Prelims GS Paper IGeography — PhysicalHigh-yield

Oceanography — Ocean Floor, Currents, Tides & Marine Zones

समुद्र विज्ञान — समुद्र तल, धाराएं, ज्वार और समुद्री क्षेत्र

Oceanography — Ocean Floor, Currents, Tides & Marine Zones is part of the UPSC Prelims GS Paper I syllabus, under Geography — Physical. It appeared in Prelims GS Paper I question papers in 5 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024). It is marked high-yield: a topic worth revising more than once.

What should you study in Oceanography?

  • Ocean floor features — continental shelf, slope, abyssal plain, trenches
  • Ocean currents — warm & cold, gyres
  • Tides — spring, neap, causes
  • UNCLOS & maritime zones (territorial sea, EEZ)

How often is Oceanography asked in UPSC Prelims?

Asked in 5 of 10 years, including 3 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.

  1. 2016: not asked
  2. 2017: asked
  3. 2018: not asked
  4. 2019: asked
  5. 2020: not asked
  6. 2021: asked
  7. 2022: not asked
  8. 2023: asked
  9. 2024: asked
  10. 2025: not asked

About the Prelims GS Paper I paper

General Studies Paper I is the Prelims paper that decides the cut-off: 100 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks, with negative marking for wrong answers. See all 88 Prelims GS Paper I topics.

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