados suggested a sharp sea-level rise of approximately 14 metres between 11,450 and 11,100 years ago, with rates of roughly 40 millimetres per year. Remarkably, this rate is about ten times faster than the current global rise. However, this record conflicts with others, including from Tahiti and now from the Great Barrier Reef, which suggests a more gradual rise in sea levels. Learning From Geological Archives Somewhat paradoxically shallow-water reef systems can 'drown' because corals, and other reef organisms, depend on light for photosynthesis. If the water gets too deep too fast, the reef will no longer keep up with the rise and it will drown. But drowning can also occur due to other factors, such as increased temperature, sediment and nutrients, which can also add extra environmental stress to the reef – again making it more difficult to grow vertically and keep up with sea level rise. Cores gathered from drowned fossil coral reefs preserved along the continental shelf edge of the Great Barrier Reef contain crucial information about historic corals, coralline algae and microbial reef structures known as microbialites. They offer a unique geologic time machine to better understand how past periods of rapid global sea level rise affected reef growth. These geological archives also provide important clues about how ice sheets behaved in response to rapid global warming. In 2010, an expedition of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program used a geotechnical drill ship to sample below the seafloor and reconstruct the growth and demise of the Great Barrier Reef over the past roughly 30,000 years. Five distinct stages were identified in response to major global climatic and oceanographic disturbances. In this new study, we focused on a key reef stage called Reef 4. It formed between 13,000 and 10,000 years ago, just prior to the start of the modern reef as we know it. We refer to this reef as the 'proto-Great Barrier Reef'. Once a shallow-water barrier reef system, it now exists in a fossilised form at roughly 50 metres water depth and is now the home to deeper reef communtites in the mesophotic zone 30 to 150 metres below the surface. An Impressive Ability To Keep Pace Our study shows the Great Barrier Reef didn't drown during meltwater pulse 1B. In fact, it continued to thrive with clear evidence of healthy, shallow-water reef assemblages (living in waters less than ten metres deep) persisting right through the rise in sea levels. The reef not only survived but continued to grow upwards at rates between 4–6 millimetres per year. This rate of growth is comparable to modern healthy reef growth rates, demonstrating an impressive ability to keep pace. We also calculated that the maximum possible sea-level rise during meltwater pulse 1B was between 7.7 and 10.2 metres over roughly 350 years. This equates to between 23 and 30 millimetres per year, but was likely less. This is less than the Barbados estimate, and more consistent with observations from Tahiti where no sharp sea-level jump was found. Importantly, this indicates that even the upper sea level rise bounds are within the survival limits of resilient reef systems such as the Great Barrier Reef – especially when environmental stressors, such as ocean warming, ocean acidification and sedimentation are low. Limits To A Reef's Resilience Although the Great Barrier Reef survived sea level rise roughly 11,000 years ago, the world was very different back then. Coral reefs faced less stress from human impacts. And ocean temperatures were rising more slowly. But today's reefs are already struggling, with UNESCO's World Heritage Committee recently expressing 'utmost concern' about the state of the Great Barrier Reef in particular. This is due to warming, acidification and pollution. And these additional challenges decrease reefs' ability to cope with rapid sea-level rise. Our findings suggest abrupt sea-level jumps of more than 11 metres are unlikely to occur without major instabilities in ice sheets. The fact that such collapses likely didn't happen during meltwater pulse 1B offers some reassurance. But we're in uncharted territory now, particularly with the Antarctic ice sheet displaying early signs of instability. Our study also shows the Great Barrier Reef has been remarkably resilient, adapting to changing sea levels and continuing to grow even as the ocean rose rapidly. This resilience, however, had limits. Ultimately, the reef we examined drowned roughly 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of environmental stressors, including increased sediment flux. At this time the shallow water reef ecosystem migrated landward to form the modern Great Barrier, leaving behind only deeper, mesophotic reef communities. The lessons from the past are clear: reefs can adapt to environmental changes but there are limits. Protecting modern reefs will require more than understanding their past. It means reducing emissions and limiting other environmental stresses such as sediment and nutrient runoff where possible. (Authors: Jody Webster, Professor of Marine Geoscience, University of Sydney; Juan Carlos Braga, Professor of Paleontology, Department of Stratigraphy and Palaeontology, Universidad de Granada; Marc Humblet, Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Nagoya University; Stewart Fallon, Professor, Head ANU Radiocarbon Facility, Australian National University, and Yusuke Yokoyama, Professor, Atmosphere and Ocearn Research Institute (Honorary Professor, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University), University of Tokyo) (Disclosure statement: Jody Webster receives funding from the Australian Research Council and ANZIC IODP. Juan Carlos Braga receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Spanish Government. Marc Humblet receives funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Stewart Fallon receives funding from the Australian Research Council and ANZIC IODP. Yusuke Yokoyama receives funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Japan Science and Technology Agency.)
