Includes all seas and oceans of the Earth. It occupies about 70% of the planet's surface, it contains 96% of all water on the planet. The world's oceans consist of four oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic.
The size of the oceans Pacific - 179 million km2, Atlantic - 91.6 million km2 Indian - 76.2 million km2, Arctic - 14.75 million km2
The boundaries between the oceans, as well as the boundaries of the seas within the oceans, are drawn rather conditionally. They are determined by the land areas that delimit the body of water, internal currents, differences in temperature and salinity.
The seas are distinguished by internal and marginal ones. The inland seas go deep enough into the land (for example, the Mediterranean), and the marginal seas adjoin the land with one edge (for example, the North, Japanese).
Pacific Ocean
Pacific - the largest of the oceans It is located in both the northern and southern hemispheres. In the east, its border is the North coast and, in the west - the coast and, in the south - Antarctica. He owns 20 seas and more than 10,000 islands.
Since the Pacific Ocean captures almost everything but the coldest,
it is distinguished by a variety of climates. over the ocean ranges from + 30 °
up to -60 ° С. In the tropical zone trade winds are formed, to the north, off the coast of Asia and Russia, monsoons are not uncommon.
The main currents of the Pacific Ocean are closed in circles. In the northern hemisphere, the circle is formed by the North Tradewinds, North Pacific and California currents, which are directed clockwise. In the southern hemisphere, the circle of currents is directed counterclockwise and consists of the South Tradewinds, East Australian, Peruvian and West Winds.
The Pacific Ocean is located on the Pacific Ocean. Its bottom is not uniform; there are underground plains, mountains and ridges. On the territory of the ocean there is the Mariana Trench - the deepest point in the World Ocean, its depth is 11 km 22 m.
The water temperature in the Atlantic Ocean ranges from -1 ° С to + 26 ° С, the average water temperature is + 16 ° С.
The average salinity of the Atlantic Ocean is 35% o.
The organic world of the Atlantic Ocean is distinguished by the richness of green plants and plankton.
Indian Ocean
Most of the Indian Ocean is located in warm latitudes, wet monsoons dominate here, which determine the climate of the East Asian countries. The southern edge of the Indian Ocean is sharply cold.
Indian Ocean currents change direction depending on the direction of the monsoons. The most significant currents are Monsoon, Passat and.
The Indian Ocean has a varied topography, there are several ridges, between which there are relatively deep basins. The deepest point of the Indian Ocean is the Yavan depression, 7 km 709 m.
The water temperature in the Indian Ocean ranges from -1 ° С off the coast of Antarctica to + 30 ° С near the equator, the average water temperature is + 18 ° С.
The average salinity of the Indian Ocean is 35% o.
Arctic Ocean
Most of the Arctic Ocean is covered with ice - almost 90% of the ocean's surface in winter. Only near the coast does the ice freeze to land, while most of the ice drifts. Drifting ice is called "pack".
The ocean is completely located in the northern latitudes and has a cold climate.
A number of large currents are observed in the Arctic Ocean: a transarctic current passes along the north of Russia, as a result of interaction with the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian Current is born.
The relief of the Arctic Ocean is distinguished by a developed shelf, especially off the coast of Eurasia.
The water under the ice always has a negative temperature: -1.5 - -1 ° С. In summer, the water in the seas of the Arctic Ocean reaches +5 - +7 ° С. The salinity of the ocean water is significantly reduced in summer due to the melting of ice and, this applies to the Eurasian part of the ocean, full-flowing Siberian rivers. So in winter salinity in different parts of 31-34% o, in summer off the coast of Siberia can be up to 20% o.
There are 4 oceans on our planet Earth
What are the oceans on our planet called:
1 - Pacific Ocean (largest and deepest);
2 - Atlantic Ocean (in terms of volume and depth, the second after the quiet one);
3 - Indian Ocean (the third in volume and depth after the quiet and Atlantic);
4 - Arctic Ocean (fourth and smallest in volume and depth among all oceans)
What is the ocean? - This is a huge body of water located among the continents, which is constantly in interaction with the earth's crust and the atmosphere of the earth. The area of the world's oceans, together with the seas included in it, is about 360 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface (71% of the entire area of our planet).
