GEOGRAPHY CURRENT

AFFAIRS AND IMPORTANT

SITES

Abhishek Chandan
TWITTER @abhishekch95630
Pashupatinath Temple External Affairs Minister
Jaishankar prayed at
Pashupatinath Temple,
Kathmandu.
Srimukhalingam Temple ASI to recommend
Srimukhalingam Temple,
Andhra Pradesh for UNESCO
world heritage
Sed-Gyued Monastery Dalai Lama taught on
Bodhicitta at Siliguri's Sed-
Gyued Monastery.
Swarved Mahamandir PM Modi inaugurated Swarved
Mahamandir in Varanasi, UP.
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards
for Cultural Heritage
Conservation 2023
Shri Kalaram Mandir PM Modi visited Kalaram
Mandir, Nashik, Maharashtra;
site of Ambedkar-led Dalit
temple entry agitation, 1930.
- on Bagmati River's
bank, eastern
Kathmandu, Nepal
- UNESCO World
Heritage Site, 1979.
- on Vamsadhara River,
Andhra Pradesh.
- on Vamsadhara River,
Andhra Pradesh.
- Kalinga architectural
style.
-
- Focuses on Swarveda
teachings, Brahma
Vidya for Zen state.
- : Pipal Haveli
(Gurdaspur), Church of
Epiphany (Gurugram),
Rambagh Gate
(Amritsar).
- Original Rashtrakuta
Period temple (7th-
11th century), idol
saved from Turkish
invasions by placing in
Godavari.
- Sardar Rangarao
Odhekar built temple
in 1792 after
recovering statues,
named site Ramkund.
Talagirishwara Temple
Guruvayur Temple
Maa Danteshwari Temple
Sanwariya Seth Temple
India’s Biggest Natural Arch
Palur port site
Naganathaswamy Temple
Located in Panamalai,
Viluppuram, Tamil Nadu; built
by Pallava king
Narasimhavarman II
(Rajasimha).
Thrissur District, Kerala, Lord
Vishnu / Guruvayurappan
(Krishna)
Chhattisgarh, India.
Rajasthan, India
Kenduadihi block in Odisha's
Sundargarh district.
Ganjam district revealed a
2,000-year-old Buddhist stupa.
Manambadi in Thanjavur
district
- on hill by Panamalai
Lake.
- Vimana resembles
Kailasanatha temple,
Kanchipuram.
- "Dwarka of the South"
- One of the 51 Sakti-
pithas
- meeting point of rivers
Sankhini and Dankini
- built during the 11th
to 12th century A.D.
by the rulers of the
Chindak Nagvanshi
dynasty.
Dedicated to Lord Krishna
White marble used as main
material
Sundargarh natural arch
formed within ferruginous
sandstone of Upper Kamthi
formation.
- Tamil Nadu
Department of
Archaeology to restore
the 1,000-year-
oldtemple.
- Built by Rajendra
Chola I (1012-1044 CE)
Schengen Zone - Croatia joined
Schengen Area on 1
January 2023.
- Kosovo secured visa-
free Schengen access.
- Bulgaria, Romania to
join Schengen on 31
March 2024
Ram Mandir Sculptors: Arun Yogiraaj
(Mysore), Ganesh Bhatt, and
Satyanarayan Pandey.
Chornomorsk, Odessa, Ports under Black Sea Grain
Yuzhny/Pivdennyi Initiative
Arab League Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros,
Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya,
Mauritania, Morocco, Oman,
Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
- 1985
- Travel zone with
passport-free
movement
- 27 (including non-EU
members like Iceland,
Norway, Switzerland,
and Liechtenstein)-
*check the updated
number
-
- Nagar Style. Highly
inspired from Gujara-
Chalukya style of
Nagara style of
architecture.
- 3 stories (floors), 392
pillars, 44 doors.
- Rectangular periphery
called PERCOTA
around the temple,
feature of South Indian
temples, but not
generally in north
India.
- No iron or steel has
been used.
- Members: 22,
including Palestine
- HQ cairo, 1945
 Somalia, Sudan, Syria
(suspended), Tunisia, UAE,
Yemen.
Al-Hakim Mosque visited by Indian PM for
restoration supported by
India's Dawoodi Bohra
community.
Klyuchevskoy Volcano It is Kamchatka's highest and
Eurasia’s tallest active volcano.
Mount Etna Europe’s most active volcano
Kilauea volcano Hawaii
Dukono volcano Indonesia
Santa Maria volcano Guatemala
Yasur volcano Vanuatu
Altiplano-Puna Magma Body (APMB) in the Central Andes is
(APMB) the largest imaged magma
reservoir on Earth, and is
located within the second
Egypt, built in 1013 AD, 4th
oldest, 2nd largest after
Mosque of ibn Tulun
- Kamchatka Peninsula
is located in far
eastern Russia, lying
between the Sea of
Okhotsk on the west
and the Pacific Ocean
and Bering Sea on the
east
- Two mountain ranges,
the Sredinny (Central)
and Vostochny
(Eastern),
- It is the highest
Mediterranean island
mountain and the
most active
stratovolcano in the
world.

