Q. Consider the following statements about the Arabian Sea:
1.The mean surface salinity of the Arabian Sea is higher than that of the Bay of Bengal.
2.The rivers flowing into the Arabian Sea generally form estuaries rather than deltas due to a steep topographic gradient.
3.The coral islands of the Lakshadweep archipelago are situated in the Arabian Sea.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: C
Notes:
Explanations
- Statement 1 is correct: The mean surface salinity of the Arabian Sea is higher than that of the Bay of Bengal. This is primarily due to higher evaporation rates (due to arid climatic conditions along the Arabian Peninsula) and a lower freshwater discharge, as it receives significantly less river inflow compared to the Bay of Bengal.
- Statement 2 is correct: Unlike the eastward-flowing rivers that deposit huge amounts of sediments and form large deltas into the Bay of Bengal, the rivers draining into the Arabian Sea (such as the Narmada and Tapi) pass through steep terrains of the Western Ghats. These fast-flowing rivers carry fewer sediments and drop directly into the sea, forming estuaries rather than deltas.
- Statement 3 is correct: The Lakshadweep Islands are an archipelago of coral atolls, reefs, and submerged banks located in the Arabian Sea, off the southwestern coast of mainland India.
