Greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases is a Environment concept from the MPSC syllabus, tested in 9 past MPSC questions across 5 exam years between 2018 and 2025. Below are those real questions with their correct answers and explanations, plus the concepts worth being comfortable with first.

Real questions

Years tested

5 · 2018–2025

In context

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Asked in

2025 2024 2023 2020 2018

What you need to know first

List of major GHGsNitrogen cycleSoil microbiologyBasic ecologyForest EcosystemSources of MethaneSources of pollutionClimate Change BasicsCarbon and Nitrogen cycles

What mastering this unlocks

Geothermal energy Carbon footprint

Real questions that test this

खालीलपैकी कोणता हरितगृह वायू संपूर्ण मानव निर्मित आहे ? Which of the following greenhouse gases is entirely produced by human activities ?

1)मिथेन / Methane

2)कार्बन डायऑक्साईड / Carbon dioxide

3)नायट्रस ऑक्साईड / Nitrous oxide

4)क्लोरोफ्लूरोकार्बन / Chlorofluorocarbons✓ Correct

CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) and synthetic greenhouse gases like HFCs are entirely anthropogenic and have no natural sources.

मातीतील नायट्रोजन खत जिवाणूंद्वारे तोडल्यास ______ मुक्त होते. Nitrogen fertilizers in soils releases ______ when broken down by bacteria.

a)नायट्रोजन डायऑक्साइड (NO2) / Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

b)नायट्रस ऑक्साइड (N2O) / Nitrous oxide (N2O)

c)नायट्रोजन ट्रायऑक्साइड (NO3) / Nitrogen trioxide (NO3)✓ Correct

d)नायट्रोजन (N2) / Nitrogen (N2)

When nitrogenous fertilizers in the soil are broken down by denitrifying bacteria, Nitrous oxide (N2O) is released, which is a potent greenhouse gas.

For the past few centuries Earth has been witnessing several environmental problems even-though the ongoing climate change events such as increasing temperature, cloud bursts, frequent cyclones, long and irregular winters and drought have received more attention in the public platforms. These extreme climatic events have challenged the physical, mental and economic health of humans and made them to think and speak out. This realisation has been following by several agencies making efforts to mitigate the climate change impacts. It is known that global warming is the result of the incessant release of greenhouse gases especially carbon dioxide (CO₂) from several sectors especially from automobile and associated industries triggering the extreme climatic events. Earlier the natural forests cover and oceans absorbed the enormous quantities of CO₂ released in the environment. However, continuous deforestation and other anthropogenic pressures prevailing in and around the ocean and forest have slowed down the carbon sequestration potential of these systems. Natural forests evolve due to the constant interplay of inter and intra species alongwith unique environmental conditions and play an important role in mitigating the greenhouse gases to a large extent, also acting as oxygen factories. However, in comparison, tropical and savannah forests produce a more oxygen than other forests. Studies have established that the natural regeneration potential of the forest has been decreasing due to continuous deforestation. Ecologists opine that the restoration of natural forests is the ideal way to overcome the global warming impacts. However, restoration of natural forest is a herculean task and almost impossible. The diminishing forest cover affects the life-forms and also carbon storage and oxygen production which might speed-up the global warming process, and so researchers and policymakers encourage afforestation programmes in order to mitigate the global warming.

"नैसर्गिक वनां" संबंधित खालील चार विधानांपैकी दोन योग्य विधानांची निवड करा. Regarding "Natural Forests" four statements are made of which two are correct. Choose the correct option.

(a)"नैसर्गिक वने" विविध सजीव घटकांच्या (species) व पर्यावरणीय परिस्थितीच्या परस्पर प्रक्रियेतून निर्मित झालेली आहेत. / "Natural Forests" are formed due to interaction of species and environmental conditions.

(b)"नैसर्गिक वने" नद्यांना येणारे पूर व चक्रिवादळासाठी कारणीभूत/जबाबदार आहेत. / "Natural Forests" are responsible for floods and cyclones.