Sundhnjúkagígum , Grindavík.
Cyclone Biparjoy
KEDARNATH WILDLIFE
SANCTUARY
MELGHAT TIGER RESERVE
highest orogenic plateau on
Earth, the Altiplano-Puna.
iceland
name suggested by
Bangladesh
Established in the year 1972.
among the first nine tiger
reserves of India to be notified
in 1973 under Project Tiger
In news due to magma moving
- One of Iceland’s most
famous volcanoes is
Eyjafjallajökull
- originated in the
Arabian Sea making its
landfall near Jakhau
Port, between Mandvi
in Gujarat and Keti
Bandar
- largest protected area
of Uttarakhand
- Lies between
Kedarnath in
Rudraprayag and
Badrinath in Chamoli.
- Kedarnath Mandir,
Mandani,
Madhyamaheshwar,
Tungnath, Ansuya
Devi, and Rudranath.
- Musk, deer, Himalayan
Thar, Snow Leopard
- northern part of the
Amravati district of
Maharashtra
- Tapti River flows
through the northern
part of Melghat Tiger
Reserve and forms the
boundary of the
reserve.

MHADEI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY contiguous belt connecting the
forests of Karnataka and
Maharashtra.
TADOBA ANDHERI NATIONAL It is Maharashtra's oldest and
RESERVE largest National Park.
KANYAKUMARI WILDLIFE convergence of the Arabian
SANCTUARY Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the
Indian Ocean, tamil nadu
- Sloth bear, Indian
Gaur, Sambhar deer,
Leopard, Nilgais, Dhole
etc
- formation of this
sanctuary made Goa
the only state in the
country that protects
the entire area of the
Western Ghats that
falls within the state
- Bombay HC directed
Goa government to
notify Mhadei wildlife
sanctuary as Tiger
reserve.
- Wild boar, Indian hare,
Ruddy mongoose,
Black-faced langur and
Bonnet macaque.
- created in the year
1955.
- Andhari river flows in
this area
- Tigers, Indian
leopards, Sloth bears,
Gaur, Nilgai, Dhole,
Striped Hyena,
Peacock, Jewel
Beetles, Wolf Spiders,
etc
- cradle of seven rivers
(including Pahrali and
Thamirabarani)

ANNAMALAI TIGER RESERVE
Barapole River | Makkootta m
Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary
- Indian Bison,
Elephants, Nilgiri Tahr,
Sambar Deer, the
charismatic Lion-tailed
Macaque, and
reptilian wonders like
the Indian Rock
Python.
declared as a Tiger reserve in - Asiatic elephant,
the year 2007, tamil nadu Sambar, Spotted deer
Barking deer, Mouse
deer, Gaur, Nilgiri tahr
etc
- Mudumalai and
Anamalai Tiger
Reserves have recently
received the global
elite tag for best tiger
conservation practices.
- BWS is located on the - separated from the
Karnataka-Kerala Nagarhole National
border, in the Kodagu Park by a narrow strip
district of Karnataka. of coffee estates and
- adjoins Aralam from the Pushpagiri
Wildlife Sanctuary in Wildlife Sanctuary by a
Kerala thick evergreen forest
corridor
- River Barapole
bifurcates Urti Reserve
Forest and Brahmagiri
Reserve Forest.
- Sanctuary is a
catchment for River
Cauvery
Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary
Changthan g Wildlife
Sanctuary/ First Night Sky
Sanctuary
Kambalako nda Wildlife
Sanctuary
Banni Grasslands
Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary
Bhoj Wetland
Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR)
situated in
Heggadadevanakote Taluka of
Mysore district and comprises
Lakshmanapura State Forest
and adjacent revenue lands
this sanctuary is situated north
of Bandipur National Park.
South East Asia's first Night Sky - laddakh
Sanctuary - The Dark Sky
Reserve will be a part of
Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary
Visakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh.
home to 40,000 Maldharis, a Kutch
pastoral community known for
rearing high-yielding buffaloes
and cows.
Karnataka the National Green Tribunal
(NGT) has asked the state
government to resolve the
issues in the delay in the
notification of eco-sensitive
zone (ESZ) status for SWS.
human-made reservoirs, the e Ramsar site in 2002
Upper Lake called Bhojtal
(Bada Talaab) and the Lower
Lake called Chhota Talaab,
located in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh
Karnataka - located at the tri-
- Nagarahole Tiger junction area of the
Reserve (Tamil Nadu) States of Karnataka,
in the North West Tamil Nadu and
Kerala.
 (Kabini Reservoir - Geographically, it is an
separates the two). “ecological
- Mudumalai Tiger confluence” of the
Reserve (Tamil Nadu) Western and Eastern
in the South. Ghats
- Wayanad Wildlife - part of the larger
Sanctuary (Kerala) in Nilgiri Biosphere
the South West. Reserve
- y River Kabini in its - shelter for the largest
north and River Moyar population of wild
in its south Asian elephants in
South Asia
- Bengal tiger, gaur,
sloth bear, golden
jackal, dhole, four-
horned antelope, etc
Ranthambo re National Park at the junction of the Aravali - Forests located beside
and Vindhya hill ranges it are Sawai Man Singh
Sanctuary & Keladevi
Sanctuary
- Ramgarh Vishdhari is
buffer area for
Ranthambore national
park and connects it
with mukundra tiger
reserve.(52 TR)
- UP’s Ranipur tiger
reserve becomes 53rd
tiger reserve
- . In Chhattisgarh, the
combined areas of
Guru Ghasidas
National Park and
Tamor Pingla Wildlife

