HYDROSPHERE

Short Answer Question

1. Name any two ways in which movement of ocean water takes
place.
Ans: Movement of ocean water takes place in three ways:
1. Waves: These are oscillatory movements in water
manifested by alternate rise and fall of the sea surface.
2. Tides: The rise and fall of sea due to the gravitational forces
of the sun and the moon are called tides.
3. Ocean currents: These are large masses of surface water
that circulate in regular patterns around the oceans.

2. What are tides? Name one factor that causes tides.

Ans: From Q.1)ii).
The factors that causes tides are:
1. The distance between the Earth and the moon at different
intervals of time (mainly due to apogee and perigee)
2. Because of the reactionary (centrefugal) force and the
gravitational (centrepetal) force of the moon causing outer
bulge of water.

3. What is the time interval between tides? Name the factors

responsible for this time interval.
Ans: there is a time interval of 12 hours 26 minutes between two
tides.
The
 The reason behind these is that the moon also revolve around the
earth along with the revolution of earth around the sun.

4. What are Spring and Neap tides?

Ans: Spring Tide: When the sun moon and the other almost in the
same time, due to huge combined (the gravitational force of both
the moon and the sun are aligned) gravitational force high tide is
occurs. This occurs every full and new moon date. The time is
fixed.

Neap Tide: On every 7th or 8 day of every fortnight of a year the

sun, earth and the moon comes in the position of quadrature. The
tide producing forces of the sun and the moon work in opposite
direction, with the result a low tide occurs.

5. Name two types of ocean currents based on their temperature.

Give an example of each.
Ans: based on temperature ocean currents can be categorised as 2
types:
1. The warm currents: Water that flows from the
lower latitudes in the tropical zone to cold water
areas like the higher latitudes in the temperate and
subtropical zone.
2. The cold currents: Through this current cold water
flows towards the low latitude in the warm
equatorial region from high latitudes from the
polar regions.

6. For what is the Gulf Stream famous?

 Ans: The Gulf Stream is famous because it is a powerful warm
ocean current affecting the climate of the eastern coast of North
America and the western coast of Europe and it is an important
source of tidal energy.

7. What happens when warm and cold currents meet?

Ans:
Ans: Due to the mixture of cold and warm currents, a thick, dense
fog develops over the surface of the ocean in these regions.

(iii) Structured Questions

1. (a) How are tides formed?
Ans: The tides have their origin in the gravitational forces of the
sun and the moon. The earth rotates from west to east and
revolves round the sun following an elliptical orbit. Similarly, the
moon, rotates from west to east and revolves round the earth
along an elliptical orbit so that the distance between the moon
and the earth changes during different times every month. Thus
the gravitational forces acting on the earth by the moon and the
sun forms the tide.

(b) Differentiate between High Tides and Low Tides.

High Tides Low Tides
1. During high Tides 2. During low tides the
the sun the Earth sun the earth and
and the moon are in the moon are in
 the same line. quadrature.
3. They are formed on 4. it occurs during the
the date of full 8th day of each 4th
moon and new night of a month.
moon.
5. High tide disturb 6. low tides is the
regular rise of the regular Fall of the C
see water water.

Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) There are two high and two low tides in a day.
Ans: The rotation of the Earth results in every meridian
coming into the position of two high tides and two low
tides very nearly every 24 hours. Thus on every lunar day,
coastal areas experience two high and two low tides every
24 hours and 50 minutes. High tides occur 12 hours and
25 minutes apart.

(ii) Each day a tide is delayed by 26 minutes.

Ans: Each day a tide is delayed by 26 minutes because the
moon also rotates on its axis (west to east) while
revolving around the earth. Since the earth rotates from
west to east, the tide centre shifts westward. When the
tide centre completes one round, the moon’s position is
ahead of the tide centre by that time. The moon also
revolves around the earth, with the result, the tide centre
takes another 52 minutes to come under the moon. Thus,
 a particular tide centre takes 24 hours 52 minutes to
come under the moon but by that time there is another
tide at the opposite side of the referred tide centre and
this happens after 12 hours 26 minutes.