Over the years, the world ocean was divided into 4 parts, while others divided it into 5 parts. For a long time, 4 oceans were really distinguished: Indian, Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic (except for the Southern Ocean). The southern one is not part of the oceans because of its very conditional boundaries. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the 21st century, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted a division into 5 parts, including in the list the territorial waters called the "Southern Ocean", but at the moment this document still does not have official legal force, and it is believed that the southern ocean is listed only conditionally its name as the fifth on Earth. The Southern Ocean is also called the Southern Sea, which does not have its own clear independent boundaries, and it is believed that its waters are mixed, that is, the water currents of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans entering it.
Brief information about every ocean on the planet
- Pacific Ocean- is the largest in terms of area (179.7 million km 2) and the deepest. It occupies about 50 percent of the entire surface of the Earth, the volume of water is 724 million km 3, the maximum depth is 11022 meters (the Mariana Trench, the deepest known on the planet).
- Atlantic Ocean- the second largest after Quiet. The name was given in honor of the famous titan Atlanta. The area is 91.6 million km 2, the volume of water is 29.5 million km 3, the maximum depth is 8742 meters (an oceanic trough located on the border of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean).
- Indian Ocean covers about 20% of the Earth's surface. Its area is just over 76 million km2, its volume is 282.5 million km3, the greatest depth is 7209 meters (the Sunda Trench, stretches for several thousand kilometers along the southern part of the Sunda Island Arc).
- Arctic Ocean considered the smallest of all. So, its area is "only" 14.75 million km 2, the volume is 18 million km 3, and the greatest depth is 5527 meters (located in the Greenland Sea).
The ocean is the largest object and is the part that covers about 71% of our planet's surface. The oceans wash the shores of the continents, have a water circulation system and have other specific features. The oceans of the world are in constant interaction with everyone.
Map of the oceans and continents of the world
Some sources indicate that the World Ocean is subdivided into 4 oceans, but in 2000 the International Hydrographic Organization singled out the fifth - the Southern Ocean. This article presents a list of all 5 oceans of planet Earth in order - from largest in area to smallest, with the name, location on the map and main characteristics.
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean on Earth map / Wikipedia
Due to its large size, the Pacific Ocean has a unique and varied topography. It also plays an important role in shaping weather patterns around the world and in the modern economy.
The ocean floor is constantly changing as tectonic plates move and subduct. Currently, the oldest known area of the Pacific Ocean is about 180 million years old.
Geologically speaking, the area surrounding the Pacific Ocean is sometimes called. The region has this name because it is the world's largest area of volcanism and earthquakes. The Pacific region is prone to explosive geological activity because most of its bottom is in subduction zones, where the boundaries of some tectonic plates are pushed under others after collision. There are also some hotspot areas where magma from the Earth's mantle is forced out through the earth's crust, creating submarine volcanoes that could eventually form islands and seamounts.
The Pacific Ocean has a varied bottom topography, consisting of ocean ridges and which have formed in hotspots below the surface. The relief of the ocean differs significantly from that of large continents and islands. The deepest point in the Pacific Ocean is called the "Challenger Abyss", it is located in the Mariana Trench, at a depth of almost 11 thousand km. The largest is New Guinea.
The climate of the ocean varies greatly with latitude, land availability, and the types of air masses moving over its waters. Ocean surface temperature also plays a role in climate as it affects the availability of moisture in different regions. The surrounding climate is humid and warm for most of the year. The extreme northern part of the Pacific Ocean and the far southern part are more temperate, with large seasonal differences in weather conditions. In addition, some regions are dominated by seasonal trade winds that affect the climate. Tropical cyclones and typhoons also form in the Pacific Ocean.
