Context:
INCOIS Scientists’ Study showed that realistic representation of bathymetry led to improved surface current simulations
Key findings:
- At 1,000 metres and 2,000 metres depth, East India Coastal Current (EICC) flows opposite to that of the surface.
- EICC – Seasonal ocean current in the Bay of Bengal.
- During the summer monsoon, EICC flows poleward, and during winter it flows equatorward.
- Presence of the Maldives Islands is responsible for the westward extent of Equatorial Under Current (EUC)
- EUC – Subsurface ocean current that flows eastward along the equatorial region.
- Salinity and temperature of the upper ocean are very close to the observed value near the coast.
- Bathymetry – Technique dedicated to mapping the depths of water bodies (rivers, seas and oceans) and creating 3-dimensional maps of sea floor.
Indian National Center for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS):
- Established in – 1999
- Status – Autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- Mandate – To provide the best possible ocean information and provides warnings on tsunamis, storm surges, high waves, etc. through the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC)
- Significance –
- A unit of the Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO)
- Permanent member of the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO
- Founding member of the Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing System (IOGOOS) and the Partnership for Observing the Oceans (POGO).
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2017 Prelims]
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
Statement 1 is not correct: The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) measures differences in sea surface temperature between the Arabian Sea (western pole) and the eastern Indian Ocean (eastern pole).