Arctic Amplification increasingly ramped-up
warming that’s taking place in
the area of the world north of
670N latitude.
Melting of the ice cover in the
Arctic exposes more
land/water to the Sun, leading
to more absorption of sunlight.
Permafrost essentially any ground that
stays frozen 0 degree Celsius
or lower for at least two years
straight.
Blue Hole 900-foot-deep sinkhole off
Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula,
dubbed the 2nd deepest blue
hole globally, following the
Dragon Hole in the South
China Sea.
Sanctuary is approved
as tiger reserve, taking
the total to 54.
- temperatures in the
Arctic have risen at
two to three times the
pace of the rest of the
world.
- difference in
temperature between
the poles and the
tropics is referred to as
Arctic (or polar)
amplification.
- Polar amplification is
much stronger in the
Arctic than in
Antarctica as it is an
ocean covered by sea
ice, while Antarctica is
an elevated continent
with permanent ice
and snow.
- Many contain a high
diversity of plants and
marine life including
corals, sea turtles and
sharks.
- examples are the
Dragon Hole, the

Sea Ice
- forms when the
surface of the ocean
freezes
- composed of frozen
seawater, with no
landmass involved.
- temporary and
seasonal
- is dynamic and
constantly in motion
due to ocean currents,
winds, and tides. It is
relatively thin
Myristica Swamps found in the Western Ghats of
southwestern India and in
parts of Southeast Asia,
particularly in the Indonesian
island of New Guinea and its
surrounding regions, A&N
Great Blue Hole and
Dean's Blue Hole.
Glacier
- large mass of ice that
forms on land
- can persist for
hundreds or
thousands of year
- named after the
dominant tree species
found within them,
which belong to the
Myristicaceae family,
commonly known as
the nutmeg family. Th
- characterized by their
waterlogged and acidic
condition
- higher capacity to
store carbon
compared to nearby
non-swamp forests.
- helps in retaining
water and act as a
sponge, ensuring
 perennial water
availability
Salt cavern-based Reserves Rock cavern-based Reserves
- Created by injecting - Created by drilling into
water into salt solid rock and
deposits and then excavating a cavern
pumping out the brine, that can be used for
leaving behind an storage.
empty space that can - Used for storage of
be used for storage. perishable goods,
- Used for storing strategic reserves
hydrocarbons, natural (e.g., emergency
gas, and liquid supplies), or
petroleum products specialized storage for
due to their excellent hazardous materials
sealing properties and - Expensive
high storage capacity - More secure and
- cost-effective and can reliable
be built more quickly
- More prone to leaks
HI-WISE Report International Centre for
Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD)
released the Water, Ice,
Society, and Ecosystems in the
Hindu Kush Himalaya (HI-
WISE) report
Groundwater Extraction has Earth spins around an axis kind
Tilted Earth’s Spin of like a top. If the weight of a
top is moved around, the
spinning top would start to
lean and wobble as its
rotational axis changes.
Mawar cyclone Philippines, China Named by Malaysia
Guchol cyclone Japan
Cotton crop India is the world's 2nd largest
producer of cotton, following
China,(25%)
Ionosphere 60 km to 1,000 km above the
Earth's surface.
Brahmani Natural Arch Geological Survey of India has
proposed the 'Geo Heritage'
tag for the Jurassic age
‘Natural Arch’ in Odisha
Named by Micronesia
- Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana, and
Punjab.
- minimum of 600 mm
of annual rainfall.
- well-drained soil
enriched with essential
nutrients such as
nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium.
- divided into several
layers, including the D
layer, E layer, F1 layer,
and F2 layer. (F2 layer
is the highest layer and
is primarily responsible
for long-distance radio
communication)
- Propagation of
Electromagnetic
Waves, radio
- Aurora Borealis and
Aurora Australis
- Global Navigation
Satellite Systems
- Space Weather
- located in the Deomali
mountain range in
Odisha.
- made of sandstone
and stands at a height
of about 200 feet.
Critical Minerals
Metallurgical Coke
Shelf Clouds (Arcus Cloud)
Gravity Hole: an Anomaly in
Indian Ocean
Geological Survey of India has
for the first-time found
Lithium ‘inferred’ resources in
Salal-Haimana area of the UT
of Jammu & Kashmir.
known as Coke breeze, Met
Coke, or Blast Furnace Coke, is
a carbonaceous material
produced by heating coal to
high temperatures without air,
leaving behind a solid, carbon-
rich material.
a low-hanging cloud that
appears to be attached to the
front of a storm. These are
formed when a thunderstorm
pushes a gust of wind ahead of
it. This gust of wind can be so
strong that it lifts the warm,
moist air in front of it. As the
warm air rises, it cools and
condenses into a cloud, which
becomes the shelf cloud
These are areas where the
gravitational pull is
- crucial component in
the production of steel
and iron
- should not be
confused with
petroleum coke or
foundry coke
- carbon content of
90%-95%
- e facilitates efficient
gas flow, has low ash
content, and has high
mechanical strength
- often dark and
ominous, and it can
give the impression
that the storm is
moving in quickly.
- distinct horizontal
appearance (Roll
Cloud), stretching
across the sky in a
straight line
- In India, Arcus clouds
formation is rare
phenomenon.
- can have a profound
effect on the ocean
currents and the
 significantly stronger than in
the surrounding areas.
- discovered in 1948
during a survey by
Dutch geophysicist
It is a negative geoid anomaly,
meaning that the sea level in
this region is lower than what
would be expected based on
the Earth’s gravitational field.
Anthropocene Epoch Scientists said that the
sediments of Crawford Lake in
Canada provide evidence of
the beginning of the
Anthropocene epoch.
Lightning-prone Area Madhya Pradesh has the
highest ground lighting rate,
followed by Chhattisgarh,
Maharashtra, Odisha, and
West Bengal.
Waterspouts is a tornado-like column or
funnel of violently rotating air
that usually forms over the
surface of the sea.
movement of water
around them
- gravitational pull of a
gravity hole can cause
water to be pulled
towards it, creating a
vortex that can suck in
anything that comes
too close.
- It is a geological epoch
that marks the period
during which human
activity has had a
significant impact on
the Earth's geology
and ecosystems.
- It is not yet officially
recognized as a
geological epoch by
the International
Commission on
Stratigraphy
- Earth's most lightning
activity is observed on
Lake Maracaibo.
- Waterspouts are
typically formed in
warm and humid
environments when
there is a temperature
difference between

