UPSC Mains 2024 · GS I · Q15 · 15 marks · 250 words

What are aurora australis and aurora borealis? How are these triggered?

हिन्दी में

ऑरोरा ऑस्ट्रेलिस और ऑरोरा बोरियालिस क्या हैं? ये कैसे उत्प्रेरित होते हैं?

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “What are Northern and Southern lights? Explain the phenomenon and discuss their associated impacts on Earth's atmosphere and human activities.”

Abhishek SharmaCSE 2024 · 122 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a definition

Northern and Southern lights are an atmospheric phenomenon where bright & colorful lights are observed in the sky mainly in N. & S. polar regions.

Body · points and prose

Formation

↳ Sun's solar flares interact with Earth's magnetic fields and the ions in the ionosphere ↳ which makes charged ions emit electromagnetic radiation of specific frequency.

Diagram
[Diagram showing Earth, its magnetic field lines, and solar flares from the Sun interacting with the polar regions labeled 'Interaction in ionosphere' and 'Solar flares']

Impacts on earth's atmosphere and human activities

(1) Tourist spots → They look very beautiful and are huge tourist attractions

(2) They have the potential to disturb ionic communication i.e S & L bands

(3) They give information about the solar cycle

(4) Charging up of ionosphere leads to increasing temperature and thus heterogenization of atmospheric gases.

Close · a summary

Auroras & Southern lights are an interesting & unique geophysical phenomenon.

How toppers approach this question, and more on its topic: open the question.

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2024, General Studies Paper I, Q15. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.