Question Bank

(These are some examples how the Questions will be set)

A. Fill up the Blanks or say Yes or No

1. The zone of maximum temperature over the globe mostly lies close to the equator and is
known as the _______ equator.
2. The meridional temperature gradients over the globe are small within the _______ while
it is steepest in the _______ latitudes.
3. A strong equator to pole temperature gradient reaching the highest values over the
Northern Hemisphere continents is seen during _______.
4. The vertical temperature gradients are strongest in the equatorial upper troposphere. due
to _______ around the deep cumulonimbus clouds in the ITCZ and the _______and
radiational cooling at the top of these clouds.
5. The January isotherms are seen to bend abruptly equatorwards over the colder continents
and polewards over the warmer oceans, while in July exactly the opposite conditions
prevail. (Yes or No)
6. Temperature gradients are steeper over the continent in _______ than in _______
7. Isotherms are more closely spaced over the _______ than over the _______ in the
Northern Hemisphere in winter.
8. The three very important properties of ocean are _______, _______ and _______.
9. The density of the sea water increases with increasing _______, increasing _______ and
decreases with increasing _______
10. Density is more sensitive to _______ changes in the tropical latitudes but to _______
changes in higher latitudes. .
11. The lowest temperature in the northern hemisphere winter (January) is located over the
continents of northeast Asia (-45oC), and is known as the _______.
12. The migration of isotherms are much greater over the _______ than over the _______
13. Below the mixed layer if a decrease in temperature with depth is responsible for the
increase in density with depth, it is called _______ and if an increase in salinity is
responsible for the increase in density with depth, it is known as _______.
14. The action of the _______ on the sea surface, causes horizontal movement of water, and
also produce _______ motion of water.
15. Upwelling and downwelling are caused by _______ currents.
16. In the south Pacific Ocean the warm South Equatorial Current joins the warm _______
_______ Current going south meeting the cold Antarctica ________ ______ going east
around and the gyre is closed by the cold Peru or Hambolt Current.
17. The vertical temperature gradients are strongest in the equatorial upper troposphere. due
to _______ around the deep cumulonimbus clouds in the ITCZ and the _______ and
radiational cooling at the top of these clouds.

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 18. The sea surface isotherms are zonal in character with some distortion due to the influence
of _______
19. The highest values of sea surface temperature are found over the tropical regions between
equator and 20o latitudes over the _______and over the equatorial _______ Oceans.
20. The strongest north-south gradients of temperature are found over middle and high latitudes,
being most pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere (Yes or No)
21. The sea surface isotherms are zonal in character with some distortion due to the influence
of _______.
22. The highest values of sea surface temperature are found over the tropical regions between
equator and 20o latitudes over the western Atlantic and over the equatorial Indian Oceans
(yes or No).
23. A narrow tongue of cold SST appears over Bay of Bengal near the southern tip of India
during south west monsoon season named as ___ ____.
24. The most severe countrywide drought and famine in India occurred in the year _______
with percentage departure of rainfall of _______%. and the most excess monsoon rainfall
with flooding occurred in _______ with _______% of rainfall.
25. Temperature and salinity variations combined determine the density of sea water which
in turn greatly influences the vertical water movement with consequence changes in
chemical and biological events with the water column. (yes or no)
26. Density of seawater is same as that of fresh water. (Yes or No)

B. State whether the given statements are true or false,

(i) if true give reason why? (ii) if false give the correct answer with reason

1. The mean heights of the tropopause is more over the tropic compared to polar region.
2. The thermopause is located where the temperature increase in the thermosphere ceases and
cooling starts
3. The meridional temperature gradients over the earths surface are steepest within the tropics,
while it is small in the middle latitude.
4. Oceans are warmer in summer then in winter.
5. The gradient of temperature decrease between the stratopause and mesopause is stronger in
the winter pole compared to that in the summer pole. (F- summer- winter)
6. The mean heights of the tropopause is more over the tropic compared to polar region.
7. The mesopause temperature is lowest in the winter pole than in summer pole.
8. Noctilucent clouds are seen in the troposphere near the tropopause in winter.
9. What causes the noctilucent cloud?
10. The Oceans are warmer in summer then in winter
11. Isotherms are more closely spaced particularly over the continents in the Northern
Hemisphere in Summer
12. Height of tropopause is highest over the equator and lowest over the pole.

