Grade 7

Subject: Social Studies (Geography)

(i) What is precipitation?

The sun’s heat vaporises water into vapour.

This vapour cools down and condenses to become clouds.

This may then fall on the surface of Earth in the form of rain, snow or sleet.

This phenomenon of water falling back onto the surface of the earth in the form of rain, snow or sleet is
called precipitation.

(ii) What is the water cycle?

The process by which water continually changes its form and circulates between oceans, atmosphere and
land is known as the water cycle.

(iii) What are the factors affecting the height of the waves?

The factors affecting the height of the waves are as follows:

1. Speed of the wind

The factors affecting the movement of ocean water are as follows:

1. Temperature
2. The gravitational pull of sun and moon
3. Warm and cold currents
4. Wind
(v) What are tides and how are they caused?

The rhythmic rise and fall of ocean water, twice in a day, is called a tide.

Tides are caused by the gravitational force exerted by the sun and the moon on the earth’s surface.

(vi) What are ocean currents?

The streams of water flowing constantly on the ocean surface in a definite direction are called ocean
currents.
The ocean currents may be warm or cold.

2. Give reasons.

(i) Ocean water is salty.

Ocean water is salty because it contains a large amount of salt dissolved in it.

The salt present in ocean water is mostly sodium chloride or the common salt that we consume.

(ii) The quality of water is deteriorating.

The water quality is deteriorating because of human activities like

1. Deforestation
2. Throwing garbage and other waste in water bodies
3. Chemicals released from industries
4. Increased use of fertilisers and pesticides
3. Tick the correct answer.

(i) The process by which water continually changes its form and circulates between oceans, atmosphere
and land

(a) Water cycle (b) Tides (c) Ocean currents

(ii) Generally, the warm ocean currents originate near

(a) Poles (b) Equator (c) None of these

(iii) The rhythmic rise and fall of ocean water twice in a day is called

(a) Tide (b) Ocean current (c) Wave

4. Match the following.

(i) Caspian Sea (a) Largest lake

(ii) Tide (b) Periodic rise and fall of water

(iii) Tsunami (c) Strong seismic waves

(iv) Ocean currents (d) Streams of water moving along definite paths
Ice-caps
A layer of ice permanently covering parts of the earth, especially around the North and South Poles.
The main difference between an ice sheet and an ice cap is their size: an ice sheet is larger than an ice cap:

Ice sheet
A large, dome-shaped mass of glacier ice that covers more than 50,000 square kilometers (19,000 square
miles) of land. Examples of ice sheets include the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets.
Ice cap
A smaller, dome-shaped mass of glacier ice that covers less than 50,000 square kilometers (19,000
square miles) of land. Ice caps are usually found in high-altitude polar and subpolar mountain
regions. Examples of ice caps include the ice cap in Iceland and in Norway.

Ice sheets and ice caps are both made up of glacier ice, which is a thick layer of ice and snow. When
glaciers and ice sheets melt, the water they contain contributes to rising sea levels.

A terrarium is an enclosed, indoor garden, usually small and made of glass so that you can see your
collection of plants. Most often, a terrarium is about the size of a home aquarium, and the two are often
made of the same materials.

Waves, tides, and ocean currents are all different types of ocean movements:

Waves are horizontal motion of water, caused by wind, that results in the rise and fall of the ocean's
surface. Waves have a wavelength, velocity, height, and wave period.
Tides are vertical motion of water, caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, that results in
the rhythmic rise and fall of the ocean's water levels. Tides can cause high and low water levels.
The periodical rise and fall of the sea level, once or twice a day, mainly due to the attraction of the sun and
the moon, is called a tide.
Ocean currents are continuous flow of large amounts of water in a specific direction. Ocean currents are
influenced by the heat from the sun on the equator and cooler poles. There are two types of ocean
currents: warm and cold. Ocean currents are like river flow in oceans.
Tides are long-period waves that are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the
ocean. There are two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours.

Spring tides and neap tides are types of tides that occur due to the alignment of the sun, moon, and Earth:

Spring tides
Occur when the moon is in its new or full phase, and the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned. The
gravitational pull of the sun, moon, and Earth on the ocean's water is stronger, resulting in higher high
tides and lower low tides.

Neap tides
Occur when the moon is in its first or last quarter phase, and the sun and moon are at right angles to the
Earth. The gravitational pull of the sun and Earth on the ocean's water is weaker, resulting in lower high
tides and higher low tides.