Which ocean is the largest? From the largest ocean on earth to the smallest

Our planet is unique among others in that it has huge reserves of water, and in the most suitable form for life - liquid. Just recently I was stuck in a traffic jam and secretly heard on the radio that the Arctic Ocean is the shallowest ocean. Curiosity overcame me, and I wanted to know why it was recognized as the shallowest.

Cause of shallow waters of the Arctic Ocean

All oceans, except the Arctic Ocean, have an average depth of 4 km. This depth can be achieved by diving into the bed of the Indian, Pacific or Atlantic Ocean.

The problem of the Arctic is precisely that the above-mentioned bed is practically absent from it.

The ocean relief looks like this:

• shelf;
• continental slope;
• bed.

Due to the fact that the area of ​​the Arctic Ocean is 11 times smaller than that of the Pacific Ocean, the ocean relief is represented only by the shelf, and the average depth of the Arctic Ocean is only 1225 meters.

What makes the Pacific Ocean the deepest?

If you think that the whole point is its huge area, which is equal to 162 million km², then you are mistaken.

Yes, 10 Russian Federations could fit in the Pacific Ocean, but this ocean owes its depth to the tectonic structures on which it is located.

The first European to walk on the waters of this ocean was Magellan. His ships were never hit by the elements, and he awarded this ocean the name Pacific. In fact, it is as restless as the others, and the many junctions of lithospheric plates make it also the deepest.

There are 22 deep-sea trenches in the World Ocean, and only 5 of them are located outside the Pacific Ocean.

The Mariana Trench is located in its waters; its depth is only six meters short of reaching 11 km.

Amazingly, at the very bottom of the Challenger Deep, researchers managed to find life that was previously considered impossible at such a depth.

Oceans are large bodies of water that are located between continents. They differ from each other in salinity, the nature of currents, inhabitants and other features. Which ocean is the smallest in area? Why is he interesting? Let's find out.

Which ocean is the smallest?

The ratio of land and water on our planet is not the same. Most of the Earth's area is covered by the World Ocean. It covers approximately 71% or 361 million km 2 of its surface. It is part of the hydrosphere, a shell of water that washes all continents and islands.

Conventionally, it is divided into several areas that differ in their characteristics. It is generally accepted that there are four of them: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic oceans. Around the 17th century, the concept of the Southern Ocean, washing the shores of Antarctica or the then unknown “southern continent” appeared. But in 1953 this concept was abandoned.

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest in area. It is almost 12 times smaller than the Pacific, and covers only 14.75 million km 2. Despite its modest size, it is the most difficult to study and develop, because its vast territories are covered with ice and icebergs.

Northern Ocean

In the past there were many names behind him. It was called the “Hyperborean”, “Northern”, “Arctic” ocean, “Ice Sea”. Some of its names were associated with ancient kingdoms, which is how the names “Scythian” and “Tartar” appeared.

The smallest ocean in the world was formed approximately 145-66 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. It filled the space around the North Pole, located between Eurasia and North America. Its entire water area is usually divided into three basins: Canadian, North European and central Arctic.

The Arctic Ocean is the least deep, inhabited, and saltiest of all. Its volume is 18.07 million km³, of which approximately 6.63 million km3 is located in the seas. The average depth is 1225 meters, the deepest place reaches 5527 meters and is located in the Greenland Sea.

Ocean waters

Due to its small size and closed nature, some geographers consider it the Atlantic Sea. The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by land on almost all sides. It connects with other oceans through the Davis Strait, Bering Strait, Danish Strait, and Hudson Strait. All seas, bays, bays occupy about 70% of its area.

The waters of the smallest ocean have low salinity, the reason for this is precipitation, melting ice, and a low level of evaporation. In addition, they are desalinated by the rivers of Asia and Alaska, which annually bring about 5 thousand km 3. They create a powerful Trans-Arctic flow. Near the Bering Strait, it is intensified by the Pacific Current, ensuring ice drift from Alaska to Greenland.

However, the volume of the rivers is very small compared to the amount that comes from the Atlantic. Every year the Atlantic Ocean provides its “northern neighbor” with 298 thousand km 3 of water. Thus, the northern branch of the warm Gulf Stream passes between Spitsbergen and Norway. It softens the climate of Northern Europe and prevents its western shores from being covered with permanent ice even in winter. From Spitsbergen, currents head to the Chukchi Sea, taking about five years to reach it.

