1. The “MIZ”: A dominant source of atmospheric mercury in the Arctic
Context: A research team led by Prof. Xie Zhouqing and Prof. Le Fange from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) revealed that the Marginal Ice Zone (MIZ) is a dominant source of atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), and proposed a mechanism for the summertime peak of GEM in the Arctic. Their work was published in Nature Communications.
Potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and spatial distribution of the sea-ice fraction, gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and dimethylsulfide (DMS) during the observation period.
What is “Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM)”?
The Role of Arctic in the mercury Cycling
A one-year observation of GEM at MOSAiC
The results of the research
For a more detailed analysis and pdf of this news please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
2. Medicanes: A rare, ‘Supercharging’ storms
Context: The flash flood that has killed thousands of people in Libya followed a “Medicane”, a rare but destructive weather phenomenon that scientists believe will intensify in a warming world. The term is an amalgamation of the words Mediterranean and hurricane. Used by scientists and weather forecasters, it is less well known to the wider public.
Medicane “Daniel” on 9 September 2023
What are Medicanes?
The smaller and weaker than Tropical Cyclone
The difference between Medicanes and Tropical Cyclones
Some Facts about Medicanes
Medicane: Rare but deadly
For a more detailed analysis and pdf of this news please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
3. The mystery of the ‘living fossil’ tree solved
Context: The Wollemi pine was thought to have gone extinct 2 million years ago until it was rediscovered by a group of hikers in 1994. Now, scientists have decoded its genome to understand how it’s survived — almost unchanged — since the time of the dinosaurs.
The living fossil: frozen in time since dinosaurs
There are now just 60 Wollemi pines in the wild and these are threatened by bushfires.
The living fossil: Wollemi pine
Wollemi pines: extremely low in genetic diversity
The role of transposons, or “jumping genes”
Wollemi pines: critically endangered by the IUCN
For a more detailed analysis and pdf of this news please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
4. Tackling the global deforestation crisis
Context: Imagine if France, Germany, and Spain were completely blanketed in forests—and then all those trees were quickly chopped down. That’s nearly the amount of deforestation that occurred globally between 2001 and 2020, with profound consequences.
Deforestation and Climate Change
This figure shows forest loss between 2001 and 2020. The loss of forest is shown in pink. Forest is defined as 50% tree cover and is shown in green.
A revolution in satellite-based measurement
Replacing forests with farms
The search for solutions
For a more detailed analysis and pdf of this news please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
5. World-first study of two decades of smoke pollution
Context: The world’s first study of the increase in pollution from landscape fires across the globe over the past two decades reveals that more than 2 billion people are exposed to at least one day of potentially health-impacting environmental hazard annually—a figure that has increased by 6.8% in the last 10 years. The study, published on 20 September in Nature and led by Australian scientists, estimated the global daily air pollution from all fires from 2000 to 2019.
The fire-sourced air pollution and human health
What are landscape fires?
Map showing the dominant landscape fire type burned during 2000–2019 at 0.25° × 0.25° spatial resolution across the globe according to Global Fire Emissions Database.
Use of Machine learning and ground-based monitoring data
Findings of the research
Significance of the research
For a more detailed analysis and pdf of this news please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
6. The total number of cells in the human body
Context: A new analysis of more than 1,500 papers and 60 types of tissue has revealed the total number of cells in the human body. Cells are the building blocks that form all the tissues and organs of the body — and now, scientists have an estimate of just how many individual cells the human body contains. The new study was published on September 18 in the journal PNAS.
The total number of Human cells
The previous estimate
Researchers examined more than 400 types of cells across 60 tissues, including nerve cells, or neurons, pictured above as seen under the microscope.
larger cells are lower in overall number
The limitations of the study
For a more detailed analysis and pdf of this news please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
7. The Cyclone Genesis Potential Index and Arabian Sea
Context: A team of Earth scientists and oceanographers affiliated with several institutions in India, working with a colleague from the U.S., has developed possible explanations for some of the factors involved in the observed increasing trend in the cyclone Genesis Potential Index (GPI) in the Arabian Sea. Their study, was reported in the journal npj Climate and Atmospheric Science.
Tropical Cyclones (TC) in the Arabian Sea and its changes during 1998–2021.
What is the Genesis Potential Index (GPI)?
About previous research
The new research for an increase in cyclonic GPI in the Arabian Sea
The factors that lead to changes in GPI
The “warm Arctic, cold Eurasian” pattern
For a more detailed analysis and pdf of this news please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
———————————
Current affairs in short
- What is the next big space telescope?
For “Current Affairs in Short”please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
Artist rendition of a starshade being used on a future space telescope. This example shows the proposed Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx). The 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey decided to combine elements of this with the Large Ultraviolet Optical Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR) for a new flagship telescope, which is now known as the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO).
2. What is geospatial intelligence?
For “Current Affairs in Short”please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
The Environmental Protection Agency publishes air quality maps that are particularly useful when smoke from wildfires spreads across large parts of the U.S.
3. What is the heaviest element on the periodic table?
For “Current Affairs in Short”please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
The search is gearing up for the next superheavy elements, 119 and 120 (red boxes in the table below). Meanwhile, scientists are studying the known superheavy elements (blue) to better understand how such large atoms behave.
4. What is Green Comet Nishimura?
For “Current Affairs in Short”please join our “Current Affairs daily for IAS”
Comet Nishimura pictured above Zahradne in Slovakia shortly after sunset on September 9, when the comet was most clearly visible.
——————————
For More Subscribe our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/CIVILSERVICESWITHZAKI
Follow my Blog: https://currentaffairsforupscbyzaki.wordpress.com/
Download App: https://rb.gy/q9qut
CIVIL SERVICES WITH ZAKI 