Doppler Effect - GS questions based on daily current affairs

1)   Which of the following places have Doppler radars in India?

1) Paradip
2) Kolkata
3) Chennai


a. 2, 3
b. 1, 2
c. 1, 3
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

  • A new Doppler radar to boost the weather forecasting system in the cyclone prone eastern coast will shortly commissioned in Gopalpur in Odisha.
  • It will be the sixth such radar on the country’s east coast. The others are located in Chennai, Kolkata, Machilipatnam, Visakhapatnam and Paradip.
  • Kochi, Bhuj, Mumbai and Karaikal on the western coast have Doppler radars, while the equipment is being set up in Goa. Negotiations are on with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to install another Doppler radar in Thiruvananthapuram.
  • The radar is indigenously built by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).
  • The move to set up additional radar assumes significance as the eastern coast is prone to cyclones and better forecast will help authorities in taking timely action. Gopalpur had faced the severe cyclonic storm Phailin in October 2013.
  • Doppler radar is an observational tool for monitoring and predicting severe weather events such as thunder storms, hailstorms, cyclones and tornados within a radius of 300 km. It not only gives information about precipitation but also about wind velocity. The Doppler weather radar system helps increase precision in weather forecasting.


2)   Doppler Effect is perceived relative shift in

a. Wavelength
b. Home Ministry
c. Amplitude
d. Frequency
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Frequency

Explanation:

  • You hear the high pitch of the siren of the approaching ambulance, and notice that its pitch drops suddenly as the ambulance passes you. That is called the Doppler Effect.
  • The Doppler effect can be observed for any type of wave - water wave, sound wave, light wave, etc. We are most familiar with the Doppler Effect because of our experiences with sound waves.
  • When the source moves towards observer, the frequency seems higher. When the source moves away, the frequency seems decreasing.
  • The Doppler Effect is of intense interest to astronomers who use the information about the shift in frequency of electromagnetic waves produced by moving stars in our galaxy and beyond in order to derive information about those stars and galaxies.
  • Doppler radar is an observational tool for monitoring and predicting severe weather events such as thunder storms, hailstorms, cyclones and tornados within a radius of 300 km. It not only gives information about precipitation but also about wind velocity. The Doppler weather radar system helps increase precision in weather forecasting.