Forest Fire

• The flames, which have now destroyed over 1,000 hectares of woods across a large portion of Uttarakhand, have claimed the lives of at least five individuals. There’s a chance that the fire will spread to densely populated cities like Nainital. The Air Force has had to reduce its firefighting efforts because to poor visibility.

Context:

• Because there is an abundance of dry biomass available after winter and throughout the prevalent summer season, there are more documented forest fire incidences in India in the months of March, April, and May.

Key takeaways

• Experts say that temperature, oxygen content, and fuel load are the three main elements that drive forest fires to spread. Forest fires are fueled by dry leaves. Approximately 36% of India’s forests are impacted, according to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) website.
• According to experts, burning forests produces emissions of black carbon and increases heat, which has a negative impact on air quality and water systems. But some combustion is required for the forest to replenish itself; burning debris encourages the growth of new grasses.
• The state government issued a one-week ban on people lighting fires to fodder, attributing the fires to human activity. It has been requested of urban bodies to put an end to the burning of solid waste in and near forests. These are urgently required emergency actions.
• Approximately 95% of forest fires nationwide, including in Uttarakhand, are started by people.
• In the past, the primary cause of the Himalayan season fires was the buildup of pine needles on the forest floor throughout the summer.
• Still, forest fires are just too big of a problem to be contained with restrictions and fines. The devastation of Uttarakhand’s forests is an indication of the worsening climate emergency.
• Many types of woods, especially dry deciduous forests, are prone to severe fires; evergreen, semi-evergreen, and highland temperate forests are less likely to have these types of incidents.
• In several areas of the state last year, the monsoon was insufficient. It was the driest April in Uttarakhand in the previous five years. Fire spreads quickly in these dry conditions, especially in areas with lots of oxygen, like forests.
• “Satellite based remote sensing technology and GIS tools have been effective in better prevention and management of fires through creation of early warning for fire prone areas, monitoring fires on real time basis and estimation of burnt scars.” As per The FSI.

LOCKBIT RANSOMWARE

A $10 million reward has been offered by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for information that results in the capture of Dimitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, the purported mastermind behind the LockBit ransomware organization.

Context:

• FBI Director Christopher Wray underlined the agency’s dedication to taking down ransomware networks. The hefty reward highlights how serious Khoroshev’s alleged offenses are and how urgent it is to bring him to justice.

About LOCKBIT RANSOMWARE

• A ransom payment is required to unlock computer systems that have been infected with the malicious LockBit ransomware.
• LockBit spreads the virus, encrypts every machine on a network that is accessible, and intelligently selects important targets.
• Rather than individuals, businesses and governmental institutions are its main objectives.
• Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) is how LockBit functions.In the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) business model, cybercriminals produce and disseminate ransomware, enabling their associates to use it in their own assaults.

The threats posed by LockBit include:

• Disruption to operations: A sudden stop to vital tasks.
• Extortion: The hacker wants to make money.
• If the target refuses to comply, blackmail may be used to steal data and publish it illegally.

Origins and Notable Targets:

• LockBit attacks first surfaced in September 2019, when they were referred to as the “abcd virus.”
• Previously, notable targets have included US, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, and Ukrainian organizations.
• The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in India are allegedly the target of LockBit.
• LockBit avoids attacking systems local to Russia or other countries within the Commonwealth of Independent States, presumably to avoid prosecution there.

INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE (IOD)

Recent reports suggest that in the second half of 2024, Positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) or Indian Nino may reappear for the second year in a row.

Context:

• The event is occurring for the second year in a row since record-keeping started for the first time since 1960.

About INDIAN OCEAN DIPOLE (IOD) :

• The irregular oscillation of sea surface temperatures known as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) or Indian Niño occurs when the western Indian Ocean experiences periods of warmer (positive phase) and colder (negative phase) temperatures than the eastern section of the ocean.
• Warm waters are forced into the western Indian Ocean during a positive phase, while cold, deep waters are raised to the surface in the eastern Indian Ocean. During the IOD’s negative phase, this pattern is inverted.
• The influence of El Niño on the Indian monsoon can be adjusted by the IOD. El Niño’s negative effects can be partially countered when a positive IOD occurs at the same time as the event.
• In Africa and Australia, the IOD affects local weather patterns, resulting in droughts and/or torrential rainfall.
• Moreover, linked sea level fluctuations may raise the risk of coastal flooding and its consequences.

With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an EI Nino’s impact on the monsoon.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Batagay crater (Permafrost) 

The permafrost thawing at Siberia’s “gateway to the underworld,” the Batagay crater, is alarmingly spreading at a rate of 35 million cubic feet (1 million cubic meters) per year.

What Is Crater Batagaika?

• The largest permafrost crater in the world, created by melting Quaternary Ice Age permafrost, is situated in the Far East of Russia. It started to form in the 1960s when the soil began to sink due to nearby forest clearing causing the permafrost to thaw.
• Permafrost thawing, however, presents environmental problems since it may intensify global warming by releasing organic carbon into the atmosphere.
• Ground that is permanently frozen and stays below the freezing point of water for two or more years is known as permafrost.
• It is typically found in polar regions, such as the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as in high-altitude mountainous areas.