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At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea water recedes from the shore line a few kilometres and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at
Explanation
The correct answer is Chandipur Beach in Odisha, which exhibits the unique phenomenon where the sea disappears and reappears, revealing a [1]mysterious coastal wonder. This mysterious phenomenon occurs almost twice a day, making Chandipur one of the most fascinating tidal beaches in the world, where the waters recede during low tide and return during high tide.[2] During low tide, the sea seemingly disappears for up to 5 km, revealing a vast expanse of sand[3] that allows people to walk on the exposed sea floor. This phenomenon is caused by extreme tidal variations, where the gentle slope of the seabed allows the water to recede over a long distance. The other options—Bhavnagar, Bheemunipatnam, and Nagapattinam—do not exhibit this distinctive characteristic of such dramatic tidal recession that exposes several kilometers of sea floor for walking.
Sources- [1] https://odishatourism.gov.in/content/tourism/en/blog-details/the-tale-of-chandipur-beach-beyond-the-vanishing-sea.html
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'General Awareness' question that defies standard textbooks like NCERT or GC Leong. It rewards curiosity about India's unique geographical features ('Incredible India' trivia) rather than rote physical geography. If you rely solely on static books, this is a skip; if you follow travel/culture features in newspapers, it's a sitter.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Names Chandipur Beach and describes the sea 'disappearing and reappearing', matching the described tidal phenomenon.
- From an official/authoritative tourism source for Odisha, directly ties the location to the phenomenon in the statement.
- Explicitly states the phenomenon occurs 'almost twice a day', matching the 'twice a day' frequency in the statement.
- States 'The waters in the sea recede during the time of low tide and return back during the time of high tide', matching the receding/exposing behavior.
- Specifically notes that at Chandipur the sea can 'seemingly disappear for up to 5 km during low tide', matching 'several kilometres'.
- Mentions this reveals a 'vast expanse of sand', which supports the claim that the sea floor is exposed for walking.
Gives the basic definition and pattern of tides — periodic rise and fall of sea level once or twice a day — which is the fundamental mechanism behind any large sea recession at low tide.
A student can combine this with local coastal topography (wide, shallow bays/estuaries) to see where twice-daily low tides could expose large areas.
Lists specific Indian locations (Gulf of Khambat, Gulf of Kutch, estuary of Hugli) identified as suitable for tidal/sea-wave phenomena and energy exploitation, implying large tidal ranges there.
Using a map to locate these gulfs/estuaries and noting their wide, shallow configuration would support suspecting large horizontal tidal recession there.
Names major 'tidal ports' including Kandla (Gulf of Kutch) and Diamond Harbour (Hugli estuary), implying strong tidal influence at these locations.
A student could check these ports' locations on a map and infer that strong tidal action in such estuaries/gulfs can expose seabed at low tide.
States that large tidal waves are known to occur along the west coast of India, indicating the west coast (including Gujarat gulfs) has pronounced tidal behaviour.
Combine this with the geographical fact that the Gulf of Khambat and Gulf of Kutch lie on the west coast to focus attention there for large tidal recession.
Describes wavecut platforms whose upper part is exposed at low tide, providing an example of coastal areas where the seabed becomes exposed during low tide.
A student can infer that where broad, gently sloping platforms or mudflats exist (e.g., in wide estuaries/gulfs), low tide can expose extensive seabed accessible on foot.
- [THE VERDICT]: **Trivia Bouncer**. Source: 'Incredible India' tourism campaigns or newspaper travelogues (e.g., The Hindu/Outlook Traveller). Not in standard geography texts.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: **Physical Geography of India > Coastal Landforms**. Moving beyond the *definition* of tides to the *location* of extreme tidal phenomena.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: **Unique Indian Geo-Features**: 1. **Majuli (Assam)**: World's largest river island (shrinking). 2. **Loktak Lake (Manipur)**: Phumdis (floating islands). 3. **Lonar Lake (Maharashtra)**: Basaltic meteor impact crater (turned pink recently). 4. **Alleppey (Kerala)**: Chakara (Mud Banks) phenomenon. 5. **Dhanushkodi**: The ghost town with a shallow land bridge (Ram Setu).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Don't just study the *mechanism* (Sun/Moon gravity); study the *manifestation*. When reading about Tides, ask: 'Where is the tidal range highest in India?' (Gulf of Khambhat) and 'Where is the shelf flattest?' (Chandipur). Map physical concepts to specific Indian locations.
The statement describes a twice-daily rise and fall of sea level; the references define tides and their primary causes (moon, sun, centrifugal force).
High-yield for UPSC geography: understanding why tides occur and their diurnal/semidiurnal nature helps answer coastal process questions and interpret location-specific tidal behaviour. Connects to oceanography, coastal hazards and port operations; can be practiced with diagrammatic/definition-type questions.
- Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > 32.2. Tides > p. 500
Some references list Indian locations (Gulf of Khambat, Gulf of Kutch, Hugli estuary) as areas with strong tidal action or suitable for tidal energy — relevant when locating extreme tidal phenomena.
High-yield for location-based questions: knowing where tidal extremes occur helps in mapping, case studies on coastal engineering, ports and disaster management. Useful in questions asking to identify regions of high tidal energy potential or unusual coastal behaviour.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 8: Energy Resources > Ocean Energy > p. 29
The texts discuss large tidal waves and potential for tidal/wave energy along specific Indian coasts, linking strong tides to practical impacts and infrastructure choices.
Useful for UPSC questions on renewable energy, coastal resource management and regional development. Shows interlink between physical geography (tides) and economic/engineering choices (sites for tidal power, ports).
- INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Mineral and Energy Resources > Tidal and Wave Energy > p. 63
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 8: Energy Resources > Ocean Energy > p. 29
The 'Chakara' (Mud Bank) Phenomenon of Kerala. Just as Chandipur is unique for receding water, the Chakara is a unique formation of calm water patches during the rough monsoon season due to suspended mud, critical for local fishing. It is a high-probability sibling question.
Apply 'Continental Shelf' logic. For water to recede 'kilometres', the seabed must be extremely flat (low gradient). The Eastern Coast of India generally has a wider shelf than the West, but Nagapattinam (TN) and Bheemunipatnam (AP) have steeper gradients suitable for ports/fishing but not 5km recession. Bhavnagar (Gujarat) has high tidal *range* (height) but is a muddy creek/gulf environment. Chandipur is geographically famous for its flat shelf.
Link Geography to **Defense/Security**. Chandipur is the site of the **Integrated Test Range (ITR)** for DRDO missiles (Agni, Prithvi). Why? *Because* of this specific geographical feature. The sea receding 5km allows easy recovery of missile debris and tracking instruments from the dry seabed during low tide. Geography dictates Strategy.