Consider the following statements: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes ar...
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Chandra X-Ray Center (CXC) has unveiled a new ‘sonification’ project that transforms data from astronomical images into audio.
- Data Sonification refers to the use of sound values to represent real data. It is the auditory version of data visualisation. In NASA’s Chandra (sonification) project, for instance, data is represented using a number of musical notes. The birth of a star, a cloud of dust or even a black hole can be ‘heard’ as a high- or low-pitched sound. Hence, option (c) is correct.
- The sonification project was led by the Chandra X-ray Center in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning Program (UoL), which aims to “incorporate NASA science content into the learning environment effectively and efficiently for learners of all ages”.
- Over the years, NASA has been working towards making data about space accessible for a larger audience. Sonification projects like this allow audiences - including visually-impaired communities - to experience space through data.
Consider the following statements: Thunderstorms and Tornadoes ar...
Explanation:
Thunderstorms and Tornadoes:
- Thunderstorms and tornadoes are both atmospheric phenomena that occur due to instability in the atmosphere.
- Thunderstorms are characterized by lightning, thunder, heavy rain, and sometimes hail. They are caused by warm, moist air rising rapidly in unstable atmospheric conditions.
- Tornadoes, on the other hand, are violent windstorms characterized by a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud. They form in severe thunderstorms when rotating air descends from the cloud base to the ground.
Geographical Distribution:
- Thunderstorms are more common in middle latitudes, where warm, moist air masses collide with cooler, drier air masses, creating unstable atmospheric conditions conducive to thunderstorm formation.
- Tornadoes, on the other hand, are more common in high latitudes, particularly in regions like the central United States known as Tornado Alley. Here, the clash of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico with cooler air from the north creates the perfect conditions for tornado formation.
Correctness of Statements:
- Statement 1 is correct as both thunderstorms and tornadoes are adjustments in the atmosphere from an unstable state to a stable state.
- Statement 2 is incorrect as thunderstorms are more common in middle latitudes, not high latitudes. Tornadoes are actually more common in high latitudes.
Therefore, the correct answer is option C - Both 1 and 2.
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