Prelims 2017 · Geography · Question 16
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. 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:
Answer
2 only
1. Incorrect. IOD is defined by the sea surface temperature difference between the western equatorial Indian Ocean and the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean near Indonesia, not the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. Correct. A positive IOD can offset or weaken the adverse impact of El Nino on the Indian monsoon; hence IOD does influence El Nino’s monsoon effect.
Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.