The Pacific Ocean is practically the same as the other oceans of the Earth, except for the local temperatures and salinity of the water. The pelagic ocean area is home to marine animals such as fish, seafood, etc. Organisms and scavengers live at the bottom. Habitat can be found in sunny, shallow ocean areas near the coast. The Pacific Ocean is home to the largest variety of living organisms on the planet.
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean on Earth map / Wikipedia
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on Earth with a total area (including the adjacent seas) of 106.46 million km². It occupies about 22% of the planet's surface area. The ocean is elongated S-shaped and stretches between North and South America in the west, and also in the east. In the north, it connects with the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, and the Southern Ocean in the south. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 3,926 m, and the deepest point is located in the oceanic trench of Puerto Rico, at a depth of 8,605 m. The Atlantic Ocean has the highest salinity of any oceans in the world.
Its climate is characterized by warm or cool water that circulates in different currents. Water depth and winds also have a significant impact on ocean surface weather. Strong Atlantic hurricanes are known to develop off the coast of Cape Verde in Africa, heading towards the Caribbean from August to November.
The time the supercontinent Pangea disintegrated, about 130 million years ago, marked the beginning of the formation of the Atlantic Ocean. Geologists have determined that it is the second youngest of the world's five oceans. This ocean has played a very important role in connecting the Old World with newly explored America since the late 15th century.
The main feature of the Atlantic Ocean floor is an underwater ridge called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which extends from Iceland in the north to about 58 ° S. sh. and has a maximum width of about 1600 km. The water depth above the ridge in most places is less than 2700 meters, and several mountain peaks of the ridge rise above the water, forming islands.
The Atlantic Ocean flows into the Pacific Ocean, but they are not always the same due to water temperature, ocean currents, sunlight, nutrients, salinity, etc. The Atlantic Ocean has coastal and open ocean habitats. Its coastal areas are located along coastlines and extend to the continental shelves. Marine life is usually concentrated in the upper layers of the ocean, while coral reefs, algae forests and seagrass plants are located closer to the coast.
The Atlantic Ocean is of significant contemporary importance. The construction of the Panama Canal, located in Central America, allowed large ships to navigate waterways from Asia across the Pacific Ocean to the east coast of the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. This led to a revival of trade between Europe, Asia, South America and North America. In addition, there are deposits of gas, oil and precious stones at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean on Earth map / Wikipedia
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean on the planet and has an area of 70.56 million km². It is located between Africa, Asia, Australia and the Southern Ocean. The Indian Ocean has an average depth of 3,963 m, and the Sunda Trench is the deepest depression, with a maximum depth of 7,258 m. The Indian Ocean occupies about 20% of the area of the World Ocean.
The formation of this ocean is a consequence of the collapse of the supercontinent Gondwana, which began about 180 million years ago. 36 million years ago, the Indian Ocean assumed its current configuration. Although it first discovered about 140 million years ago, almost all of the Indian Ocean basins are less than 80 million years old.
It is landlocked and does not extend to arctic waters. It has fewer islands and narrower continental shelves compared to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Below the surface layers, especially in the north, ocean water is extremely low in oxygen.
The Indian Ocean climate varies considerably from north to south. For example, monsoons dominate in the northern part, above the equator. Strong northeasterly winds are observed from October to April, while south and west winds are observed from May to October. The Indian Ocean also has the warmest weather of all five oceans in the world.
The ocean depths contain about 40% of the world's marine oil reserves, and currently seven countries extract from this ocean.
Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean of 115 islands, and most of them are granite islands and coral islands. On the granite islands, most of the species are endemic, and the coral islands have a coral reef ecosystem where the biological diversity of marine life is greatest. The Indian Ocean has an island fauna that includes sea turtles, seabirds and many other exotic animals. Most of the marine life in the Indian Ocean is endemic.
The entire marine ecosystem of the Indian Ocean is facing species declines as water temperatures continue to rise, which in turn leads to a 20% decline in phytoplankton, on which the marine food chain is heavily dependent.