(c)"नैसर्गिक वने" हरीत् गृह वायुंचे वातावरणात उत्सर्जन कमी करण्याचे कार्य करतात. / "Natural Forests" play important role in minimizing emission of greenhouse gases in Atmosphere.

(d)"नैसर्गिक वने" वृक्ष तोडीच्या वाढीसाठी उपयुक्त आहेत. / "Natural Forests" are important for promotion of tree cutting.

1)फक्त (a) व (b) / Only (a) and (b)

2)फक्त (b) व (c) / Only (b) and (c)

3)फक्त (a) व (c) / Only (a) and (c)✓ Correct

4)फक्त (c) व (d) / Only (c) and (d)

Natural forests are formed through natural species-environment interactions (a) and act as carbon sinks minimizing greenhouse gases (c). Statement (b) blames forests for floods/cyclones incorrectly, and (d) promotes tree cutting which is destructive.

योग्य पर्याय ओळखून जोड्या लावा. (a) संपष्टात न येणारी संसाधने (i) मानवनिर्मित कृते (b) स्ट्रॅटोस्मीयर (ii) जीवाश्म इंधन जसे कोलसा, पेट्रोल (c) अपुनरावर्ती/पुनर्नुनीकरणणास अयोग्य (iii) सौर ऊर्जा संसाधने किंवा अनुतनावर्ती संसाधने (d) क्लोरोफ्लोरोकार्बन्स (iv) ओझोनचा दाट थर

(a)संपष्टात न येणारी संसाधने - (i) मानवनिर्मित कृते

(b)स्ट्रॅटोस्मीयर - (ii) जीवाश्म इंधन जसे कोलसा, पेट्रोल

(c)अपुनरावर्ती/पुनर्नुनीकरणणास अयोग्य संसाधने किंवा अनुतनावर्ती संसाधने - (iii) सौर ऊर्जा

(d)क्लोरोफ्लोरोकार्बन्स - (iv) ओझोनचा दाट थर

1)(iv) (iii) (ii) (i)

2)(iv) (ii) (iii) (i)

3)(iii) (iv) (ii) (i)✓ Correct

4)(ii) (iii) (iv) (i)

Solar energy is inexhaustible (a-iii), the stratosphere contains the dense ozone layer (b-iv), fossil fuels are non-renewable (c-ii), and chlorofluorocarbons are man-made chemicals (d-i). Matching these gives the correct sequence as (iii), (iv), (ii), (i).

यादी - I मध्ये दिलेल्या प्रदूषकांची यादी - II मध्ये दिलेल्या त्यांच्या परिणामांशी जोड्या लावा. यादी - I प्रदूषके a. पाण्यातील फॉस्फेट खते b. हवेतील मिथेन c. पाण्यातील कृत्रिम अपमार्जके d. हवेतील नायट्रोजन ऑक्साईड यादी - II प्रदूषकांचे परिणाम i. पाण्याची जैवरासायनिक ऑक्सीजनची पातळी वाढते ii. आम्ल पर्जन्य iii. जगातिक तापमान वाढ iv. अनतिरेक/सुपोषण Match the pollutants given in List - I with their effects given in List - II. List - I Pollutants a. Phosphate fertilizers in water b. Methane in air c. Synthetic detergents in water d. Nitrogen oxides in air List - II Effects of Pollutants i. Biochemical oxygen demand level increase ii. Acid Rain iii. Global warming iv. Eutrophication

(a)पाण्यातील फॉस्फेट खते

(b)हवेतील मिथेन

(c)पाण्यातील कृत्रिम अपमार्जके

(d)हवेतील नायट्रोजन ऑक्साईड

1)(1) ii i iv iii

2)(2) iv iii i ii✓ Correct

3)(3) iii ii iv i

4)(4) i iii ii iv

Phosphate fertilizers cause eutrophication (iv), Methane contributes to global warming (iii), Synthetic detergents increase BOD in water (i), Nitrogen oxides cause acid rain (ii).

More Environment concepts

Global warming Deforestation Agricultural Economics Biodiversity hotspots Climate Change SONAR Human Development Air Pollution Biosphere Reserves Montreal Protocol National Parks Nutrient Cycling

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