The eternal cold of the Arctic

The polar position affects the ocean climate. In its various regions, the polar night lasts from 50 to 150 days a year, and access to solar heat is completely stopped. At this time, there is a high pressure zone over the ocean, which is shifted towards Greenland. Extreme cold and dry air masses come here.

The main feature of the smallest ocean is ice. He is constantly present in him. Some areas are covered with welded, stationary ice floes; in other areas they drift at speeds from 7 to 100 km/day.

In winter, most of the ocean and its seas freeze. In summer, solar radiation is quite powerful. At this time, some coastal areas thaw, although some areas still remain. The northern shores of Greenland are ice-free throughout the year. The eastern and western shores of the island regularly supply the oceans with thousands of icebergs, which often penetrate the shipping routes between America and Europe. One of these “gifts” met the infamous Titanic.

Fauna and flora

The flora and fauna of the smallest ocean has been poorly studied, but even now we can conclude that it is not very diverse. Only river mouths, shelves, and Atlantic regions are distinguished by their richness.

The most inhabited are the Barents, Kara, Greenland and Norwegian seas. They are home to up to 200 species of zooplankton and more than 100 species of fish. In the East Siberian and Laptev Seas, the number of species decreases several times; in the Arctic basin there are even fewer of them.

The main plants of the Arctic Ocean are diatoms, which can withstand the absence of heat. Many of them are attached to the undersurface of ice floes. In the seas of the oceans there are herring, tuna, salmon, flounder, cod, various mollusks and crustaceans. Thanks to them, many birds nest on the islands and coasts, forming entire “bird colonies”.

The inhabitants of the polar regions are characterized by gigantism, as well as longevity. The ocean is inhabited by the world's largest mussels, the planet's largest predator - the polar bear, huge whales, walruses and seals. The largest jellyfish, the Arctic cyanide, whose diameter reaches two meters, also lives in the ocean waters. In addition, many native species live up to ten years longer than their counterparts in tropical and subtropical areas.

Usage

Due to the abundance of ice cover, the smallest ocean is not easy to develop, but people have learned to use it. Two large shipping routes pass through its seas: the Northern route along Eurasia, and the Northwestern route along North America. In addition to them, there are many short sea routes along Norway, Alaska, Greenland, Canada and other regions.

The Arctic Ocean is a major source of seafood. More than 2 million tons of fish are caught there every year. Its shelves and coastal areas are rich in oil and gas. On its shores coal, titanium, uranium, gold, mica, pigs, zinc, apatite, tin and iron are mined.

Fishing and mineral extraction harm the fragile nature of the northern ocean. Therefore, along with industrial development, programs for its conservation are also being developed.

1. Seas of the Arctic Ocean.

2. Seas of the Pacific Ocean.

3. Seas of the Atlantic Ocean

4. Caspian Sea-lake.

Seas of the Arctic Ocean

The seas of the Arctic Ocean include: the Barents Sea, the White Sea, the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea.

All these seas wash the territory of Russia from the north. All seas, except the White Sea, are marginal, and the White Sea is internal. The seas are separated from each other by archipelagos of islands - natural boundaries, and where there is no clear boundary between the seas, it is drawn conditionally. All seas are shelf seas and therefore shallow, only the northern waters of the Laptev Sea extend to the edge of the Nansen Basin (depth 3385 m). Thus, the Laptev Sea is the deepest of the northern seas. The second deepest of the northern seas is the Barents Sea, and the shallowest is the East Siberian Sea, the average depth of all seas is 185 m.

The seas are open, and there is a free exchange of water between them and the ocean. From the Atlantic, warm and salty waters flow into the Barents Sea in two powerful streams: the Spitsbergen and North Cape currents. In the east, the Arctic Ocean basin is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the narrow Bering Strait (its width is 86 km, depth 42 m), so water exchange with the Pacific Ocean is noticeably difficult.

