The Atlantic Ocean is considered one of the largest and most voluminous in size, namely the second in size after the Pacific Ocean. This ocean is the most studied and developed when compared with other water areas. Its location is as follows: in the east it is framed by the shores of North and South America, and in the west its borders end in Europe and Africa. In the South it passes into the Southern Ocean. And on the northern side it borders with Greenland. The ocean is distinguished by the fact that there are very few islands in it, and the topography of its bottom is all dotted and has a complex structure. The coastline is broken.
Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean
If we talk about the area of the ocean, it occupies 91.66 million square meters. km. We can say that part of its territory is not the ocean itself, but existing seas and bays. The volume of the ocean is 329.66 million square meters. km, and its average depth is 3736 m. Where the Puerto Rico Trench is located, the ocean is considered to have the greatest depth, which is 8742 m. There are two currents - Northern and Southern.
Atlantic Ocean from the north
The ocean boundary from the north is marked in some places by ridges located under water. In this hemisphere, the Atlantic is framed by an indented coastline. Its small northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by several narrow straits. Davis Strait is located in the northeast and connects the ocean with the Baffin Sea, which is also considered to belong to the Arctic Ocean. Closer to the center, the Denmark Strait is less wide than the Davis Strait. Between Norway and Iceland, closer to the northeast, is the Norwegian Sea.
In the southwest of the Northern Current of the ocean are the Gulf of Mexico, which is connected by the Strait of Florida. And also the Caribbean Sea. There are many bays to note here, such as Barnegat, Delaware, Hudson Bay and others. It is in the northern side of the ocean that you can see the largest and largest islands, which are famous for their fame. These are Puerto Rico, the world famous Cuba and Haiti, as well as the British Isles and Newfoundland. Closer to the east you can find small groups of islands. These are the Canary Islands, the Azores and Cape Verde. Closer to the west are the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles.
South Atlantic Ocean
Some geographers believe that the southern part is the entire space up to Antarctica. Someone is defining the border at Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope between two continents. The coastline in the south of the Atlantic Ocean is not as indented as in the north, and there are no seas. There is one large bay near Africa - Guinea. The farthest point in the south is Tierra del Fuego, which is framed by small islands in large numbers. Also, you cannot find large islands here, but there are separate islands, like. Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha. In the far south you can find the Southern Islands, Bouvet, Falkland and others.
As for the current in the southern ocean, here all systems flow counterclockwise. Near eastern Brazil, the South Trade Wind Current branches. One branch goes north, flows near the northern coast of South America, filling the Caribbean. And the second is considered southern, very warm, moves near Brazil and soon connects with the Antarctic Current, then heads to the east. Partially separates and turns into the Benguela Current, which is distinguished by its cold waters.
Attractions of the Atlantic Ocean
There is a special underwater cave in the Belize Barrier Reef. It was called the Blue Hole. It is very deep, and inside it there is a whole series of caves that are connected to each other by tunnels. The depth of the cave reaches 120 m and is considered unique of its kind.
There is no person who does not know about the Bermuda Triangle. But it is located in the Atlantic Ocean and excites the imagination of many superstitious travelers. Bermuda attracts with its mystery, but at the same time frightens with the unknown.
It is in the Atlantic that you can see an unusual sea that has no shores. And all because it is located in the middle of a body of water, and its boundaries cannot be framed by land, only currents show the boundaries of this sea. This is the only sea in the world that has such unique data and is called the Sargasso Sea.
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The Atlantic Ocean, or Atlantic, is the second largest (after the Pacific) and the most developed among other water areas. In the east it is limited by the coasts of South and North America, in the west - Africa and Europe, in the north - Greenland, in the south it merges with the Southern Ocean.
Distinctive features of the Atlantic: a small number of islands, complex bottom topography and a highly indented coastline.
Characteristics of the ocean
Area: 91.66 million sq. km, with 16% of the territory falling on seas and bays.
Volume: 329.66 million sq. km
Salinity: 35‰.
Depth: average - 3736 m, greatest - 8742 m (Puerto Rico Trench).
Temperature: in the very south and north - about 0°C, at the equator - 26-28°C.
Currents: conventionally there are 2 gyres - Northern (currents move clockwise) and Southern (counterclockwise). The gyres are separated by the Equatorial Intertrade Current.
Main currents of the Atlantic Ocean
Warm:
Northern trade wind - begins off the west coast of Africa, crosses the ocean from east to west and meets the Gulf Stream near Cuba.
