OCEAN BASICS AND OCEAN RESOURCES

Contents

1. Ocean Basics 214

1.1. Relief of the Ocean Floor 214

1.1.1. Continental Shelf 214

1.1.2. Continental Slope 214

1.1.3. Continental Rise 214

1.1.4. Deep Sea Plain 215

1.1.5. Oceanic deeps or Trenches 215

1.2. Minor Relief Features of the Ocean Floor 215

1.3. The Oceanic Deposits of the Ocean Floor 216

1.4. Temperature 216

1.4.1. Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution 216

1.4.2. Vertical Distribution of Temperature 217

1.4.3. Horizontal Distribution of Temperature 218

1.5. Salinity 219

1.5.1. Factors Affecting Ocean Salinity 219

1.5.2. Vertical Distribution of Salinity 219

1.5.3. Horizontal Distribution of Salinity 219

2. Movements of Ocean Water 220

2.1. Waves 220

2.1.1. Characteristics of Waves 220

2.1.2. Wave Motion 221

2.2. Tides 221

2.2.1. Causes of Tides 221

2.2.2. Types of Tides 222

2.2.3. Tides Based on Rrequency 222

2.2.4. Tides Based on Height 222

2.2.5. Characteristics of Tides 223

2.2.6. Importance of Tides 223

2.3. Ocean Currents 224

2.3.1. Causes of Ocean Currents 224

2.3.2. Types of Ocean Currents 224

2.3.3. Currents Based on Depth 224

2.3.4. Currents Based on Temperature 224

2.3.5. Characteristics of Ocean Currents 225

2.3.6. Currents of the Atlantic Ocean 225

2.3.7. Currents of the Pacific Ocean 227

2.3.8. Currents of the Indian Ocean 229

2.3.9. Effects of Ocean Currents 230

3. Ocean Resources 230

3.1. Fishing 230

3.1.1. Major Fishing Grounds 230

3.2. Climate Buffer 231

3.3. Phytoplankton 231

3.4. Mining 231

3.4.1. Deep Sea Mining 231

3.4.2. Major Deep Sea Minerals 232

3.4.3. Constraints in Deep Sea mining 233

4. UPSC Questions Related to Above Topics 234