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Posted 12 Aug 2024
8 min read
Exercise Udara Shakti
- It is a joint air exercise of India and Malaysia.
- Tags :
- Udara Shakti
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Arecanut
Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), issued an advisory to control ‘kole roga’ (fruit rot disease) in arecanut plantations.
About Arecanut
- Location: Parts of Karnataka (largest producer), Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Significance: Commercial crop, called betelnut or supari, essential ingredient of tobacco.
- Altitude: 1000 m from mean sea level.
- Temperature: between 4°C and 40°C.
- Rainfall: Abundant and well distributed. Can grow in as low as 750 mm rainfall to as high as 4500 mm.
- Soil: Laterite, red loam and alluvial soils are most suitable with pH range from 5.2 to 7.0.
- Tags :
- Areca Nut
- CPCRI
- Plantation Crop
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Expedition team under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence unfurled the Indian national flag atop Uhuru Summit of Kilimanjaro.
About Mount Kilimanjaro
- It is the highest peak (5,895 meters) of Africa (Located in Tanzania).
- It is the largest free-standing mountain rise in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range.
- It is a stratovolcano (a term for a very large volcano made of ash, lava and rock).
- It is made up of 3 cones: Kibo (tallest), Mawenzi, & Shira.
- The highest point on Kibo’s crater rim is called Uhuru.
- It is a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site ‘Kilimanjaro National Park’.
- Tags :
- Stratovolcano
- Mt. Kilimanjaro
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Subduction Zone
Japan issues its first-ever megaquake advisory on the Nankai Trough in Japan’s Southwest Pacific Coast.
- Megaquakes are Earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 8.
- The Nankai Trough is an underwater subduction zone where the Eurasian Plate collides with the Philippine Sea Plate.
Subduction (or Benioff) Zone
- When two plates converge towards each other along the convergent margin, the plate which is heavier/denser subducts below the lighter plate and is consumed in the mantle.
- Location where sinking of the heavier plate occurs is called subduction or Benioff Zone.
- Tags :
- Subduction Zones
- Megaquake
Neelakurinji
It has been included on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) official Red List of threatened species under the Vulnerable category.
Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana)
- About: Shrub known for massive blooming every 12 years. Semelparous, i.e., single reproductive episode before death.
- Location: Shola grasslands of Western Ghats - the Nilgiri hills, Palani hills and the Eravikulam hills of Munnar, also Shevaroy hills in the Eastern Ghats.
- The name Nilgiris (blue mountains) was derived from the colors of these flowers.
- Major Threats: tea and softwood plantations, urbanization, invasion of exotic species like eucalyptus, black wattle, etc.
- Tags :
- IUCN
- Western Ghats
- Neelakurinji
Saint Martin's Island
Reports have claimed that the US wanted to establish a military base in St. Martin’s Island of Bangladesh.
About St. Martin’s Island
- A small coral island, located in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal.
- It is also referred to as 'Narikel Jinjira' or Coconut Island, 'Daruchini Dwip' or Cinnamon Island, etc.
- Island was once an extension of the Teknaf peninsula but was separated due to the submergence of a portion of the peninsula.
- In 1974, Bangladesh and Myanmar reached an agreement that the island would be a part of Bangladeshi territory.
- Geopolitical significance: Located near to Bangladesh and Myanmar.
- Tags :
- Bay of Bengal
- Saint Martin's Island
Meteorite shower
The Perseid meteor shower started in July and peaked recently.
- Perseid meteors are debris left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.
About Meteorite Shower
- It is a celestial event in which several meteors hit Earth's atmosphere over a short period.
- Meteors are space rocks that enter Earth's atmosphere.
- The bright streak with the meteors shower is not actually the rock, but rather the glowing hot air.
- Meteor showers are usually named after a star or constellation that is close to where the meteors appear in the sky.
- Tags :
- Meteorite shower
- Perseid
News Today (Aug 11-12, 2024)