South ocean
Southern Ocean on Earth map / Wikipedia
In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization singled out the fifth and youngest ocean in the world - the Southern Ocean - from the southern regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. The New Southern Ocean completely surrounds and extends from its coast northward to 60 ° S. sh. The Southern Ocean is by far the fourth largest of the world's five oceans, surpassing only the Arctic Ocean in area.
In recent years, a large amount of oceanographic research has focused on ocean currents, first due to El Niño and then due to wider interest in global warming. One of the studies determined that currents near Antarctica isolate the Southern Ocean as a separate one, so it was isolated as a separate, fifth ocean.
The area of the Southern Ocean is approximately 20.3 million km². The deepest point has a depth of 7,235 meters and is located in the South Sandwich Trench.
Water temperatures in the Southern Ocean range from -2 ° C to + 10 ° C. It also hosts the largest and most powerful coldest surface current on Earth, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which moves eastward and is 100 times the flow of all world rivers.
Despite the highlight of this new ocean, it is likely that the debate about the number of oceans will continue in the future. In the end, there is only one "World Ocean", since all 5 (or 4) oceans on our planet are interconnected with each other.
Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean on Earth map / Wikipedia
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the five oceans in the world and has an area of 14.06 million km². Its average depth is 1205 m, and the deepest point is in the Nansen Basin, at a depth of 4665 m. The Arctic Ocean is located between Europe, Asia and North America. In addition, most of its waters are located north of the Arctic Circle. located in the center of the Arctic Ocean.
While located on the continent, the North Pole is covered in water. For most of the year, the Arctic Ocean is almost entirely covered by drifting polar ice, which is about three meters thick. This glacier usually melts during the summer months, but only partially.
Due to its small size, many oceanographers do not consider it an ocean. Instead, some scholars speculate that it is a sea that is mostly fenced off by continents. Others believe it is a partially enclosed coastal body of water in the Atlantic Ocean. These theories are not widespread and the International Hydrographic Organization regards the Arctic Ocean as one of the world's five oceans.
The Arctic Ocean has the lowest salinity of any of the Earth's oceans because of the low evaporation rate and fresh water coming from streams and rivers that feed the ocean by diluting the concentration of salts in the water.
The polar climate dominates this ocean. Hence winters exhibit relatively stable weather with low temperatures. The most famous characteristics of this climate are polar nights and polar days.
It is believed that the Arctic Ocean may contain about 25% of the total natural gas and oil reserves on our planet. Geologists have also established that there are significant deposits of gold and other minerals. The abundance of several species, fish and seals also make the region attractive for the fishing industry.
The Arctic Ocean has several animal habitats, including endangered mammals and fish. The region's vulnerable ecosystem is one of the factors that make the fauna so sensitive to climate change. Some of these species are endemic and irreplaceable. The summer months bring an abundance of phytoplankton, which in turn feeds the basement, which eventually ends up with large land and marine mammals.
Recent developments in technology are enabling scientists to explore the depths of the world's oceans in new ways. These studies are needed to help scientists study and possibly prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change in these areas, as well as discover new species of living organisms.
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Almost 95% of all water on Earth is salty and unusable. Seas, oceans and salt lakes are composed of it. Taken together, all this is called the World Ocean. Its area is three quarters of the entire area of the planet.
The world's oceans - what is it?
The names of the oceans have been familiar to us since elementary school. This is the Quiet, otherwise called the Great, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. All of them are collectively called the World Ocean. Its area is more than 350 million km 2. This is a huge territory even on a planetary scale.
The continents divide the World Ocean into four oceans known to us. Each of them has its own characteristics, its own unique underwater world, which changes depending on the climatic zone, temperature of currents and bottom topography. The map of the oceans shows that they are all interconnected. None of them are surrounded by land on all sides.
Ocean Science - Oceanology
How do we know that there are seas and oceans? Geography is a school subject that introduces us to these concepts for the first time. But a special science, oceanology, is engaged in a deeper study of the oceans. She considers the expanses of water as an integral natural object, studies the biological processes occurring inside it, and its relationship with other constituent elements of the biosphere.