Plasticulture use of plastic materials in
agriculture ("ag plastics") to
improve crop productio
- Both are two distinct Solar Maximum
phases in the solar - greatest number of
cycle, which is an sunspots in any given
approximately 11-year solar cycle is
cycle of varying solar designated as "solar
activity maximum."
- most recent solar - Solar Flares and CMEs
maximum occurred in (Coronal Mass
2014, and the next Ejections) More
one is expected to frequent and intense
occur in 2025 - Auroras (Northern and
Southern Lights) More
frequent and can be
more vivid.
the warm water
surface and the cooler
air above.
- As warm, moist air
rises from the water's
surface, it can
encounter cooler air
aloft, leading to the
development of a
rotating updraft. If the
rotation intensifies, it
can lead to the
formation of a
waterspout.
use of plastic mulch, drip
irrigation, and greenhouse
coverings to protect crops
from pests, weeds, and
extreme weather conditions.
Solar Minimum
- The lowest number of
sunspots in any given
solar cycle is "solar
minimum.
- Solar Flares and CMEs
(Coronal Mass
Ejections) Less
frequent and less
intense
- Auroras (Northern and
Southern Lights) less
frequent
Silvopasture System practice that harmoniously
integrates trees, forage and
livestock on the same land.
Desiccation-tolerant (DT) Western Ghats (WG), is home
vascular plants to 62 Desiccation-Tolerant
Vascular Plant Species
Cryptobiosis (Anabiosis) suspended animation state
where an organism's
metabolic processes are
slowed or stopped
E Prime Layer n international team of
researchers revealed the
formation of a new enigmatic
layer – E prime layer at the
outermost part of Earth’s core.
- Vascular plants are
equipped with
specialized tissues
dedicated to
transporting water,
nutrients, and sugars
across their
anatomies.
- DT plants can
withstand extreme
dehydration, losing up
to 95% of their water
content, and re-
emerge once water is
available again.
- It is found in
tardigrades, brine
shrimp, and some
bacteria
- The E-Prime Layer is a
result of surface water
altering the
composition of the
metallic liquid core's
outermost region
- When the water
reaches the core-
mantle boundary, it
undergoes chemical
changes, forming a
hydrogen- rich, silicon-