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 13. The meridional temperature gradients are small within the tropics while steepest
gradients are found in the middle latitude.
14. The surface isotherms are more closely spaced over the continents in summer than in winter
(F)
15. The isotherms are more zonally uniform in the Southern Hemisphere.
16. The lowest temperature in the northern hemisphere winter (January) is over the extreme
northern region in the North Pole.
17. The temperature in the stratosphere is highest over the region where the ozone
concentration is maximum.
18. Upwelling brings warm nutrient-rich water into the surface. (F)
19. The equatorial counter current flows eastwards
20. Starting from the Gulf stream the North Atlantic drift flows northwestwards towards the
Norwegian sea.
21. The North Atlantic Gyre is a clockwise rotating gyre in the North Atlantic Ocean
consisting of eastward flowing Equatorial Counter Current near the equator joining the
western boundary of the Gulf Stream, which turns towards east and becomes the North
Atlantic Drift thereafter it turns equatorwards along the eastern coast of Africa as
Canaries Current and completes the Gyre.
22. The cold Labrador Current and the Greenland Drifts join the cold North Atlantic Drift
bringing cold water to the North.
23. At the eastern basin of the Atlantic Ocean one branch of the North Atlantic Drift turn
clockwise and flows southward along the eastern boundary of the ocean as cold Canary
Current and the other branch flows polewards in the northwest direction and reaches the
Norwegian sea and cools it.
24. The upwelling and downwelling are caused by the Coriolis force only.
25. A largerr ocean gyre name Beaufort gyre is found in the Arctic Ocean.
26. The strongest north-south gradients of temperature are found over middle and high latitudes,
being most pronounced in the Southern Hemisphere (True or False)

C. Write short notes on the following:-

1. Ekman transport;
2. Global Conveyor Belt,
3. Upwelling and downwelling
4. Southern Oscillation
5. Oceanic Nino Index.
6. Low level jet
7. Ocean Gyre
8. ENSO

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(D) Answer the following Question in Short

1. Describe in brief the composition of sea water.

2. Give reason why large quantities of heat can be transferred and stored as water vapour with
relatively little change in sea surface temperature.
3. Explain why in the subtropics the water in the west sides of the ocean are warmer than
those in the east sides, where as in the higher latitudes the opposite tends to occur, it is
colder in the west side and warmer in the east. Name some of the major ocean currents in
the Atlantic Ocean which contributes to such warmer and colder currents on the west side
of the Ocean.
4. Explain the role of Low level jet on the onset of monsoon
5. Explain the role of Low level jet on the active-break cycle of monsoon
6. Explain the role of Cold pool in Bay of Bengal on monsoon.
7. Describe the mean vertical structure of temperature in a single meridional cross section,
averaged around the earth and extending from the North Pole to the South Pole.
8. State the role of the Intertropical Convergence Zone on the onset of monsoon over
Kerala.
9. State how the cooling in the Somali coast occurs and what role the cool Somali Current
plays on the onset of monsoon over Kerala?
10. Explain how the convective heat source in the Bay of Bengal and the low level jet
through peninsular India grows in a positive feedback process taking the monsoon to an
active spell.
11. Explain briefly how the interaction between the atmospheric and oceanic circulations
over the Arabian Sea affect the evaporation and the cross equatorial moisture flux which
in turn affect the monsoon rainfall over Indian region.
12. State how the onset of El Nino takes place over the Peru coast and the timings in months
of the life cycle of El Nino episode from its onset through attaining its maximum
intensity to dissipation.
13. What is Oceanic Nino Index State the conditions of classifying the a full-fledged El Nio
and La Nia episode.
14. Describe the distribution of the Salinity over the global oceans
15. Describe the distribution of the density over the global oceans