2nd largest ocean on earth. The largest ocean in the world

There are 4 oceans on our planet Earth

What are the oceans on our planet called?

1 – Pacific Ocean (the largest and deepest);

2 – Atlantic Ocean (second in volume and depth after the Pacific Ocean);

3 – Indian Ocean (third in volume and depth after the Pacific and Atlantic);

4 – Arctic Ocean (fourth and smallest in volume and depth among all oceans)

What is the ocean like? – This is a huge body of water located among the continents, which is constantly in interaction with the earth’s crust and the earth’s atmosphere. 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 total area of ​​our planet).

IN different years The world's oceans were divided into 4 parts, while others divided it into 5 parts. For a long time Indeed, 4 oceans were distinguished: Indian, Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic (except for the Southern Ocean). The Southern Ocean is not part of the oceans due to its very conditional boundaries. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted a division into 5 parts including in the list territorial waters called " Southern Ocean", however in present moment this document still does not have an official legal force, and it is believed that the southern ocean is considered only conditionally by its name as the fifth on Earth. Southern Ocean is also called south 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 included in it.

Brief information about each ocean on the planet

• Pacific Ocean- is the largest in 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 11,022 meters (the Mariana Trench is the deepest known on the planet).
• Atlantic Ocean- second in volume after Tikhoy. 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 (the oceanic trench, which is located on the border Caribbean Sea And Atlantic Ocean).
• Indian Ocean covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface. Its area is just over 76 million km2, its volume is 282.5 million km3, and its greatest depth is 7209 meters (the Sunda Trench extends for several thousand kilometers along the southern part of the Sunda island arc).
• Arctic Ocean considered the smallest among all. Thus, its area is “only” 14.75 million km 2, its volume is 18 million km 3, and its greatest depth is 5527 meters (located in the Greenland Sea).

The ocean is the largest object and is part of the ocean that covers about 71% of the surface of our planet. Oceans wash the shores of continents, have a water circulation system and 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 divided into 4 oceans, but in 2000 the International Hydrographic Organization identified a fifth one - the Southern Ocean. This article provides a list of all 5 oceans of planet Earth in order - from largest in area to smallest, with name, location on the map and main characteristics.

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean on the Earth map/Wikipedia

Because of large size The Pacific Ocean has a unique and varied topography. He also plays important role in the formation of weather conditions around the world and the modern economy.

The ocean floor is constantly changing through the process of movement and subduction tectonic plates. Currently, the oldest known area of ​​the Pacific Ocean is approximately 180 million years old.

In geological terms, 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 subject to turbulent geological activity, because most of its floor is located in subduction zones, where the boundaries of some tectonic plates are pushed under others after a collision. There are also some hotspot areas where magma from the Earth's mantle is forced through earth's crust, creating undersea volcanoes that can eventually form islands and seamounts.

The Pacific Ocean has a varied bottom topography, consisting of oceanic ridges and ridges, which formed in hot spots below the surface. The ocean's topography differs significantly from large continents and islands. The deepest point of the Pacific Ocean is called the Challenger Deep; it is located in the Mariana Trench, at a depth of almost 11 thousand km. The largest is New Guinea.

Ocean climates vary greatly depending on latitude, presence of land, and types air masses moving over its waters. Ocean surface temperature also plays a role in climate because it affects the availability of moisture in different regions. The surrounding climate is humid and warm during most of the year. Extremely northern part Pacific Ocean and far away southern part- more moderate, have large seasonal differences in weather conditions. In addition, in some regions seasonal trade winds prevail, which influence the climate. Tropical cyclones and typhoons also form in the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Ocean is almost the same as the other oceans of the Earth, with the exception of local temperatures and salinity of the water. The pelagic zone of the ocean is home to marine animals such as fish, marine and. Organisms and scavengers live at the bottom. Habitats can be found in sunny, shallow ocean areas near the shore. The Pacific Ocean is the environment that supports the greatest diversity of living organisms on the planet.

Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean on the Earth map/Wikipedia

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on Earth with total area(including adjacent seas) 106.46 million km². It occupies about 22% of the planet's surface area. The ocean has an elongated S-shape and extends between North and South America in the west, and also, and - in the east. It connects to the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Southern Ocean to the south. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 3,926 m, and the deepest point is located in the ocean trench of Puerto Rico, at a depth of 8,605 m. The Atlantic Ocean has the highest salinity of all the oceans in the world.