Pontus Tectonic Plate
PBKnot Technology
Pacific Decadal Oscillation
(PDO)
- change in location of
the cold and warm
water masses alters
the path of the jet
stream
Atlantification
Amrit and Moonga Blocks In
Arabian Sea
depleted layer. This
layer resembles a film-
like structure.
long-lost tectonic plate named - located in present-day
'Pontus' was discovered in South China Sea.
Borneo. 'Pontus' is a minor
tectonic plate in the northern
part of the Eastern
Hemisphere
technology involves the
release of sex pheromones by
the PBKnot dispenser,
hindering male moths from
locating females and
disrupting the reproductive
cycle
- Cool Phase: - Warm or Positive
Characterized by a Phase: In this phase,
cool wedge of lower- the west Pacific Ocean
than-normal sea- cools, and the wedge
surface heights in the in the east warms.
eastern equatorial
Pacific and a warm
horseshoe pattern in
the north, west, and
southern Pacific.
a process causing the Arctic
Ocean to become saltier and
warmer, driven by the
increasing flow of warm water
from the Atlantic.
ONGC has made discoveries of
crude oil and natural gas in
 two blocks named Amrit and
Moonga
Omega Blocks denoted by the isobars
resembling the Greek letter Ω
in the Northern Hemisphere,
are upper-level weather
patterns characterized by a
lowhigh-low arrangement in
the west–east direction
Sun Halo optical phenomenon that
occurs due to sunlight
refracting millions of
hexagonal ice crystals
suspended in the atmosphere
River-Cities Alliance (RCA) a collaborative effort between
the Ministry of Jal Shakti
(MoJS) and the Ministry of
- They effectively
"block" or redirect
migratory cyclones,
maintaining their
position for days or
weeks and inducing
prolonged, consistent
weather conditions in
the affected areas. The
recent heatwave,
attributed to an
"omega block,"
showcases a high-
pressure pattern
diverting the jet
stream.
- redirection allows a
mass of hot air from
northern Africa and
the Iberian Peninsula
to flow, leading to
persistent and fine
weather conditions.
- vision is to connect
river cities and
promote sustainable,
 Housing and Urban Affairs
(MoHUA).
Earthquake Swarm a series of small earthquakes
that occur in a localized area
over a short period of time
Cloud Seeding Cloud seeding does not create
new clouds. It increases the
amount of rainfall by 10-15%
from existing clouds by adding
tiny particles called ice nuclei
to the clouds. Inside the
seeded clouds, water vapour
freezes onto the particles.
Ureilite Dhala crater resulted from the
collision of an exceptionally
rare and ancient meteorite,
known as Ureilite.
FloodWatch App introduced by the Central
Water Commission (CWC),
offers realtime updates on
flood situations across the
country, along with forecasts
river-centric
development
- e executed in two
phases, with the initial
phase encompassing
25 cities situated in
the main stem Ganga
basin states, namely
Uttarakhand, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar,
Jharkhand, and West
Bengal
- funding by world bank
Cloud seeding primarily
involves the use of eight
chemicals: silver iodide, dry
ice, potassium iodide,
propane, calcium carbide,
ammonium nitrate, sodium
chloride, and urea compound.
- oldest and the largest
impact crater in India
Earth Overshoot Day
Fujiwhara Effect
High Cost of Cheap Water
Report
Brazzaville Summit or Three
Basins Summit 2023
the day when humanity's
demand for ecological
resources and services exceeds
what the Earth can regenerate
in a given year
when two nearby cyclonic
storms, such as hurricanes,
typhoons, or tropical cyclones,
come close enough to each
other to interact.
released by the Worldwide
Fund for Nature (WWF)
Three Basins of the Amazon,
Congo, and Borneo-Mekong-
Southeast Asia concludes with
a declaration in Brazzaville
- In 2023, Earth
Overshoot Day was on
August 2. This means
that between January
1 and August 2,
humanity's demand
for biological
regeneration was
equivalent to the
planet's entire annual
regeneration.
- Global Footprint
Network hosts and
calculates Earth
Overshoot Day.
- Water blindness refers
to a lack of awareness
about the importance
of water resources.
- The global economic
value of water is
estimated at $58
trillion, equivalent to
60% of the world's
GDP.
 (capital of the Republic of the
Congo)
Belém Declaration s signed in the Brazilian city of
Belém by member countries of
the Amazon Cooperation
Treaty Organization (ACTO).
Carbon Nanoflorets unique nanostructure
composed of carbon atoms
that show structural
(morphology) similarity to
plant flowers.
Kalasa-Bhandura Project Goa is concerned about
Karnataka's plan to build the
Kalasa Bhandura canal to
divert water from the upper
reaches of the Mahadayi to
the Malaprabha basin
Kamlang Tiger Reserve Lohit District in Arunachal
Pradesh near the border with
Myanmar.
- advocates for the
active participation of
Indigenous People in
decision-making
- pledges to establish
the Amazon Alliance to
Combat Deforestation.
- can absorb light at
multiple frequencies, i
- Kamlang River, which
flows through the
reserve and joins the
Brahmaputra.
- reserve is home to
four big cats, Snow
Leopard, Clouded
Leopard, Leopard, and
Tiger
- e Himalayan Palm
Civets, Leopard Cat,
Slow Lories, and
Hoolock Gibbon. Other
common species

