Quickxam

 ■ MYRISTICA SWAMP TREEFROG :- Myristica swamp treefrog, a rare arboreal (living on trees) species endemic to the Western Ghats has been recorded for the first time in Kerala’s Thrissur district. ◇ It bears the scientific name Mercurana myristicapalustris. ◇ Frog was first spotted in 2013 in the Myristica swamps of Arippa, in Kollam district. ◇ They are rare and elusive for the reason that they are arboreal and active only for a few weeks during breeding season. □ BREEDING SEASON. ◇ The breeding season, starts in the pre-monsoon season (May) and ends before the monsoon becomes fully active in June. ◇ Before the end of the breeding season, the female frogs along with their male counterparts descend on the forest floor and later retreat back.

 ■ LA SOUFRIERE VOLCANO:- ◇ Its eruption has sparked fear of increased pollution levels in the northern parts of India and acid rain. □ POINTERS :- ◇ It is an active stratovolcano on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. ◇ It is the highest peak in Saint Vincent and has had five recorded explosive eruptions since 1718. □ IMPACT ON CLIMATE :-  ◇ Volcanic emissions reaching the stratosphere can have a cooling effect on global temperatures. ◇ The conversion of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid, which condenses rapidly in the stratosphere to form fine sulphate aerosols. ◇ Aerosols increase the reflection of radiation from the Sun back into space, cooling the Earth’s lower atmosphere or troposphere.

 ■ CYCLONE TAUKTAE :-  Cyclone Tauktae classified as a very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) and developed in the Arabian Sea, is wreaking havoc all across the Indian Coast. □ ABOUT  :- ◇ Tauktae is a currently active threatening the state of Gujarat in India and impacting the states Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. ◇ It is the fourth cyclone in consecutive years to have developed in the Arabian Sea, that too in the pre-monsoon period (April to June). ◇ Once Tauktae makes its landfall, three of these will have hit either the Gujarat or Maharashtra coast. □ WHY RAPID INTENSIFICATION OF CYCLONE ? ◇ Any tropical cyclone requires energy to stay alive. ◇ This energy is typically obtained from the warm water and humid air over the tropical ocean. ◇ Currently, seawater up to depths of 50 metres has been very warm, supplying ample energy to enable the intensification of Cyclone Tauktae.

 ■ BLACK FUNGUS It is a disease being detected relatively frequently among Covid-19 patients in some states. □ ABOUT :- ◇ It is a rare but serious fungal infection. ◇ Also known as mucormycosis. ◇ The disease often manifests in the skin and also affects the lungs and the brain. ◇ Caused by a group of moulds known as mucormycetes present naturally in the environment. □ VULNERABILITY :- ◇ It mainly affects people who are on medication for health problems that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens. □ SYMPTOMS :- ◇ Sinuses or lungs of such individuals get affected after they inhale fungal spores from the air. ◇ Warning signs include pain and redness around the eyes or nose, with fever, headache, coughing, shortness of breath, bloody vomits, and altered mental status. □ TREATMENT :- ◇ Treated with antifungals. ◇ It may eventually require surgery.