Natural areas. Southern subtropical zone

Within the Pacific Ocean, all natural zones are distinguished, except for the North Polar (Arctic).

Northern subpolar ( subarctic) the belt occupies most of the Bering and Okhotsk seas. In the Pacific Ocean, the northern subpolar belt It has some features. It is not directly affected by the waters of the Arctic basin; penetrate and powerful jets of warm, highly saline waters. It is dominated by cold waters. Within the belt there are extensive shelves. On the shallow shelf, nutrients are not lost irretrievably at great depths, but are included in the cycle of organic matter, so shelf waters are characterized by high biological and commercial productivity.

The northern temperate zone is a vast ocean area stretching from Asia to North America. Here interact cold and warm air masses, westerly winds dominate. In the north of the belt there is the Aleutian minimum of atmospheric pressure, well expressed in winter, in the south there is the northern part of the Hawaiian maximum. The northern temperate zone includes the Sea of ​​Japan and the Yellow Sea.

The northern subtropical zone is represented by a relatively narrow strip approximately between 23 and 35° N. sh., stretching from Asia before North America. The belt is characterized by weak and changeable air and ocean currents, high atmospheric pressure, and the formation of sea tropical air, clear skies, high evaporation and water salinity up to 35.5%. The East China Sea is located in the belt.

The northern tropical belt stretches from the coasts of Mexico and Central America to the Philippine Islands and Taiwan, and continues to the coasts of Vietnam and Thailand in the South China Sea. A significant part of the belt is dominated by the Northern Trade Winds and the Northern Trade Wind Current. The monsoon circulation is developed in the western part. The belt is characterized by high water temperatures and salinity, and low bioproductivity.

The equatorial belt occupies a vast and complex area of ​​water in the Pacific Ocean. The bottom topography and geological structure are most complex in the west and relatively simple in the east. This is the area of ​​attenuation of the trade winds of both hemispheres. The belt is characterized by constant warm surface layer water, complex horizontal and vertical water circulation, large amounts of precipitation, vortex movements, relatively high bioproductivity.

The southern tropical belt is represented by a vast expanse of water between Australia and Peru, including the Coral Sea. The eastern part of the belt has a relatively simple bottom topography. In the western and middle parts there are several thousand large and small islands. Hydrological conditions are determined by the Southern Trade Wind Current. The salinity of the water is lower than in the northern tropical zone, especially in summer due to heavy rainfall. The western part of the belt is influenced monsoon circulation. Tropical hurricanes are common here. They often originate between the islands of Samoa and Fiji and move west to the shores of Australia.

The southern subtropical belt stretches in a winding strip of variable width from South-Eastern Australia and to the east, covering a large Part Tasman Sea, region of New Zealand, area between 30 and 40° south. sh., closer to the coast of South America, descends to slightly lower latitudes and approaches the coast between 20 and 35 ° S. w. The deviation of the boundaries from the latitudinal strike is associated with the circulation of surface waters and the atmosphere. Belt axis in open parts The ocean serves as a subtropical convergence zone, where the waters of the South Trade Wind Current and the northern jet of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current converge. The position of the convergence zone is unstable, depending on the season And varies from year to year, but the main processes, typical for the belt, are constant: lowering of air masses, formation of an area of ​​​​high pressure and sea tropical air, salinization of waters. On the eastern edge of the belt along the coast of Chile, the coastal Peruvian Current can be traced from south to north, where intense flow and rise of water occurs, resulting in the formation of a subtropical upwelling zone and the creation of large biomass.

The temperate zone includes the large northern part of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The northern boundary of the belt is close to 40-45° S. sh., and the southern one passes about 61-63° S. sh., i.e. along the northern border of the distribution of sea ice V September Southern temperate zone - an area dominated by westerly, north-west and south-west winds, stormy weather, significant cloudiness, low winter and summer surface water temperatures and intense transport on east of surface water masses.

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Climatic zones of the Pacific Ocean. Classification.

Ocean zoning is the main pattern of distribution of all properties in the waters of the World Ocean, manifested in a change in physical-geographical zones to a depth of 1500-2000 m. But this pattern is most clearly observed in the upper active layer of the ocean to a depth of 200 m.

The Soviet scientist D.V. Bogdanov divided the ocean into areas that were homogeneous in terms of the natural processes prevailing in them. The classification of climatic zones of the World Ocean that he proposed is currently the most popular.

D.V. Bogdanov identified the following climatic zones (natural zones) in the World Ocean (from north to south), which are in good agreement with the natural land zones.

Note: Dear visitors, hyphens in long words in the table are placed for the convenience of mobile users - otherwise the words will not be transferred and the table will not fit on the screen. Thanks for understanding!

