Chapter 13: Movements of Ocean Water
Geography - Fundamental of Physical Geography • Class 11
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Chapter Analysis
Intermediate6 pages • EnglishQuick Summary
The chapter 'Movements of Ocean Water' in the 'Fundamentals of Physical Geography' textbook for Class 11 explores how various forces influence the movement of oceanic waters, highlighting ocean currents, waves, and tides. It explains the role of primary forces like solar energy, winds, gravity, and the Coriolis force in initiating water movements. Secondary forces such as temperature and salinity also affect the currents, along with their classification based on depth and temperature. The chapter further examines the effects of ocean currents on climate and human activities, emphasizing the importance of understanding these mechanisms.
Key Topics
- •Ocean currents
- •Waves and their characteristics
- •Tides and their causes
- •Coriolis effect
- •Heat transport by ocean currents
- •Impact of ocean currents on climate
- •Classification of ocean currents
- •Human activities influenced by tides
Learning Objectives
- ✓Understand the primary and secondary forces affecting ocean movements.
- ✓Explain the Coriolis effect and its impact on water currents.
- ✓Describe the formation and significance of ocean gyres.
- ✓Analyze the effects of ocean currents on weather and climate.
- ✓Differentiate between types of tides and their significance.
- ✓Examine the role of tides and currents in human activities like navigation.
Questions in Chapter
Upward and downward movement of ocean water is known as the:
Answer: tide
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Spring tides are caused:
Answer: As a result of the moon and the sun pulling the earth gravitationally in the same direction.
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The distance between the earth and the moon is minimum when the moon is in:
Answer: Perigee
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The earth reaches its perihelion in:
Answer: January
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What are waves?
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Where do waves in the ocean get their energy from?
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What are tides?
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How are tides caused?
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How are tides related to navigation?
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How do currents affect the temperature? How does it affect the temperature of coastal areas in the N. W. Europe?
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What are the causes of currents?
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Additional Practice Questions
What is the Coriolis effect and how does it influence ocean currents?
mediumAnswer: The Coriolis effect is the deflection of moving objects when they are viewed in a rotating reference frame. It influences ocean currents by causing them to deflect to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere, impacting their flow directions.
Explain how ocean currents can affect climate patterns.
hardAnswer: Ocean currents impact climate patterns by redistributing heat from the equator towards the poles, moderating temperatures in coastal regions. Warm currents can lead to warmer climates, while cold currents can bring cooler conditions to nearby land areas.
What are gyres and how do they form?
mediumAnswer: Gyres are large systems of circulating ocean currents. They form due to the combined effects of prevailing winds, the rotation of the Earth (Coriolis effect), and the configuration of continental shelves and basins, creating circular flow patterns in the ocean basins.
Discuss the significance of tides for human activities.
easyAnswer: Tides are significant for human activities such as navigation, fishing, and the operation of tidal power plants. They influence water levels in ports and estuaries, affect the movement of sediments, and their predictability aids in planning maritime activities.
Differentiate between spring tides and neap tides.
easyAnswer: Spring tides occur when the Earth, the moon, and the sun are aligned, causing higher tidal ranges due to the combined gravitational pull. Neap tides occur when the moon and the sun are at right angles, resulting in lower tidal ranges due to the opposing forces.