May 2024

Minerals and Energy Resources : Distribution and utility of [a] metallic minerals (ion ore, copper, bauxite, manganese)

  Mineral is a naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic solid substance having a definite chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure, color, and hardness Minerals are valuable natural Resources that are finite and non-renewable. The history of mineral extraction in India dates back to the days of the Harappan civilization. The wide availability of minerals in the … Read more

Greenhouse effect

  The Greenhouse Effect is a natural process that warms the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s Atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. It is the process by which radiation from a planet’s atmosphere warms the planet’s surface to a … Read more

Major landforms and their features

Landforms are the natural features and shapes existent on the face of the earth. Landforms possess many different physical characteristics and are spread out throughout the planet. Together, landforms constitute a specific terrain and their physical arrangement in the landscape forms what is termed as topography. The physical features of landforms include slope, elevation, rock … Read more

Climate

Elements of Climate and weather Climate is decided by a region’s climate system. A climate system has few major components: the Atmosphere, the layer, the cryosphere, and the land surface. The atmosphere is that the most variable a part of the climate system. The composition and movement of gases encompassing the planet will change … Read more

Classification of climates, (Koppen and Thornthwaite)

  Climatic Regions of India : Koeppen’s Classification Climate Type Climatic Region Annual Rainfall in the Region Amw (Monsoon type with shorter dry winter season) Western coastal region, south of Mumbai over 300 cm As (Monsoon type with dry season in high sun period) Coromandel coast = Coastal Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas of Andhra Pradesh … Read more

Major types of Soils.(ICAR classification) and their distribution. Soil degradation and conservation

  Soil is defined as upper layer of the earth composed of loose surface material. It is a mixture of many substances including endless variety of Minerals, remnants of Plants and animals, water and air. It is the end product of continuing interaction between the parent material, local Climate, plant and animal organisms and elevation … Read more

Drainage System of India

Drainage: Flow of water through well-defined channels. Network of such channels is called a Drainage System . Drainage basin: An area drained by a river and its tributaries. Watershed: Boundary line separating one drainage basin from other. River basins are larger watersheds. Drainage pattern of an area depends on the geological time period, nature and … Read more

Tropical and temperate cyclones

  The Atmospheric Disturbances which involve a closed circulation about a low pressure centre, anticlockwise in the northern Atmosphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere are called Evaporation and Condensation: dew, frost, fog, mist and cloud, rainfall types Evaporation Evaporation is the process of which water changes from its liquid state to gaseous … Read more

Irrigation and water

Water Resources Rainfall: With an Average annual rainfall of 1,170 mm, India is one of the wettest countries in the world. At one extreme are areas like Cherrapunji, in the northeast, which is drenched each year with 11,000 mm of rainfall, and at the other extreme are places like Jaisalmer, in the west, which receives … Read more

Major types of rocks and their characteristics

  They are aggregates or physical mixture of one or more Minerals. Minerals on the other hand are made up of two or more Elements in a definite ratio. They have a definite chemical composition. Crust is made up of more than 2000 minerals, but out of these, 6 are the most abundant and … Read more