Category Science

Are weather and climate different?

Yes, they are. Weather is the state of the atmosphere. Gravity, sunlight, the oceans and landscape influence air movement within the atmosphere, creating new cycles of sunshine, cloud, rain or snow. When looked at over many years, it is possible to see a pattern in these weather cycles, which occur again and again in an area, to define the climate of that area. Weather occurs at a particular time; climate is the average of weather conditions over many years.

More specifically, weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our atmosphere. Even though there’s only one atmosphere on Earth, the weather isn’t the same all around the world. Weather is different in different parts of the world and changes over minutes, hours, days, and weeks.

Most weather happens in the part of Earth’s atmosphere that is closest to the ground—called the troposphere. And, there are many different factors that can change the atmosphere in a certain area like air pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and lots of other things. Together, they determine what the weather is like at a given time and location.

Whereas weather refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere, climate describes what the weather is like over a long period of time in a specific area. Different regions can have different climates. To describe the climate of a place, we might say what the temperatures are like during different seasons, how windy it usually is, or how much rain or snow typically falls.

When scientists talk about climate, they’re often looking at averages of precipitation, temperature, humidity, sunshine, wind, and other measures of weather that occur over a long period in a particular place. In some instances, they might look at these averages over 30 years. And, we refer to these three-decade averages of weather observations as Climate Normals.

Credit: NOAA

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What is wind?

Wind is moving air, ranging from a light, gentle breeze to a very strong and fast-moving storm capable of great destruction. Air moves because the Sun warms some places more than the others, creating differences in air pressure, which causes the air to be pushed around in the form of air currents.

Differences in atmospheric pressure generate winds. At the Equator, the sun warms the water and land more than it does the rest of the globe. Warm equatorial air rises higher into the atmosphere and migrates toward the poles. This is a low-pressure system. At the same time, cooler, denser air moves over Earth’s surface toward the Equator to replace the heated air. This is a high-pressure system. Winds generally blow from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas.Wind is the movement of air caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun. It does not have much substance—you cannot see it or hold it—but you can feel its force. It can dry your clothes in summer and chill you to the bone in winter. It is strong enough to carry sailing ships across the ocean and rip huge trees from the ground. It is the great equalizer of the atmosphere, transporting heat, moisture, pollutants, and dust great distances around the globe. Landforms, processes, and impacts of wind are called Aeolian landforms, processes, and impacts.

The boundary between these two areas is called a front. The complex relationships between fronts cause different types of wind and weather patterns.

Credit: National Geographic Society

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WHO WAS CHARLES ROBERT DARWIN?

Charles Robert Darwin was the father of evolution. The English naturalist, biologist and geologist may have devoted his lifetime to science, but he was also a romantic, a doting father and possessed a gentle disposition.

Darwin’s journey to being history’s favorite  biologist, however, had strange twists and turns. He tried to study medicine, but gave it up to pursue theology at Christ College. Cambridge.

But the study of the divine could not contain his ever inquisitive mind. While in college, he devoured journals and books in botany and geology in his free time. He loved gardening and had a special interest in collecting beetles. He learnt physics and geometry with great enthusiasm and noted down his observations diligently.

Darwin took great delight in William Wordsworth and ST Coleridge’s poetry, claiming to have read Wordsworth’s long poem Excursion twice. His favourite work of literature, however, was Paradise Lost by John Milton, which he carried along with him on his first voyage to South America in 1831 as a scientist in training to assist his mentor, botanist, geologist and priest John Henslow.

He nurtured a habit of writing, too. A meticulous diarist, he kept recording daily events, both scientific and personal. For six years of his life – between 40 and 46 years – he even made notes of his illnesses. He wrote about battling insomnia, restlessness, stomach pain, dizziness, rashes and melancholy among other issues.

He married the love of his life, Emma and had ten children with her. “Children are one of life’s greatest joys,” he wrote to a friend. The cover pages of the original manuscript draft of his iconic work, On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, contain a number of doodles by his children. While many are caricatures of Darwin himself, one depicts a vegetable war – turnips, carrots, eggplant and more engaged in a fierce battle, while another shows a bright green frog, wearing pink shoes on an outing, carrying a blue umbrella. These drawings have been digitized by the American Museum of Natural History.

It took Darwin 20 years to publish his momentous work, On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. On November 24, 1859, it appeared in bookstores in England. Priced at 15 shillings a copy, all the 1,250 copies were sold out on that very day. The book is considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology, a revolutionary work that changed the course of science.

What truly kept Darwin going was his unrelenting passion for the natural world: He took in everything with childlike interest. On his first journey to South America, to study the natural world, he was extremely sea-sick. But he religiously collected birds, plants, skeletons, lizards, fossils and small animals, converting the ship into a museum of specimens.

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WHAT KIND OF TURTLES LIVE ON THE GALAPAGOS’ SAN CRISTABOL ISLAND?