Gulf Stream- the most powerful current in the world, which carries 140 million cubic meters of water per second (for comparison: all the rivers of the world carry only 1 million cubic meters of water per second). It originates near the coast of the Bahamas, where the Florida and Antilles currents meet. Having united, they give rise to the Gulf Stream, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean through the strait between Cuba and the Florida Peninsula. The current then moves north along the US coast. Approximately off the coast of North Carolina, the Gulf Stream turns east and enters the open ocean. After approximately 1,500 km, it meets the cold Labrador Current, which slightly changes the course of the Gulf Stream and carries it to the northeast. Closer to Europe, the current splits into two branches: Azores and North Atlantic.
Only recently it became known that 2 km below the Gulf Stream there is a reverse current flowing from Greenland to the Sargasso Sea. This flow of icy water was called the Anti-Gulf Stream.
North Atlantic- a continuation of the Gulf Stream, which washes the western coast of Europe and brings the warmth of southern latitudes, providing a mild and warm climate.
Antilles- begins east of the island of Puerto Rico, flows north and joins the Gulf Stream near the Bahamas. Speed - 1-1.9 km/h, water temperature 25-28°C.
Interpass countercurrent - current that encircles the globe at the equator. In the Atlantic, it separates the North Trade Wind and South Trade Wind Currents.
South Passat (or South Equatorial) - passes through the southern tropics. The average water temperature is 30°C. When the South Trade Wind Current reaches the coast of South America, it divides into two branches: Caribbean, or Guiana (flows north to the coast of Mexico) and Brazilian— moving south along the coast of Brazil.
Guinean - located in the Gulf of Guinea. It flows from west to east and then turns south. Together with the Angolan and South Equatorial currents, it forms the cyclic current of the Gulf of Guinea.
Cold:
Lomonosov countercurrent - discovered by a Soviet expedition in 1959. It originates off the coast of Brazil and moves north. The 200 km wide stream crosses the equator and flows into the Gulf of Guinea.
Canary- flows from north to south, towards the equator along the coast of Africa. This wide stream (up to 1 thousand km) near Madeira and the Canary Islands meets the Azores and Portuguese currents. Approximately around 15°N latitude. joins the Equatorial Countercurrent.
Labrador - begins in the strait between Canada and Greenland. It flows south to the Newfoundland Bank, where it meets the Gulf Stream. The waters of the current carry cold from the Arctic Ocean, and along with the flow, huge icebergs are carried south. In particular, the iceberg that destroyed the famous Titanic was brought precisely by the Labrador Current.
Benguela- is born near the Cape of Good Hope and moves along the coast of Africa to the north.
Falkland (or Malvinas) branches off from the West Wind Current and flows north along the east coast of South America to the Gulf of La Plata. Temperature: 4-15°C.
Current of the westerly winds encircles the globe in the region of 40-50°S. The flow moves from west to east. In the Atlantic it branches off South Atlantic flow.
Underwater world of the Atlantic Ocean
The underwater world of the Atlantic is poorer in diversity than in the Pacific Ocean. This is due to the fact that the Atlantic Ocean was more exposed to freezing during the Ice Age. But the Atlantic is richer in the number of individuals of each species.
The flora and fauna of the underwater world is clearly distributed among climatic zones.
The flora is represented mainly by algae and flowering plants (Zostera, Poseidonia, Fucus). In northern latitudes, kelp predominates; in temperate latitudes, red algae predominates. Throughout the ocean, phytoplankton actively thrives at depths of up to 100 m.
The fauna is rich in species. Almost all species and classes of marine animals live in the Atlantic. Of the commercial fish, herring, sardine, and flounder are especially valued. There is an active catch of crustaceans and mollusks, and whaling is limited.
The tropical zone of the Atlantic amazes with its abundance. There are a lot of corals and many amazing species of animals: turtles, flying fish, several dozen species of sharks.
The name of the ocean first appears in the works of Herodotus (5th century BC), who calls it the Sea of Atlantis. And in the 1st century AD. The Roman scientist Pliny the Elder writes about a vast expanse of water called Oceanus Atlanticus. But the official name “Atlantic Ocean” was established only in the 17th century.
The history of Atlantic exploration can be divided into 4 stages:
1. From antiquity to the 15th century. The first documents that talk about the ocean date back to the 1st millennium BC. The ancient Phoenicians, Egyptians, Cretans and Greeks knew the coastal zones of the water area well. Maps of those times have been preserved with detailed depth measurements and indications of currents.
