Context:
Ministry Of Earth Science Launches Bharat Forecast System with Improved 6 Km-Grid Accuracy
Bharat Forecast System (BFS):
- India’s first high-resolution weather model.
- Developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.
- Operationalized by India Meteorological Department (IMD).
- Resolution: Forecasts at 6 km x 6 km spatial resolution, improving upon IMD’s previous 12 km x 12 km resolution.
- Supercomputer Support: Powered by Arka Supercomputer with 11.77 petaflops processing speed and 33 petabytes storage.
- Doppler Radar Integration: Uses data from 40 Doppler Weather Radars, with plans to expand to 100 radars.
- Nowcast Capability: Provides short-term weather forecasts (next 2 hours).
- Open Access: BFS data is accessible to global researchers, fostering meteorological advancements.
- Advantages Over Previous Models –
- Improved Forecasting Precision: Helps predict cyclones, heavy rainfall, and monsoon variability at district and sub-district levels.
- Faster Processing: Forecasting time reduced from 10 hours to 4 hours.
- Better Disaster Management: Enhances early warnings for cloudbursts, flash floods, and extreme weather events.
- Supports Agriculture: Helps farmers plan crop cycles, irrigation, and pest control.
Source: BS
Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
1. Other than those made by humans, nanoparticles do not exist in nature.
2. Nanoparticles of some metallic oxides are used in the manufacture of some cosmetics.
3. Nanoparticles of same commercial products which enter the environment are unsafe for humans.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2014 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is not correct:
A nanoparticle is a small particle that ranges between 1 to 100 nanometres in size. They could be generated by natural processes or could be made artificially and released into the environment.