OCEANOGRAPHY

→ Oceanography→ about water substances (majorly w.r.t oceans)

→ Oceans contain saline water and covers 71% of the earth’s surface & about 97% of earth’s
water.
→ Water body has specific characteristic features viz., salinity, temperature, density.
→ Water sources Fresh (3%)
Marine (97%)
Water has high specific heat
→ Insolation determines temperature profile of an oceanic body.
→ Evaporation takes places when the water body is subjected to temperature.
Thermocline A point at which
Depth V/s temperature
there is a sudden
↑↑ dip in the tempe-
rature of the water (T↑)T1
body.

(T↓) T2
Dark & Cold
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→ Density – Depends on the composition of water

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Low density
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Halocline ↓ salinity
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More depth High density

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↑ salinity
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Depth V/s salinity

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Sudden raise in the salinity

of the water body.

→ with depth ------ (increasing): Salinity ↑, temperature ↓, density ↑

→ S T D relation → Densiity constatnt ═> T↑, S↑
Salinity constatant ═> T↑, D↓
Temperature constant ═> D↑, S↑

2nd Floor, 45 Pusa Road, Opp. Metro Pillar 128, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 | Ph: 08045248491, 7041021151 | Email: students@[Link]
→ Sources of water

Oceans

Ice Caps and Glaciers

Groundwater

Lakes IG LiKES SAS Bahu

Soil Moisture

Atmosphere

Streams and Rivers

Biosphere

→ Water Cycle The continuous circulation of water in the Earth – atmosphere system
Processes: Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff
→ Oceanic Relief: it means kinds of landforms / topography in Ocean
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Transitionary
region
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Less gradient
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Less slopy
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Oozes: Regions
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where pelagic &

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Steep slope
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terragenous
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deposits present. Most of the

oceanic landforms
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Pelagic : Bony structure (organic) are found

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Extension of (valleys, trenches)

Terragenous: Muddy Deposits continental rise

Significance of continental shelf:

Rich fishing ground.
Presence of minerals & oils.
It supports marine ecosystem.
Helps shipping.
Tourism and marine culture.
Safeguards from natural calamities like cyclone (by growth of mangroves).
2nd Floor, 45 Pusa Road, Opp. Metro Pillar 128, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 | Ph: 08045248491, 7041021151 | Email: students@[Link]
Deep sea plain / Abyssal plain:
Starts beyond [Link]
Formed by accumulation of sediments on seafloor.
Many features like seamounts, guyots, atolls, sills and trenches are superimposed.
Minor Oceanic Relief features:
1. Mid Oceanic ridges : found along diverging plate boundaries
Composed of two chains of mountains separated by a large
depression
Mountains ranges have peaks as high as 2500m & even reach
above surface.
2. Mountain structures : (i) Sea mount (ii) Guyots flat topped seamounts.
Formed by the gradual sinking of
Undersea mountains sea floor
Pointed tips
Formed by volcanic activity
3. Trenches : long, narrow, and deep depressions of the sea floor, with steep sides
Deepest parts of the oceans.
Associated with active volcanoes and earthquakes.
Bank, shoal, reef ----
4. Atolls: Ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets --- explained in
class
Surrounds a body of water called a lagoon.
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Atolls develop with underwater volcanoes, called seamounts.

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Bays, gulfs, straits,

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5. Submarine canyons: Deep valleys beginning at edge of [Link] Isthmus -------

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Largest canyon in world – Bering sea of Alaska. explained in class

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Vertical & Horizontal distribution of temperature & salinity:

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Diurnal range of ocean temperatures is small because the process of heating & cooling of oceanic
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water is slower than land.

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Insolation
Factors affecting
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temperature: Heat loss due to reflections, scattering, evaporation & radiation.

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Albedo.
Physical characteristic features of sea.
Presence of submarine ridges.
Shape of ocean.
Enclosed sea in lower latitudes – high temperature than open seas & vice
versa for higher latitudes.
Lower weather conditions.
Unequal distribution of land & water.
On shore & off shore winds
Ocean
2nd Floor, 45 Pusa Road, Opp. Metro Pillar currents
128, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 | Ph: 08045248491, 7041021151 | Email: students@[Link]
 Depends on evaporation & precipitation. Salinity of Arabian sea > Bay of

Influenced by fresh water flow from rivers. Bengal

Factors affecting
Ocean salinity: Baltic sea- lower salinity
Winds
Mediterranean sea – high salinity
Ocean currents.
Black sea – very low salinity
Land locked sea – high salinity
Concept of ocean Hot regions – high salinity
currents ---
explained in class Pacific ocean- larger area- ↑ salinity
Atlantic ocean – Max. salinity
(gradually decreases towards north)

Tides: Periodic raise & fall of seal level once (or) twice a day.
Due to gravitational pull of sun & moon.
Occurs due to balance of forces like centrifugal & gravitational.
Tidal Bulge: Elongation of earth’s oceans by gravitational force of moon.

Factors Movement of the moon

controlling tides: Position change in sun & moon
Uneven distribution of water.
Irregularities in configuration of oceans.
Shape of the bays & estuaries along coast line.
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Types of tides
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Based on sun, moon

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Based on frequency
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& earth’s position

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Semi Diurnal
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Diurnal tide Mixed tide

Spring tides Neap tides tide
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Characteristics of tides: Tidal bulges – wide on [Link] have greater height.

Tidal currents in open oceans – weak.
Shape of bay & estuary – magnify intensity of tides.
Funnel shaped bays – change tidal magnitudes.
Tidal patterns vary – across different oceans & locations.
Tidal bore – the steep nosed tide crest looks like a vertical wall of
water rushing upstream ( kind of tidal current).

2nd Floor, 45 Pusa Road, Opp. Metro Pillar 128, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 | Ph: 08045248491, 7041021151 | Email: students@[Link]
 Characteristics of tidal bore: less predictable & dangerous.
Affect shipping & navigation.
Disrupt fishing zones.

Importance of tides: High tides- favourable for navigation.

Higher tides- enables bigger catch.
Desilts the sediments & removes polluted water.
Enables renewable form of energy.

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2nd Floor, 45 Pusa Road, Opp. Metro Pillar 128, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005 | Ph: 08045248491, 7041021151 | Email: students@[Link]