Question 58
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?
AOptions
BSolution
Statement 1 is correct: In the tropical zone, the prevailing trade winds blow from east to west. These winds push the warm surface waters westward across the ocean basins. This causes a 'piling up' of warm water on the western side of the oceans (e.g., Western Pacific, Western Atlantic), making them warmer. Conversely, on the eastern sides, this westward movement of surface water can lead to upwelling of colder, nutrient-rich water from below, making the eastern sections cooler (e.g., Eastern Pacific off Peru).
Statement 2 is correct: In the temperate zone, the prevailing winds are the westerlies, which blow from west to east. These winds push warm surface waters eastward. Consequently, warm ocean currents like the North Atlantic Drift (influenced by westerlies) bring relatively warmer waters to the eastern sections of ocean basins (e.g., Western Europe), making them warmer than the corresponding western sections at similar latitudes, where cold currents often flow southwards.
CStrategy
For questions on oceanography and atmospheric circulation, understand the relationship between prevailing winds (trade winds, westerlies) and ocean currents. Visualize how wind direction influences the movement of surface water and the resulting temperature distribution across ocean basins. Connect this to phenomena like upwelling and the formation of warm/cold currents.
DSyllabus Analysis
This question falls under Physical Geography, specifically Oceanography (Ocean Currents, Temperature Distribution) and Climatology (Prevailing Winds).
EQuestion Analysis
Medium. Requires a fundamental understanding of global wind patterns and their influence on ocean currents and surface temperatures.