79 practice questions on Oceanography from the Geography section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus.
79 come with a written explanation and 11 are actual previous year questions.
Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.
7 Easy36 Medium36 Hard11 from past papers
Sample questions
Q1
Previous year questioneasy
With reference to the water on the planet Earth, consider the following statements :
1. The amount of water in the rivers and lakes is more than the amount of groundwater.
2. The amount of water in polar ice caps and glaciers is more than the amount of groundwater.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A1 only
B2 only
CBoth 1 and 2
DNeither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B - 2 only
Of the freshwater on Earth, polar ice caps and glaciers form the largest store, far exceeding groundwater, so statement 2 is correct. Surface water in rivers and lakes is only a tiny fraction of fresh water and is much less than the groundwater held in aquifers, so statement 1 is wrong. The correct order of magnitude is therefore ice caps/glaciers greater than groundwater, which is much greater than rivers and lakes, making only statement 2 valid.
Q2
Previous year questionmedium
Consider the following factors:
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?
A1 and 2 only
B1, 2 and 3
C1 and 4
D2, 3 and 4
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B - 1, 2 and 3
Ocean currents are driven by several factors. The Earth's rotation generates the Coriolis force that deflects currents, so factor 1 matters. Prevailing winds and air pressure differences drag surface water and set the major drift patterns, so factor 2 matters. Differences in water density caused by temperature and salinity drive the deep thermohaline circulation, so factor 3 matters. The Earth's revolution around the Sun is an annual orbital motion that does not generate ocean currents, so factor 4 is irrelevant. Hence factors 1, 2 and 3 are the influencing ones.
Q3
Previous year questionmedium
Tides occur in the oceans and seas due to which among the following?
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.
A1 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D - 1, 2 and 3
Tides result from the combined effect of all three factors. The gravitational pull of the Moon is the dominant cause, the Sun's gravitational pull adds to it (producing spring and neap tides), and the centrifugal force generated by the Earth-Moon system's rotation about their common centre of mass produces the bulge on the side away from the Moon. Since each of statements 1, 2 and 3 is correct, options listing only some of them (1 only; 2 and 3 only; 1 and 3 only) are incomplete and wrong.
Q4
Previous year questionhard
Consider the following statements :
1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds.
2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A1 only
B2 only
CBoth 1 and 2
DNeither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C - Both 1 and 2
In the tropics the easterly trade winds push warm surface water westward, piling up warm water on the western side of oceans, so the western sections are warmer, confirming statement 1. In the temperate latitudes the prevailing westerlies drive warm currents toward the eastern sides of the ocean basins, keeping the eastern margins relatively warmer, confirming statement 2. Since both processes operate as described, both statements are correct.
Q5
Previous year questionhard
With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the south-western Indian Ocean during January - March.
2. OMT collected during January - March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A1 only
B2 only
CBoth 1 and 2
DNeither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B - 2 only
Statement 2 is correct because Ocean Mean Temperature measured during January to March has been found to predict the monsoon rainfall more reliably than sea-surface temperature, helping forecast whether rainfall will be below or above the long-term mean. Statement 1 is wrong on the figure; OMT is measured up to the depth of the 26 degree C isotherm, but in the south-western Indian Ocean during January to March this depth is around 59 metres, not 129 metres. Hence only statement 2 is correct.
Q6
Previous year questionmedium
The most important fishing grounds of the world are found in the regions where
Awarm and cold atmospheric currents meet
Brivers drain out large amounts of freshwater into the sea
Cwarm and cold oceanic currents meet
Dcontinental shelf is undulating
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C - warm and cold oceanic currents meet
The world's richest fishing grounds, such as the Grand Banks and the North Sea, occur where warm and cold ocean currents converge, because mixing brings up nutrients that support abundant plankton and hence large fish populations, so option (c) is correct. Option (a) wrongly speaks of atmospheric currents, whereas it is the oceanic currents that matter for marine productivity. Option (b) is incorrect because heavy freshwater inflow alone does not create the great fishing banks; nutrient upwelling does. Option (d) is wrong because the productive grounds are associated with broad, shallow, gently shelving continental shelves rather than undulating ones.
Q7
Previous year questionhard
Which of the following is/are correct inference/inferences from isothermal maps in the month of January?
1. The isotherms deviate to the north over the ocean and to the south over the continent.
2. The presence of cold ocean currents, Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift make the North Atlantic Ocean colder and the isotherms bend towards the north.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A1 only
B2 only
CBoth 1 and 2
DNeither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - 1 only
In January the northern hemisphere oceans are warmer than the rapidly cooling continents, so isotherms bend north over oceans and south over land, making statement 1 correct. Statement 2 is wrong because the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift are warm currents, not cold ones, and they keep the North Atlantic warmer rather than colder. Their warming effect causes isotherms to bend toward the pole over the warm water, but the statement misdescribes them as cold. Hence only statement 1 is right, giving option (a).
Q8
Previous year questionhard
At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at
ABhavnagar
BBheemunipatnam
CChandipur
DNagapattinam
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C - Chandipur
Chandipur beach in Odisha is famous for the rare phenomenon where the sea recedes several kilometres during low tide twice a day, exposing the sea floor to walk on, and returns at high tide. Bhavnagar, Bheemunipatnam and Nagapattinam do not show this dramatic ebb-tide feature. Hence Chandipur is correct.
Practice all 79 Oceanography questions free
Timed practice, instant scoring, and explanations for every question. Free forever - no card, no catch.