HIRANANDANI FOUNDATION SCHOOL, THANE

SUBJECT: GEOGRAPHY
HYDROSPHERE

II. Short Answer Questions

1. Name any two ways in which movement of ocean water takes place.
Ans. - Tides and ocean currents are the two movements of ocean water.

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

Ans. - The rise and fall of sea water due to gravitational forces of the sun and the moon are
called tides.
Factors – Gravitational force of the Moon and the Sun.

3. What is the time interval between tides? Name the factors responsible for this time
interval.
Ans. - The time interval between tides is 12 hours 26 minutes.
The direction of the rotation of the Earth and the direction of the rotation and
revolution of the Moon is the same, i.e. from west to east. So for a particular place or
the line of longitude the timing of Moon rise gets delayed by 52 minutes in
comparison to the previous day. There are two tides in each day, in 24 hours, therefore
52 minutes are divided by two tides.

4. What are Spring and Neap tides?

Ans. - Spring tide – Very high tide is caused when the Sun, Moon and the Earth are almost in
the same line. Such high tide is called spring tide.
Neap tide- When the Sun and the Moon are at a position of right angle in relation
to the Earth, the attractions of the Sun and the Moon oppose each other which makes
the tide weaker and this type of tide is called neap tide.

5. Name two types of ocean currents based on their temperature. Give an example for each.
Ans.- Warm ocean currents and cold ocean currents.
The example of warm ocean current is the Gulf Stream / Kuroshio Current and the
example of cold ocean current is the Labrador Current / Oyashio Current.

6. For what is the Gulf Stream famous?

Ans. - The Gulf Stream is the warm, powerful ocean current. Its high speed has the potential
to generate renewable energy. Moreover, its warm nature gives rise to cyclones - both
within the atmosphere and within the ocean.

7. What happens when warm and cold currents meet?

Ans.- 1. Dense fog occurs where the warm and cold ocean currents.
2. Violent storms follow the line of meeting of cold and warm currents.
3. The mixing of warm and cold currents help in the production of planktons
(minute sea organism which provide food for fish) such areas are important
fishing grounds of the world.
8. Mona had gone to visit her friend’s boat on the Vishakhapatnam jetty. She was surprised
to see that the boats seemed to have sunk because the water level in the jetty was low and
the gangways to the boats were almost vertical. As a student of geography, name and
explain the phenomena that caused it.
Ans. - When Mona visited the jetty, she experienced a low tide. During low tide, the water
level retreats from the shore towards the sea, making the boats appear sunken as the
gangways become almost vertical.
Tides are the regular rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined gravitational
forces of the moon and sun, and the rotation of the Earth.
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III. Structured Questions:

1. (a) How are tides form?

Ans. - Tides are formed due to the strong gravitational pull of the Moon, which is very near
the Earth and to some extent by the gravitational pull of the Sun, which is very far
from the Earth. The water of the Earth facing the Moon is pulled by the Moon’s
gravitational force. At the same time there is piling of water on the opposite side of
the Earth due to the inertia caused by the rotation of the Earth. The areas in between
these two high tides experience low tides as water is drawn from these areas to high
tide areas.

(b) Differentiate between high tides and low tides.

Ans. -
High Tides Low Tides

The rise of sea water and its movement The fall of sea water and its movement
towards the coast is called high tide or tide. towards the sea is known as low tides or
ebb.

The resultant high water level is called high The resultant low water level is called low
tide water. tide water.

(c) Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) There are two high and two low tides in a day because the Earth rotates and the
Moon also rotates and revolves around the Earth in the same direction, from west
to east. When a particular meridian faces the Moon, due to its gravitational pull, a
tide occurs. At the same time, another tide occurs exactly on the opposite meridian
due to the inertia which is caused by the rotation of the Earth. After
approximately 12 hours, the meridian which was facing the Moon goes to the
opposite side and the opposite meridian faces the Moon and the second tide
occurs.

(ii) Each day a tide is delayed by 26 minutes because the direction of the rotation of
the Earth and the direction of the rotation and revolution of the Moon is the same,
i.e. from west to east. So for a particular place or the line of longitude the timing of
Moon rise gets delayed by 52 minutes in comparison to the previous day. There are
two tides in each day, 52 minutes are divided by two tides.
 (iii) The tidal range differs from one water body to the other because of varying size,
shape and depth of the water bodies and also the varying positions of the Sun and the
Moon with respect the position of the Earth and the varying distance between the
Earth and the Moon.

(d) Draw a well labelled diagram showing the formation of spring and neap tides.
Ans. -
2. (a) Describe the two types of ocean currents based on their temperature.
Ans. - On the basis of temperature ocean currents are divided into:
1. Warm ocean currents: These are the currents which flow from the low latitude
in Tropical Zones towards the high latitudes in the Temperate and Sub-polar
Zones. They bring warm water into cold water areas.
2. Cold ocean currents: These currents have lower surface temperature and bring cold
water into warm water areas. These currents flow in the high latitudes from the
Polar regions towards the low latitudes in the warm Equator regions.

