GK Express of 24/02/2026
🚆 GK Express 2.0
Discipline • Clarity • Competitive Preparation
TODAY’S FOCUS →
WORLD AND INDIAN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
🧠 Thought of the Day
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
📰 Current Affairs
- Panama Canal Drought: A severe, prolonged drought induced by the El Niño phenomenon has dangerously lowered water levels in Gatun Lake, drastically reducing the daily ship transits through the Panama Canal and disrupting global trade.
- India's fastest metro: The Indian Prime Minister inaugurated both the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and the Meerut Metro from a single platform, marking the first time in India that a rapid rail and metro service were launched together on the same day.
Meerut Metro, connecting Meerut South and Modipuram, is India’s fastest metro with speeds up to 120 km/h, operating on Namo Bharat infrastructure in a first-of-its-kind project. - Rajagopalachari statue in place of Lutyens: The Prime Minister of India announced that the statue of British architect Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be replaced by that of C. Rajagopalachari.
📘 Concept of the Day
Subject: Oceanography
Concept: Ocean Currents and Desert Formation
Ocean currents are continuous, directed movements of seawater generated by forces like wind, the Coriolis effect, and temperature/salinity differences.
- Warm Currents: Flow from the equator towards the poles. They bring moisture and warming effects to coastal areas (e.g., the Gulf Stream warms Western Europe).
- Cold Currents: Flow from the poles toward the equator. They cool the air above them, reducing its capacity to hold moisture.
- Link to Deserts: Cold ocean currents on the western coasts of continents stabilize the air and prevent cloud formation and rainfall. This is a primary reason for the existence of major hot deserts like the Atacama Desert (Peru Current) and the Namib Desert (Benguela Current).
🤔 Think About This
Tap a question to reveal the answer
1. Why is the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' highly susceptible to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions?
Answer:
The Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped belt around the Pacific Ocean basin.
Reasons for Susceptibility:
1. Plate Tectonics: It is defined by continuous series of oceanic trenches and volcanic arcs caused by plate movements.
2. Subduction Zones: Here, the heavier Pacific Oceanic Plate continuously subducts (dives under) lighter continental plates.
3. Magma Generation: This intense friction and melting of the subducting plate create magma that rises to form volcanoes (75% of Earth's active volcanoes) and triggers deep-focus earthquakes.
The Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped belt around the Pacific Ocean basin.
Reasons for Susceptibility:
1. Plate Tectonics: It is defined by continuous series of oceanic trenches and volcanic arcs caused by plate movements.
2. Subduction Zones: Here, the heavier Pacific Oceanic Plate continuously subducts (dives under) lighter continental plates.
3. Magma Generation: This intense friction and melting of the subducting plate create magma that rises to form volcanoes (75% of Earth's active volcanoes) and triggers deep-focus earthquakes.
2. How do ocean currents influence global fishing grounds? Provide examples.
Answer:
Ocean currents play a vital role in determining the commercial viability of marine life.
Influence on Fishing:
1. Mixing Zones: The regions where Warm and Cold ocean currents meet produce thick fog but act as the world's most productive fishing grounds.
2. Plankton Growth: The mixing churns up the water, bringing nutrients from the deep sea to the surface, which supports massive plankton blooms (fish food).
3. Examples: The meeting of the warm Kuroshio and cold Oyashio currents off the coast of Japan, and the warm Gulf Stream with the cold Labrador Current off Newfoundland (Grand Banks).
Ocean currents play a vital role in determining the commercial viability of marine life.
Influence on Fishing:
1. Mixing Zones: The regions where Warm and Cold ocean currents meet produce thick fog but act as the world's most productive fishing grounds.
2. Plankton Growth: The mixing churns up the water, bringing nutrients from the deep sea to the surface, which supports massive plankton blooms (fish food).
3. Examples: The meeting of the warm Kuroshio and cold Oyashio currents off the coast of Japan, and the warm Gulf Stream with the cold Labrador Current off Newfoundland (Grand Banks).
📝 Let’s Write an Exam (PYQs)
Q.1 (UPSC 2015) Tides occur in the oceans and seas due to which among the following?
1. Gravitational force of the Sun
2. Gravitational force of the Moon
3. Centrifugal force of the Earth
A. 1 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Tides are the periodic rise and fall of sea levels. They are primarily caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of the Earth, which generates a centrifugal force that creates a tidal bulge on the side opposite to the Moon.
Explanation: Tides are the periodic rise and fall of sea levels. They are primarily caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of the Earth, which generates a centrifugal force that creates a tidal bulge on the side opposite to the Moon.
Q.2 (UPSC 2014) Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the 'Ten Degree Channel'?
A. Andaman and Nicobar
B. Nicobar and Sumatra
C. Maldives and Lakshadweep
D. Sumatra and Java
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The Ten Degree Channel is a prominent narrow body of water that lies on the 10-degree line of latitude north of the equator. It physically separates the Andaman Islands to the north from the Nicobar Islands to the south in the Bay of Bengal.
Explanation: The Ten Degree Channel is a prominent narrow body of water that lies on the 10-degree line of latitude north of the equator. It physically separates the Andaman Islands to the north from the Nicobar Islands to the south in the Bay of Bengal.
✍️ Answer These Questions
1. Which is the longest river in Asia?
2. Name the widest waterfalls in India
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