(iii) The tidal range differs from one waterbody to the other.
Ans: The tidal range differs from one water body to the
other as tidal range is not constant but changes
depending on the locations of the moon and the sun.

(d) Draw a well labelled diagram showing the formation of spring and
neap tides.
Ans: Diagram of Spring Tide. Diagram of Neap Tide.

2. (a) Describing the two types of ocean currents based on their

temperature.
 Ans: Same as (II) Q.5
(b) State any two factors responsible for causing the currents.
Ans: (i) level of salinity: With the higher level of salinity the water
becomes denser and does flows below the lays denser water. In case of
Atlantic Ocean which is less saline then the Mediterranean sea, the
Atlantic ocean flows into Mediterranean sea.
(ii) Earth’s rotation: since the speed of the arts rotation is highest at the
equator the winds and the ocean currents move clockwise in the
Northern hemisphere and anti clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
The Canary current and the Gulf stream is flows in the northern
hemisphere and the Peruvian and the West wind drift flows in the
southern hemisphere.

© Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) Warm currents produce a milder climate.
Ans: Warm currents produce a milder climate because warm
currents tend to raise the temperature of the places where
they flow.

(ii) The eastern coasts of USA are comparatively cold.

Ans: (ii)The eastern coast of US is comparatively cold because
of the cold Labrador Current.

(iii) The coasts of Norway are not frozen in winter whereas its
adjoining coasts are froar for most parts of the year.
Ans: The coasts of Norway are not frozen in winter whereas its
adjoining coasts are frozen for most parts of the year on
account of the influence of the warm North Atlantic Drift.
(d) Describe one effect of each of the following three ocean
currents.
(i) Labrador Current of the Atlantic Ocean.
Ans: In spring and early summer this current transport iceberg
from the glaciers of Greenland South words into the trans-
Atlantic shipping lanes.

(ii) The Kuroshio current

Ans: The warm waters of Kuroshio current sustain the coral
reefs of Japan, the northernmost coral reefs in the world. The
branch into the sea of Japan is called the Tsushima current. It
brings reach fisheries from the East China see into the sea of
Japan.

(iii) Oyashio Current of the Pacific Ocean.

Ans: The waters of the Oyashio Current from probably the
richest fish in grounds in the world going to the extremely high
nutrient content of the cold water and the high Tides in some
areas which further enhances the availability of nutrients.

3. (a) State the origin and flow of the Gulf Stream.

Ans: Gulf Stream originates in the gulf of Mexico, exits through the
Strait of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United
States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. At
about 30°W, 40°N, it splits in two, with the northern stream
crossing to northern Europe and the southern stream recirculating
off West Africa.
(b) What is the effect of Gulf Stream on the coasts of North America
and Western Europe?
Ans: The Gulf Stream influences the climate of the east coast of
North America from Florida to Newfoundland, and the west coast of
Europe. The current keeps these regions warm in winter.

© Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) The waters of the Oyashio Current form the richest fishing
grounds in the world.
Ans: The waters of the Oyashio Current form the richest fishing
grounds in the world owing to the extremely high nutrient
content of the cold water and the very high tides in some areas,
which further enhances the availability of nutrients.

(ii) There is heavy rainfall in Queensland but the Atacama desert

is arid.
Ans: Warm currents flow towards Queensland which make the
air warm and enable it to acquire greater moisture. Thus, the
winds increase the amount of precipitation in Queensland
while Atacama desert owe their existence to some extent to
Benguela and Peru currents which are cold and keep the air dry
and devoid of moisture.
(iii) Rich fishing grounds are located on the Pacific coast of North
America.
Ans: Rich fishing grounds are located on the Pacific coast of
North America due to the convergence of warm and cold
currents.

(d) Describe three major effects of currents.

Ans: Three major effects of currents are-
1. Effect on Climate: The climate of the coasts becomes warm
or cool according to the current washing the coast which
may be warm or cool.

2. Effect on Marine life: Ocean currents move organic material

off the coast which is the food of planktons. The more the
planktons, higher the concentration of fish.

3. Effect on commerce: On account of influence of warm

currents, harbours are kept open in winter, facilitating trade
throughout the year.