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary
(DWL)
Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary
Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary
Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary
Uttara Kannada district of
Karnataka
located in Odisha near the
Hirakud Dam (Mahandi River)
n Andhra Pradesh, Between
Krishna and Godavari delta
located on the southern bank
of the river Brahmaputra in
Assam. It is part of the larger
Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong
landscape
include Giant and
Flying Squirrels,
Hornbills, Deer, Civets,
Boar, Capped Langur,
and Stump Tailed
Macaque.
- Part of the Anshi
Dandeli Tiger Reserve
- Drained by rivers,
including the Kali
River, Kaneri River,
and Bedthi Rive
- Karnataka state
government has
officially notified the
Dandeli Elephant
Reserve under Project
Elephant
- Kolleru Lake (Ramsar
Site)
- Fed by seasonal
Budameru and
Tammileru rivers.
- Largest freshwater
lake in India?????
- home to the Great
Indian one-horned
rhinoceros, tiger,
leopard, wild buffalo,
hog deer, wild pig, and
elephants.
Kambalakonda Wildlife
Sanctuary
Five More Wetlands to Ramsar
List
Aghanashini Estuary
Magadi Kere Conservation
Reserve
Ankasamudra Bird
Conservation Reserve
Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary
Longwood Shola Reserve
Forest
Renuka Wetland Himachal
Pradesh Smallest
Terai Arc Landscape
vast forest reserve located
near Vishakhapatnam, Andhra
Pradesh.
3 in Karnataka and 2 in Tamil
Nadu
Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Sundarbans West Bengal
Largest
United Nations has bestowed
global recognition upon
Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape
(TAL) initiative, which was
launched in 2001, designating
it as one of seven World
Restoration Flagships.
One of the most amazing
flowers found in the region
include the Indian screw tree
Total 80
confluence of Aghanashini
River with the Arabian Sea.
Human-made reservoir for
rainwater storag
Human-made Village Irrigation
Tank, the only bird
conservation reserve in
Northern Karnataka's dry zone,
Painted Stork and Black-
headed Ibis.
One of the largest inland
wetlands of Tamil Nadu, s
Tamil word "Solai", meaning a
tropical rainforest, Black-
chinned Nilgiri Laughing
thrush, Nilgiri Blue Robin, and
vulnerable Nilgiri Wood-
pigeon
Montreux record: Keoladeo
National Park (Rajasthan),
Loktak Lake (Manipur)
- 810-kilometer stretch
from the river Yamuna
in the west to the river
Bhagmati in the east,
including the Shivalik
hills, adjoining
bhabhar areas, and
the Terai flood plains
 - spans across the
Indian states of
Uttarakhand, Uttar
Pradesh, and Bihar,
along with the low-
lying hills of Nepal.
- comprises a total of 13
Protected Areas, with
nine located in India
(including Corbett
Tiger Reserve, Rajaji
National Park, Dudhwa
Tiger Reserve, and
Valmiki Tiger Reserve)
and four in Nepal
Shallow Water Coral Reef Deep Water Coral Reef
- Brown & Green - White
- Up to 200 feet (60 - Beyond 200 meters to
meters) from surface several thousand
- Typically found in the meters. (with low
euphotic zone where diversity)
sunlight penetrates - Beyond the reach of
and supports sunlight for
photosynthesis photosynthesis. So,
- Stable temperatures & they rely on
lower pressures alternative energy
compared to deep sources, such as
water capturing small
- particles and organic
matter
- Colder temperatures
and higher pressures
Gupteshwar Forest - Odisha government - Mandasaru, Mahendra
has officially Giri, and