2. The time of the Great Geographical Discoveries (XV-XVII centuries). The development of the Atlantic continues, the ocean becomes one of the main trade routes. In 1498, Vasco de Gama, having circumnavigated Africa, paved the way to India. 1493-1501 - Columbus's three voyages to America. The Bermuda anomaly was identified, many currents were discovered, detailed maps of depths, coastal zones, temperatures, and bottom topography were compiled.
Expeditions of Franklin in 1770, I. Kruzenshtern and Yu. Lisyansky of 1804-06.
3. XIX - first half of the XX century - the beginning of scientific oceanographic research. Chemistry, physics, biology, ocean geology are studied. A map of currents has been compiled, and research is being carried out to lay an underwater cable between Europe and America.
4. 1950s - present day. A comprehensive study of all components of oceanography is being carried out. Priorities include: studying the climate of different zones, identifying global atmospheric problems, ecology, mining, ensuring ship traffic, and seafood production.
In the center of the Belize Barrier Reef there is a unique underwater cave - the Great Blue Hole. Its depth is 120 meters, and at the very bottom there is a whole gallery of smaller caves connected by tunnels.
The Atlantic is home to the only sea in the world without shores - the Sargasso. Its boundaries are formed by ocean currents.
Here is one of the most mysterious places on the planet: the Bermuda Triangle. The Atlantic Ocean is also home to another myth (or reality?) - the continent of Atlantis.
The part of the World Ocean bounded by Europe and Africa to the east and North and South America to the west. The name comes from the name of the Titan Atlas (Atlas) in Greek mythology.
Second in size only to Quiet; its area is approximately 91.56 million km2. It is distinguished from other oceans by its highly rugged coastline, forming numerous seas and bays, especially in the northern part. In addition, the total area of river basins flowing into this ocean or its marginal seas is significantly larger than that of rivers flowing into any other ocean. Another difference Atlantic Ocean is a relatively small number of islands and a complex bottom topography, which, thanks to underwater ridges and uplifts, forms many separate basins.
Atlantic coast states - 49 countries:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland , Spain, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint -Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.
NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
It is divided into northern and southern parts, the border between which is conventionally drawn along the equator. From an oceanographic point of view, however, the southern part of the ocean should include the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5–8° N latitude. The northern border is usually drawn along the Arctic Circle. In some places this boundary is marked by underwater ridges.
Borders and coastline
In the Northern Hemisphere has a heavily indented coastline. Its narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow straits. In the northeast, the 360 km wide Davis Strait connects it to the Baffin Sea, which belongs to the Arctic Ocean. In the central part, between Greenland and Iceland, there is the Denmark Strait, at its narrowest point only 287 km wide. Finally, in the northeast, between Iceland and Norway, there is the Norwegian Sea, approx. 1220 km. East of Atlantic Ocean two water areas protruding deeply into the land are separated. The more northern of them begins with the North Sea, which to the east passes into the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. To the south there is a system of inland seas - the Mediterranean and the Black - with a total length of approx. 4000 km.
In the tropical zone in the southwest of the North Atlantic are the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, connected to the ocean by the Strait of Florida. The coast of North America is indented by small bays (Pamlico, Barnegat, Chesapeake, Delaware and Long Island Sound); to the northwest are the Bays of Fundy and St. Lawrence, the Strait of Belle Isle, Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay.
CURRENTS
Surface currents in the northern part Atlantic Ocean moving clockwise. The main elements of this large system are the northward warm Gulf Stream, as well as the North Atlantic, Canary and North Trade Wind (Equatorial) Currents. The Gulf Stream follows from the Strait of Florida and Cuba in a northerly direction along the coast of the United States and approximately 40° N latitude. deviates to the northeast, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current is divided into two branches, one of which follows northeast along the coast of Norway and further into the Arctic Ocean. The second branch turns south and further southwest along the coast of Africa, forming the cold Canary Current. This current moves southwest and joins the North Trade Wind Current, which heads west towards the West Indies, where it merges with the Gulf Stream. To the north of the North Trade Wind Current there is an area of stagnant waters, teeming with algae, known as the Sargasso Sea. The cold Labrador Current runs along the North Atlantic coast of North America from north to south, coming from Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cooling the shores of New England.
