The Hindu Editorial (Troubled mountains) – Feb 09, 2021

The staggering collapse of part of a glacier in Uttarakhand’s Nanda Devi mountain and the ensuing floods that have claimed many lives come as a deadly reminder that this fragile,… For further reading, visit “The Hindu”. Below is today’s word list-1 for The Hindu Editorial (Troubled mountains) – Feb 09, 2021.

To read this article, click here.

This preview is provided here with permission.

Courtesy: The Hindu

The Hindu Editorial (Troubled mountains) – Feb 09, 2021:

glacier (noun) – a large body of ice which flows under its own mass. Glaciers are made of layers of compressed snow that move or “flow” due to gravity and the softness of ice relative to rock.
Glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) (noun) – it is a phrase used to describe a sudden release of a significant amount of water retained in a glacial lake, irrespective of the cause.
Glacial burst (noun) – proglacial lakes, formed after glaciers retreat, are often bound by sediment and boulder formations. Additional water or pressure, or structural weakness, can cause both natural and manmade dams to burst, sending a mass of floodwater surging down the rivers and streams fed by the glacier.
prompt (verb) – cause, bring about, call forth (an action).
staggering (adjective) – astonishing, shocking, surprising.
ensuing (adjective) – following, coming up next, cropping up (after as a result).
deadly (adjective) – fatal, lethal, life-threatening.
fragile (adjective) – easily broken/destroyed, weak, risky, unreliable, insecure.
geologically (adverb) – in a way that is connected with geology (the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those materials, and the processes acting upon them).
dynamic (adjective) – (of a system/process) distinguished by constant change.
take for granted (phrase) – understand, assume, presume (something is true without cross-questioning it); For example, if people take something for granted, they do not place much value on it. Or you believe it to be true, real or expected.
slice (noun) – part, portion.
dislodge (verb) – remove, move, displace.
landslide (noun) – a landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. Landslides are a type of “mass wasting,” which denotes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity; landslip, rockfall, mudslide, earthfall/slip.
roaring (adjective) – huge, massive, very great, tremendous, terrific.
torrent (noun) – flood, deluge, stream, inundation, avalanche.
trap (verb) – prevent from escape; get stuck, catch, get caught.
unsuspecting (adjective) – unwary, unaware, unknowing.
hydro power (noun) – power derived from the energy of falling water or fast running water.
silt (noun) – sediment, mud, remains/deposited earth.
debris (noun) – broken pieces, rubble, wreckage (typically of a building).
swamp (verb) – flood, inundate, deluge, immerse.
rescue (noun) – saving (from danger or difficulty).
Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBPF) (noun) – it is a Central Armed Police Force functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The ITBPF was raised on 24th October, 1962, and is a border guarding police force specializing in high altitude operations. ITBPF is deployed for border guarding duties from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh covering 3488 km of the India-China border.
paralysed (adjective) – disabled, immobilized, inactivated, crippled.
measure (noun) – action, step, procedure.
compensation (noun) – payment, repayment, settlement (for loss/damage).
context (noun) – situation; circumstances, conditions, state of affairs.
frailty (noun) – weakness, susceptibility, fallibility.
in the face of (phrase) – despite, notwithstanding, regardless of; when confronted with.
environmental shock (noun) – it can be defined as unexpected exogenous changes to an environmental model (e.g. flooding, drought or low crop yield).
crucible (noun) – severe situation; trial, test, ordeal.
environmentalism (noun) – a social movement or as an ideology focused on the welfare of the environment. Environmentalism seeks to protect and conserve the elements of earth’s ecosystem.
epitomise (verb) – symbolize, represent, illustrate.
Chipko movement (noun) – The Chipko movement was a non-violent agitation in 1973 that was aimed at protection and conservation of trees, but, perhaps, it is best remembered for the collective mobilisation of women for the cause of preserving forests, which also brought about a change in attitude regarding their own status in society. The uprising against the felling of trees and maintaining the ecological balance originated in Uttar Pradesh’s Chamoli district (now Uttarakhand) in 1973 and in no time spilled onto other states in north India. The name of the movement ‘chipko’ comes from the word ’embrace’, as the villagers hugged the trees and encirled them to prevent being hacked.
gorge (noun) – a gorge is a narrow valley with steep, rocky walls located between hills or mountains. The term comes from the French word gorge, which means throat or neck. A gorge is often smaller than a canyon, although both words are used to describe deep, narrow valleys with a stream or river running along their bottom.
red flag (noun) – warning, caution, alarm bells.
devastate (verb) – destroy, ruin, wreak.
point to (verb) – indicate, suggest, denote.
seismicity (noun) – a measure which encompasses earthquake occurrences, mechanisms, and magnitude at a given geographical location.
dam-induced (adjective) – produced/caused by dam.
microseismicity (noun) – an activity, which occurs in the ground as a result of human activities or industrial processes such as mining, hydraulic fracturing, enhanced oil recovery, geothermal operations or underground gas storage, causes very small-scale earthquakes.
climate change (noun) – a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth (Courtesy: NASA).
invest in (verb) – put in one’s time, effort & energy to a specific task.
cut (verb) – reduce, decrease, lessen.
carbon emission (noun) – the release of carbon into the atmosphere.
valley (noun) – a low area between hills or mountains typically with a river running through it.
decade (noun) – a period of ten years.
miscalculation (noun) – mistake, error of judgement, overestimate.
potential (noun) – possibility, potentiality, ability.
aberration (noun) – discrepancy, deviation/departure, anomaly, abnormality/irregularity.
biodiversity (noun) – the existence of a number and variety of species (plants & animals) in a particular geographic region/environment.
downstream (adverb) – (a community/area situated) in the direction in which a stream/river flows.
exaggerated (adjective) – overstated, overemphasized, amplified, excessive.
siltation (noun) – It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the increased accumulation of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable.
grossly (adverb) – extremely, excessively.
underestimate (verb) – underrate, be wrong about, play down.
for instance (phrase) – as an example.
rigorously (adverb) – carefully, thoroughly, diligently.
confine (verb) – limit, restrict.
rely on (phrasal verb) – depend on; resort to, have recourse to.
run-of-the-river hydroelectricity (ROR) (noun) – it is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-River hydroelectric (ROR hydro) projects generate electricity by using part of natural stream flows and natural elevation differences found in mountainous regions.
destructive (adjective) – devastating, ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic.
reservoir (noun) – a source/storing place (lake, pond) of something (water).
NITI Aayog (noun) – The National Institution for Transforming India, also called NITI Aayog, was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on January 1, 2015. NITI Aayog is the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs. (NITI Aayog replaced “The Planning Commission” – an institution in the Government of India established in 1950, which formulated India’s Five-Year Plans, among other functions to oversee the country’s economic and social development). (Think tank is a panel of experts who provide advice and ideas on political, social or economic issues).
environmental accounting (noun) – a field that identifies resource use, measures and communicates costs of a company’s or national economic impact on the environment.
sound (adjective) – well founded, valid/solid, reasonable, credible/reliable.