The seas of the Arctic Ocean are characterized by large runoff from the mainland; about 70% of the runoff of the Russian territory belongs to the basin of this ocean. The influx of river water reduces the salinity of the seas to 32‰. Near the mouths of large rivers, salinity drops to 5‰, and only in the north-west of the Barents Sea does it approach 35‰.

The climate of the seas is harsh, which is primarily due to their geographical location in high latitudes. All seas, except the White Sea, lie in the Arctic. This fact causes them to become very cold in winter, during the polar night. In the eastern part, the Arctic pressure maximum is formed, which maintains frosty, partly cloudy weather in winter. The Icelandic and Aleutian lows have a certain influence on the climate of the northern seas. The western regions of the Arctic in winter are characterized by cyclonic activity, which is especially pronounced in the Barents Sea: frosts soften, the weather is cloudy, windy, with snowfalls, and fog is possible. An anticyclone dominates over the central and eastern seas, so average January temperatures change as follows (in the direction from west to east): over the Barents Sea in January temperatures are -5o -15oC, and in the Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea the average January temperature is about -30oC . Over the Chukchi Sea it is a little warmer - about -25°C, this is influenced by the Aleutian minimum. In the area of ​​the North Pole in January the temperature is about -40°C. Summer is characterized by continuous solar radiation during the long polar day.

Cyclonic activity weakens somewhat in summer, but air temperatures remain quite low, because... The bulk of solar radiation is spent on melting ice. Average July temperatures vary from 0°C on the northern edge of the seas to +5°C on the coast of the continent, and only over the White Sea in summer the temperature reaches +10°C.

In winter, all seas, with the exception of the western edge of the Barents Sea, freeze. Most of the ocean is covered with ice all year round; this ice remains for several years and is called pack ice. Ice is in constant motion. Despite its considerable thickness (up to 3 m or more), the ice is subject to fractures, and cracks and even polynyas form between the ice floes. The surface of the pack ice is relatively flat, but in some places hummocks up to 5-10 m high can appear. In addition to ice, icebergs that have broken off from the cover glaciers that are present on the Arctic islands can be found in the seas. In summer, the ice area decreases, but even in August, drifting ice floes can be seen in the seas off the coast. The ice regime changes annually; now, with climate warming, there is an improvement in ice conditions (for sea vessels). The water temperature remains low all year round: in summer +1o +5o (in the White Sea up to +10o), in winter -1-2oC (and only in the western part of the Barents Sea about +4oC).

The bioproductivity of the northern seas is low, the flora and fauna of these seas are relatively poor, and the depletion of flora and fauna occurs in the direction from west to east, due to the severity of the climate. Thus, the ichthyofauna of the Barents Sea includes 114 species of fish, and 37 species live in the Laptev Sea. The Barents Sea is inhabited by: cod, haddock, halibut, sea bass, herring, etc. The eastern seas are dominated by salmon (nelma, pink salmon, chum salmon, salmon), whitefish (omul, vendace) and smelt.

Pacific Seas

The seas of the Pacific Ocean include: the Bering Sea, the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and the Sea of ​​Japan. They wash the eastern shores of Russia. The seas are separated from the Pacific Ocean by ridges of islands: the Aleutian, Kuril and Japanese, behind which there are deep-sea trenches (the maximum depth at the Kuril-Kamchatka trench is 9717 m). The seas are located in the subduction zone of two lithospheric plates: the Eurasian and the Pacific. The seas are also located in the zone of transition of the continental crust to the oceanic crust; the shelf is small, so the seas of the Pacific Ocean are significantly deep. The deepest (4150 m) and largest in size is the Bering Sea. On average, the depth of all three seas is 1350 m, which is significantly deeper than the seas of the Arctic Ocean. The seas stretch for almost 5,000 km from north to south, while they have free water exchange with the Pacific Ocean. A distinctive feature of these seas is the relatively small influx of river water into them. Less than 20% of the water flow from the territory of Russia belongs to the Pacific Ocean basin.