Wadge Bank Ecosystem &
Hydrocarbon Exploration
Gibraltar Arc
Afanasy Nikitin (AN) Seamount
designated the
Gupteshwar Forest as
the fourth Biodiversity
Heritage Site (BHS)
within the state
Wadge Bank faces a potential
risk as the Indian government
considers offering
hydrocarbon exploration
geological region consisting of
a curved mountain range
(orogen) surrounding the
Alboran Sea, located between
the Iberian Peninsula (Spain)
and Africa (Morocco).
India has applied to the
International Seabed Authority
(ISA) for exploration rights
over the Afanasy Nikitin
Gandhamardan had
been recognized as
BHS.
- State Government, in
consultation with local
bodies, has the
authority to identify
and notify areas of
significant biodiversity
as BHS.
- Wadge Bank is a
submerged plateau/ a
continental shelf
(10,000 square
kilometre area) of the
sea south of
Kanyakumari
- low tidal amplitude
and weak currents,
creating favourable
conditions for nutrient
accumulation and
plankton growth
- a product of the
ongoing convergence
of the Eurasian &
African tectonic plates.
-
- AN Seamount is a
structural feature rich
in cobalt, nickel,
manganese, and
copper
 Seamount (AN Seamount) in
the Indian Ocean
Rip Currents Indian National Centre for
Ocean Information Services
(INCOIS) and ISRO have
collaborated to monitor and
issue operational forecast
alerts regarding rip currents.
India’s Maiden Winter Arctic Ministry of Earth Sciences has
Expedition launched India's first winter
scientific expedition to
Himadri, the Arctic Research
Station in Ny-Ålesund, Norway.
India and arctic - signing of the Svalbard
Treaty 1920
- Despite being 3,000
km away from India's
coast, it falls within an
area claimed by Sri
Lanka to the
Commission on the
Limits of the
Continental Shelf.
- Rip currents are strong
flows of water that
move from a beach
back toward the open
ocean, sea, or lake.
- While they can be
narrow, sometimes
just 10 or 20 feet wide,
they can also stretch
up to ten times wider
- , rip currents do not
pull people
underwater; instead,
they pull individuals
away from the shore.
- supported by the Polar
Science and
Cryosphere Research
(PACER) scheme
administered by the
National Centre for
Polar and Ocean
Research, Ministry of
Earth Sciences.
- Establishment of
India’s northernmost
 - First scientific atmospheric
expedition launched in laboratory at
August 2007 Gruvebadet in 2016
- Himadri research - India became an
station started in July observer in the Arctic
2008 in Ny Alesund, Council in 2013, with
Svalbard. membership renewed
- Deployment of IndArc, in 2019 for another
a multisensory five years
observatory, in - Arctic policy in March
Kongsfjorden in 2014 2022
Hindu Kush Himalayas - region encompasses - important source of
Afghanistan, water for 12 rivers
Bangladesh, Bhutan, that flow through 16
China, India, countries in Asia.
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, -
Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan, Tajikistan,
and Uzbekistan.
National Mission for Sustaining Launched under the National
the Himalayan Eco-system Action Plan on Climate Change
(NMSHE) (NAPCC), NMSHE aims to
continuously assess the health
status of the Himalayan
Ecosystem, addressing climate
change impacts and ensuring
its sustainability.
SECURE Himalaya Implemented by MoEFCC
(India) and the United Nations
Development Programme
(UNDP), SECURE Himalaya is
part of the Global Wildlife
Program (GWP) funded by the
Global Environment Facility

Hindu Kush Himalayan
Monitoring and Assessment
Programme
Triple-dip La Niña when the La Niña effect
persists for three consecutive
years
(GEF). It focuses on securing
livelihoods and conservation in
the high range Himalayan
ecosystems.
Coordinated by the
International Centre for
Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD),
gathers and disseminates
scientific data on the region's
environmental and
socioeconomic changes
- recent study found
that the triple-dip La
Niña phenomenon had
a significant impact on
air quality in
peninsular and North
India during the winter
of 2022–23.
- Peninsular India:
Higher northerly winds
trapped pollutants,
leading to poor air
quality with increased
PM2.5 concentration. ▪
North India: Unusual
wind patterns and
faster ventilation,
along with the
absence of rain and
clouds, improved air
quality
El Niño Southern Oscillation natural climate phenomenon
(ENSO) characterized by fluctuating
ocean temperatures in the
central and eastern equatorial
Pacific.
La Niña cooling of the ocean surface
with below-average sea
surface temperatures (SST) in
the central and eastern
tropical Pacific Ocean.
El Niño opposite of La Niña, involving a
warming of the ocean surface
with above-average SST in the
same region.
Oceanic Niño Index National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s
(NOAA) primary indicator for
monitoring the ocean part of
the seasonal climate pattern
called the El Niño-Southern
Oscillation, or “ENSO”.
- Strengthened easterly
winds along the
equator and
northward movement
of the jet stream over
the eastern Pacific.
- Enhances cold water
upwelling off the coast
of Peru and Ecuador.
- Can lead to better-
than-normal Monsoon
in India and, at times,
cause floods.
- Suppresses cold water
upwelling off the coast
of Peru and Ecuador.
- Weakens the Indian
Monsoon and may
trigger drought.
- ONI tracks the running
3-month average sea
surface temperatures
in the east-central
tropical Pacific
between 120°-170°W,
near the International
Dateline, and whether
they are warmer or
cooler than average.
 - Index values of +0.5 or
higher indicate El Niño
and values of -0.5 or
lower indicate La Niña
Atlantic Meridional - responsible for - vital role in
Overturning Circulation circulating water from distributing warmth
(AMOC) the northern to globally and providing
southern parts of the essential nutrients for
Atlantic Ocean and ocean life.
back again over a long - AMOC operates based
cycle on differences in
- a rise in Atlantic sea temperature and salt
levels, alterations in content, but it's facing
the wet and dry challenges due to
seasons in the Amazon faster than-expected
region, more erratic melting of Greenland’s
temperature glaciers and Arctic ice
fluctuations, and a sheets.
warmer southern -
hemisphere
Swell waves long wavelength waves - not generated by local
formed on the ocean surface, winds but originate
consisting of a series of surface from distant storms
gravity waves. such as hurricanes or
- Kerala experienced prolonged periods of
inundation due to strong gale winds
swell waves. - have a narrower range
- swell waves occur of frequencies and
without warning signs directions because
or local wind activity. they have dispersed
from their point of
origin and have thus
lost some
randomness, assuming