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Time of India
Incredible Aurora Borealis: Breathtaking pictures of the Northern Lights
The incredible light show hit several states of the United States of America, and quite naturally, people couldn't keep calm! From capturing breathtaking images of the wondrous phenomenon of Mother Nature to sharing stunning clippings on social media – thanks to the enthusiastic bunch of netizens – the internet has been painted in pretty colors! Take a look: — hermesisos (@hermesisos) What happened? Over the weekend, a powerful geomagnetic storm, rated G4 (severe) by NOAA, illuminated the night skies across much of the United States, offering a rare and breathtaking display of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. This event was triggered by a significant coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, sending a surge of charged solar particles toward Earth. The interaction of these particles with Earth's magnetic field caused the vibrant light show visible even in regions far south of the typical auroral zone. What Is the Aurora Borealis? The Aurora Borealis occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. These particles collide with gases like oxygen and nitrogen, causing them to emit light. The resulting displays can range from faint glows to vivid, multicolored curtains of light. The colors observed depend on the type of gas and the altitude at which the collisions occur. The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is one of Earth's most mesmerizing natural phenomena. This ethereal light display, primarily visible in high-latitude regions near the Arctic and Antarctic, captivates observers with its vibrant colors and dynamic patterns. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software Esseps Learn More Undo It's not only the locals who go gaga over the light show; photographers and travelers alike seek out these celestial spectacles, capturing images that showcase the awe-inspiring beauty of our planet's atmosphere. The Science behind the magic: When solar winds, composed of charged particles from the sun, reach Earth, they can disturb Earth's magnetic field. This disturbance funnels the particles toward the magnetic poles, where they collide with atoms and molecules in Earth's atmosphere. These collisions excite the atoms, causing them to light up and produce the colorful displays we observe as auroras. Best places to witness the Aurora: To experience the Northern Lights firsthand, consider visiting locations within the auroral zone: Tromsø, Norway: Located above the Arctic Circle, Tromsø offers prime viewing opportunities during the winter months. The city's clear skies and minimal light pollution make it an ideal destination for aurora enthusiasts. Abisko, Sweden: Known for its "blue hole" in the sky, Abisko provides consistent clear skies, enhancing the chances of witnessing the aurora. The Abisko National Park is a popular spot for aurora viewing. Fairbanks, Alaska, USA: Situated under the auroral oval, Fairbanks experiences frequent auroral activity. The city's location and cold, clear nights make it a prime location for aurora viewing. Yellowknife, Canada: Located in the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife boasts clear skies and minimal light pollution, offering excellent conditions for observing the Northern Lights. Aurora viewing tips: If you're planning to see the Northern Lights, it's essential to check solar activity forecasts and weather conditions to maximize your chances. Choose the right time: The best time to view the aurora is during the winter months, from late September to early April, when nights are longest. Find dark locations: Seek out areas away from city lights to reduce light pollution. Check solar activity: Monitor solar activity forecasts, as increased solar activity can enhance auroral displays. Be patient: Auroras can appear suddenly and may last for varying durations. Patience and persistence are key.