(b) State any two factors responsible for causing the currents.
Ans. - Factors responsible for the causing the ocean currents are:
1. Variation in the Level of Salinity.
2. Temperature and density variation
The following factors give ocean currents a definite directions -
1. The Earth’s Rotation
2. The Planetary Winds or Monsoon Winds
3. Land.

(c) Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) Warm currents produce a milder climate because it raises the temperature of the
coastal areas in the higher latitudes.

(ii) The eastern coasts of USA are comparatively cold because towards the north there
is influence of the cold Labrador Current which lowers down the temperature
below normal.

(iii) The coasts of Norway not frozen in winter whereas its adjoining coasts are frozen
most parts of the year because of the presence of warm North Atlantic Drift
hence it aids in increasing the temperature along the coast but the adjoining
coasts have frozen temperature in winter due to the location in high latitudes and
also the presence of cold ocean currents which reduces the temperature below
normal.

(d) Describe one effect of each of the following three ocean currents.
(i) Labrador Current of the Atlantic Ocean
(ii) The Kuroshio Current
(iii) Oyashio Current in the Pacific Ocean
Ans. - (i) In spring and early summer, the Labrador Current transports iceberg from the
glaciers of Greenland southwards into the trans-Atlantic shipping lanes.
(ii) The warm water of the Kuroshio Current sustains the coral reefs of Japan, the
northernmost coral reefs in the world. There is a concentration of uranium passing
through this current every year.
(iii) 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.
3. (a) State the origin and flow of the Gulf Stream.
Ans. - The Gulf Stream originates from the Gulf of Mexico, which is the continuation of the
North Equatorial Current in the Atlantic Ocean. The Gulf Stream exits from the Gulf
of Mexico through the Strait of Florida and follows the eastern coastlines of the
United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

(b) What is the effect of Gulf stream on the coasts of North America and Western Europe?
Ans. - The Gulf Stream carries warm water which increases the temperature above normal
along the east coast of North America ( especially the USA). After crossing the
Atlantic Ocean the Gulf Stream flows as North Atlantic Drift which is warm ocean
current and it also increases the temperature along the west coast of Europe and keeps
the ports of Western Europe free from ice even during cold winters.

(c) Give a reason for each of the following:

(i) The water of the Oyashio Currents forms the richest fishing ground in the world.
Ans. The cold-water currents which is good for harvesting fish that feed on phyto-
planktons, which thrives in cold water (extremely high nutrient content of the
cold water) hence the water of the Oyashio Currents forms the richest fishing
ground in the world.

(ii) There is heavy rainfall in Queensland but the Atacama desert is arid because along
the coast of Queensland the warm East Australian Current flows. On-shore winds
while blowing over the warm ocean current become warmer and carry more
moisture to bring rainfall to the coast. Along the coast of Atacama the cold Peru
Current flows. On-shore winds while blowing over the cold ocean current become
cooler and drier and cannot bring rainfall to the coast.

(iii) Rich fishing grounds are located on the Pacific coast of North America because the
cold Peru Ocean Current brings nutrient-rich water from the ocean depths to the
surface. These nutrients fuel the growth of phytoplankton, which form the base of
the marine food chain. The meeting of warm and cold ocean currents off the coast
of North America creates areas of high biological productivity. This is because the
mixing of these waters brings up nutrients from the depths, stimulating plankton
growth. A relatively shallow continental shelf in many areas provides optimal
conditions for marine life to thrive.

(d) State three major effects of ocean currents.

Ans. - The effects of ocean currents are:
Effect on climate:-
(i) Ocean currents modify the climatic conditions of the coastal regions along which
they flow. Warm ocean currents increase the temperature above normal but cold
ocean currents lower down the temperature below normal. Winds blowing over
warm ocean ocean currents pick up moisture and bring rain while those pass over
cold currents are cold and dry so do not bring rain.
(ii) The dense fog caused by the meeting of cold and warm ocean currents is dangerous
for navigation.
(iii) Violent storms follow the line of meeting of cold and warm currents.
Effect on commerce:-
(iv) Ships can sail faster if they follow the direction of the current and the opposite
direction hinders speed.
(v) Cold ocean currents may bring icebergs from polar areas which are dangerous to
ships.
(vi) On account of the influence of warm currents, harbours and ports remain open even
in cold winters in high latitudes, facilitating trade throughout the year.
Effect on marine organisms:-
(vii) The mixing of cold and warm ocean currents causes plankton (fish food) to grow in
abundance which helps to develop fishing grounds.

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