Consider the following statements: 1. In the tropical zone, the western sections of the oceans are warmer than the eastern sections owing to the influence of trade winds. 2. In the temperate zone, westerlies make the eastern sections of oceans warmer than the western sections. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Both statements are correct because trade winds in the tropics push warm surface water westward, creating a warmer western ocean, while westerlies in temperate zones drive warm currents toward the eastern sections. Options (a) and (b) are incorrect because they fail to recognize that the reversal of wind direction between latitudinal zones creates opposite temperature gradients in tropical versus temperate oceans. The core concept tested is the impact of planetary wind systems (Trade winds and Westerlies) on ocean surface temperature distribution and surface currents.