ISLANDS of the Atlantic Ocean
The largest islands are concentrated in the northern part of the ocean; these are the British Isles, Iceland, Newfoundland, Cuba, Haiti (Hispaniola) and Puerto Rico. On the eastern edge Atlantic Ocean There are several groups of small islands - the Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. Similar groups exist in the western part of the ocean. Examples include the Bahamas, Florida Keys and Lesser Antilles. The Greater and Lesser Antilles archipelagos form an island arc surrounding the eastern Caribbean Sea. In the Pacific Ocean, such island arcs are characteristic of areas of crustal deformation. Deep-sea trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.
The second largest ocean on Earth. This is the most studied and developed ocean by people.
The Atlantic Ocean washes the shores of all continents except. Its length is 13 thousand km (along the meridian 30 west), and its greatest width is 6700 km. The ocean has many seas and bays.
The structure of the Atlantic Ocean floor is divided into three main parts: the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the bed and the continental margins. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the longest mountain structure on Earth. It is also characterized by volcanism. Solidified lava forms ridges of high underwater volcanic mountains. Their highest peaks are volcanic islands.
In the waters of the Atlantic it is higher than in other oceans, and averages 35.4%.
Uneven. In temperate and cold waters there are many crustaceans, fish (cod, herring, sea bass, halibut, sprat) and large fish (whales, seals). The waters of tropical latitudes are inhabited by sharks, tuna, flying fish, moray eels, barracudas, sea turtles, octopuses, and squid. There are few corals in the Atlantic, they are found only in the Caribbean Sea.
Natural resources and the Atlantic Ocean
Natural resources are found in the waters of the ocean, at the bottom and in the depths of the earth's crust. Some countries (., Cuba,) desalinate sea water using special installations. In England, various salts and chemical elements are extracted from ocean waters. Large tidal power plants have been built in France (on the shores of the strait) and in (in the Bay of Fundy).
The rocks at the bottom contain oil and gas, phosphorites, placers of valuable minerals (including diamonds), iron ores, and coal. These are mined on the shelf. The main areas of oil and gas production: the North Sea, the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and Guinea, and the Caribbean Sea.
In the Atlantic Ocean and its seas, 1/3 of the fish and seafood (oysters, mussels, shrimp, squid, lobsters, crabs, krill, algae) of the total world catch is harvested annually. The main fishing areas are in the northeastern part of the Atlantic.
The Atlantic Ocean occupies a leading position in maritime transport, port activity and the density of sea routes. The densest network of tracks in the North Atlantic direction is between 35 and 60 N latitudes.
The world's major tourism centers are located on the shores of the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Gulf of Mexico, islands and Caribbean coast.
The Atlantic Ocean (map added below) is part of the World Ocean. It is considered the most studied body of water on our planet. In terms of its area it ranks second, losing first only to Quiet. The Atlantic Ocean covers an area of 91.66 million square meters. km, while Quiet is 178.684 million sq. km. As we can see, these numbers are quite impressive.
Description of the geographical location of the Atlantic Ocean
Meridionally, the ocean stretches for 13 thousand km. In the north it washes the shores of the island. Greenland, Canada and parts of Europe are connected to the waters of the Arctic Ocean. In the south, the Atlantic Ocean reaches the shores of Antarctica itself. Sometimes the southern part of the Atlantic, from about 35° south. w. up to 60° south sh., is classified as separate, but its existence is still a controversial issue.
The greatest width of the Atlantic Ocean is 6,700 km. In the east, it washes the western coast of Africa and Europe, and is connected along the border from Cape Agulhas to Queen Maud Land (in Antarctica). In the west it brings its waters to the shores of South and North America, connecting with the Pacific.
The geographical position of the Atlantic Ocean is such that it is united with all other large bodies of water on the planet, and also washes the shores of all continents except Australia.
Briefly about the ocean
The area of the Atlantic is more than 91 million square meters. km. In percentage terms, it accounts for 25% of all the waters of the World Ocean. Of the total water area, 16% falls on bays and seas. There are only 16 of the latter. Sargasso, Mediterranean and Caribbean are the largest seas that make up the Atlantic Ocean. The map added below also shows the largest bays. This is Mexican, Maine. The Atlantic Ocean is rich in both islands and archipelagos. The most significant in area: British, Greater Falklands, Iceland, Newfoundland, Greater Antilles, Bahamas, etc.
The average depth of the ocean is in the region of 3,500-4,000 m. The maximum is the Puerto Rico Trench, its length is 1,754 km, width is 97 km, and the greatest depth in this place reaches 8,742 m.
