Question

Which among the following statements is/are true about vertical distribution of ocean temperature?

• A. The rate of decrease of temperature with increasing depth from equator to poles is uniform.
• B. The maximum change in temperature occurs in the depths of 500-1000 m.
• C. Below the depths of 1000 m, change in temperature is negligible.
• D. The heat is transmitted to the lower sections of oceans through the mechanism of radiation.

Answer 1

Answer: (B), (C)

Below the depths of 1000 m, change in temperature is negligible.

Ocean temperature is the maximum in the surface and decreases with increasing depth. The heat from sun rays is transmitted to lower sections of the ocean through convection. In the thermocline (500 - 1000 m), which is the second layer of ocean, the temperature decreases rapidly. Beyond the thermocline, the rate of decrease in temperature remains negligible. Vertical temperature gradients increase towards the equator. The rate of decrease in temperature is more towards the equator and less towards the poles.