UPSC Mains 2017 · GS I · Q14 · 15 marks · 250 words

Account for variations in oceanic salinity and discuss its multi-dimensional effects.

हिन्दी में

महासागरीय लवणता में विभिन्नताओं के कारण बताइए तथा इसके बहु-आयामी प्रभावों की विवेचना कीजिए ।

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Account for the salinity variations in the world's oceans. How does this variation impact ocean circulation and marine ecosystems?”

Pakshal SecretryAIR 8 · CSE 2025 · 242 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

There is much variation in salinity across the ocean, while the tropical oceans have very high salinity, in the polar region salinity is significantly lower.

Body · points

Diagram
- A rough sketch of the world map with latitude lines 90, 30, 0, 30, 90. - Text labels from top to bottom: 'less saline', 'saline', 'less saline', 'saline', 'less saline'. - Label below map: 'Salinity Variation'.

Reasons for Salinity Variation

(1) Lattitude → Higher lattitude - ice → low Salinity

(2) Rainfall → Equator → High Rainfall → low salinity

(3) Evaporation → Tropical Region - High evaporation - High Rainfall

④ Role of ocean current → eg Peruvian current → less saline water

⑤ Temperature and pressure conditions → more temperature → more evaporation

⑥ Role of wind → carries saline water to non saline areas

⑦ Role of fresh water inflow → eg Rivers → Bay of Bengal less saline than Arabian Sea

⑧ Role of land boundary → Makes water less saline by water input

Impact on Circulation

(1) Thermohaline circulation → Due to difference in salinity → Saline water → Dense → moves down → space taken by fresh water → circulation eg AMOC - due to salinity differences

(2) Movement of water from tropic to temperate region → To redistribute salinity differences

Impact on Marine Diversity & Ecosystem

(1) Salinity specific species Eg no Coral → only in fresh water

(2) Provides condition for survivability of species eg saline water fishes

(3) Mixing of water → Most productive & biodiverse zones of world

(4) Helps in regulation of temperature, pressure etc in ocean

Close · a summary

Eg Thermo Haline circulation

Thus; salinity variation impacts marine and human living in various ways.

2 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper I, Q14. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.