Its climate is characterized by warm or cool water that circulates in different trends. Water depth and winds also have a significant impact on weather conditions on the surface of the ocean. Severe Atlantic hurricanes are known to develop off the coast of Cape Verde in Africa, heading towards the Caribbean Sea from August to November.

The time when the supercontinent Pangea broke up, 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 played a very important role in connecting the Old World with the newly explored Americas from the late 15th century.

The main feature of the Atlantic Ocean floor is the underwater mountain range, called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which extends from Iceland in the north to approximately 58° S. w. and has a maximum width of about 1600 km. The water depth above the ridge is less than 2,700 meters in most places, and a few mountain peaks ridges rise above the water to form islands.

The Atlantic Ocean flows into the Pacific Ocean, however they are not always the same due to the temperature of the water, 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 flora is usually concentrated in upper layers ocean waters, and closer to the shores there are coral reefs, kelp forests and sea grasses.

The Atlantic Ocean is important modern meaning. Construction of the Panama Canal, located in Central America, allowed large ships to pass through waterways, from Asia across the Pacific to east coast North and South America across the Atlantic Ocean. This led to increased trade between Europe, Asia, South America and North America. In addition, at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean there are deposits of gas, oil and precious stones.

Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean on the 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 trench, with a maximum depth of 7,258 m. The Indian Ocean occupies about 20% of the area of ​​the world's oceans.

The formation of this ocean is a consequence of the breakup 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 opened about 140 million years ago, almost all basins Indian Ocean are less than 80 million years old.

It is landlocked and does not extend to Arctic waters. He has fewer islands and narrower continental shelves compared to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Below the surface, especially in the north, the ocean water is extremely low in oxygen.

The climate of the Indian Ocean varies significantly from north to south. For example, the monsoons dominate in the northern part, above the equator. From October to April there are strong north-easterly winds, while from May to October - southerly and westerly winds. The Indian Ocean also has the most warm weather from all five oceans of the world.

The ocean depths contain about 40% of the world's offshore oil reserves, and seven countries currently produce from this ocean.

Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean consisting of 115 islands, and most of them are granite islands and coral islands. On granite islands, most of the species are endemic, while coral islands have a coral reef ecosystem where biological diversity sea ​​life greatest. The Indian Ocean has an island fauna that includes sea turtles, seabirds and many other exotic animals. Much of the marine life in the Indian Ocean is endemic.

The entire Indian Ocean marine ecosystem is facing declines in species numbers as water temperatures continue to rise, resulting in a 20% decline in phytoplankton, on which the marine food chain is heavily dependent.

Southern Ocean

Southern Ocean on the Earth map/Wikipedia

In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization identified the world's fifth and youngest ocean, the Southern Ocean, as southern regions Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. The New Southern Ocean completely surrounds and extends from its coast north to 60°S. w. The Southern Ocean is currently the fourth largest of the world's five oceans, exceeding in area only the Arctic Ocean.

IN recent years large number oceanographic research concerned ocean currents, first due to El Niño and then due to wider interest in global warming. One study determined that currents near Antarctica isolate the Southern Ocean as a separate ocean, so it was identified as a separate, fifth ocean.

The area of ​​the Southern Ocean is approximately 20.3 million km². The deepest point is 7,235 meters deep and is located in the South Sandwich Trench.

Water temperatures in the Southern Ocean range from -2° C to +10° C. It is also home to the largest and most powerful cold surface current on Earth - the Antarctic circumpolar current, which moves east and is 100 times greater than the flow of all the world's rivers.

Despite the identification of this new ocean, it is likely that the debate about the number of oceans will continue into 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 the Earth map/Wikipedia

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans and has an area of ​​14.06 million km². His average depth 1205 m, and the deepest point is in the underwater 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 Arctic Circle. is located in the center of the Arctic Ocean.

While located on the continent, North Pole covered with water. During most of the year, the Arctic Ocean is almost completely 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 scientists suggest that it is a sea that is largely enclosed by continents. Others believe that it is a partially enclosed coastal body of water in the Atlantic Ocean. These theories are not widely accepted, and the International Hydrographic Organization considers the Arctic Ocean to be one of the world's five oceans.