With this science, the ocean depths are studied in order to achieve the following goals:
- increasing the efficiency and ensuring the safety of underwater and surface navigation;
- optimizing the use of minerals on the ocean floor;
- maintaining the biological balance of the oceanic environment;
- improvement of meteorological forecasts.
How did the modern names for the oceans come about?
The name of each geographic object is given for a reason. Any name has certain historical background or is associated with the characteristic features of a particular territory. Let's find out when and how the names of the oceans originated and who invented them.
- Atlantic Ocean. The works of the ancient Greek historian and geographer Strabo described this ocean, calling it Western. Later, some scholars called it the Hesperid Sea. This is confirmed by a document dated 90 BC. Already in the ninth century AD, Arab geographers announced the name "Sea of Darkness", or "Sea of Darkness". It got such a strange name because of the clouds of sand and dust that the winds raised over it, constantly blowing from the African continent. For the first time the modern name was sounded in 1507, after Columbus reached the shores of America. Officially, this name was fixed in geography in 1650 in the scientific works of Bernhard Waren.
- The Pacific Ocean was named so by the Spanish navigator.Despite the fact that it is quite stormy and often there are storms and tornadoes, during the expedition of Magellan, which lasted for a year, there was always good weather, calm was observed, and this was the reason to think that the ocean was really quiet and calm. When the truth was revealed, no one began to rename the Pacific Ocean. In 1756, the explorer Bayush suggested calling it the Great, since it is the largest ocean of all. Both of these names are used to this day.
- The reason for giving the name was the many ice floes drifting in its waters, and, of course, the geographical location. His second name - Arctic - comes from the Greek word "arktikos", which means "northern".
- With the name of the Indian Ocean, everything is extremely simple. India is one of the first countries known to the ancient world. The waters that wash its shores were named after her.
Four oceans
How many oceans are there on the planet? This question seems to be the simplest one, but for many years it has been causing debate and controversy among oceanologists. A standard list of oceans looks like this:
2. Indian.
3. Atlantic.
4. Northern Arctic.
But for a long time there has been another opinion, according to which the fifth ocean stands out - the Antarctic, or Southern. Arguing for such a decision, oceanologists cite as proof the fact that the waters washing the shores of Antarctica are very peculiar and the system of currents in this ocean differs from the rest of the water expanses. Not everyone agrees with this decision, so the problem of dividing the World Ocean remains relevant.
The characteristics of the oceans differ depending on many factors, although it may seem that they are all the same. Let's get to know each of them and find out about all the most important information.
Pacific Ocean
It is also called Great, because it has the largest area among all. The Pacific Ocean basin occupies a little less than half the area of all the world's water spaces and is equal to 179.7 million km².
It consists of 30 seas: Japan, Tasmanovo, Yavan, South China, Okhotsk, Filipino, New Guinea, Sava Sea, Halmakhera Sea, Koro Sea, Mindanao Sea, Yellow Sea, Visayan Sea, Aki Sea, Solomonovo, Bali Sea, Samair Sea, Coral, Banda, Sulu, Sulawesi, Fiji, Molukskoe, Komotes, Seram Sea, Flores Sea, Sibuyan Sea, East China, Bering, Amudesen Sea. All of them occupy 18% of the total area of the Pacific Ocean.
By the number of islands, he is also the leader. There are about 10 thousand of them. The largest islands in the Pacific Ocean are New Guinea and Kalimantan.
The depths of the seabed contain more than a third of the world's natural gas and oil reserves, which are actively produced mainly in the shelf zones of China, the United States of America and Australia.
Throughout the Pacific Ocean, there are many transport routes connecting the countries of Asia with South and North America.
Atlantic Ocean
It is the second largest in the world, and this is clearly demonstrated by the map of the oceans. Its area is 93 360 thousand km 2. The Atlantic Ocean basin contains 13 seas. They all have a coastline.
An interesting fact is that in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean there is the fourteenth sea - Sargasovo, called the sea without shores. Its boundaries are ocean currents. It is considered the largest sea in the world in terms of area.
