{"id":128056,"date":"2024-08-26T19:50:59","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T14:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=128056"},"modified":"2024-08-27T18:59:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T13:29:48","slug":"frequent-mass-wasting","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/frequent-mass-wasting","title":{"rendered":"Frequent Mass Wasting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A new study highlights an increase in mass wasting events (landslides and erosion) in the Sedongpu Gully, Tibetan Plateau, since 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Sedongpu Gully<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sedongpu Gully is situated in the catchment area of the Sedongpu glacier and valley.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Drainage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: It flows into the<\/span><b> Yarlung Zangbo (Tsangpo) River<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, near the Great Bend \u2014 a significant geographical feature.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0The gully is a major source of debris flow into the <\/span><b>Yarlung Tsangbo River.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Great Bend<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Located near the Tibet-Arunachal Pradesh border, this bend forms one of the deepest gorges on Earth, extending 505 km in length and 6,009 metres in depth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9985%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Upcoming Project:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> China plans to develop a 60-gigawatt hydropower project on the Tsangpo River.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">This project will be three times larger in capacity than the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, which is the world\u2019s largest hydropower plant.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Downstream Flow<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Tsangpo River becomes the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh and eventually joins the Dibang and Lohit rivers to form the Brahmaputra, which further flows into Bangladesh as the Jamuna.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-128042 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/262-66cc8ab6238d0.webp\" alt=\"Mass Wasting\" width=\"351\" height=\"248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/262-66cc8ab6238d0.webp 843w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/262-66cc8ab6238d0-300x212.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/262-66cc8ab6238d0-768x543.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px\" \/><b>Environmental Conditions and Implications<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Bedrock Composition<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Sedongpu basin\u2019s bedrock primarily consists of Proterozoic marble.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Temperature Trends<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Historical Temperatures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Before 2012, land surface temperatures ranged from -5\u00ba to -15\u00ba C, rarely exceeding 0\u00ba C.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><b>Recent Warming<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Between 1981 and 2018, the annual temperature in nearby weather stations at Bomi and Linzhi increased at a rate of 0.34\u00ba to 0.36\u00ba C per year, exceeding the global average.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>What is Mass Wasting?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is a general term for the <\/span><b>movement of rock or soil down slopes <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">driven by<\/span><b> gravity.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike erosion by water, wind, or ice, mass wasting does not involve debris being carried by a moving medium.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Types of Mass Wasting<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Creep: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Slow, gradual movement of soil and rock down a slope.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Solifluction: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The slow, downhill flow of water-saturated soil, often in permafrost regions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Rockfalls: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rapid descent of rocks from a cliff or steep slope.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Debris Flows: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fast-moving mixtures of water, soil, and rock that flow downhill.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Landslides: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sudden and fast movement of a large mass of rock or soil down a slope.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Occurrence<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Earth and Beyond:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mass wasting can occur on various planetary bodies including Earth, Mars, Venus, and Jupiter&#8217;s moon Io, among others.<\/span>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It involves vertical downward movement with minimal horizontal displacement, unlike slope movement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Mitigation Measures<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Slope Stabilization : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use of retaining walls, terracing, and grading to reduce slope angle and stability issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Construction of Barriers : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Erect barriers such as retaining walls or rockfall nets to stop or deflect falling debris.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Afforestation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plant vegetation to strengthen soil with root systems, reduce erosion, and stabilize slopes.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It enhances soil structure and reduces water runoff.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Improved Drainage<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Drainage Systems: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Install proper drainage to manage water flow and prevent waterlogging that can trigger mass wasting<\/span><b>.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Methods: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use of drains, culverts, and channels to direct water away from vulnerable areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Monitoring and Early Warning : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implement systems for monitoring slope stability and detecting early signs of movement<\/span><b>.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Engineering Solutions:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Strengthen structures like roadways and pipelines against deformation caused by gradual mass wasting.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By employing these measures, the impact of mass wasting can be significantly reduced, protecting infrastructure and reducing risks to human safety.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Key Findings from the Sedongpu Study<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Increasing Frequency: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study found a significant increase in mass wasting events since 2017, with over 700 million cubic metres of debris mobilised.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Large-Scale Events:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These events included ice-rock avalanches, ice-moraine avalanches, and glacier debris flows, resulting in the mobilisation of millions of cubic metres of debris.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Contributing Factors: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rapid warming and seismic activity have destabilised the region, leading to more frequent landslides and debris flows.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Research Methodology: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study used satellite data from December 1969 to June 2023 to analyze landslide patterns in the Sedongpu Gully catchment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Types of Mass Wasting Events:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Ice-Rock Avalanche (IRA): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These events temporarily blocked the Tsangpo and its tributary, Yigong.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Ice-Moraine Avalanche (IMA) and Glacier Debris Flow (GDF): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identified as other significant mass-wasting events.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Consequences of Blockages:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Flash Floods: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The breaching of debris dams created by IRAs has led to catastrophic flash floods in downstream areas, such as East Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and Dhemaji district in Assam in 2000.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Flood Triggers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These floods were triggered by the outburst of dams formed by glaciated debris and rock materials from massive landslides.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9985%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Historical Flooding Events<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>2000 Floods: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Floods in East Siang and Dhemaji were caused by the breaching of a debris dam on the Yigong River, resulting from massive landslides.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"><b>Implications for India and Bangladesh<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Brahmaputra River: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Yarlung Tsangbo becomes the Brahmaputra River as it flows into India and Bangladesh.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Increased Sedimentation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The increased sediment load in the Yarlung Tsangbo will eventually reach the Brahmaputra, affecting its course and flow patterns<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Effects of Increased Sedimentation:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>River Braiding: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Higher sediment levels could cause the river to become more braided, particularly in the Assam plains.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Bank Erosion:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Increased sedimentation may lead to more significant bank erosion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Flood Risks: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elevated river beds due to sedimentation can exacerbate flood hazards.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Navigation Challenges: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sand and silt accumulation could choke river channels during the lean season, complicating navigation and impacting fishing livelihoods in Assam and Bangladesh.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>India\u2019s Strategic Measures\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Hydropower Development: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is planning to incorporate &#8220;buffers&#8221; in its proposed Arunachal Pradesh hydropower project to mitigate potential risks associated with sedimentation and downstream impacts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Purpose of Buffers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These buffers are intended to address concerns about the increased sedimentation in the Brahmaputra River, which could result from the ongoing environmental changes and hydropower developments upstream.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100.027%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 138.04%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Editorials<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.5039%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" 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2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2088],"subject":[2122],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/128056"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128056"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/128056\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128059,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/128056\/revisions\/128059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128056"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=128056"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=128056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}