The Arctic Ocean has the lowest water salinity of all the Earth's oceans due to low evaporation rates and fresh water, coming from streams and rivers that feed the ocean, diluting the concentration of salts in the water.

A polar climate dominates this ocean. Consequently, 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 reserves natural gas and oil on our planet. Geologists have also determined that there are significant deposits of gold and other minerals here. The abundance of several species of fish and seals also make the region attractive to the fishing industry.

The Arctic Ocean contains several habitats for animals, including endangered mammals and fish. The region's vulnerable ecosystem is one of the factors that makes the fauna so sensitive to climate change. Some of these species are endemic and irreplaceable. Summer months bring an abundance of phytoplankton, which in turn feeds the foundation, which eventually ends in large terrestrial and marine mammals.

Recent developments in technology are allowing 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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The Pacific Ocean is the largest on Earth

The Pacific Ocean extends approximately 15.8 thousand km from north to south and 19.5 thousand km from east to west. The area with seas is 179.7 million km², the average depth is 3984 m, the volume of water is 723.7 million km³. Greatest depth Pacific Ocean (and the entire World Ocean) - 10,994 m (in the Mariana Trench).

November 28, 1520 for the first time in open ocean Ferdinand Magellan came out. He crossed the ocean from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands in 3 months and 20 days. All this time the weather was calm, and Magellan called the ocean Quiet.

The second largest ocean on Earth after the Pacific Ocean, occupying 25% of the surface of the World Ocean, with a total area of ​​91.66 million km² and a volume of water of 329.66 million km³. The ocean is located between Greenland and Iceland in the north, Europe and Africa in the east, North and South America in the west, and Antarctica in the south. Greatest depth - 8742 m (deep-sea trench - Puerto Rico)

The name of the ocean first appears in the 5th century BC. e. in the works ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote that “the sea with the pillars of Hercules is called Atlantis.” The name comes from the famous Ancient Greece the myth of Atlas, the Titan, holding the vault of heaven on his shoulders in the extreme western point Mediterranean. The Roman scientist Pliny the Elder in the 1st century used modern name Okeanus Atlanticus - "Atlantic Ocean".

Earth's third largest ocean, covering about 20% of it water surface. Its area is 76.17 million km², volume - 282.65 million km³. The deepest point of the ocean is in the Sunda Trench (7729 m).

In the north, the Indian Ocean washes Asia, in the west - Africa, in the east - Australia; in the south it borders on Antarctica. The border with the Atlantic Ocean runs along the 20° meridian of eastern longitude; from Quiet - along 146°55’ meridian of eastern longitude. The most northern point The Indian Ocean is located at approximately 30° northern latitude in the Persian Gulf. The width of the Indian Ocean is approximately 10,000 km between southern points Australia and Africa.

Ancient Greeks known to them western part The ocean with adjacent seas and bays was called the Eritrean Sea (Red). Gradually, this name began to be attributed only to the nearest sea, and the ocean was named after India, the country most famous at that time for its wealth on the ocean shores. So Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. e. calls it Indicon pelagos - “Indian Sea”. Since the 16th century, the name Oceanus Indicus - Indian Ocean, introduced by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder back in the 1st century, has been established.

The smallest ocean on Earth, located entirely in the northern hemisphere, between Eurasia and North America.

The ocean area is 14.75 million km² (5.5% of the area of ​​the World Ocean), the volume of water is 18.07 million km³. The average depth is 1225 m, the greatest depth is 5527 m in the Greenland Sea. Most of The relief of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is occupied by the shelf (more than 45% of the ocean floor) and the underwater margins of the continents (up to 70% of the bottom area). The ocean is usually divided into three vast water areas: the Arctic Basin, the North European Basin and the Canadian Basin. Thanks to the polar geographical location Ice cover in the central part of the ocean persists throughout the year, although it is in a mobile state.

