Geography · Environmental Studies

Oceanography and Hydrology

1,673 Questions

Find relevant questions on oceanography and hydrology that address aquatic ecosystems and physical geography. The topics include coastal landforms, coral reefs, ocean salinity, and tidal patterns. These concepts frequently appear in civil services and state level administrative examinations.

Coral reef structuresCoastal landformsOcean salinity patternsGlacial retreat impactsMangrove ecosystems

Oceanography and Hydrology Questions

Multiple choice

The amount of saline water on Earth is

  1. 71% of the water on the Earth

  2. 97% of the water on the Earth

  3. 2% of the water on the Earth

  4. 1% of the water on the Earth

  5. There is no saline water
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct. About 97% of the water on the Earth is saline, i.e. has salt and minerals, which is unfit for drinking.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is correct regarding a water table?

  1. The upper layer of oceans or lakes is the water table.

  2. The upper layer of the ground water is the water table.

  3. The land formed at the mouth of a river is called a water table.

  4. A shallow body of water surrounded by sand dunes is called a water table.

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, it is correct, as the layer above the ground water is called a water table. It can be 1 metre to several metres deep.

Multiple choice

Directions: Select the most appropriate filler(s) for the blank(s) such that the sentence makes coherent sense.

What is it about one place that will bring 40 or 50 feet of water rising about its shores, while at another place, lying under the same moon and sun, the tide will rise a ________inch/ inches?

  1. sporadic

  2. multifold

  3. few

  4. meager

  5. sparse
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The operative word in this sentence is ‘while’, which highlights two contrasting situations. The word that replaces the blank should be opposite to 40 or 50 feet (high). “Few” and “meager” both fits our prediction. But “meager” is usually used to denote poor quality or small amount, inadequate, it will not be coherent if we use it with inches. Hence, (3) is the answer.

Multiple choice

Algal bloom in the coastal areas due to increased nutrient loading from human activities is known as

  1. black tide

  2. blue tide

  3. pink bloom

  4. red tide
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Algal bloom in the coastal areas due to increased nutrient loading from human activities is known as red tide. It is caused by a few species of dinoflagellates and is potentially harmful to human health. Red tide toxin can contaminate marine life and humans can become seriously ill by consuming them.

Multiple choice

Consider the following factors:

  1. Rotation of the Earth
  2. Air pressure and wind
  3. Ocean water density
  4. Revolution of the Earth Which of these factors modify ocean currents?

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 1, 2 and 3

  3. 1 and 4

  4. 2, 3 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ocean currents are primarily driven and modified by the Earth's rotation (Coriolis effect), atmospheric pressure and wind patterns, and differences in water density (temperature and salinity). The Earth's revolution affects seasonal cycles but does not directly modify the mechanics of current flow.

Multiple choice

A mountainous coast having presence of large number of narrow, steep-sided, elongated and inundated coastal valley is called

  1. Ria coast

  2. Fiord coast

  3. Haff coast

  4. Dalmation coast
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A fjord is a deep, narrow, and elongated sea inlet with steep sides, created by a glacier carving a U-shaped valley that was subsequently flooded by the sea. Ria coasts differ because they are formed by the submergence of river-cut valleys rather than glaciated ones.

Multiple choice

The ocean life is generally

  1. more diverse than that of the continents

  2. more uniform than that of the continents

  3. showing major variation only

  4. not much of a significance
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice

Which one of the following combinations is responsible for higher salinity in ocean water?

  1. High evaporation, high temperature and high rainfall

  2. High evaporation, high temperature and low rainfall

  3. Low evaporation, low temperature and high rainfall

  4. Low evaporation, low temperature and low rainfall
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ocean salinity increases when water is removed via evaporation and not replenished by precipitation. High temperatures accelerate evaporation, and low rainfall ensures the salt concentration remains high.

Multiple choice

Which one of the following is NOT a factor modifying ocean currents?

  1. Direction and the shape of the coast-line

  2. Tidal waves in the ocean

  3. Seasonal variation in winds

  4. Bottom topography
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ocean currents are modified by the shape of the coastline, seasonal winds, and the topography of the ocean floor. Tidal waves are periodic oscillations caused by gravitational forces and are not considered a primary factor that modifies the steady flow of ocean currents.