CAPF AC 2022 Q60: Geography – Oceanography
- (a) The Gulf Stream is a warm ocean current.
- (b) The North Atlantic Drift is a warm ocean current.
- (c) The Labrador Current is a cold ocean current.
- (d) The California Current is a warm ocean current.
Answer: (d) The California Current is a warm ocean current.
Explanation
Warm and cold ocean currents
How to think: use the direction rule.
A current flowing from the equator towards the poles is warm.
A current flowing from the poles towards the equator is cold.
In the northern oceans, warm currents wash the east coasts of continents in low latitudes and cold currents wash the west coasts.
| Current | Ocean | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Stream | North Atlantic, off the eastern USA | Warm |
| North Atlantic Drift | Towards western Europe | Warm |
| Labrador Current | Off eastern Canada | Cold |
| California Current | West coast of North America | Cold |
So the statement about the California Current is wrong.
Linked fact: cold currents on west coasts help create deserts, such as the Atacama (Humboldt Current) and the Namib (Benguela Current).
Answer: (d).
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. This is true: the Gulf Stream is a warm current.
- (b) Incorrect. This is true: the North Atlantic Drift is warm and keeps west European ports ice-free.
- (c) Incorrect. This is true: the Labrador Current is cold.
- (d) CORRECT. This is wrong: the California Current is a cold current.
Key point
Cold currents: California, Humboldt (Peru), Canaries, Benguela, Labrador, Oyashio, West Australian. Warm currents: Gulf Stream, North Atlantic Drift, Kuroshio, Brazil, Agulhas, East Australian. Newfoundland fishing grounds: Gulf Stream meets Labrador.
Remember
California Current is cold (west coast).
Common mistakes
- Thinking California must have a warm current because the state is sunny.
- Mixing up the Labrador (cold) with the Gulf Stream (warm).
- Forgetting that west-coast currents in the subtropics are cold.
Exam tip
Educated guess: California lies on the west coast of a continent in the subtropics, like Peru and Namibia. All such coasts have cold currents.
Sources
- NCERT Class XI Geography — Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Chapter 14: Movements of Ocean Water (ocean currents)
- G. C. Leong, Certificate Physical and Human Geography — The Oceans