General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - December 2018

Dec 2018

Apr 16, 2021

Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' Close to Tipping Point, Unmanned Sub Reveals

Thwaites Glacier, a gigantic ice shelf in West Antarctica, has been on climate scientists' radars for two decades now. But they didn't know just how fast the glacier was melting, and how close it was to complete collapse, until researchers sent an unmanned submarine below the ice shelf.
As one of Antarctica's fastest melting glaciers, Thwaites Glacier, nicknamed the "Doomsday Glacier," has lost an estimated 595 billion tons (540 billion metric tons) of ice since the 1980s, contributing to a 4% rise in global sea levels since that time. The glacier acts like a cork in a wine bottle, stopping the rest of the ice in the region from flowing into the sea, so Thwaites Glacier's collapse could potentially take the rest of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet with it, causing a 10-foot (3 meter) rise in global sea levels.

Apr 15, 2021

Global Warming Making Indian Monsoon Seasons Stronger

Climate change will make summer monsoon rainfall in India stronger and more erratic, according to a study that predicts extremely wet years in the future, with potentially grave consequences for over a billion people's well-being, economy, food systems and agriculture.
The study compared more than 30 state-of-the-art climate models from all around the world.
For every degree of warming, monsoon rainfall will likely increase by about 5 per cent.
The researchers noted that more rainfall is not necessarily a good thing for the farming sector in India and its neighbouring countries.
This makes the Indian economy and food system highly sensitive to volatile monsoon patterns.

Apr 13, 2021

Five New Animal Species Discovered in Tibet

Five new animal species have been discovered in Tibet, including three kinds of frogs, one old-world monkey and a bushmaster snake, challenging the long-held view that the Himalayan mountains are a desolate and lifeless region.
The discovery of the five new species was the result of an eight-year investigation of the terrestrial wildlife in the Tibet Autonomous region carried out by the regional forestry bureau.
Covering an area of 6,346 sq km, this was a second such investigation carried out by the bureau.
The investigation also discovered 20 species that were not previously known to habitat in Tibet.

Apr 12, 2021

Many Endemic Species may GO Extinct if GHG Emissions Rise

As per a new study, many animals and plants might face extinction if green house gas emissions continue to rise.
All the Endemic species in islands are at high risk of extinction due to climate change.
Four out of every five endemic species in mountains are at the high risk of extinction due to climate change.
95% of marine species and 92% of land-based species will face reduction in numbers.
In tropical region, over 60% of endemic species are facing extinction due to climate change.
By maintaining the global heating well below two degrees Celsius as mentioned in the revised Paris Agreement will help to save majority of the species.
The Endemic species are the most iconic plants and animals in the world. The species that are highly threatened by climate change are lemurs (especially those that are unique to Madagascar), snow leopard.

Third of Antarctic Ice Shelf Area at Collapse Risk

The research found that 34 per cent of the area of all Antarctic ice shelves -- around half a million square kilometers -- including 67 per cent of ice shelf area on the Antarctic Peninsula, would be at risk of destabilisation under such a warming scenario.
The team also identified Larsen C -- the largest remaining ice shelf on the peninsula, which split to form the enormous A68 iceberg in 2017 -- as one of four ice shelves that would be particularly threatened in a warmer climate.

Apr 11, 2021

Researchers Discover a Snake and Name it After Shape-shifting Chinese Goddess

A deadly new snake has been discovered after spending decades masquerading as a much less dangerous species, according to researchers, who named the snake after a shape-shifting serpent goddess from a Chinese folktale.
The new species is a type of krait snake found in Southwest China and northern Myanmar and had previously been categorised as the many-banded krait. However, morphological and genetic differences, as well as a particularly painful and deadly bite, were enough to classify this reptile as its own species.
The researchers named the new snake Suzhen's krait after Bai Su Zhen, a powerful snake goddess from a traditional Chinese myth.

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