Ocean Currents – NDA Geography PYQs

Practice NDA Geography previous-year questions with detailed solutions and explanations.

Chapter-wise PYQs • Concept-based explanations • Exam insights

NDA 2017-I

Q. 1. Cold ocean currents flowing toward the Equator on the western side of continents are responsible for creating:

(a) Dense tropical forests

(b) Fertile agricultural lands

(d) Coastal deserts

Answer: (d) Coastal deserts

Explanation: Cold ocean currents flowing toward the equator along the western coasts of continents create COASTAL DESERTS by: 1. Cooling the air above the ocean: cold air holds less moisture, reducing evaporation and rainfall. 2. Stabilising the atmosphere (cold air sinks): prevents convection and rainfall. 3. Creating dry conditions ashore. Examples: Atacama Desert (South America): caused by the cold Humboldt/Peru Current. Namib Desert (Africa): caused by the cold Benguela Current. Sonoran Desert (California): partially influenced by the cold California Current. These are among the world’s driest deserts, found on western coasts in subtropical latitudes.
Concept Tested: Cold currents on western coasts → coastal deserts; Atacama (Humboldt/Peru Current), Namib (Benguela Current)

NDA 2016-II

Q. 2. Kuroshio is a:

(a) Cold current in the Indian Ocean

(b) Cold current in the Pacific Ocean

(d) Warm current in the Indian Ocean

Answer: (c) Warm current in the Pacific Ocean

Explanation: The Kuroshio Current (also called the Japan Current) is a warm ocean current flowing northward along the eastern coast of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean. It is the Pacific equivalent of the Atlantic’s Gulf Stream: one of the most powerful and well-studied ocean currents. The Kuroshio carries warm, tropical Pacific water northward, significantly moderating the climate of Japan’s Pacific coast. The name “Kuroshio” means “Black Current” in Japanese: named for its deep, dark blue water (clear, oligotrophic). Where the warm Kuroshio meets the cold Oyashio Current (from the north), rich fishing grounds develop off Hokkaido.
Concept Tested: Kuroshio: warm current in the Pacific Ocean (North Pacific); eastern coast of Japan; Pacific equivalent of Gulf Stream

NDA 2012-II

Q. 3. Which one among the following statements is correct regarding the general rule of ocean currents?

(a) Currents on the eastern side of oceans are warm in low latitudes

(b) Currents on the western side of oceans are warm in low latitudes

(d) Warm currents flow on the western side of oceans in high latitudes

Answer: (b) Currents on the western side of oceans are warm in low latitudes

Explanation: The general rule of ocean currents (related to the global gyre circulation): In low latitudes (tropics): Warm currents flow on the WESTERN side of oceans (along the eastern coasts of continents). Examples: Gulf Stream (west of Atlantic, along east USA coast), Kuroshio (west of Pacific, along east Japan coast), Brazilian Current (west of South Atlantic, along east Brazil coast). In low latitudes: Cold currents flow on the EASTERN side of oceans (along the western coasts of continents). Examples: Canary Current (east Atlantic), California Current (east Pacific), Benguela Current (east South Atlantic). Option (b) states warm currents on western ocean side in low latitudes: this is the correct general rule.
Concept Tested: Ocean current pattern: warm currents on WESTERN side of oceans in low latitudes; cold on eastern side

NDA 2011-II

Q. 4. Which one of the following is NOT a warm ocean current?

(a) Gulf Stream

(b) Kuroshio Current

(d) Brazilian Current

Answer: (c) Benguela Current

Explanation: The Benguela Current is a COLD ocean current that flows northward along the southwestern coast of Africa (Namibia and South Africa) in the South Atlantic. It is a cold, eastern boundary current: it upwells cold, nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean, making it one of the world’s most productive fishing regions. The cold Benguela Current is also responsible for the aridity of the Namib Desert on the coast of Namibia. Gulf Stream
(a): warm current in the North Atlantic . Kuroshio
(b): warm current along eastern coast of Japan (North Pacific) . Brazilian Current
(d): warm current flowing southward along the eastern coast of Brazil .
Concept Tested: Benguela Current: COLD current off SW Africa (Namibia); all others (Gulf Stream, Kuroshio, Brazilian) are warm

NDA 2010-I

Q. 5. The Labrador Current is a:

(a) Cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean

(b) Warm current in the Pacific Ocean

(d) Warm current in the Indian Ocean

Answer: (a) Cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean

Explanation: The Labrador Current is a cold ocean current that flows southward from the Arctic Ocean along the eastern coast of Canada (Labrador and Newfoundland) into the North Atlantic. It carries cold, low-salinity water from the Arctic, bringing icebergs into shipping lanes. The Labrador Current meets the warm Gulf Stream off Newfoundland at the Grand Banks: the meeting of these two currents creates the world-famous fishing grounds and notorious fog banks.
Concept Tested: Labrador Current: cold ocean current in North Atlantic; flows from Arctic south along eastern Canada

NDA 2009-II

Q. 6. The Gulf Stream is a:

(a) Cold ocean current

(b) Warm ocean current

(d) Wind-driven surface current only

Answer: (b) Warm ocean current

Explanation: The Gulf Stream is one of the world’s most powerful and well-known WARM ocean currents. It originates in the Gulf of Mexico, flows northward along the eastern coast of the United States, and then crosses the North Atlantic toward Western Europe. The Gulf Stream and its continuation (the North Atlantic Current) significantly warms the climate of Western Europe: keeping places like the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia much warmer than their high latitudes would otherwise suggest. It flows at speeds of up to 2.5 metres per second and transports enormous volumes of warm water (about 30 million cubic metres per second).
Concept Tested: Gulf Stream: warm ocean current; flows from Gulf of Mexico northward along USA east coast, then to Western Europe

NDA 2008-I

Q. 7. The Grand Banks off Newfoundland are one of the world’s richest fishing grounds because of:

(a) Shallow waters near the coast

(b) Meeting of warm and cold currents

(d) Presence of coral reefs

Answer: (b) Meeting of warm and cold currents

Explanation: The Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland (eastern Canada) are among the world’s most productive fishing grounds because the warm Gulf Stream (from the south) meets the cold Labrador Current (from the north) in this area. When warm and cold currents meet: 1. The collision produces upwelling: cold, nutrient-rich deep water rises to the surface. 2. The abundant nutrients (nitrates, phosphates) support vast blooms of phytoplankton. 3. Phytoplankton supports the entire marine food chain: zooplankton → fish → marine mammals. This mixing also creates dense fog (warm, moist air from the Gulf Stream cools on contact with the cold Labrador Current): a well-known navigational hazard of the Grand Banks.
Concept Tested: Grand Banks: world-class fishing due to collision of warm Gulf Stream and cold Labrador Current; upwelling brings nutrients

★ JOVIK Exam Insight Where warm and cold currents meet → rich fisheries AND dense fog (NDA has tested both effects): Grand Banks (Newfoundland): Gulf Stream (warm) + Labrador Current (cold) → world’s richest fishing + famous fog. Japan/Hokkaido coast: Kuroshio (warm) + Oyashio (cold) → extremely rich fisheries. Falkland Islands area: Brazil Current (warm) + Falkland Current (cold) → productive fishing. Fog forms when warm, moist Gulf Stream air cools over the cold Labrador Current surface.