Water Bodies (Effective Geography)
Exercises
I. Fill in the blanks:
1. Oceans are the vast stretches of water surrounding the land masses.
2. About three fourths of the world's active volcanoes lie in the Pacific Ocean.
3. Atlantic is the busiest Ocean in the world.
4. Indian Ocean is also called Half an Ocean.
5. Large bodies of water surrounded by land on all the sides are called Land Locked Sea.
6. Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world.
7. In its middle course, a river leaves the plateaus and enters the plain.
8. In its lower course, the river forms distributaries.
II. Match the following:
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Column A |
Column B |
|---|---|
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1.Nile River |
(a) Largest Saltwater Lake. [3] |
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2. The Frozen Ocean. |
(b) Largest River in the World. [5] |
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3. The Caspian Sea. |
(c) Longest River in the
World. [1] |
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4. Lake Superior. |
(d) Arctic Ocean. [2] |
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5. The Amazon River. |
(e) Largest Fresh Water Lake. [4] |
III. Distinguish between the following:
(a) An Ocean and a Sea.
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An Ocean |
A Sea |
|---|---|
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They are the vast stretches of water. |
They are huge water bodies which are smaller than the Oceans. |
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They surround the landmasses. |
They are surrounded by landmasses fully or partly. |
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All the Oceans are interconnected. |
All the seas are separated by landmasses. |
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They are deeper and have bigger waves. |
They are shallower and have smaller waves. |
(b) Marginal Sea and Inland Sea.
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Marginal Sea |
Inland Sea |
|---|---|
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They are parts of open ocean. |
They are completely landlocked. |
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They lie along continental edges. |
They lie inside the continent. |
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(c) Bay and Gulf.
Bay | Gulf |
When a narrow sea is surrounded by land on three sides, it is called a bay. | A large area of sea surrounded on the three sides by a coast, is called a gulf. |
Example – Bay of Bengal, Bay of Biscay. | Example – Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Khambat. |
(d) A River and a Lake.
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River |
Lake |
|---|---|
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It has an origin place and a falling place. |
Lake is completely surrounded by land. |
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It has flowing water. |
It has still water. |
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River is divided into three sections. |
There is no such division of a lake. |
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Rivers do not have salt water. |
There are lakes of salt water. |
IV. Answer the following questions:
1. Name the four Oceans of the world. List two characteristics features of each.
= The four Oceans of the world are - The Pacific Ocean, The Atlantic Ocean, The Indian Ocean and The Artic Ocean.
The Pacific Ocean :
i. The Pacific Ocean is very rich in minerals.
ii. It covers more than a third of the earth's surface. This area is larger than the total area of all the Continents.
The Atlantic Ocean :
i. It looks like the letter 'S'.
ii. It is almost half the size of the Pacific Ocean.
The Indian Ocean :
i. It is almost triangular in shape.
ii. It has no opening on its northern side as it is completely bound by Asia.
The Arctic Ocean :
i. It lies within the Arctic Circle.
ii. Icebergs are a common feature in this Ocean.
2. How are the lakes formed?
= Lakes are deep and vast depression of water body surrounded by land. Lakes vary in shape, size, depth and mode of formation. Lakes are either freshwater or saltwater. The freshwater lakes are fed by rivers and with outflowing streams. The saltwater lakes are formed at places where there are fewer rivers to bring freshwater, precipitation is low and evaporation is intense.
3. Name the landforms formed by river in the course of its journey from the hills to its mouth.
= The landforms formed by river in the course of its journey from the hills to its mouth are - V-shaped valleys and waterfalls.
4. What is the importance of water bodies in human life?
= Water bodies serve the mankind in the following ways:
i. Oceans and seas are rich sources of food (fish, seaweed).
ii. Oceans are sources of minerals, oils and salts.
iii. Oceans, seas, rivers and lakes provide the cheapest means of transport.
iv. Oceans are a source of tidal energy.
v. Lakes and rivers provide fresh water for drinking, for irrigation and for generation of hydro-electricity.
vi. Oceans, lakes and rivers moderate the climate of the surrounding areas by transferring heat. They supply water vapour for forming rain.
5. State four ways by which water bodies get polluted.
= Four ways by which water bodies get polluted are -
i. Decay and decomposition of plants and animals.
ii. Discharge of chemical wastes from factories into water bodies; these reach water bodies either through direct discharge or by leaking form waster dumps.
iii. Agricultural runoff carrying chemicals from fertilizers.
iv. Sewage and waster water with bacteria and chemicals from households.
V. Structured Question:
(a) Name the largest Ocean. Why is it so called?
= The largest Ocean is the Pacific Ocean. It is called so because it covers more than a third of the earth's surface. This area is larger than the total area of all the continents.
(b) Name the 'S-shaped' Ocean, How is its coastline unique? Name the continents that form the eastern boundary of this Ocean.
= The 'S-shaped' Ocean is the Atlantic Ocean.
The coastline of Atlantic Ocean is highly indented. It is longer than the combined coastlines of the Pacific and the Indian Oceans.
The continents that form the eastern boundary of the Atlantic Ocean are - Europe and Africa.
(c) What are salt water lakes? Name one saltwater lake in India.
= The saltwater lakes are formed at places where there are fewer rivers to bring freshwater, precipitation is low and evaporation is intense.
One saltwater lake in India is Chilika Lake.
(d) Give a geographical reason for each of the following:
(i) Earth is called the Blue Planet.
= This is because more than 71 per cent of the earth is covered with water.
(ii) Indian Ocean is called Half an Ocean.
= The Indian Ocean is called Half an Ocean because on its eastern side lies Australia and on its western side lies Africa.
(iii) The work of a river in its upper course is erosion.
= The work of a river in its upper course is erosion because in a hilly area a river flows swiftly as the land is steep.