Geography

Understanding Drought-Prone Regions in India As a teacher, it is essential to educate students about various geographical phenomena that affect our planet. One such phenomenon is drought, which has a significant impact on India. In this article, we will explore the significance, features, objectives, effects, and fun facts about drought-prone regions in India. Significance of

The Fundamental Concepts of Geomorphology Geomorphology is a fascinating and diverse subject that involves the study of earth’s relief features and the processes that shape them. In this article, we will explore the most important principles of geomorphology known as the fundamental concepts of geomorphology. These concepts are crucial in understanding and interpreting landscapes. Concept

The Indian Railways: An Overview of the 18 Railway Zones The Indian Railways is one of the largest railway networks in the world, connecting millions of people and transporting goods across the country. To efficiently manage and operate this vast network, the Indian Railways is divided into 18 railway zones. Each zone has its own

Types of satellite orbits and their features | UPSC – IAS When the satellite is moving in the orbits, it stays in position because the centripetal force on the satellite balances the gravitational attractive force of the earth. This balance depends on the following: Distance from the earth Tangential speed of the satellite Earth’s radius

Subduction Zone- are the regions where tectonic plates converge and one plate slips/subsides beneath the other. It results in formation of trenches for Example:- Aleutian Trench. At these regions, magma finds its way to the surface resulting in volcanic eruptions. Importance of studying Subduction zones them: Climate change – Aerosols released during volcano can slow

Heat budget of the earth and Distribution of Temperature | UPSC – IAS Earth’s internal heat budget is fundamental to the thermal history of the Earth. A heat budget is the perfect balance between incoming heat absorbed by earth and outgoing heat escaping it in the form of radiation. Learning Objectives:- Difference between Shortwave and Longwave Radiation What happens to solar radiation

Physical Geography Dictionary and Glossary | A to Z | UPSC – IAS Geography terms and Definitions starting with A | UPSC – IAS Ablation – Wastage of glacial ice through melting and sublimation. Ablation zone The lower portion of a glacier where there is a net annual loss of ice due to  melting and

Cryosphere and Permafrost | Geography Optional | UPSC – IAS The cryosphere is those portions of Earth’s surface where water is in solid form, including sea ice, lake ice, river ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, and frozen ground. Thus, there is a wide overlap with the hydrosphere. Second only to the world

Volcanism, Lava Flows and Volcanic Eruptions | UPSC – IAS Volcanism or Volcanicity Volcanism (or igneous processes) is a general term that refers to all the phenomena connected with the origin and movement of molten rock. These phenomena include the well-known explosive volcanic eruptions that are among the most spectacular and terrifying events in all

Plate boundaries and Plate movements | UPSC – IAS Plates are relatively cold and rigid and therefore deformed significantly only at the edges and only where one plate interacts with another. Most of the “action” in plate tectonics takes place along such plate boundaries. Three types of plate boundaries are possible: Two plates may diverge

Understanding the Earthquakes and Volcanoes | UPSC – IAS In order to understand concept of ring of fire,  it is important to first conceptualize the overarching context within which various factors operate. Both earthquakes and volcanoes can be explained by the theory of plate tectonics. The earth’s crust consists of a series of plates. There

Hotspots, Mantle Plumes and Accreted terranes | UPSC – IAS (ADDITIONS TO PLATE TECTONIC THEORY) With each passing year, we learn more about plate tectonics. Two examples of important additions to plate tectonic theory are hot spots and accreted terranes. HotSpots and Mantle Plumes | UPSC – IAS One augmentation to plate tectonic theory was

Theory of Plate tectonics Definition and Evidence | UPSC – IAS Tectonic plates are massive, rigid pieces of the Earth’s crust; they form the majority of the geological foundation of the surface features of the earth. These plates slowly travel across the Earth, moving entire sections of continental and oceanic crust along with them. Despite the questions about

4 pieces of evidence for continental drift by Alfred Wegener (An Analysis of – Evidence and Rejection of the Theory) During the second and third decades of the twentieth century, the notion of continental drift was revived, most notably by the German meteorologist and geophysicist Alfred Wegener. Wegener put together the first comprehensive theory to

Internal Processes of Earth System: Endogenetic Forces | UPSC – IAS The Earth is shaped by many different geological processes. The forces that cause these processes come from both above and beneath the Earth’s surface. Processes that are caused by forces from within the Earth are endogenetic processes. It is in this Series we fully

Temperate Cyclones or Frontal cyclones or Mid-latitude or Wave cyclones or Extratropical Cyclone  Temperate or Extratropical cyclones are capable of producing anything from:- Cloudiness and mild showers to heavy gales, thunderstorms, blizzards, and tornadoes. Probably most significant of all atmospheric disturbances are mid latitude or temperate cyclones. Throughout the mid-latitudes, they dominate weather maps, are basically responsible for most

Classification of Air masses and Fronts | Geography Optional | UPSC – IAS Air Masses Although the troposphere is a continuous body of mixed gases that surrounds the planet, it is by no means a uniform blanket of air. Instead, it is composed of many large parcels of air that are distinct from one another.

Global Distribution of Major Soil Types in the World | Geography Optional | UPSC There are twelve (12) orders of soils, which are distinguished largely on the basis of properties that reflect a major course of development, with considerable emphasis on the presence or absence of notable diagnostic horizons. We consider each of the twelve

Soil Profile | Diagram, Horizons and Layers  | UPSC – IAS Image – Idealized soil profile. The true soil, or solum, consists of the O, A, E, and B horizons. The vertical variation of soil properties is not random but rather an ordered layering with depth. Soil tends to have more or less distinctly recognizable layers, called

Leaching of Soil | UPSC – IAS | Geography Optional For plants, capillary water is the most important and gravitational water is largely superfluous. After gravitational water has drained away, the remaining volume of water represents the field capacity of the soil. If drought conditions prevail and the capillary water is all used up by plants or

Genesis of Soil Structure | Geography Optional | UPSC IAS Although the lithosphere encompasses the entire planet, from surface to core, the part that holds our attention here is soil, the topmost layer. Soil is the essential medium in which most terrestrial life is nurtured. Almost all land plants sprout from this precious medium, spread

The Köppen Climate Classification System | UPSC – IAS  To cope with the great diversity of information encompassed by the study of global climate distribution, we need a classification scheme to simplify, organize, and generalize a vast array of data. The Koppen climate classification system is by far the most widely used modern climate classification

Time zones and International date line | UPSC – IAS Comprehending time around the world depends on an understanding of both the geographic grid of latitude and longitude, and of Earth–Sun relations. As Malcolm Thomson, a Canadian authority on the physics of time has noted, there are really only three natural units of time: The