Great Rift Valley

In the midst of recent flooding and torrential rains that pounded Kenya, a dam in a community in the Rift Valley burst its banks, killing at least 42 people.

Context:

• A rift valley is a lowland area that develops when the tectonic plates of Earth separate. Rift valleys can be found both on land and at the ocean’s bottom, where seafloor spreading produces them. In contrast to river valleys and glacier valleys, rift valleys are formed by tectonic activity rather than erosion.

About the Great Rift Valley

• The Great Rift Valley is a chain of connected geological trenches that stretches from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa, covering a distance of around 7,000 kilometers (4,300 mi).
• Although the word is still used occasionally, geologists hardly ever use it since they believe it to be an imprecise combination of distinct but related rift and fault systems.
• The Jordan Rift Valley is located in the system’s northern region. From the Golan Heights, which are close to Israel’s borders with Syria and Lebanon, to the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, an inlet of the Red Sea that divides the Sinai Peninsula from the Arabian Peninsula, the Jordan Rift Valley spans.
• The Red Sea Rift is connected to the Jordan Rift Valley, which is located to the south. The Arabian Peninsula was joined to Africa millions of years ago. The African and Arabian plates rifted apart as a result of seafloor spreading. The Red Sea was formed when the Indian Ocean filled the rift valley between the continents.
• Today, the Sinai Peninsula forms a triangle that connects Asia and Africa.
• The Mediterranean and Red Seas will eventually be connected by the Red Sea Rift, which will eventually completely divide Africa and Asia.
• The vast and intricate East African Rift is located to the south of the Red Sea Rift. Africa is dividing into two regions along the East African Rift. The majority of the continent is carried by the African plate, also known as the Nubian plate, while the Horn of Africa is carried by the smaller Somali plate.
• On the floor of this rift valley are a number of deep, elongated lakes known as ribbon lakes; Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika are two examples of these lakes. There are several wildlife parks in Africa in this region, which also boasts a distinctive environment.

CONFLICT MINERALS

Apple has been accused by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) of using conflict minerals.

Context:

• Apple is accused by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of buying minerals that are smuggled into neighboring Rwanda. The source of these minerals is purportedly hidden when they are included into Apple’s extensive worldwide technology supply chain.

About CONFLICT MINERALS:

• Conflict minerals, sometimes referred to as “blood minerals,” are taken out of areas where there has been armed conflict or violations of human rights.
• These minerals are a major source of money for conflicts and acts of violence.
• Numerous industries, such as electronics, automotive, and renewable energy, depend heavily on these minerals.
• Rich undeveloped mineral and precious metal reserves exist in the DRC.
• The main minerals that cause conflict are gold, tungsten, tantalum, and tin.
• Minerals including wolframite (tungsten), columbite-tantalite (tantalum), and cassiterite (tin) are used to extract these minerals.

Impact of Conflict Minerals: In politically unstable regions, the trade in these minerals can:

• Finance armed groups: The money made from the sale of minerals might go straight toward funding hostilities.
• Fuel forced labor: Exploitative working conditions may be imposed on miners, even minors.
• Encourage money laundering and corruption: Illegal trade has the potential to sustain criminal activity and corruption.

AJRAKH

Ajrakh receives a GI tag from Kutch

Context:

• The Geographical Indications Registry awarded Ajrakh its GI designation following a protracted procedure of confirming its provenance and manufacturing methods.

About AJRAKH :

• Kutch, Gujarat, is the birthplace of the ancient hand-block printing method used to create the Ajrakh fabric.
• It produces exquisite textiles with complex patterns and natural colors that are used to manufacture stoles, sarees, dupattas, and other clothing.
• Ajrakh is distinguished by its use of geometric patterns and deep earth tones like mustard, indigo, and madder.
• With its GI classification, this fabric, which has been an essential component of Kutchi tradition for decades, has finally achieved international recognition.

1. Q) Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?
2. Banaras Brocades and Sarees
3. Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
4. Tirupathi Laddu

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB)

In order to improve the reflectivity of marine stratocumulus clouds and cool the Earth, scientists are investigating a geoengineering method known as “marine cloud brightening,” which entails utilizing machinery to inject small saltwater particles into the clouds.

Context:

• Brightening clouds, also known as solar radiation modification, solar geoengineering, or climate intervention, are one of several concepts to return solar energy to space.

Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB):

• This scientific endeavor investigates the potential effects of changing air particles, or aerosols, on cloud reflectivity.
• Researchers want to increase sunlight reflection by brightening clouds by releasing small aerosol particles into the sky.
• Certain types of clouds could have their reflectivity considerably increased by aerosols of the proper size and concentration.
• Satellite photos of clouds that have been enhanced by ship emissions—referred to as “ship tracks”—show this phenomena.

Goals of the Marine Cloud Brightening Program:

• It contributes to a better understanding of how pollution aerosols now affect clouds.
• Examine the possibility of using sea salt-derived aerosol particles to purposefully slow down the acceleration of climate change in the near future while lowering greenhouse gas concentrations to levels that are safer.
• It seeks to comprehend the advantages, dangers, and effectiveness of purposeful aerosol use to mitigate warming through various marine cloud brightening techniques.

Issues and difficulties related to Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB):

• The engineering challenges associated with MCB include the large-scale spraying of seawater into the sky at high altitudes, as well as the design, cost, upkeep, and operation of the spraying systems.
• The regional climatic and hydrological cycles may be impacted by MCB-induced changes in cloud and precipitation patterns, which could have unforeseen repercussions such as droughts or floods. Variations in cloud cover across large areas have an impact on precipitation, weather, and atmospheric circulation. Aerosols from pollution sources and marine cloud brightening (MCB) have the ability to alter clouds, which has an impact on areas close and far from the brightening.
• When it comes to governance and decision-making processes related to the deployment of human intervention in natural processes, MCB presents moral conundrums.
• Policymakers’ and the public’s resolve to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change may be weakened by MCB.