Geography chapter practice
Practise 80+ Oceanography MCQs for UPSC Prelims in Geography, including 13+ previous year questions. The sample set below is shown with correct answers and explanations.
12 sample questions are shown here; sign up free to practise all 80.
Consider the following statements: 1. The Red Sea receives very little precipitation in any form. 2. No water enters the Red Sea from rivers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Correct. The Red Sea lies in an arid belt receiving very little precipitation and has no major perennial river inflow. These factors contribute to its exceptionally high salinity.
Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The temperature contrast between continents and oceans is greater during summer than in winter. Statement-II: The specific heat of water is more than that of land surface. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation
Correct. Statement-I is incorrect because the thermal contrast between continents and oceans is significant in both seasons. Statement-II is correct as water's higher specific heat causes it to heat and cool more slowly than land.
Consider the following statements: 1. The Global Ocean Commission grants licences for seabed exploration and mining in international waters. 2. India has received licences for seabed mineral exploration in international waters. 3. 'Rare earth minerals' are present on seafloor in international waters. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
Correct. India has received exploration licences from the International Seabed Authority for polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean. Rare earth minerals are indeed found on the deep-ocean seafloor.
Consider the following statements: 1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds. 2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Correct. Trade winds push warm surface water westward in the tropics, while prevailing westerlies push warm water eastward in temperate latitudes, creating the described asymmetric temperature patterns.
With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements: 1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater. 2. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Correct. Polar ice caps and glaciers hold about 68.7% of Earth's freshwater, while groundwater holds about 30.1%. Rivers and lakes contain less than 1%.
With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the south-western Indian Ocean during January-March. 2. OMT collected during January-March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Correct. OMT data from January-March has been used as a predictor of Indian monsoon rainfall. Warmer ocean temperatures in pre-monsoon months correlate with stronger monsoon activity.
Tides occur in oceans and seas due to which of the following? 1. Gravitational Force of the Sun 2. Gravitational Force of the Moon 3. Gravitational Force of the Earth Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Correct. Tides result from the combined gravitational effects of the Moon (primary), the Sun, and Earth's own gravitational field. The interaction of all three produces the tidal bulges.
What explains the eastward flow of the equatorial counter-current?
Explanation
Correct. The North and South Equatorial Currents, driven westward by trade winds, pile up water on the western margins. This creates a pressure gradient that drives the equatorial counter-current eastward between them.
The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where:
Explanation
Correct. Where warm and cold ocean currents converge, nutrient-rich cold water mixes with warm water, creating ideal conditions for plankton growth and supporting large fish populations. Examples include the Grand Banks and the seas near Japan.
The annual range of temperature in the interior of the continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What is/are the reason/reasons? 1. Thermal difference between land and water 2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans 3. Presence of strong winds in the interior 4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Explanation
Correct. The fundamental reason is the thermal difference between land and water. Land heats up and cools down much faster than water, causing greater temperature extremes in continental interiors.
Which one of the following statements is NOT correct?
Explanation
Correct. This statement is NOT correct. It is gulfs with wide fronts and narrow rears (funnel-shaped) that experience amplified high tides, not those with narrow fronts and wider rears.
Assertion (A): During the Neap Tides, the high tide is lower and the low tide is higher than usual. Reason (R): The Neap Tide, unlike the Spring Tide, occurs on the New Moon instead of on the Full Moon. Which one of the following is correct?
Explanation
Correct. During neap tides, the Sun and Moon are at right angles, partially cancelling each other's pull, so highs are lower and lows are higher. R is false because neap tides occur at quarter moons, while spring tides occur at both new and full moons.
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