UPSC Mains 2021 GS Paper 1 Q7: model answer
Mention the global occurrence of volcanic eruptions in 2021 and their impact on regional environment.
What the question wants
Describe where major volcanic eruptions occurred in 2021 and how they affected the surrounding environment.
How to structure it
Mention ... impact: name the eruptions with locations, then regional effects.
- Global pattern
- 2021 eruptions
- Impacts
How to think it through
A quick pin-map does half the work. Pick 4–5 eruptions across the Ring of Fire, hotspots and rifts, so the answer also teaches you why volcanoes are where they are.
Model answer
2021 was a busy year: Iceland's Fagradalsfjall erupted in March after about 800 years of quiet on the Reykjanes peninsula.
Global occurrence
Most eruptions lie on plate boundaries: the Pacific Ring of Fire, mid-ocean ridges, and hotspots.
Major eruptions of 2021
- La Soufrière, St Vincent (Caribbean, April): subduction zone.
- Nyiragongo, DR Congo (May): East African Rift; lava reached Goma.
- Cumbre Vieja, La Palma, Canary Islands (Sept–Dec): hotspot; lava reached the sea.
- Mount Semeru, Java, Indonesia (December): Ring of Fire.
- Fagradalsfjall, Iceland: Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
- Etna (Italy) and Taal (Philippines) also stayed active. Hunga Tonga erupted in December 2021, before its huge January 2022 blast.
Regional environmental impact
- Ash fall damaging crops, water and health; flights cancelled.
- Lava burying villages and farms (over 1,000 houses on La Palma).
- Displacement of tens of thousands (Goma, St Vincent).
- Sulphur dioxide and acid rain; local cooling.
- Lahars and pyroclastic flows (Semeru).
- New land and fertile soil in the long run, which is why people return to volcanic slopes in Java and Italy despite the risk.
Draw: World map pinning the 2021 eruptions on plate boundaries.
Keywords, cases and data to drop in
Ring of Fire, hotspot, rift, Nyiragongo, Cumbre Vieja, Semeru, Fagradalsfjall, lahar, SO₂.
Where most answers lose marks
- Writing about volcanoes in general without naming 2021 eruptions.
Related Mains PYQs
- Describe the characteristics and types of primary rocks. UPSC 2022 · GS-I
- Discuss the meaning of colour-coded weather warnings for cyclone prone areas given by India Meteorological Department. UPSC 2022 · GS-I
- What are the forces that influence ocean currents? Describe their role in fishing industry of the world. UPSC 2022 · GS-I
- The troposphere is a very significant atmospheric layer that determines weather processes. How? UPSC 2022 · GS-I
Fresh examples from current affairs
Neyveli, Tiruchirappalli and Atacama: Indian scientists identify Martian analogue sites
Scientists at the University of Kerala, using a laser Raman spectrometer funded under DST-FIST, have identified two minerals that make some places on Earth useful ‘Martian analogue’ sites, DST said on 16 October 2026. Melanterite was found in the lignite of Neyveli, Tamil Nadu. Gypsum was found in the Atacama Desert of Chile and in the Tiruchirappalli Badlands. Both are hydrous sulphates that record how water and rock interacted.
UPSC angle: Prelims: minerals, Raman effect, Atacama. · Mains GS-III: space science and research capacity.
16 Oct 2026
Ancient Gondwana wildfires recorded in Indian coal
BSIP (DST) researchers reported molecular evidence of massive wildfires in Gondwana forests nearly 250 million years ago. Using palynofacies analysis with Raman and FTIR spectroscopy on Godavari Valley Coalfield sediments, they separated high- and low-intensity fire-derived microcharcoal from other opaque particles. The study is in Geological Journal (Wiley).
UPSC angle: Prelims: Gondwana vs Tertiary coal.
25 May 2026
Aravalli Hills: Centre explains move to a uniform definition
The definition decides which hills can be mined. That is why environmental groups are watching closely.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Aravallis. · Mains: Mining vs ecology.
21 Dec 2025Learn the concept
Question text as printed in the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) question paper. The model answer is original Battle IAS work; use it to learn structure, not to memorise.
Want every PYQ in one place? See the Battle IAS PYQ Book.