Tornado Tornado is a land-based
vertical column of violently
rotating air that forms from a
thunderstorm to the ground. It
can have wind speeds in the
range of 105-322 km per hour.
- The tornado over the
sea is called
waterspouts.
Enhanced Fujita scale is used
to measure tornado strength
Coal Gasification chemical process that converts
coal into a combustible gas
mixture called Synthesis gas
(also called syngas), which is a
mixture of hydrogen (H2),
carbon monoxide (CO) and
carbon dioxide (CO2)
BioTRIG a waste management
innovation made for
a more defined shape
and direction.
- swells can propagate
in directions different
from the prevailing
wind direction
- wavelengths typically
range up to 150
meters, although
exceptionally severe
storms can produce
swells exceeding 700
meters in length
- Any collision of warm,
moist air with dry, cool
air in the presence of a
low-pressure system
like a trough causes
thunderstorms and
tornadoes
- in the mid-latitudes
(between 20 and 60
degrees north and
south)
- Pyrolysis produces
three main by-

Rejupave Technology
Latitudinal Diversity Gradient
(LDG)
implementation in rural products: Bio-oil,
regions of India. Syngas, Biochar.
- operates on the
principle of pyrolysis
at a community level.
- Pyrolysis involves
heating waste in an
oxygen-free chamber
at temperatures
exceeding 400 degrees
Celsius
Border Roads Organization - Rejupave is a liquid
(BRO) introduced indigenous bio-based asphalt
technology - Rejupave to modifier &
enhance the capacity of the rejuvenating agent. It
defence forces along the Indo- was developed by the
China border in Arunachal CSIR-Central Road
Pradesh. Research Institute
- addresses construction (CSIR-CRRI
challenges in low and - Rejupave is a bio-oil-
sub-zero based product that
temperatures. It has reduces the heating
been used by the requirement of
Border Road bituminous mixes. It is
Organization (BRO) to used in road
build bituminous road construction to
sections at the Sela address challenges in
Road tunnel and low and sub-zero
LGG Damteng- temperatures.
Yangste.
refers to the pattern of having
more number of species at the
equator with numbers
reducing towards poles
Ocean heat content (OHC)
Tropicalisation
Ozone layer and Ozone Hole
- A process known as catalytic
cycles (a sequence of chemical
reactions in the form of a loop)
resulting in destruction of
ozone
- total amount of heat - calculated by
energy stored in the measuring ocean
world's oceans temperature at various
- quantified in Joules, depths across the
the standard unit of globe. Integrating
energy. Compared to these temperature
air, water exhibits a measurements with
greater heat capacity, the density and
indicating its ability to specific heat capacity
retain significantly of seawater provides
larger quantities of the total heat content.
heat.
refers to a phenomenon Borealization refers to the
observed in oceanic expansion of the Earth's boreal
ecosystems where species zone towards the poles and
typically found in tropical higher altitudes
regions are moving towards
the poles, while species
adapted to temperate climates
are retreating or shifting their
ranges towards cooler waters.
- Thin shield of gas in - Ozone-depleting substances
Earth’s Stratosphere (ODSs): Chlorine, bromine,
- Denotes areas where CFCs, carbon tetrachloride,
ozone levels drop halons etc
below 220 Dobson - Polar Stratospheric Clouds
Units (PSCs) Can destroy ozone
- Average thickness of Providing a surface that
ozone layer over converts benign forms of
Earth: 300 Dobson chlorine into reactive, ozone-
Units destroying forms., Removing
nitrogen compounds that
moderates the destructive
impact of chlorine.

the Amundsen Sea located off the coast of West
Antarctica
Indian Antarctic program, began in 1981,
Blue Ocean event Refers to a situation in which
the Arctic Ocean’s ice area
drops below 1 Million Sq.Km
leading to the change of arctic
surface colour from white to
blue.
Dynamic Ground Water - Carried out jointly by
Resource Assessment Report Central Ground Water
by ministry of jalshakti Board (CGWB) and
States/UTs
- Changes in solar cycle.
- volcanic eruption
Ocean-driven melting of
floating ice shelves in the
Amundsen Sea is the main
process contributing to
sea level rise
- Dakshin Gangotri
(1983), Maitri (1988)
and Bharati (2012).
Process reduces the amount of
sunlight reflected into space,
leading to further warming
and ice loss
- Total annual
groundwater (GW)
recharge :449.08
billion cubic meters
(bcm) (Increased from
437.6 bcm in 2022).
- Major increase noticed
in West Bengal,
Assam, Telangana,
Chhattisgarh,
Karnataka, Gujarat and
Bihar.
- Over-exploited’ units:
11.23% of total
assessment units in
various States/ UTs.
(Decreased from
14.2% in 2022)
Homo naledi , an extinct human species,
may have buried their dead
and carved meaningful
symbols in a cave
Argoland Researchers have discovered
Argoland, a landmass that
detached from western
Australia 155 million years
ago.
Burtse ladakh Coral fossil reefs unearted in
ladakh