Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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A study shows mariners in the Bering Strait are following 2018 shipping guidelines, showing quiet U.S.-Russia cooperation despite strained ties. The Bering Strait is the northernmost part of the Pacific Ocean, separating Asia (Russia) and North America (United States). It lies just south of the Arctic Circle and connects the Bering Sea to the Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean. At its narrowest point, Russia and the U.S. are only 85 km apart, between Cape Dezhnev and Cape Prince of Wales. The strait is shallow with an average depth of 50 m and contains islands like St. Lawrence and the Diomede Islands.

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The Pong Dam, also called the Beas Dam, recently saw water levels breaching the danger mark in Himachal Pradesh. It is an earth-fill embankment dam built on the Beas River in the Shivalik hills of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The dam was constructed between 1961 and 1974 and was the tallest of its type in India at that time. It serves purposes of irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. The dam created an artificial lake named Maharana Pratap Sagar.

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Vembanad Lake in Kerala is facing a severe ecological crisis. It is the longest lake in India and the largest in Kerala. The lake is a Ramsar site and recognized as a wetland of international importance. It is fed by 10 rivers including Pamba, Meenachil, Achankovil, Manimala, and Periyar. The lake finally opens into the Arabian Sea. Recent concerns highlight threats to its ecosystem, fisheries, and biodiversity. Conservation efforts are needed to protect this vital freshwater-lagoon system.

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Recently, Tanzania stopped a large-scale soda ash mining project at Lake Natron to protect its ecosystem. Lake Natron is a salt lake on the Tanzania–Kenya border, part of the Great Rift Valley. It was designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance in 2001. It is the only reliable breeding ground for Lesser Flamingos in Africa, hosting 75% of the world’s population. The proposed mining project by Ngaresero Valley Company threatened flamingos, fragile hydrology, and the livelihoods of 65,000 Maasai pastoralists. Government allowed only small-scale traditional soda ash collection and emphasized sustainable ecotourism as the future.

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A collaborative research team led by University of Tasmania scientists completed a 54-day voyage on CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator to study the 2022 Hunga Volcano eruption in Tonga. It is a submarine stratovolcano in the Tongan archipelago, southern Pacific Ocean. The volcano has erupted regularly over past decades. On January 15, 2022, it had an explosive eruption, one of the largest of the 21st century. The eruption sent volcanic plume into the stratosphere, triggered shock waves, and caused tsunami waves across ocean basins. The voyage collected data to understand volcanic impacts, seafloor changes, and tsunami risks, aiding Pacific disaster preparedness.

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A 6.7 magnitude earthquake recently struck Leyte Island in the Philippines. Leyte Island is part of the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is the eighth-largest island and sixth most populated in the country. The island has forests, mountains, and the Leyte Valley, a major farming area. Historically, known as Tandaya, Leyte saw rapid population growth post-1900.

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A recent expedition to Argentina’s Mar del Plata Canyon discovered over 40 possible new deep-sea species, including glass squids and pink lobsters. The Mar del Plata Canyon lies 250–300 km off Buenos Aires Province and is one of Argentina’s largest submarine canyons. It has fine sandy sediments mixed with terrigenous material and planktonic foraminifera. The region is highly productive due to the Argentine Shelf-break Front, where subantarctic waters meet the Falkland-Malvinas Current. A submarine canyon is a steep underwater valley cutting into continental slopes and shelves.

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India’s only mud volcano at Baratang, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has recently erupted. It is located in the North and Middle Andaman district, about 150 km from Port Blair. Previous eruption occurred in 2005 due to oceanic seismic shifts. Mud volcanoes in Baratang are the only known volcanoes in the Indian subcontinent. The eruption is significant for geological study and tourism in the region.

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Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano in Indonesia recently erupted, spewing volcanic ash up to 10 km high, leading authorities to raise the alert to its highest level. It is an active stratovolcano and part of the twin-peaked Lewotobi volcanic complex, along with Lewotobi Perempuan, meaning “female” in Indonesian, while “Laki-laki” means “male.” The volcano is located on the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province, about 30 km southeast of Maumere city, Indonesia. It lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone known for frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

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The Rincon de la Vieja volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, had a moderate phreatic eruption recently. It sent a 700-meter-high plume of water vapor, gas, and aerosols, drifting west with the wind. Wet sediments stayed inside the crater, and no ash fall was reported in nearby areas. The Rincon de la Vieja volcano is located in Costa Rica, in the northwestern province of Guanacaste. It is part of the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.