Iron Snow on Earth’s Inner Core
Context : According to a study published in journal JGR Solid Earth, the earth’s inner core is capped by snow made of tiny particles of iron which are much heavier than any snowflake on Earth’s surface.
In news :
- The iron-snow falls from the molten outer core and piles up in the inner core of the Earth creating stacks that are up to 320 km thick.
- This finding was unearthed after analyzing signals from seismic waves as they pass through the Earth. Seismic Waves are vibrations generated by an earthquake, explosion, or similar energetic source and that propagate within the Earth or along its surface.
- The seismic waves moved much slower than expected when they passed through the base of the outer core.
- However, they moved faster than estimates as they passed through the eastern hemisphere of the top inner core.
- The scientists found out that slurry-like (semi -liquid) composition of the snow pack slows the seismic waves. The variation in snow pile size — thinner in the eastern hemisphere and thicker in the western — affected the speed of the waves.
- Earlier studies had also pointed about the existence of slurry layer exists between the inner and outer core.
- The same is supported by the latest data from experiments on core-like materials. The scientists have found that crystallisation is possible and that about 15% of the lowermost outer core could be made of iron-based crystals (snow).
- These crystals could eventually fall down the liquid outer core and settle on top of the solid inner core.
Earth’s Internal Structure :
The earth is made up of three different layers: the crust, the mantle and the core.
- The Crust :
- This is the outside layer of the earth and is made of solid rock, mostly basalt and granite.
- There are two types of crust; oceanic and continental. Oceanic crust is denser and thinner and mainly composed of basalt. It is also known as Sima (most abundant minerals being silicate and magnesium)
- Continental crust is less dense, thicker, and mainly composed of granite. It is also called as Sial (most abundant minerals being silicate and aluminium).
- The Mantle
- The portion of the interior beyond the crust is called the mantle. The mantle extends from Moho’s discontinuity (boundary between the crust and mantle) to a depth of 2,900 km.
- The crust and the uppermost part of the mantle are called lithosphere. Its thickness ranges from 10-200 km.
- The upper portion of the mantle is called asthenosphere which is the main source of magma that finds its way to the surface during volcanic eruptions.
- The lower mantle extends beyond the asthenosphere. It is in solid state.
- The Core
- The mantle- core boundary (gutenberg discontinuity) is located at a depth of 2,900 km.
- The outer core is in a liquid state while the inner core is in solid state.
- The core is made up of very heavy material mostly constituted by nickel and iron. Thus, it is sometimes referred to as the nife layer.
National Human Rights Commission
In News :
- NHRC issued a notice to the Rajasthan government in connection with the deaths of over 100 children at the government-run hospital in Kota, Rajasthan in December 2019.
Value Addition for Prelims :
- NHRC of India is an independent statutory body established in 1993 as per provisions of Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, later amended in 2006.
- It was established in conformity with the Paris Principles, adopted for the promotion and protection of human rights in Paris (October, 1991) and endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 December, 1993.
- NHRC is a multi-member body which consists of a Chairman and seven other members appointed by the President, on recommendation of high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister. Out of the seven members, three are ex-officio member.
- NHRC can only make recommendations, without the power to enforce decisions.
- NHRC does not have any mechanism of investigation. In majority cases, it asks the concerned Central and State Governments to investigate the cases of the violation of Human Rights
UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN)
Context : The government of Hanoi recently held a ceremony to formally announce that the Vietnamese capital city is joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). To date, the UCCN has granted membership to 246 cities around the world.
About Creative Cities Network :
What is it :
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
Objective : placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.
The Network covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Arts, Media Arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature and Music.
Joining the Network, cities commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society in order to:
- Strengthen the creation, production, distribution and dissemination of cultural activities, goods and services;
- Develop hubs of creativity and innovation and broaden opportunities for creators and professionals in the cultural sector;
- Improve access to and participation in cultural life, in particular for marginalized or vulnerable groups and individuals;
- Fully integrate culture and creativity into sustainable development plans.
As of November, 2019, there are five Indian cities in UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as follows:
- Jaipur-Crafts and Folk Arts(2015).
- Varanasi-Creative city of Music (2015).
- Chennai-Creative city of Music(2017).
- Mumbai – Film (2019).
- Hyderabad – Gastronomy (2019).
Sources: the hindu.
FAME-II Scheme.
Context : To give a further push to clean mobility in Road Transport Sector, the Department of Heavy Industries has sanctioned 2636 charging stations in 62 cities across 24 States/UTs under FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India) scheme phase II.
What are the salient features of FAME 2 scheme :
- Aims to boost electric mobility and increase the number of electric vehicles in commercial fleets.
- Target: The outlay of ₹10,000 crore has been made for three years till 2022 for FAME 2 scheme.
- The government will offer the incentives for electric buses, three-wheelers and four-wheelers to be used for commercial purposes.
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles and those with a sizeable lithium-ion battery and electric motor will also be included in the scheme and fiscal support offered depending on the size of the battery.
How will FAME 2 scheme help improve charging infrastructure :
- The centre will invest in setting up charging stations, with the active participation of public sector units and private players.
- It has also been proposed to provide one slow-charging unit for every electric bus and one fast-charging station for 10 electric buses.
- Projects for charging infrastructure will include those needed to extend electrification for running vehicles such as pantograph charging and flash charging.
- FAME 2 will also encourage interlinking of renewable energy sources with charging infrastructure.
Background :
FAME India is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. Main thrust of FAME is to encourage electric vehicles by providing subsidies.
FAME focuses on 4 areas i.e. Technology development, Demand Creation, Pilot Projects and Charging Infrastructure.
Sources: pib.
Lord Curzon
In News :
- Lord Curzon, India’s Viceroy between 1899 and 1905, was one of the most controversial and consequential holders of that post.
- The partition of the undivided Bengal Presidency in 1905 was one of Curzon’s most criticised moves, which gave impetus to the freedom movement (Swadeshi movement)
- Partition was finally reversed in 1911 by Lord Hardinge in the face of unrelenting opposition.
- He became the youngest Viceroy of India in 1899 at age 39, and remained in office until his resignation in 1905.