General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - December 2018

Dec 2018

Aug 29, 2020

Highest Rainfall Since 1976 in India in August 2020

As per IMD, India has received the highest rainfall in August this year since 1976 — 25 per cent more than the average, after recording 10 per cent less downpour than the average in July, thus setting a new record after 44 years.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) however, has forecast that the monsoon may slow down in September.
The latest IMD report said that from August 1 to 28, India has received 296.2 mm of rainfall while the average rainfall during the month is 237.2 mm. Thus, the country has received 25 per cent more rainfall in August than the average.
Previously in 1976, the month of August had received 28.4 per cent more rainfall than the average, while the highest rainfall in August was in 1926 — between 1901 and 2020. In 1926, 33 per cent more rainfall was recorded than the average.

Aug 21, 2020

Unprecedented Ice Loss as Greenland Breaks Record

Scientists say the loss of ice in Greenland lurched forward again last year, breaking the previous record by 15%.
A new analysis says that the scale of the melt was "unprecedented" in records dating back to 1948.
High pressure systems that became blocked over Greenland last Summer were the immediate cause of the huge losses.
But scientists say that ongoing emissions of carbon are pushing Greenland into an era of more extreme melting.
Over the past 30 years, Greenland's contribution to global sea levels has grown significantly as ice losses have increased.

Aug 18, 2020

Highest Temperature on Earth' as Death Valley, US Hits 54.4C

What could be the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth - 130F (54.4C) - may have been reached in Death Valley National Park, California.
The recording is being verified by the US National Weather Service.
It comes amid a heatwave on the US's west coast, where temperatures are forecast to rise further this week.
The scorching conditions have led to two days of blackouts in California, after a power plant malfunctioned.
The reading was recorded in Furnace Creek in Death Valley.
Before this, the highest temperature reliably recorded on Earth was 129.2F (54C) - also in Death Valley in 2013.
A higher reading of 134F, or 56.6C a century earlier, also in Death Valley, is disputed. It is believed by some modern weather experts to have been erroneous, along with several other searing temperatures recorded that summer.

Woolly Flying Squirrel, Thought to be Extinct, Spotted in Gangotri National Park

Woolly flying squirrel, that was thought to be extinct some seventy years back, was spotted at Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi, informed Forest Research Institute.
However, the scientists of Wildlife Institute of India situated in Dehradun have spoken of the presence this squirrel in the Bhagirath valley, and rare photographs of the have also been found.
Woolly flying squirrel uses its furry claws as a parachute to fly.
The Woolly Flying Squirrel is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Aug 14, 2020

Europe's Earliest Bone Tools Found in Britain

Archaeologists say that they have identified the earliest known bone tools in the European archaeological record.
The implements come from the renowned Boxgrove site in West Sussex, which was excavated in the 1980s and 90s.
The bone tools came from a horse that humans butchered at the site for its meat.
Flakes of stone in piles around the animal suggest at least eight individuals were making large flint knives for the job.
Researchers also found evidence that other people were present nearby - perhaps younger or older members of a community - shedding light on the social structure of our ancient relatives.
During excavations, archaeologists uncovered hundreds of stone tools, along with animal bones, that dated to 500,000 years ago.
They were made by the species Homo heidelbergensis, a possible ancestor for modern humans and Neanderthals.
Researchers found a shin bone belonging to one of them - it's the oldest human bone known from Britain.

Aug 12, 2020

New Butterfly Species Found In Matheran Hill Station

According to the Bombay Natural History Society, as many as 77 new species of butterflies have been found in the ecologically sensitive forest of Matheran Hill Station near Mumbai during a study conducted there over the last eight years.
With this, the total number of butterfly species in the Matheran Forest has now gone up to 140.
Matheran is spread over an area of 214.73 sq km and is located about 80 km from the Maharashtra capital.
The eight-year-long rigorous study undertaken by BNHS from 2011 to 2019 has resulted in the discovery of 77 new species of butterflies in Matheran.
After a span of 125 years, for the first time such a study was undertaken to discover the flying beauties at Matheran.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

July GK, June GK, May GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26