The climate of the seas is largely determined by the monsoon circulation, which smoothes out the climatic differences of the seas, especially in winter. The average air temperature in January varies from -15-20°C near the coast and to -5°C near the island arcs. The harshest winter is in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk (500 km from Oymyakon). In summer, the climatic differences between the seas are more noticeable. In the Bering Sea, the average temperature in summer is +7 +10° C, and in the Sea of ​​Japan the temperature reaches +20° C. In the summer season, typhoons often sweep over the Sea of ​​Japan. In winter, ice forms in the seas: the Sea of ​​Okhotsk freezes completely, and the Bering and Japanese Seas freeze only near the coasts. In winter, the water temperature ranges from +2оС to -2оС, and in summer the water temperature varies from +5оС in the north to +17оС in the south. Water salinity varies from 30‰ in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk to 33‰ in the Bering and Sea of ​​Japan.

The seas of the Pacific Ocean are characterized by tidal currents; in Penzhinskaya Bay the highest tidal waves are observed off the coast of Russia - up to 13 m; near the Kuril Islands the height of tidal waves is up to 5 m.

The organic world of the seas is quite rich; plankton and seaweed grow abundantly in shallow waters. The ichthyofauna is represented by arctic and boreal fish species, and in the Sea of ​​Japan also by subtropical fish species. In total, about 800 species of fish live in the seas of the Far East, of which more than 600 are in the Sea of ​​Japan. Of commercial importance are salmon (chum salmon, pink salmon, coho salmon, chinook salmon, etc.), willow herring, and Pacific herring, and bottom fish include flounder, halibut, cod, as well as pollock and sea bass; in more southern parts - mackerel, conger eels, tuna and sharks. In addition, the Pacific seas are rich in crabs and sea urchins; fur seals and sea otters live on the islands.

Seas of the Atlantic Ocean

Seas of the Atlantic Ocean: Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Azov Sea.

These seas are inland, they wash small areas of the country. The connection between these seas and the ocean is rather weak, and therefore their hydrological regime is unique.

The Baltic Sea (Varyazhskoye) is the westernmost of the seas of Russia. It is connected to the ocean through the shallow Denmark Strait and the shallow North Sea. The Baltic Sea itself is also shallow; it was formed in Quaternary times and was covered with continental ice to the bottom. The sea is shallow, the maximum depth of the Baltic Sea is 470 m (south of Stockholm), in the Gulf of Finland the depth does not exceed 50 m.

The climate of the Baltic Sea is formed under the influence of the westerly transfer of air masses from the Atlantic. Cyclones often pass through the sea; annual precipitation exceeds 800 mm. Temperatures in summer over the Baltic are + 16-18°C, water temperature + 15-17°C. In winter, thaws dominate the sea; the average temperature in January is around 0°C, but with the invasion of Arctic air masses, the temperature can drop to -30°C. Only the Gulf of Finland freezes in winter, but in some severe winters the entire sea can freeze.

About 250 rivers flow into the Baltic Sea, but 20% of the river flow is brought by the Neva River. The salinity of water in the Baltic Sea does not exceed 14‰ (the average oceanic 35‰), off the coast of Russia (in the Gulf of Finland) the salinity is 2-3‰.

The Baltic fauna is not rich. Of commercial importance are: sprat, herring, eel, smelt, cod, whitefish, and lamprey. In addition, the sea is home to seals, whose numbers have recently been declining due to pollution of sea waters.

The Black Sea is the warmest of the Russian seas. It is almost equal in area to the Baltic Sea, but greatly exceeds it - due to its great depth - in volume: the maximum depth of the Black Sea is 2210 m. The connection between the Black Sea and the Atlantic is carried out through a system of inland seas and straits.

The climate of the Black Sea is close to the Mediterranean (warm, wet winters and relatively dry, hot summers). In winter, northeast winds dominate over the sea. When cyclones pass, stormy winds often occur; The average air temperature in winter ranges from 0°C off the coast of Russia to +5°C on the southern coast of the sea. In summer, northwest winds prevail, the average air temperature is +22-25°C. Many rivers flow into the sea, the Danube giving the largest flow. The salinity of the Black Sea waters is 18-22‰, but near the mouths of large rivers the salinity decreases to 5-10‰.

Life lives only in the upper layers of the sea, because... Below 180 m, poisonous hydrogen sulfide is dissolved in water. The Black Sea is home to 166 species of fish: Mediterranean species - mackerel, horse mackerel, sprat, anchovy, tuna, mullet, etc.; freshwater species - pike perch, bream, ram. Pontic relics have been preserved here: beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, herring. Dolphins and seals live in the Black Sea among mammals.

