Ans: b

Exp:

Recently, Indonesia’s Mount Ibu erupted again, sending ash 4 km high, as streaks of purple lightning flashed around its crater.

About Mt. Ibu:

• Situated on the island of Halmahera, part of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia.
• Lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its high volcanic activity.
• Characteristics: Classified as a stratovolcano, characterized by its steep sides and periodic explosive eruptions.

About Marapi:

• Mount Marapi, also known as Gunung Marapi, is a complex volcano located in West Sumatra, Indonesia. 
• It’s known as the most active volcano in Sumatra and is often referred to as the “Mountain of Fire” due to its frequent eruptions.

About Mauna Loa:

• Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that together make up the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian archipelago.

Ans: b

Exp:

India has recorded a trade deficit, the difference between imports and exports, with nine of its top 10 trading partners, including China, Russia, Singapore, and Korea, in 2023-24, according to official data.

Trade Deficit Overview: 

• India experienced a trade deficit with nine of its top 10 trading partners in 2023-24
• The trade deficit with China rose to $ 85 billion, Russia to $ 57.2 billion, Korea to $ 14.71 billion and Hong Kong to $ 12.2 billion in 2023-24 against $ 83.2 billion, $ 43 billion, $ 14.57 billion and $ 8.38 billion, respectively, in 2022-23.
• Statement 1 is incorrect: Largest Trading Partner: China surpassed the US as India’s largest trading partner in 2023-24 with $118.4 billion in trade. 
• Statement 2 is correct: Trade Surplus: India maintained a trade surplus with the US at $36.74 billion.

Ans: a

Exp:

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched one of the two climate satellites, which would study heat emissions at Earth’s poles, sitting atop Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from Māhia, New Zealand. The second satellite will be launched in the following days.

About PREFIRE:

• • Statement 1 is incorrect: The mission consists of twin satellites, each carrying one instrument and measuring the poles about six hours apart.
  • These satellites will measure Earth’s polar regions’ heat loss, which has not been extensively studied before.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: It was jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (US).
  • Objective: The primary objective of PREFIRE is to reveal the full spectrum of heat loss from Earth’s polar regions. 
    • By doing so, it aims to improve climate models and enhance our understanding of critical processes related to sea ice loss, ice-sheet melting, and Arctic warming.

• Satellite Details:

• • The cube satellites are about the size of a shoebox.
  • They will be launched aboard an Electron launch vehicle.
    • The technology used in these satellites has been successfully tested on Mars.
  • Statement 2 is correct: Each satellite carries a thermal infrared spectrometer.
  • The satellites will be in asynchronous near-polar orbits, passing over specific spots on Earth at different times.
  • To maximize coverage, they will overlap every few hours near the poles.
  • The instruments weigh less than 6 pounds (approximately 3 kilograms) each and use thermocouples (similar to household thermostat sensors) for readings.

Ans: b

Exp:

Colour plays an outsized role in the human experience of modern life. It invests both natural and synthetic worlds with beauty and meaning. 

Human Vision:

• The human eye has rod and cone cells that receive light information.
• Rod cells record brightness, while cone cells record wavelengths, which the brain interprets as colour.
• Humans have three types of cone cells, each sensitive to a different wavelength. This is why humans are called trichromats.
• Human vision is restricted to wavelengths from 400 nm to 700 nm, also known as visible light.

Animal Vision:

• Many birds and reptiles are tetrachromats, meaning they have four types of cone cells.

Honeybees can see ultraviolet light, and some beetles and mosquitoes can access information in some wavelengths of infrared radiation, which humans sense as heat.

Ans: b

Exp:

India’s megacities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad are experiencing worsening “heat stress” due to a trend of rising relative humidity over the past two decades, according to a study by Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.

About Heat Index: 

• • Statement 1 is correct: It provides information about the impact of humidity on the high temperatures and thus provides a feel-like temperature for human beings which can be used as an indication for human discomfort.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has launched the Heat Index on an experimental basis in July 2023.

• Colour codes used for Experimental Heat Index are as follows:

• • Green:  Experimental heat Index less than 35 deg C
  • Yellow: Experimental heat Index in the range 36-45 deg C
  • Orange: Experimental heat Index in the range 46-55 deg C
  • Red: Experimental heat Index greater than 55 deg C
• Statement 3 is correct: The Heat Index is implemented on experimental basis only across the entire country 
• Heat index is derived using the heat index equation similar to what is used by National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA.