1 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
Syllabus
• Bottom topography of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans
• Temperature and salinity of the oceans
• Heat and salt budgets
• Ocean deposits
• Waves, currents and tides
• Marine resources: biotic, mineral and energy resources
• Coral reefs, coral bleaching
• sea-level changes
• law of the sea and marine pollution
Note: Do memorize the syllabus, it will help you in answer writing like for brainstorming of
dimensions, making answer geographical in nature I.e., for using geographical terms.
Supporting Video lectures on Oceanography
[Link]
Ocean Expedition
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[Link]
Formation of ocean BJraBDRE&list=PLcC66kA-7TrLN3Mec-
XzLmhdsivbwTZSD&index=137
[Link]
Origin of salts in ocean HsRu16JGg&list=PLcC66kA-7TrLN3Mec-
XzLmhdsivbwTZSD&index=123
[Link]
Theory of tides tLy2M4&list=PLcC66kA-7TrLN3Mec-
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[Link]
Ocean water density 7IQBxh-E&list=PLcC66kA-7TrLN3Mec-
XzLmhdsivbwTZSD&index=104
[Link]
Marine Energy Resources
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[Link]
Types of coasts and significance of
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marine ecosystem
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Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 2
Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Mains PYQs:(2013-2022)
1. When corals are affected by stress it causes them to turn completely white. Explain the reasons
of such an occurrence. (10 Marks/2022)
2. What is the relationship between ocean currents and global surface wind systems? Explain with
examples how does the gyre in the Northern Hemisphere differ from the one in the Southern
Hemisphere. (15 Marks/2022)
3. Discuss the hazards hazards associated with rise of sea-surface temperature. (10 Marks/2021)
4. Give a detailed account of bottom topography of the Pacific Ocean. (15 Marks/2021)
5. Maritime security is neglected. Indicate the major challenges and suggest solutions in the
context of Law of the Sea. (15 Marks/2021)
6. Marine resources are economically very significant. Discuss citing suitable examples.
(10 Marks/2020)
7. Discuss the concept of coral bleaching, its recovery and macroalgal regime shifts due to ths
process. (15 Marks/2020)
8. Explain the currents of the North Atlantic Ocean and their significant role in the climate of
Western Europe. (15 Marks/2020)
9. How are ocean waves formed? Distinguish between a wave of oscillation and a wave of
translation. (15 Marks/2019)
10. Describe the causes and consequences of sea level changes. (10 Marks/2018)
11. Describe the potential marine energy resources with reference to their benefits, harvestability
and environmental impacts. (20 Marks/2018)
12. Distinguish between low energy coasts and coral coasts. (10 Marks/2017)
13. Discuss the impacts of ocean currents on air mass behaviour. (10 Marks/2017)
14. Explain the concept of micro carbon sink and its relevance. (10 Marks/2017)
15. Describe the configuration of the Pacific Ocean floor. (15 Marks/2017)
16. Discuss Maritime Zones. (10 Marks/2016)
17. “The relationship between the winds and the currents is best seen in the Indian Ocean.” Justify.
(15 Marks/2016)
18. Bring out the various ecological problems associated with the exploitation and use of oceans
and their resources. (20 Marks/2016)
19. Describe the characteristics of different types of pelagic deposits. (10 Marks/2015)
20. Illustrate the origin and nature of Sargasso Sea and Lagoon. (10 Marks/2014)
21. Give a critical account of reasons and consequences of marine pollution. (15 Marks/2014)
22. Give an account of recent observations on coral bleaching with reference to Clive Wilkinson’s
Report. (15 Marks/2014)
23. What is “Base level”? Explain the types of base level. (15 Marks/2013)
24. “Offshore Acoustic Study helped the development of the concept of sea floor spreading”.
Explain. (20 Marks/2013)
25. Compare the Subsidence and Glacial control theories on the formation of coral reefs. (25
Marks/2013)
3 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
Prelims oriented
A) Locate the following on given map/diagrams:
1. Locate Important OBR features of Pacific Ocean.
2. Locate Important OBR features of Atlantic Ocean.
Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 4
3.. Locate all the ocean currents of Pacific Ocean.
[Link] all the ocean currents of Atlantic Ocean.
5 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
[Link] distribution of salinity in Atlantic Ocean (SS, p.n-122)
6. Show horizontal distribution of marine deposits in Pacific Ocean. (SSO-p.n-142)
Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 6
[Link] horizontal distribution of marine deposits in Atlantic Ocean. (SSO-p.n-142)
[Link] horizontal distribution of marine deposits in Indian Ocean. (SSO-p.n-141)
7 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
9. Locate the following in world map
• Hotspots – Reunion highlands, Azores, Asuncion, Galapagos, Hawaiian, Mcdonald.
• Islands – Emperor seamount chains, Midway Islands, Tonga islands, Hawaiian Islands, Seychelles,
Chagos, Coco Islands and Saragossa Sea.
• Strategic straits and chokepoints -- Sunda Strait, Strait of Malacca, Bonifacio Strait, Bosphorus Strait,
Hudson Strait, Davis Strait, Dardanelles Strait, Formosa Strait, Gibraltar Strait, Suez Canal, Panama
Canal, Isthmus of Kra, Torres Strait, Mozambique Strait, Bering Strait. Bab-el-Mandeb.
10. Locate the following in world map
• Volcanic eruption -- Fuego volcano, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, Fagradalsfjall volcano, Mount Anak
Krakatau, Shiveluch volcano, Wolf volcano, Mount Etna, Mauna Loa volcano, Marapi volcano.
Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 8
11. Locate the following in world map
• Important coral reefs -- Great Barrier Reef, Belize Barrier Reef, Palancar Reef, Grand Central
Station and Chimneys, Bonaire Reef, Red Sea Coral Reef, New Caledonia Barrier Reef,
Bahamas reef.
• Important oil resources location – Lake Maracaibo, Orinoco Belt, Dammam oilfield, Ahvaz oilfield,
Basra oil fields, Burgan field, Houston, Zakum oilfield.
B) Fill in the Blanks:
1. Mention 3 main trenches of Atlantic Ocean.............................................
2. Mention 4 transform faults of Atlantic Ocean..........................................
3. Ligurian sea is a marginal sea of....................................(which ocean)
4. Mention 5 Marginal seas of Mediterranean Sea.......................................
5. Mention any 3 volcanic Islands of Indian ocean.......................................
6. Vityaz trench is part of …................................ Ocean.
7. Mention few islands of Polynesia...............................
8. Mention few islands of Melanesia.............................
9. Gulf of Tonkin receives freshwater from ….....................rivers.
10. Gulf of Martaban receives freshwater from ….....................rivers.
11. Black Sea is cooler than Mediterranean Sea because...............................
12. Proportion of salts in Ocean
Nacl................
MgCl2.............
MgSO4............
CaSO4.............
9 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
13. Mention the salinity of
Atlantic Ocean................
Mediterranean Sea..............
Red Sae.....................
Baltic Sea..................
Okhotsk Sea.............
Lake Van..................
14. Red Mud can be seen in …...........
15. Blue Mud is seen in parts of........
16. Mention 4 types of Calcareous Oozes.....................
17. Beyond 4000m(CCD), Calcareous Oozes are not found because..................
18. Name some examples of Authigenic deposits........................
19. Processes by which Ocean deposits are deposited on Ocean floor are................
20. Forces that modify Ocean currents are................................
21. Mention the Counter Equatorial current of
Pacific Ocean..................
Indian Ocean..................
22. Name 4 examples of Standstill theories of Coral reef formation.......................
23. Progressive Wave theory was given by.................................
24. Oceans approximately have......................amount of salts.
25. Name some of the ocean expeditions that contributed to development of Oceanography (at
least 4)…........................................
Mains oriented
A) Write in 30-40 words or 3-4 lines on keywords mentioned:
Note: use more keywords, data and facts if possible.
1. Bathymetric studies.
2. Abyssal Plains.
3. Submarine Canyons.
4. Trenches.
5. Telegraph plateau and Wyville Thompson Ridge.
6. Grand Banks.
7. Clipperton Fracture zone.
8. Island systems of Pacific Ocean (Based on nature of origin).
9. Vertical pattern of ocean temperature.
10. Sources of salts in oceans.
11. Dittmar’s principle.
12. Factors controlling salinity.
13. Brine rejection.
Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 10
14. Significance of ocean deposits.
15. Terrigenous deposits (discuss Muds also).
16. Silicaceous deposits.
17. Poly Metallic Nodules.
18. Red Clay.
19. Ocean current generating factors.
20. Western intensification.
21. Thermohaline currents.
22. Water masses & preferred location of their formation.
23. ENSO.
24. Conditions for growth and formation of Coral Reefs
25. Types of coral reefs, their locations and features associated.
26. Evidences in support of Subsidence theory of coral reefs.
27. Coral bleaching and incidences of coral bleaching.
28. Clive Wilkinson report.
29. Biorock Technology.
30. Reasons for Eustatic Change.
31. Different types of waves.
32. Translatory waves.
33. Ocean mineral resources.
34. Incidence of oil spills.
35. Exclusive Economic Zones.
36. Navigation rights in Archipelagic waters.
37. Legislation on marine pollution control.
B) Draw diagrams for below mentioned topics and label them in detail:
1. Ideal Ocean floor diagram with its features.
2. OBR of Indian ocean. (SSO- p.n-85)
3. OBR of Arctic Ocean. (SSO- p.n-87)
4. Vertical pattern of Temperature and salinity.
5. T-S diagram.
6. Division of waters on the basis of sunlight penetration.
7. Division of Pelagic waters on the basis of depth
8. Genetic classification of Ocean deposits.
9. Distribution of Ocean deposits w.r.t depth of ocean.
10. Ekman’s Spiral and Ekman’s transport.
11. Ocean currents of Indian ocean.
12. Atlantic meridional ocean circulation (AMOC).
13. Walker cell & El-Nina.
14. Coastal waters demarcation (according to UNCLOS).
11 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
C) Answer the following questions:
1. Mention features and economic significance of Continental Shelves.
2. Compare Continental Shelves and slopes
Factors Continental Shelves Continental Slopes
Part of
Steepness
Slope angle
deposits
Features present
3. Mention important features of Mid Oceanic Ridges.
4. Mention surface pattern of temperature of Ocean waters (with examples for each point.)
5. Mention surface salinity pattern of Ocean waters (with examples for each point.)
6. Short note on Biogenous deposits.
7. Compare and Contrast Walker cell, El-Nina and La-Nina.
What happens w.r.t Normal year El-Nina La-Nina
Trade winds
Counter equatorial
current strength
Warm west pacific pool
Pressure & Temperature
in west pacific
Pressure & Temperature
in east pacific
Conditions in West
Pacific
Conditions in East Pacific
Conditions over India
8. Mention important points of Darwin’s Subsidence theory.
9. Mention merits and limitations of Daly’s Glacial control (standstill) theory.
10. Short note on Marine Heat Budget.
11. Mention important points of Progressive wave theory.
12. Discuss different types of Ocean renewable energy resources.
13. Short note on Navigation rights in Strategic waters.
14. write down major findings and achievements of Challenger Expedition of 1872.
Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 12
Prelims PYQs: (2012-2022)
1. Which one of the lakes of West Africa has become dry and turned into a desert? (2022)
(a) Lake Victoria
(b) Lake Faguibine
(c) Lake Oguta
(d) Lake Volta
2. With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements: (2021)
1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.
2. The amount of water I n polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of
groundwater.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor
3. Consider the following pairs:(2020)
Rivers Flows into
1. Mekong Andaman Sea
2. Thames Irish Sea
3. Volga Caspian Sea
4. Zambezi Indian Ocean
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2 and 4 only
4. With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are
correct? (2019)
1. OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the
southwestern Indian Ocean during January — March.
2. OMT collected during January — March can be used in assessing whether the amount
of rainfall in the monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
5. Consider the following pairs:(2019)
Sea Bordering country
1. Adriatic Sea Albania
2. Black Sea Croatia
13 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
3. Caspian Sea Kazakhstan
4. Mediterranean Sea Morocco
5. Red Sea Syria
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
6. Which of the following has/have shrunk immensely/ dried up in the recent past due to human
activities? (2018)
1. Aral Sea
2. Black Sea
3. Lake Baikal
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 2 only
(d) 1 and 3
7 .Consider the following statements (2018)
1. Most of the world’s coral reefs are in tropical waters.
2. More than one-third of the world’s coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia,
Indonesia and the Philippines.
3. Coral reefs host far more animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
8. Consider the following statements: (2018)
1. The Barren Island volcano is an active volcano located in the Indian territory.
2. Barren Island lies about 140 km east of Great Nicobar.
3. The last time the Barren Island volcano erupted was in 1991 and it has remained
inactive since then.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only
(d) 1 and 3
9. Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries? (2017)
1. Jordan
2. Iraq
3. Lebanon
Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 14
4. Syria
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
10. Which of the following is geographically closest to Great Nicobar? (2017)
(a) Sumatra
(b) Borneo
(c) Java
(d) Sri Lanka
11. In which of the following regions of India are shale gas resources found? (2016)
1. Cambay Basin
2. Cauvery Basin
3. Krishna-Godavari Basin
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
12. What explains the eastward flow of the equatorial countercurrent? (2015)
(a) The Earth’s rotation on its axis
(b) Convergence of the two equatorial currents
(c) Difference in salinity of water
(d) Occurrence of the belt of calm near the equator
13. Tides occur in the oceans and seas due to which among the following? (2015)
1. Gravitational force of the Sun
2. Gravitational force of the Moon
3. Centrifugal force of the Earth
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
14. Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia does not open out to the Mediterranean
Sea? (2015)
(a) Syria
(b) Jordan
(c) Lebanon
(d) Israel
15. Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree
Channel’? (2014)
15 Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography
(a) Andaman and Nicobar
(b) Nicobar and Sumatra
(c) Maldives and Lakshadweep
(d) Sumatra and Java
16. Turkey is located between (2014)
(a) Black Sea and Caspian Sea
(b) Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea
(c) Gulf of Suez and Mediterranean Sea
(d) Gulf of Aqaba and Dead Sea
17. On the planet earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining
freshwater, the largest proportion (2013)
(a) is found in the atmosphere as moisture and clouds
(b) is found in freshwater lakes and rivers
(c) exists as groundwater
(d) exists as soil moisture
18. The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where: (2013)
(a) warm and cold atmospheric currents meet
(b) rivers drain out large amounts of freshwater into the sea
(c) warm and cold oceanic currents meet
(d) continental shelf is undulating
19. Consider the following factors: (2012)
1. Rotation of the Earth
2. Air pressure and wind
3. Density of ocean water
4. Revolution of the earth
Which of the above factors influence the ocean currents?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
20. Between India and east Asia, the navigation time and distance can be greatly reduced by which
of the following? (2012)
1. Deepening the Malacca straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
2. Opening a new canal across the kra isthmus between the gulf of Siam and Andaman
Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
21. La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from EI
Nino? (2012)
Geography Optional Workbook: Oceanography 16
1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian
ocean whereas EI Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the
equatorial Pacific Ocean.
2. EI Nino has adverse effect on southwest monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on
monsoon climate.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
22. The acidification of oceans is increasing. Why is this phenomenon a cause of concern?(2012)
1. The growth and survival of calcareous phytoplankton will be adversely affected.
2. The growth and survival of coral reefs will be adversely affected.
3. The survival of some animals that have phytoplanktonic larvae will be adversely
affected.
4. The cloud seeding and formation of clouds will be adversely affected.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4