Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs – October 08, 2022 [Mock Test]
October 8, 2022 October 8, 2022
1. Consider the following statements about United Nations Human Settlements Programme:
- It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
- It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the Habitat I held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Both 1 & 2]
Notes:- The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN–Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development.
- It was established in 1978 as an outcome of the First UN Conference on Human Settlements and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat I) held in Vancouver, Canada in 1976.
- It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
- It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
- The mandate of UN-Habitat derives from the Habitat Agenda, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1996. The twin goals of the Habitat Agenda are adequate shelter for all and the development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanizing world.
2. Consider the following statements:
- Hotspot volcanism is a type of volcanism that typically occurs at the plate margins.
- The Iceland Hotspot and Afar Hotspot are examples of hotspot volcanism.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2]
Notes:- Hotspot volcanism is a type of volcanism that typically occurs at the interior parts of the lithospheric plates rather than at the zones of convergence and divergence (plate margins).
- The Iceland Hotspot and Afar Hotspot which are situated at the divergent boundary are exceptions.
- Hotspot volcanism explains the so-called anomalous volcanism, the type that occurs far from plate boundaries.
- Well known hotspots include the Hawaiian Hotspot, the Yellowstone Hotspot, the Reunion Hotspot.
3. Consider the following statements:
- Aseismic ridges are formed by a hotspot in the mantel under the Earth’s crust.
- A mantle plume is the conduction of abnormally hot rock within the Earth’s mantle.
- The position of the mantle plumes keeps on changing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 2
[B] Only 1 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 2
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 1 & 2]
Notes:- A mantle plume is the convection of abnormally hot rock (magma) within the Earth’s mantle. Unlike the larger convection cells in the mantle which change their position over geological timescales, the position of the mantle plumes seems to be relatively fixed. Mantle plumes are theorised to form at the core-mantle boundary where an abnormally hot plume of rock accumulates.
- Earthquakes do not occur within aseismic ridges, and it is this feature that distinguishes them from oceanic spreading centres. Aseismic ridges are formed by a hotspot in the mantel under the Earth’s crust. As a tectonic plate moves over the hotspot, a series of seamounts can form on the ocean floor over a period of millions of years. This may be in the form of mountains, guyots or undersea plateaus.
