📍 GS-1: Indian Geography – Climatology | GS-3: Disaster Management | Environment | Current Affairs


📰 Context
🔘The Southwest Monsoon reached Kerala on May 26, 2025, a week earlier than its normal onset date of June 1. 🔘This is the earliest onset since 2010 and among the rarest occurrences in 30+ years.


📌 Why Is This Important?
🔘Monsoon onset date affects agricultural planning, crop cycles, and water availability.
Early or late arrival doesn’t guarantee more or less rainfall overall.
🔘Raises curiosity over global climate patterns like El Niño, La Niña, Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).


#Monsoon
#Climatology
#Geography
#GS1

🔍 Key Concepts Explained:

🤔💨
What Is the Southwest Monsoon?
A seasonal wind system that brings ~75% of India’s annual rainfall.
🔹Driven by differential heating of land and ocean.
Usually sets in over Kerala by June 1, advancing northward.

🤔🌬️What Does “Onset” of Monsoon Mean?
🔹It’s the formal declaration by IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) that monsoon has begun.
🔹Determined based on:
Widespread rainfall
Strength of southwesterly winds
Moisture levels in the atmosphere


🤔🌧️Does Early Onset = More Rain?
🔺Not necessarily.
Early monsoons can still result in below-normal rainfall.
🔹Example: 2009 had early onset, yet was one of India’s worst droughts.
Monsoon variability is affected more by global oceanic phenomena.


🤔🤔What Influences the Onset?
🔄 El Niño & La Niña (ENSO)
El Niño: Warm Pacific waters → weak monsoon → droughts
La Niña: Cool Pacific waters → strong monsoon → floods possible
Both affect wind patterns, sea surface temperatures, and cloud formation over India.
🌊 Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)
Positive IOD: Helps monsoon by warming west Indian Ocean
Negative IOD: Weakens monsoon
🌡️ Warming of Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal
Local heat and sea surface warming can accelerate or delay cloud formation and wind circulation.

🤔⏰Why the Sudden Early Onset in 2025?
Experts observed:
☑️Warm Arabian Sea conditions
☑️Favorable pressure systems
☑️Reduced snow in the Himalayas
☑️General global warming trends
☑️Increased frequency of climate anomalies can make such events more common.


#Monsoon
#Climatology
#Geography
#GS1

📚 Sample UPSC Mains Question:👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

“Early arrival of monsoons does not necessarily imply a surplus monsoon season.” Examine in the context of global climatic influences on the Indian monsoon. (10 marks)

Q).In the context of Dark Sky Reserves, recently seen in news, consider the following statements.
1. It is an area where light pollution is monitored, to allow better observation of sky at night.
2. A Dark Sky Reserve is to be set up at Hanle in Ladakh.
3. Currently, no Indian site has been certified as International Dark Sky Reserve by International Dark Sky Reserve Association (IDA). #MCQs

Q).A joint international collaboration led by NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope, which is the world’s largest, most powerful, and most complex space science telescope ever built. Since its launch
it has amazed astronomy community with its observations and space images. In this context, which of the following observations have been made by the James Webb Space Telescope?
1. It has observed the Pillars of Creation, where new stars are forming within dense clouds of gas and dust.
2. It spotted a set of concentric rings around a giant, distant star WR140.
3. It observed colourful auroras and massive storms on the planet Jupiter.
4. It captured an image of Einstein Ring in space. #MCQs

Q).Consider the following statements about Geomagnetic Storm, a natural phenomenon:
1. A geomagnetic storm is a disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field caused by solar emission like Coronal Mass Ejections.
2. A Geomagnetic storm can lead to the occurrence of high-rise tsunamis on Earth.
3. The severity of geomagnetic storms is ranked by the World Meteorological Organization. #MCQs

Q).Consider the following statements with reference to the Vernal Equinox:
1. The Vernal Equinox marks the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. In the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox corresponds to the beginning of autumn.
3. During the vernal equinox, the Sun is positioned directly above the Earth's equator. #MCQs

Q). Which of the statements given below is correct with reference to Cruise missiles and Ballistic missiles?
a) Unlike a Cruise Missile, the flight path of Ballistic Missile is within the atmosphere.
b) Compared to Cruise missiles, the payload capacity is much limited in case of Ballistic missiles.
c) Both ballistic missiles and cruise missiles can be launched from aircraft, ships, and submarines.
d) Prithvi is a Cruise missile while Nirbhay is a Ballistic missile. #MCQs

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