This item consists of two statements, Statement I and Statement II. Statement I : The Kuroshio is a warm north-flowing ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean. Statement I : Presence of a number of volcanoes at the bottom of the Sea of Japan is responsible for the Kuroshio becoming warm. Examine these two statements carefully and select the answer to the item using the code given below. Code :

Statement I is correct as the Kuroshio (or Japan Current) is a major warm, north-flowing western boundary current in the North Pacific Ocean [1]. It originates from the North Equatorial Current and transports warm, high-salinity tropical waters poleward along the coasts of the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan. Statement II is incorrect because the warmth of the Kuroshio is not caused by volcanic activity at the bottom of the Sea of Japan. Instead, its temperature is derived from its tropical origin in the North Equatorial Current, driven by planetary wind systems and the subtropical gyre circulation [2]. While the Sea of Japan contains volcanic features, they do not determine the thermal characteristics of the Kuroshio, which primarily flows along the eastern coast of Japan before branching. The Tsushima Current, an offshoot of the Kuroshio, enters the Sea of Japan, but its warmth remains atmospheric and solar-driven.

Sources

1. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > North-Pacific Current – Warm > p. 490
2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Equatorial Currents – Warm > p. 488