The ocean was identified as an independent ocean by the geographer Varenius in 1650 under the name Hyperborean Ocean - “Ocean in the extreme north.” IN foreign sources At that time, the following names were also used: Oceanus Septentrionalis - “Northern Ocean” (Latin Septentrio - north), Oceanus Scythicus - “Scythian Ocean” (Latin Scythae - Scythians), Oceanes Tartaricus - “Tartar Ocean”, Μare Glaciale - “Arctic Sea” "(Latin Glacies - ice). In Russian maps XVII- XVIII centuries the names are used: Sea Ocean, Sea Ocean Arctic, Arctic Sea, Northern Ocean, Northern or Arctic Sea, Arctic Ocean, Northern Polar Sea, and the Russian navigator Admiral F. P. Litke in the 20s years XIX centuries called it the Arctic Ocean. In other countries the English name is widely used. Arctic Ocean - "Arctic Ocean", which was given to the ocean by the London Geographical Society in 1845.

By resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR dated June 27, 1935, the name Arctic Ocean was adopted, as corresponding to the form already used in Russia since early XIX century, and close to earlier Russian names.

The conventional name for the waters of the three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic and Indian) surrounding Antarctica and sometimes unofficially identified as the “fifth ocean”, which, however, does not have a clearly delineated northern border by islands and continents. The conditional area is 20.327 million km² (if we take the northern boundary of the ocean to be 60 degrees south latitude). Greatest depth (South Sandwich Trench) - 8428 m.

The clear answer to the question about the largest ocean is the World Ocean. But if we consider the existence of four oceans into which the main part of the hydrosphere is divided, then the second correct and more specific answer will be the Pacific Ocean.

The World Ocean accounts for up to 70 percent of the total area globe, 95.2 percent of the hydrosphere, its total area water resources exceeds 361 million km 2 with a water volume of 1340.74 million km 3. Its origin and history in to a greater extent is the subject of study of the science of oceanology. IN ancient times scientists admit the existence of the Panthalassa Ocean, which became the progenitor of the World Ocean as a result of irreversible tectonic processes.

Pacific Ocean occupies a third of the planet Earth, its area is 179.7 million km 2. Volume water reserves this ocean exceeds 710 million km 3 .

The area of ​​the Pacific Ocean is 30 million km 2 larger than the entire landmass of the Earth. In addition to its huge area, the ocean also has the greatest depth, which in the Mariana Trench is 10,994 meters, with an average ocean depth of 3,984 meters.

The waters of the Pacific Ocean account for approximately 49.5 percent of the surface of the world's oceans and more than 53 percent of its volume. The ocean includes 31 seas and large bays, the total area of ​​which exceeds 31.64 million km 2.

The main problem The Pacific Ocean is heavily littered by humans, who have made the ocean waters not only a landfill for hazardous nuclear waste, but also simply a dumping ground for household waste. It is now not uncommon to discover drifting garbage patches or islands with an area of ​​up to 15 million km 2 with waste volumes reaching one hundred million tons.

Atlantic Ocean ranks second in area in the world, significantly inferior in size Pacific Ocean. Area of ​​this water body 91.6 million km 2 with a total water volume of 329 million km 3. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 3736 meters, with maximum performance at 8742 meters.

Seas, straits and bays account for approximately 16 percent of the total area of ​​this ocean, total quantity equals 25, if you do not consider some bays to be an integral part of the seas. Their total area is 14.69 million km 2.

Main environmental disaster The Atlantic Ocean are the consequences of oil and gas production, huge oil spills are rapidly destroying the ecosystem, threatening to develop into a global environmental crisis, which will affect the entire oceans.

On Indian Ocean accounting for up to 20 percent of the planet's total water resources. With a volume of more than 282 million km 3, the ocean has an area exceeding 76.1 million km 2. The maximum width of the Indian Ocean, according to rough estimates, is 10 thousand kilometers. Maximum depth in the Sunda Trench reaches 7729 meters, and the average oceanic one does not exceed 3711 meters. The ocean contains 12 large seas and bays, the area of ​​which is 11.68 million km 2.

Located entirely in the northern hemisphere Arctic Ocean has an area exceeding 14.7 million km 2 with a total volume of ocean water resources of more than 18 million km 3 . More than 45 percent of the ocean floor is occupied by the shelf, where up to 70 percent of the area is occupied by the underwater territory of the continents, which belongs to six world states.

In total, the Northern Arctic Ocean includes 13 seas and large bays, with a total area of ​​10.28 million km 2. The maximum depth at a point located in the Greenland Sea is 5527 meters, the average depth across the ocean does not exceed 1225 meters.