Another feature of this ocean is the maximum inflow of fresh water, which is provided by the large rivers of North and South America, Africa and Europe.
In terms of the number of islands, this ocean is the exact opposite of the Pacific. There are very few of them here. But it is in the Atlantic Ocean that the largest island on the planet - Greenland - and the most remote island - Bouvet are located. Although sometimes Greenland is ranked among the islands of the Arctic Ocean.
Indian Ocean
Interesting facts about the third largest ocean will make us even more surprised. The Indian Ocean was the first known and explored. He is the keeper of the largest coral reef complex.
The waters of this ocean keep a secret that has not yet been properly explored. The fact is that glowing circles of the correct shape periodically appear on the surface. According to one version, this is the glow of plankton rising from the depths, but their ideal spherical shape is still a mystery.
Not far from the island of Madagascar, you can observe a one-of-a-kind natural phenomenon - an underwater waterfall.
Now some facts about the Indian Ocean. Its area is 79,917 thousand km 2. The average depth is 3711 m. It washes 4 continents and includes 7 seas. Vasco da Gama is the first explorer to swim across the Indian Ocean.
Interesting facts and characteristics of the Arctic Ocean
It is the smallest and coldest of all oceans. The area is 13 100 thousand km 2. It is also the shallowest, the average depth of the Arctic Ocean is only 1225 m. It includes 10 seas. In terms of the number of islands, this ocean ranks second after the Pacific.
The central part of the ocean is covered with ice. Floating ice floes and icebergs are observed in the southern regions. Sometimes you can find whole ice with a thickness of 30-35 m. It was here that the infamous Titanic crashed, colliding with one of them.
Despite the harsh climate, the Arctic Ocean is home to many species of animals: walruses, seals, whales, gulls, jellyfish and plankton.
The depth of the oceans
We already know the names of the oceans and their features. But what is the deepest ocean? Let's take a look at this issue.
The contour map of the oceans and ocean floor shows that the bottom topography is as diverse as the topography of the continents. Under the thickness of the sea water are hidden depressions, depressions and elevations like mountains.
The average depth of all four oceans combined is 3700 m. The Pacific Ocean is considered to be the deepest, the average depth of which is 3980 m, followed by the Atlantic Ocean - 3600 m, followed by the Indian - 3710 m. The very last in this list, as already mentioned, is the Arctic Ocean, the average depth of which is only 1225 m.
Salt is the main feature of ocean waters
Everyone knows how the water of the seas and oceans differs from fresh river water. Now we will be interested in such a characteristic of the oceans as the amount of salt. If it seems to you that the water is the same salty everywhere, you are very much mistaken. The concentration of salt in ocean waters can vary significantly, even within a few kilometers.
The average salinity of ocean waters is 35 ‰. If we consider this indicator separately for each ocean, then the Arctic is the least salty of all: 32 ‰. Pacific Ocean - 34.5 ‰. The salt content in the water is reduced here due to the large amount of precipitation, especially in the equatorial zone. Indian Ocean - 34.8 ‰. Atlantic - 35.4 ‰. It is important to note that bottom waters have a lower salt concentration than surface waters.
The saltiest seas of the World Ocean are the Red (41 ‰), the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf (up to 39 ‰).
World Ocean records
- The deepest place in the World Ocean is its depth is 11,035 m from the surface water level.
- If we consider the depth of the seas, then the Philippines is considered the deepest sea. Its depth reaches 10,540 m. The Coral Sea is in second place in terms of this indicator, with a maximum depth of 9140 m.
- The largest ocean is the Pacific. Its area is larger than the area of the entire earth's land.
- The saltiest sea is the Red Sea. It is located in the Indian Ocean. Salt water supports well all objects falling into it, and in order to drown in this sea, you need to try very hard.
- The most mysterious place is in the Atlantic Ocean, and its name is the Bermuda Triangle. Many legends and mysteries are associated with it.
- The most venomous sea creature is the blue-ringed octopus. He lives in the Indian Ocean.
- The largest coral accumulation in the world is the Great Barrier Reef, located in the Pacific Ocean.
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