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Q30 (IAS/1997) Geography › Indian Physical Geography › Indian monsoon system Answer Verified

Which one of the following factors is responsible for the change in the regular direction of the ocean currents in the Indian Ocean?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The seasonal reversal of winds associated with the South Asian monsoon is the primary cause of the regular change in direction of the Indian Ocean currents. In the North Indian Ocean the surface current system “completely reverses” between summer and winter in direct response to the changing monsoon winds; during the SW monsoon (June–October) currents are driven as a South‑West Monsoon Drift, while the opposite set-up occurs in winter [1]. More broadly, wind stress and frictional drag of surface waters govern both magnitude and direction of ocean currents; textbooks explicitly cite monsoon winds as responsible for the seasonal reversal of Indian Ocean currents [2].

Sources

  1. [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: The Oceans > The Indian Ocean Circulation > p. 111
  2. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Influence Of Wind (Atmospheric Circulation) > p. 487
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