Of the climatic zones presented in the table, the Pacific Ocean accounts for almost all of them except the North Polar (Arctic).

Within the identified climatic zones, regional differences are observed due to the characteristics of the underlying surface (warm and cold currents), the proximity of continents, depths, wind systems, etc. In the western part of the Pacific Ocean, marginal seas are usually isolated as physiographic regions, in the eastern part - zones intense upwelling (the rise of deep water to the ocean surface).

Most of the surface of the Pacific Ocean, approximately between 40° north latitude and 42° south latitude, is located in the equatorial, tropical and subtropical climate zones.

Let's look at the climatic zones of the Pacific Ocean in more detail.

Climatic zones of the Pacific Ocean. Characteristics, description.

Northern subpolar (subarctic) climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The northern subpolar climate zone of the Pacific Ocean occupies most of the Bering and Okhotsk Seas approximately between 60° and 70° N. w. . It is determined by the limits of seasonal ice distribution - between the winter and summer boundaries of their distribution.

In winter, large masses of ice form within the belt, and salinity increases. In summer, the ice melts, desalinating the water. In summer, water warms up only in a thin surface layer; at depth, an intermediate layer of water cooled in winter is preserved.

Bioproductivity: The northern subpolar climate zone of the Pacific Ocean occupies the vast shelves of the Bering and Okhotsk Seas, rich in commercial fish, invertebrates and marine animals. The high bioproductivity of the region is associated, first of all, with the relatively shallow depths of the water area - nutrients are not lost at great depths, but are actively included in the cycle of organic matter.

Northern temperate climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The northern temperate climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is located between the areas of formation of cold subarctic and warm subtropical and tropical waters approximately between 35 and 60° N. w.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: In the west of the belt, the warm Kuroshio Current and the cold Kuril Current (Oyashio) interact. From the resulting flows with mixed water, the North Pacific Current is formed, which occupies a significant part of the water area and transfers huge masses of water and heat from west to east under the influence of the prevailing westerly winds. Ice forms only in limited inland areas of shallow seas (for example, in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Japan). In winter, vertical thermal convection of water develops with the participation of intense wind mixing: cyclonic activity is active in temperate latitudes. In the north of the northern temperate climatic zone of the Pacific Ocean there is the Aleutian minimum of atmospheric pressure, well expressed in winter, in the south there is the northern part of the Hawaiian maximum.

Bioproductivity: The high content of oxygen and nutrients in water ensures relatively high bioproductivity, and its value in the northern part of the belt (subpolar waters) is higher than in the southern part (subtropical waters).

Northern subtropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The northern subtropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is located between the zone of westerly winds of temperate latitudes and the trade winds of equatorial-tropical latitudes. The belt is represented by a relatively narrow strip approximately between 23 and 35° N. sh., stretching from Asia to North America.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: The northern subtropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is characterized by low rainfall, mostly clear weather, relatively dry air, high atmospheric pressure and high evaporation. These features are explained by stable air stratification, in which vertical air movements are attenuated.

Northern tropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean

Geographical position: The northern tropical belt of the Pacific Ocean stretches from the coasts of Mexico and Central America to the Philippine Islands and Taiwan, continuing to the coasts of Vietnam and Thailand in the South China Sea. Lies between 20 and 30° N. w.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: A significant part of the belt is dominated by the trade winds of the Northern Hemisphere and the Northern Trade Wind Current. The monsoon circulation is developed in the western part. The northern tropical zone of the Pacific Ocean is characterized by high temperatures and salinity of waters.

Equatorial climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The equatorial climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is represented quite widely. It is located on both sides of the equator at approximately 20° N. w. up to 20° south sh., between the northern and southern tropical zones.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: Intense thermal convection of air develops here, and heavy rainfall occurs throughout the year. The bottom topography and geological structure are most complex in the west and relatively simple in the east. This is the area of ​​attenuation of the trade winds of both hemispheres. The equatorial climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is characterized by constantly warm waters of the surface layer, complex horizontal and vertical water circulation, large amounts of precipitation, and widespread development of vortex movements.

Southern tropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The southern tropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean occupies a vast expanse of water between Australia and Peru from 20 to 30° S. w.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: The eastern part of the southern tropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean has a relatively simple bottom topography. In the western and middle parts there are several thousand large and small islands. Hydrological conditions are determined by the Southern Trade Wind Current. The salinity of the water is lower than in the northern tropical climate zone, especially in summer due to heavy rainfall. The western part of the belt is influenced by the monsoon circulation. Tropical hurricanes are common here. They often originate between the islands of Samoa and Fiji and move west to the shores of Australia.

