geography class 10 icse

• Wind erosion is the process by which soil and rock particles are carried away by the force of wind.
• Desert climates receive less than 10 inches of rainfall per year and have hot days and cold nights.
• Non-conventional sources of energy are also known as renewable or alternative sources of energy
• Examples of non-conventional sources of energy include wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, and biogas
• Solar energy is generated in India through solar cells and solar cookers
• Solar cells are made of thin wafers of semiconductor materials like silicon and gallium, generating electricity when the sun's energy falls on them
• Solar cookers use solar heat by reflecting solar radiations with the help of a mirror onto a glass sheet covering a black insulated box where raw food is kept
• Solar water heaters heat water using sunlight falling on flat plate collectors filled with water
• Advantages of solar energy include being a cleaner and renewable source, useful for electricity production in areas without access to energy grids, and reducing energy bills
• Wind energy is generated using windmills that rotate due to the force of the wind, driving machines like water pumps, flour mills, and electric generators
• Wind farms are clusters of windmills installed in coastal regions, open grasslands, and hilly regions
• Advantages of wind energy include being a renewable and cleaner source of energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and benefiting rural economies
• Tidal energy is harnessed through tidal barrages where sea water flows in during high tide to turn turbines and produce electricity
• Geothermal energy is generated by using heat from the Earth's interiors to produce electricity, utilizing high temperatures in deep geothermal reservoirs
• Advantages of geothermal energy include accessibility, environmental friendliness, independence from weather and seasons, and stability against external factors
• India has the potential to produce about 12,000MW of geothermal energy, with plants located in regions like Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh and Puga valley in Ladakh
• Nuclear power is obtained from energy stored in the nuclei of atoms of naturally occurring radioactive elements like uranium, thorium, and plutonium
• Nuclear fission is the process where a large nucleus splits into two smaller nuclei, releasing energy used for heating water and producing steam to generate electricity
• India has 21 nuclear reactors, with uranium and thorium used for generating nuclear power
• Advantages of nuclear energy include being a renewable source, reducing dependency on fossil fuels, minimal transportation and handling costs, and continuous energy production
• Biogas is generated by anaerobic degradation of plant and animal wastes in the presence of water, composed of methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and hydrogen sulphide
• Advantages of biogas include being a clean, non-polluting, and cheap source of energy, with the sludge left behind serving as a rich fertilizer
• Accumulated wastes affect the environment and human health
• Decomposition of wastes leads to the growth of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi
• Decomposition of wastes produces gases that pollute the air
• Rainwater carries decomposed wastes to water bodies, causing water pollution
• Spoilage of Landscape
• Waste accumulation ruins the natural beauty of the landscape
• Waste accumulation becomes a breeding ground for rats and disease-carrying germs
• Pollution
• Pollution is caused by harmful substances introduced into the atmosphere
• Main sources of pollution include industries, household activities, hospitals, restaurants, and agricultural practices
• Open dumping of wastes leads to pollution and breeding grounds for mosquitoes and flies
• Eutrophication
• Oxygen depletion in water bodies due to nutrients and chemicals discharged into them
• Results in the growth of phytoplankton and algae, obstructing oxygen penetration and sunlight, leading to aquatic organism death
• Health Hazards
• Headaches, nausea, dizziness, allergic reactions
• Chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, nerve, kidney, and liver damage due to air pollution
• Waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, and jaundice due to pathogens in contaminated water