Science and Technology Current Affairs February 2017

Researchers Discovered 163 New Species

The researchers confirmed the discovery of 163 new species in the Greater Mekong region, on December 20, 2016.
Among the new species were a .rainbow-headed snake, a 3 cm long frog and a new covered in red and black markings, evoking Star Trek’s Klingons.
The scientists also discovered a rare banana species from Thailand.
The Greater Mekong, which spans South-East Asia, is under intense pressure as developments of mines, roads and dams threaten the environment.
Poaching of bush meat and the illegal wildlife trade also threaten the species—often before they are even discovered.

Wave Taller than a Six-storey Building Set ‘Remarkable’ World Record

A towering 19 m (62.3 ft) wave in the North Atlantic set a world record as the highest ever measured by a buoy on December 14, 2016.
Taller than a six-storey budding, the huge wave occurred after a ‘very strong cold front’ passed through the area, with winds of up to 43.8 knots (50.4 mph).
It is classified as’the highest significant wave height as measured by a buo/ by the WMO Commission for Climatology’s Extremes Evaluation Committee, the wave crushed the previous record of 18.275 m (59.96 ft), measured in December, 2007 in the h North Atlantic.

Cyclone Vardah Hit Tamil ; Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Leaves Four Dead

Cyclone Vardah slammed Tanul Nadu and Andhra Pradesh with windspeeds of up to 140 km/h, killing four people in Tamd Nadu, with two fishermen reported missing off the Andhra coast on December 12, 2016.
The cyclone brought down buildings, flattened trees and disrupted flight and train services in Tamil Nadu after making landfall.
More than 10000 people were rescued from coastal Tamil Nadu, while 9000 were moved to safety in Andhra Pradesh.

SPACE CURRENT AFFAIRS

Ammonia Detected in Earth’s Upper Troposphere

The researchers found’ enhanced amounts of ammonia (up to 33 pptv, or 33 ammonia molecules per trillion air molecules) within the region of the Asian summer monsoon at 7.5-9.3 mile (12-15 km) altitude.
This suggests that the gas is responsible for the formation of aerosols, smallest particles that might contribute to cloud formation.
The observations show that ammonia is not washed out completely when air ascends in , monsoon circulation hence, it enters the upper troposphere from the boundary layer close to the ground, where the gas occurs at relatively high concentrations.
Hence, it enters the upper troposphere from the boundary , layer close to the ground, where the gas occurs at relatively high concentrations.

Universe’s Biggest Galaxy Supercluster Discovered Near the Milky Way

Vela super cluster, one of the biggest super galaxy clusters near the Milky Way, discovered by a team of international astronomers on December 27, 2016.
The cluster, undetected for long and masked by stars and dust in the Milky Way, was spotted by a research team of astronomers from Australia, South Africa, and Europe.
This is one of the biggest concentrations of galaxies in the Universe—possibly the biggest in the neighborhood of our Galaxy, but that need to be confirmed by further study.

NASA Launched 8 Mini-satellites for Hurricane Forecasting

The NASA launched eight mini-satellites to measure surface wind deep in the heart of hurricanes on December 16, 2016.
The $ 157 million Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is meant to improve hurricane forecasting.
The satellites have GPS navigation receivers to frequently measure the surface roughness of oceans, enabling scientists to calculate wind speed and storm intensity.
Unlike weather satellites already in orbit, these spacecraft can peer through rain swirling in a hurricane, all the way into the eye or core.

China Launched its First Fully-owned Overseas Satellite Ground Station near North Pole

China launched its first fully-owned overseas satellite ground station near the North Pole on December 15, 2016.
The facility, located in Sweden about 200 km North of the Arctic Circle, would allow China to collect satellite data anywhere on Earth at speeds that were more than twice as fast as before.
Sweden is one the few European Union nations not to have joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (an intergovernmental military alliance) so is not so closely politically and militarily allied with the USA.

China Launched New Generation Weather Satellite

China launched a new weather satellite marking an upgrade of its meteorological satellites in geostationary orbit on December 9, 2016.
The Fengyun-4 satellite, the first of China’s second-generation weather satellites in geostationary orbit to have been launched, is also the country’s first quantitative remote-sensing satellite in highest orbit.
The satellite will make high time, spatial and spectral resolution observations of the atmosphere, clouds and space environment of China and surrounding regions, significantly improving capabilities of weather and climate forecasts.