TNPSC Current Affairs August 11, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs August 11, 2020 (11/08/2020)

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Biofuel Day

World Biofuel Day is observed on 10th August every year.

Theme for 2020: “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

To create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and to highlight the various efforts made by the Government in the Biofuel sector.

Celebrated by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas since 2015. Biofuels programme is also in synergy with Government of India’s initiative of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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Topic: Geographical Landmarks, Places in News

Geothermal springs in Himalayas release large amount of carbon dioxide

Scientists of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) recently conducted a study on Geothermal springs in Himalayas.

Key observations and findings:

Geothermal springs cover about 10,000 square kms in the Garhwal region of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand.

The Himalayas host hundreds of geothermal springs and they release a huge amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

CO2 in these thermal springs are sourced from metamorphic decarbonation of carbonate rocks present deep in the Himalayan core along with magmatism and oxidation of graphite.

Most of the geothermal water is dominated by evaporation followed by weathering of silicate rocks.

 

 

What are hot/geothermal springs?

A hot spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater that rises from the Earth’s crust.

Science behind hot water:

As we know, deeper we go down the earth hotter it gets and find magma (molten rock) at the outer core of the earth. This magma(8001300°C) is surrounded by different layers of the earth.

If there is a crack or thrust fault in the layers of earth (one layer of the crust breaking and being thrust over another), tremendous amount of heat will be transferred from the magma to the surrounding rocks.

Now, all that thermal energy will be transferred from the rocks along that thrust fault to the water present down there.

As the temperature of the water increases, its density decreases which results in the rise of the hot water toward the surface along this thrust fault in the form of hot springs.

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Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events

Submarine communications cable

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Island Submarine Cable System, which will provide better connectivity to the archipelago.

The foundation stone for the project was laid by PM Modi in December 2018 at Port Blair.

 

 

Key Facts:

About 2,300 km of submarine optical fibre cable (OFC) has been laid at a cost of about Rs 1,224 crore to provide better connectivity in the UT.

The project envisages better connectivity from Chennai to Port Blair and seven other Islands — Swaraj Deep (Havelock), Long Island, Rangat, Hutbay (Little Andaman), Kamorta, Car Nicobar and Campbell Bay (Great Nicobar).

The project is funded by the government through the Universal Service Obligation Fund under the ministry of communications.

Who will benefit?

Better connectivity in the region will facilitate the delivery of e-governance services such as telemedicine and tele-education.

Small enterprises will benefit from opportunities in e-commerce, while educational institutions will utilise the enhanced availability of bandwidth for e-learning and knowledge sharing.

Business Process Outsourcing services and other medium and large enterprises too also benefit from better connectivity.

After the launch of the project by PM Modi, the internet bills in Andaman and Nicobar will also come down substantially.

What is Submarine Communications cable?

It is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The optical fiber elements are typically individually coated with plastic layers and contained in a protective tube suitable for the environment where the cable will be deployed.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

August 12: World Elephant Day

Every year, World Elephant Day is celebrated on August 12. It is an international event that is dedicated to preserve and protect world elephants.

Key facts:

The main objective of celebrating World Elephant Day is to create awareness about the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants.

The African Elephants are listed as “Vulnerable” and Asian Elephants as “Endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

The first International Elephant Day was celebrated in 2012.