The Sea of ​​Azov is the smallest sea in Russia and the shallowest in the world: its average depth is 7 m, and its greatest depth is 13 m. This sea is a shelf sea, it is connected to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait. Due to its small size and deeply inland position, the sea has the features of a continental climate rather than a marine one. The average air temperature in January is about -3°C, but with stormy winds from the north-east, the temperature can drop to -25°C, although very rarely. In summer, the air over the Sea of ​​Azov warms up to +25°C.

Two large rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Azov: Don and Kuban, which bring over 90% of the annual river flow. In addition to these rivers, about 20 other small rivers flow into it. Water salinity is about 13‰; By August the water in the sea warms up to +25°C, and near the coast up to +30°C. In winter, most of the sea freezes; ice formation begins in December, in the Taganrog Bay. The sea is freed from ice only in April.

The organic world of the Azov Sea is diverse: it is home to about 80 species of fish, mainly Mediterranean and freshwater species - sprat, anchovy, pike perch, bream, sturgeon, etc.

Caspian sea-lake

The Caspian Sea belongs to an internal closed basin; it is a relict lake, but in the Neogene it was connected with the World Ocean. The Caspian Lake is the largest lake on Earth; in terms of its hydrological regime and large size, it is very similar to the sea.

The Caspian basin consists of three parts: northern – shelf, with depths up to 50 m; medium - with depths of 200-800 m; the southern one is deep-sea, with a maximum depth of 1025 m. The length of the Caspian Sea from north to south is 1200 km, from west to east – about 300 km.

The climate of the Caspian Sea varies from temperate in the north to subtropical in the south. In winter, the sea is under the influence of the Asian High and northeasterly winds blow over it. The average air temperature ranges from -8°C in the north to +10°C in the south. The shallow northern part is covered with ice from January to March.

In summer, clear, hot weather prevails over the Caspian Sea, the average summer air temperature is +25-28°C. The annual precipitation over the Northern Caspian Sea is about 300 mm, and in the southwest it falls up to 1500 mm.

More than 130 rivers flow into the sea, but 80% of the river flow comes from the Volga River. Water salinity ranges from 0.5‰ in the north to 13‰ in the southeast.

The organic world of the Caspian Sea is not rich, but endemic; it is home to: herring, gobies, sturgeon (beluga, stellate sturgeon, sterlet, sturgeon), carp, bream, pike perch, roach and other fish species, as well as seal.

In the section on the question Which ocean is the deepest and which is the shallowest? given by the author Sound combination the best answer is The deepest is the Pacific Ocean, with an average depth of 4,281 m. Next comes the Indian Ocean, with an average depth of 3,963 m. Then comes the Atlantic Ocean, with an average depth of 3,926 m.

The Arctic Ocean is the shallowest of all oceans. The deepest part of the ocean lies between the Lomonosov Ridge and the continental shelf of Eurasia and is 4000-4600 m. On the other side of the ridge, the depth does not exceed 3400 m.
The deepest place - 5527 m - is located outside the ocean bed, in the Greenland Sea.
And he is also the coldest.
Source: ;

Reply from Ester[guru]
The oceans remain a mystery to us in many ways. We don't even know the age of the oceans. It is quite possible that in the early stages of the development of the Earth, oceans did not exist.
Today, man explores the ocean floor to better study them. Up to a depth of 3600 m, the ocean floor is covered with soft muddy sediments. They consist of calcareous skeletons of the smallest marine animals. At depths greater than 6 km, the bottom is covered with fine reddish silt called “red clay”. It consists of particles of animal skeletons, remains of small plants and volcanic ash.
Currently, the depth of the oceans is measured by sending sound waves into the depths and receiving the reflected signal. To do this, measure the time it takes for the sound wave to reach the bottom and return after reflection; After this, the amount of time is divided in half.
Based on these measurements, we have a pretty good idea of ​​the average depth of the various oceans, as well as their deepest points. The deepest is the Pacific Ocean, with an average depth of 4,281 m. Next comes the Indian Ocean, with an average depth of 3,963 m. Then comes the Atlantic Ocean, with an average depth of 3,926 m. For comparison, the Baltic Sea has an average depth of only 55 m!
Today, the deepest place in the oceans is known - in the area of ​​​​the Guam Islands - 10,790 m. The other deepest place is located in the Atlantic Ocean near the Guam Islands - here the depth reaches 9,219 m. Hudson Bay, which is larger in area than many seas, has the average depth is only 183 m.