A study published by researchers a few weeks ago details how a few thousand giant tortoises living on Galapagos’ San Cristabol island may not really be the species they were presumed to be. So, they have the potential to be a new species. What’s the story behind this?

Way back in 1906, explorers collected giant tortoise bones and shells from a cave in San Cristabol island. Recently, researchers compared these with genetic materials obtained from giant tortoises now living on the same island. And, they discovered these near-8,000 giant tortoises were different from the ones recorded over a century ago, though both were classified as Chelonoidis chathamensis. Scientists believe “the evidence suggests that one group of tortoises on the island split into two groups, possibly highland and lowland varieties. This may be a result of sea level rises in the past splitting the island in two”. Meanwhile, Galapagos Conservancy, which was part of the study, has said that the Chelonoidis chathamensis species is “almost certainly extinct.

Further DNA research is required to see exactly how distinct these two groups are because that is what will offer conclusive evidence on whether the tortoises now living are an entirely new species. If so, “under scientific naming nales, this means the living species would need a new common and scientific name

Right now, there are 14 recognised species of Galapagos giant tortoise. However, only 13 species are currently alive-the “Pinta Island tortoise went extinct in 2012 after the last of its species, Lonesome George, passed away”. Only research will tell us if the number of recognised species is likely to go up by at least one.

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WHICH COUNTRY IS THE BEST AT RECYCLING?

Germany is the recycling champion of the world. 70% of all waste produced is recycled, the most in the world. Manufacturers and retailers have to pay for a Green Dot on products: the more packaging there is, the higher the fee. This has led to less paper, thinner glass and less metal being used, creating less waste to be recycled. The result: 1 million tons less waste than normal every year.

Globally, about 1.3 billion tons of trash is generated per year. In Europe, the amount of plastic waste has increased 13% in the last decade and in Germany alone, 3 million tons of plastic packaging waste is produced annually; according to official statistics, 48.8% of this plastic waste is recycled.

A lot of waste that ends up in sorting facilities is incorrectly collected; in Germany, up to 50% of general rubbish ends up in bins designated for plastic, including waste that needs to be separated from plastics. Automated facilities are also unable to sort food containers made from different types of plastics, meaning that a lot of mixed plastic packaging ends up being discarded. This waste then ends up in landfills or incineration sites, yet it is counted as being recycled.

Meanwhile, the Bundestag and Bundesrat- Germany’s lower and upper houses of parliament- passed legislation in early July that would phase out coal use in the country by 2038 as part of a road map to reduce carbon emissions, after agreeing on the plan in January. The new plan also legislates the closure of eight brown-coal operations by 2022 as the number of jobs in renewable energy increases. 

If the planet continues producing and discarding as much plastic as it does now, by 2050, the plastic industry would represent 20% of all crude oil production, consuming 15% of the global annual carbon budget. Germany banning single-use plastic is a small step in reducing our reliance on fossil fuel, but an important one nonetheless. 

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WHICH IS THE LARGEST SOLAR PARK IN THE WORLD?

Bhadla Solar Park is the largest solar park in India and in the world. Located in Bhadla, north of Jodhpur, it spans 14,000 acres, with over 10 million solar panels contributing to an operational capacity of 2245MW. The panels are cleaned by robots and monitored by humans. Bhadla is a sandy, arid region described as “almost unlivable” with normal temperatures of 46-48°C, and frequent hot winds and sandstorms. The region receives a good amount of radiation ideal for the generation of solar energy.

The entire project was divided into four phases. In the first phase of the park’s establishment, solar panels were established to produce 65 MW of energy in capacities ranging from 5 MW to 25 MW. The following step of the project comprised of commissioning of the second phase of 680 MW. The first two phases of the park were developed by the Rajasthan Solar Power Park Company Limited. Saurya Urja Company of Rajasthan developed the third instalment. The project’s final stage was designed by Adani renewable energy park for the capacity of 500 MW.

The auction conducted for Bhadla Solar Park recorded the price per unit fall to as low as ?2.62. Surprisingly, the price is lower than National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited’s price of ?3.20 per unit. The Indian Express quoted a senior official, “Bhadla Ph-IV Solar Park results in a historic lowering of tariffs. Phelan Energy (50MW) and Avaada Power (100 MW) have bagged projects at Rs 2.62/unit. Softbank Cleantech has won 100 MW capacity at Rs 2.63/unit”.
India’s has strongly started working in the direction of producing solar energy in recent years. Currently, there are over 30 massive solar projects at various stages in the country. With investments in solar projects, India is consistently working towards reducing its dependence on imported fossil fuels. Moreover, in rural areas, solar-powered lighting is proving much more beneficial than indoor lighting by kerosene. In June 2021, PM Narendra Modi said that India had increased its renewable energy capacity by 250 per cent since 2014. India has one of the fastest-growing populations and economies, which would directly benefit from increased renewable energy resources.

Credit : The logical indian

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