Question map
Which one of the following is not correct?
Explanation
The California Current is a cold ocean current, not a warm one. It is a wide, cold, and sluggish current that moves southward along the western coast of North America. In contrast, the Gulf Stream is a powerful warm western boundary current in the North Atlantic that flows along the east coast of the USA [4]. The North Atlantic Drift is an eastward extension of the Gulf Stream and is also characterized as a warm current that keeps northwestern European ports ice-free [4]. The Labrador Current is a cold current originating from the polar regions (Baffin Bay) that flows south-eastwards to meet the warm Gulf Stream off Newfoundland [3]. Therefore, while options 1, 2, and 3 correctly describe the thermal nature of their respective currents, option 4 is incorrect as the California Current is an eastern boundary current that transports cooler water toward the equator.
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift – Warm > p. 492
- [4] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 14: Climate > FACTORS INFLUENCTNG TEMPERATURE > p. 134
- [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: The Oceans > The Circulation of the Atlantic Ocean > p. 110
- [3] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 12: Water (Oceans) > Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution > p. 103