Depths of oceans and seas

This table provides data on the average and maximum depths of oceans and seas, the total area, including the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Arctic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Bering Sea, and others.

Shallowest ocean

Measuring the depth of the oceans

Man has learned to measure the depth of seas and oceans: to do this, ultrasonic waves are sent into the water and the time it takes for them to reach the bottom and return is measured, and the resulting value must be divided in half. Which ocean is the shallowest and which is the deepest?

The smallest, coldest, calmest and freshest ocean is the Arctic Ocean. It is located in the very north of the planet, in the center of the Arctic, and washes the shores of Eurasia and North America, and also borders two oceans: the Atlantic and the Pacific. A significant part of its area is occupied by seas, and the ocean itself is a huge deep bowl called the Arctic Basin.

Animal life in the Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is also shallowest ocean on the planet. Its average depth is only 1,225 m, and its deepest point is in the Greenland Sea, beyond the ocean floor and its depth is 5,527 m.

The diversity of algae and plankton that have been able to adapt to low temperatures can only be found in Atlantic waters. Animals that live in the shallowest ocean– these are whales, walruses, seals, as well as many types of commercial fish (cod, navaga, halibut, etc.).

Challenger Deep

If the Arctic is shallowest ocean, then the deepest ocean is the Pacific. Its average depth is 3,984 m. The deepest point of the Pacific Ocean (as well as the entire World Ocean) is located in the southwestern part of the Mariana Trench near the island of Guam, it is called the Challenger Deep and is 10,994 m according to research in 2011.

Besides, deepest ocean It is also the largest in area, which with all the seas occupies 179.7 million km². It washes the shores of Eurasia and Australia in the west, is located between North and South America in the east, reaches Antarctica in the south and borders the other three oceans.

Perhaps we can say that Quiet is also the most beautiful ocean, since the diversity and abundance of its life forms is nothing short of admirable: 4 thousand species of algae, 30 thousand plants, and the species composition of the animal world is 3-4 times richer than in other oceans.

In addition, the Pacific Ocean surpasses all others in the number of islands (about 30 thousand), many of which can be called heaven on earth/

The smallest ocean in the world– The Arctic Ocean has distinctive features.

The depth of this ocean is shallow, but it is surrounded by a harsh climate and a lot of ice. More than 80% of its surface is submerged under ice in winter. Winds and currents cause ice masses to compress and form ice piles or hummocks. The height of the hummocks reaches ten meters or more. At any time of the year, ice occurs in all seas of the Arctic Ocean, and its central regions are covered with pack ice.

From the shores of North America to Eurasia, the waters of this small ocean stretch in the center of the Arctic. The Arctic Ocean is rightfully considered the smallest ocean on Earth, because...

it occupies an area of ​​only 14.74 million square meters. km. This figure is approximately equal to 4% of the total area of ​​the World Ocean, which occupies 361.26 million square meters. km. The deepest depression in the ocean is located in the Greenland Sea, it is 5527 meters. And if we consider the average value of its depth, it will be only 1225 meters.

The waters of the Arctic Ocean border with the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Some scientists even propose to consider this baby one of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The smallest ocean in the world is of great importance for our planet, because its waters warm vast areas in the Northern Hemisphere.

In terms of the number of islands, this small ocean ranks second after the Pacific Ocean. Greenland (the largest island on planet Earth) is located in the Arctic Ocean.

The waters of the Arctic Ocean wash only a few countries. Among them are the two largest in the world by territory - Russia and Canada. The latter is known as one of the most attractive countries in the world for business and professional immigration. Canadian higher education institutions are also famous throughout the world. But in order to get to Canada, as well as the United States, to work or study, you must pass an English language exam, a mandatory test for all applicants for study and business visas to these countries.

