Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs – April 18, 2023 [Mock Test]
May 8, 2023 May 8, 2023
1. Consider the following statements about the type of landslides:
- Topples usually occur on very gentle slopes or flat terrain.
- Falls happen due to the forward rotation of a unit under the actions of gravity.
- Topples happen due to the abrupt movements of masses of geologic materials.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] 1, 2 & 3
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [None of the above]
Notes:- Landslides is a sudden movement of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope is termed as a landslide. They are natural disasters occurring mainly in mountainous terrains where there are conducive conditions of soil, rock, geology and slope.
- Falls happen due to the abrupt movements of masses of geologic materials, such as rocks and boulders that become detached from steep slopes or cliffs.
- Topples happen due to the forward rotation of a unit or units about some pivotal point, below or low in the unit, under the actions of gravity and forces exerted by adjacent units or by fluids in cracks
- In slides type landslide, rocks, debris or soil slide through slope forming material.
- Spread landslide usually occur on very gentle slopes or flat terrain.
2. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was seen in news recently, it is a:
[A] Submarine
[B] Glacier
[C] Comet
[D] Crater
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Comet]
Notes:- Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was discovered by Purple Mountain Observatory in China and the Asteroid Terrestrical-impact Last Alert System, ATLAS in South Africa.
- The comet is currently between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn, a billion kilometres from Earth.
- It is moving on an orbit that will bring it to within 59 million kilometres of the Sun (perihelion) in September 2024.
- The brightness of the comet could be nearly as bright as Sirius, which is the brightest star in the night sky.
- The brightness of the comet could be nearly as bright as Sirius, which is the brightest star in the night sky.
- Currently, only the most powerful telescopes on the planet can actually observe it, but in September 2024, it could potentially be visible even to the naked eye.
3. With respect to India, consider the following statements:
- ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, has created ‘Landslide Atlas of India’.
- Sikkim recorded highest number of landslide events in the past 25 years.
- Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand has the highest landslide density.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 1 & 3 ]
Notes:- ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad, has created ‘Landslide Atlas of India’. It is a database of landslide-prone regions of India based on events during 1998 – 2022, primarily along the Himalayas and the Western Ghats.
- India is among the top 4 countries with highest landslide risk, where for every year the estimated loss of life per 100 km2 is greater than one.
- Excluding snow covered areas, approximately 12.6% of the country’s geographical land area (0.42 million sq. km) is prone to landslides.
- Mizoram recorded 12,385 landslide events highest number of landslide events in the past 25 years.
- Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand has the highest landslide density and topped the list of all 147 districts in 17 states and 2 UTs.
- The inventory database of landslides is available in a web GIS platform in the Bhuvan portal.
