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Quick Scan: Bakhira Lake and the Indian Summer Monsoon
Why in News?
Mud that remembers rainfall: how Bakhira Lake's sediments reveal monsoon history, a wetlands question for Prelims
Bakhira Lake in Uttar Pradesh has been used to reconstruct past Indian Summer Monsoon variability.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
Bakhira Lake, in Uttar Pradesh's Sant Kabir Nagar district, has been studied recently through sediment records to reconstruct variations in the Indian Summer Monsoon over the past.
It is a large freshwater wetland and forms part of the Bakhira Bird Sanctuary.
Lake sediments help scientists build long climate records because each layer preserves evidence of past rainfall and vegetation.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- Bakhira Lake lies in Sant Kabir Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh
- It is a large freshwater wetland and part of the Bakhira Bird Sanctuary
- Sediment layers preserve evidence of past rainfall and vegetation
- Sediment records are used to reconstruct Indian Summer Monsoon variability (paleoclimate)
- Study of past climate from natural archives such as lake sediments is called paleoclimatology
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- Bakhira Lake is a freshwater wetland in Uttar Pradesh and forms part of the Bakhira Bird Sanctuary.
- Lake sediment layers act as natural archives of past rainfall and vegetation, helping reconstruct monsoon variability.
- Paleoclimate reconstruction uses proxy records, such as lake sediments, to infer climate before instrumental measurements.
Mains
GS-I Geography and GS-III Environment: the Indian Summer Monsoon drives agriculture and water security, yet instrumental records are short. Lake-sediment paleoclimate records from wetlands like Bakhira extend the baseline for understanding monsoon variability. Protecting such wetlands under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules preserves both biodiversity and these climate archives, informing forecasting and adaptation planning.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Almatti dam, whose height increase has raised questions of compensation for submerged villages, is built across which river?
- Krishna
- Tungabhadra
- Bhima
- Malaprabha
Show answer
Answer: A — Correct: Krishna — The Almatti dam in Vijayapura district is built across the Krishna river. • Tungabhadra — wrong: The Tungabhadra has its own dam near Hosapete and is a Krishna tributary, but Almatti is not on it. • Bhima — wrong: The Bhima is a Krishna tributary that flows through north Karnataka, but Almatti is not built on it. • Malaprabha — wrong: The Malaprabha has the Navilutheertha dam near Saundatti and is a Krishna tributary, but not the Almatti river.
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