Consider the following statements : 1. Ocean currents are dominated by huge surface gyres that are driven by the global surface wind pattern. 2. Equatorial currents move cold water westward and then poleward along the east coasts of continents. With regard to the statements given above, which of the following is correct ?
- A.Both the statements are correct and statement 2 is the correct explanation of statement 1.
- B.Both the statements are correct, but statement 2 is not the correct explanation of statement 1.
- C.Statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 is false.
- D.Statement 1 is false, but statement 2 is correct.
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 is false. The surface circulation of the oceans is organised into huge, roughly circular loops called gyres, one in each major ocean basin. They are driven mainly by the planetary winds, the trade winds near the equator and the westerlies in middle latitudes, and turned by the Coriolis force, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and anticlockwise in the Southern, so Statement 1 is correct. The equatorial currents do flow westward and then turn poleward along the east coasts of continents, but the water they carry is warm, heated in the tropics, as in the Gulf Stream, the Kuroshio and the Brazil Current. Calling it cold water makes Statement 2 false. Option A is wrong because Statement 2 is false. Option B is wrong for the same reason. Option D is wrong because Statement 1 is correct. Exam tip: warm currents flow along the east coasts of continents in low latitudes, cold currents along the west coasts, such as the Peru and Canary currents.
Practice Questions
View allLoktak lake is situated in the State of
- A.Sikkim
- B.Manipur
- C.Odisha
- D.Mizoram
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Loktak Lake lies south of Imphal in Manipur and is the largest freshwater lake in North-East India. Loktak is famous for its phumdis, floating masses of soil, vegetation and decaying organic matter that drift on the water.
Read the full explanation →The formation of 'tors' on small rocky hills is associated with which among the following?
- A.Granite
- B.Limestone
- C.Alluvial
- D.Dolomite
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Tors are piles of rounded, weathered blocks standing on hilltops, and they form typically in granite. Granite cools deep underground and develops a network of joints, or cracks.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements is NOT correct ?
- A.Bokaro steel plant is located in Damodar river basin
- B.Jamshedpur steel plant is located on the confluence of Damodar and Barakar
- C.Salem steel plant is located on the bank of Kaveri River
- D.Bhilai steel plant obtains water from Tandula reservoir
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Jamshedpur stands at the meeting point of the Subarnarekha and Kharkai rivers, not the Damodar and Barakar. Jamsetji Tata chose Sakchi, later named Jamshedpur, and the Tata Iron and Steel Company began production there in 1912.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is/are warm ocean current(s) ? 1. Alaska Current 2. Agulhas Current 3. Falkland Current 4. West Australian Current Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2
- C.3 and 4
- D.4 only
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The Alaska Current and the Agulhas Current carry warm water, while the Falkland and West Australian currents are cold. A useful rule is that currents flowing from the tropics towards the poles are warm and those flowing from high latitudes towards the equator are cold.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements regarding the nature of rocks : I. Rocks are aggregates of one or more minerals. II. Granite is softer than soapstone. III. Gabbro is black and quartzite can be milky white. IV. Sedimentary rocks are related to foliation. Which of the statements given above are not correct ?
- A.I and II
- B.I and III
- C.II and IV
- D.II and III
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Granite is far harder than soapstone, and foliation is a feature of metamorphic rocks, not sedimentary ones, so these two statements are wrong.
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