UPSC Mains 2021 GS1 Q15 — Climate Change Cryosphere
How do the melting of the Arctic ice and glaciers of the Antarctic differently affect the weather patterns and human activities on the Earth ? Explain. (Answer in 250 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- HowExplain
- Scope keywords
- melting of the Arctic iceglaciers of the Antarcticdifferently affectweather patternshuman activities
- Implicit sub-parts
- Fundamental geographical difference between Arctic (sea ice) and Antarctic (continental ice sheets) and why their melting impacts vary.
- Impact of Arctic melt on Jet Streams, Polar Vortex, and the Albedo effect.
- Impact of Antarctic melt on global sea level rise and ocean circulation (AMOC/thermohaline).
- Comparison of human activities: Arctic (resource extraction/shipping routes) vs. Antarctic (global coastal displacement/disaster risk).
- Common pitfalls
- Treating the Arctic and Antarctic as identical 'polar regions' instead of distinguishing between sea-ice and land-glaciers.
- Focusing only on environmental degradation while ignoring specific 'human activities' like the opening of the Northern Sea Route.
- Forgetting the 'differently' part of the prompt, leading to a generic essay on global warming rather than a comparative analysis.
- Neglecting the impact on the Indian Monsoon (teleconnections) which is crucial for a UPSC context.
- Dimensions required
- ClimatologicalOceanographicGeopoliticalSocio-EconomicComparative
- Marks allocation hint
Spend approximately 50-60 words on the introductory geography of the two poles. Devote 90 words to the 'weather patterns' section, clearly bifurcating Arctic (Jet stream/mid-latitude weather) and Antarctic (Ocean currents/Sea level). Use the remaining 100 words to contrast 'human activities', focusing on Arctic economic opportunities versus Antarctic existential threats to global coastal populations.
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