Solution (c)

Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow, meandering air currents in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. On Earth, the main jet streams are located near the altitude of the tropopause and are westerly winds (flowing west to east). Their paths typically have a meandering shape. Jet streams may start, stop, split into two or more parts, combine into one stream, or flow in various directions including opposite to the direction of the remainder of the jet.

The strongest jet streams are the polar jets, at 9–12 km (30,000–39,000 ft) above sea level, and the higher altitude and somewhat weaker subtropical jets at 10–16 km (33,000–52,000 ft).

Solution (a)

Called the Thwaites Glacier, it is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving and melting fast over the years. Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a metre. Studies have found the amount of ice flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the past 30 years. Today, Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea level rise each year. It is estimated that it would collapse into the sea in 200-900 years. Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean. Because of the risk it faces — and poses — Thwaites is often called the Doomsday Glacier.

 Solution (c)

The highest number of Indians abroad are living in the United Arab Emirates, where the 34,20,000 Indians comprise about one-fourth of all Indians abroad.

Solution (a)

India-UK hold joint exercise called Ajeya Warrior on February 13, 2020. The exercise is being held from 2005.

THINK!

• Konkan exercise
• Indra Dhanush Exercise

Solution (a)

The 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme, is going to be hosted by India during 17 to 22 February at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The mascot for CMS COP13 is ‘Gibi – The Great Indian Bustard’. It is a critically endangered species which has been accorded the highest protection status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

As the host, India shall be designated the President for the next three years. The Government of India is Signatory to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Wild Animals since 1983. The Government of India has been taking necessary actions to protect and conserve migratory marine species. Seven species that include dugong, whale shark, and two species of the marine turtle have been identified for preparation of Conservation and Recovery Action Plan.

India is home to several migratory species of wildlife including snow leopard, Amur falcons, bar-headed geese, black-necked cranes, marine turtles, dugongs, and humpbacked whales.

India has signed a non legally binding MoU with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian cranes (1998), marine turtles (2007), dugongs (2008) and raptors (2016).

While different countries have sent their proposals, India has proposed to include three species- the Indian elephant, the Great Indian Bustard and the Bengal Florican in the ‘Appendix I’ of the CMS Convention for ‘migratory species threatened with extinction’.