Continental shelves occupy about 45% of the ocean floor area. Here the depth reaches only 350 meters. The underwater edge of the continent, located off the coast of Eurasia, reaches 1300 meters. If we look at the central part of the ocean, we can find several deep pits there, the depth of which reaches 5000 meters. They are separated by the transoceanic ridges - Lomonosov, Gakkel and Mendeleev.

The water temperature of the Arctic Ocean and its salinity vary depending on depth. In the upper layers, salinity is reduced, because The composition of the water is influenced by meltwater and river runoff, which replenish the ocean waters. In addition, the low evaporation of its waters has an effect. The next layer of water (subsurface) is more salty - about 34.3%, it is formed by the waters of the upper and intermediate layers of water. The intermediate layer extends to a depth of 800 meters and is characterized by temperatures above zero degrees and high salinity, which here is 37%. The deep water layer is even deeper. Its temperature is minus 0.9 degrees Celsius and its salinity is almost 35%. At the very bottom of the ocean there is a sedentary bottom layer; this layer does not take part in the circulation of the waters of the Arctic Ocean.

The Arctic Ocean has a harsh climate, which is due to its geographical location and the lack of solar heat. The ocean itself has a significant impact on the climate of the Arctic and its hydrodynamics. Ocean waters are protected by ice cover from solar radiation and the harmful effects of the atmosphere. The North Atlantic Current is a powerful factor that determines the circulation regime of ocean waters located in the surface layer.

The Arctic Ocean does not have a very diverse flora and fauna, this is due to its harsh habitat conditions. But some forms of the fauna of its seas have interesting features, such as longevity or gigantism. For example, among its inhabitants you can see the largest mussels or the largest jellyfish - Arctic cyanides. These fantastic jellyfish have a dome with a diameter of 2.5 meters and tentacles 35 meters long.

Sailors, travelers and scientists have been trying to conquer and explore the Arctic Ocean for many years. But the Arctic, with its harsh climate, does not reveal all its secrets to humanity, and still not all the secrets of the Arctic Ocean are known to people.

The smallest ocean on Earth

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is rightfully recognized as the smallest ocean. It is located between Eurasia and North America. Its area is 14.75 million km2, and this is only one tenth of the largest ocean - the Pacific, or a little more than 4% of the entire area of ​​the World Ocean. But, despite this, the Arctic Ocean is rich in islands and, in terms of their number, ranks second after the Pacific Ocean.

By the way, here, in the waters of the smallest ocean, is the largest island on earth - Greenland and the second largest archipelago - the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

History of the discovery of the Arctic Ocean

For the first time, the Arctic Ocean was highlighted as an independent one on a German map of the mid-17th century. There it was called the Hyperborean Ocean, which means “Ocean in the extreme north.” At that time, various foreign sources used the names: “Northern Ocean”, “Scythian Ocean”, “Tatar Ocean”, “Arctic Sea”. On Russian maps of the 17th-18th centuries there were names: “Arctic Sea”, “Sea Ocean”, “Arctic Sea Ocean”, “Arctic Ocean” and “Northern Ocean”.

The real name - the Arctic Ocean - was given to it in the 20s of the 19th century by the Russian navigator Admiral F.P. Litke.

The Arctic Ocean, as its name suggests, is the northernmost, coldest, and least studied of all the oceans. Almost its entire water area is covered with ice for most of the year. Therefore, it is unattractive not only for sailors and fishermen, but even for marine life and plants. However, in nature there are lovers of cold climates. Here, in more or less open parts of the ocean, you can find seals, polar bears, whales and several species of fish.

Animals of the Arctic Ocean

In general, the fauna of the northern seas has some peculiarities. For example, gigantism. The largest mussels live in the Arctic Ocean, there is the largest jellyfish Cyania (about 2 meters in diameter with a tentacle length of 20 meters), the largest Ophiura (or Snaketail) named “Gorgon's head”. In the Kara Sea there is a giant single coral and a sea spider (its leg span reaches 30 cm).

Another feature of living organisms in the Arctic Ocean is longevity. For example, mussels in the Barents Sea live up to 25 years (and in the Black Sea - only 6), cod lives here up to 20 years, and halibut - 30-40 years. But there is no magic in this, the whole secret is that in cold Arctic waters the development of life processes proceeds much more slowly.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean on Earth

Kristina Yashina, Samogo.Net