Southern subtropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The southern subtropical climate zone of the Pacific Ocean stretches in a sinuous strip of variable width from Southeast Australia and Tasmania to the east; covers most of the Tasman Sea, the region of New Zealand, the area between 30 and 40° south. sh.; closer to the coast of South America it descends to slightly lower latitudes and approaches the coast between 20 and 35° S. w.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: The deviation of the belt boundaries from the latitudinal strike is associated with the circulation of surface waters and the atmosphere. The axis of the southern subtropical climate zone in the open part of the Pacific Ocean is the subtropical convergence zone, where the waters of the South Trade Wind Current and the northern jet of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current converge. The position of the convergence zone is unstable, depends on the season and changes from year to year, but the main processes typical of the belt are constant: the lowering of air masses, the formation of a high pressure area and marine tropical air, and salinization of waters.

Southern temperate climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The northern boundary of the belt is close to 40-45° S. sh., and the southern one passes about 61-63° S. sh., i.e. along the northern border of the distribution of sea ice in September.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: The southern temperate climate zone is an area dominated by western, northwestern and southwestern winds, stormy weather, significant cloudiness, low winter and summer temperatures of surface waters and intensive transport of surface water masses to the east.

The waters of this climate zone of the Pacific Ocean are already characterized by a change of seasons, but it occurs later than on land and is not so pronounced. The salinity of the waters of the southern climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is lower than that of the tropical ones, since the desalination effect is exerted by precipitation, rivers flowing into these waters, and icebergs entering these latitudes.

Southern subpolar (subantarctic) climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The subantarctic climate zone of the Pacific Ocean has no clear boundaries. The southern border is the northern part or border of the Southern Ocean (Western Wind Current); in the north, Tristan da Cunha and Amsterdam Island with a temperate maritime climate are sometimes classified as subantarctic islands. Other sources place the subantarctic boundary between 65-67° and 58-60° south latitude.

Description of the Pacific climate zone: The belt is characterized by strong winds, precipitation - about 500 mm per year. In the northern part of the belt there is more precipitation.

The water area of ​​the Southern subpolar climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is especially wide in the area of ​​the Ross Sea, which penetrates deep into the Antarctic continent. In winter, the waters are covered with ice. The largest islands are Kerguelen, Prince Edward, Crozet, New Zealand's subantarctic islands, Heard and McDonald, Macquarie, Estados, Diego Ramirez, Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, etc., which lie in the zone of oceanic meadows covered with grasses and lichens , less often - shrubs.

South polar (Antarctic) climate zone of the Pacific Ocean.

Geographical position: The Antarctic climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is located directly off the coast of Antarctica below 65 ° Yu. w. The width of the belt is only 50-100 km.

Air temperature:

In mid-summer (January) off the coast of Antarctica, the air temperature does not rise above 0 ° C, in the Weddell and Ross seas - up to -6 ° C, but at the northern border of the climate zone the air temperature warms up to +12°C.

In winter, the difference in air temperature at the northern and southern boundaries of the southern polar climate zone of the Pacific Ocean is much more pronounced. At the southern borders in the coastal region the thermometer drops to -30 ° C, at the northern boundaries of the belt the air temperature does not drop to negative values ​​and remains at 6 - 7 ° WITH.

Description of the Pacific climate zone:

Antarctica is the most severe climatic region on Earth with low air temperatures, strong winds, snow storms and fog.

Within the Pacific Ocean, the Antarctic climate zone is quite extensive. In the Ross Sea, ocean waters extend far beyond the Antarctic Circle, almost to 80° S. sh., and taking into account ice shelves - even further. East of McMurdo Sound, the cliff of the Ross Ice Shelf (Great Ice Barrier) stretches for hundreds of kilometers.

The water masses of the southern polar climate zone of the Pacific Ocean are characterized by an abundance of floating ice, as well as ice that forms huge ice spaces. The scale of these covers depends on the time of year, and at their peak reaches 500-2000 km in width. In the Southern Hemisphere, in areas of polar water masses, sea ice extends into temperate latitudes much further than in the Northern Hemisphere. The salinity of polar water masses is low, since floating ice has a strong desalination effect.

In this article we looked at the climate zones of the Pacific Ocean. Next read: Climate of the Pacific Ocean. Cyclones and anticyclones. Baric centers.

Geographical position. The Indian Ocean is located entirely in the eastern hemisphere between Africa - in the west, Eurasia - in the north, the Sunda Islands and Australia - in the east, Antarctica - in the south. The Indian Ocean in the southwest is widely connected with the Atlantic Ocean, and in the southeast with the Pacific. The coastline is poorly dissected. There are eight seas in the ocean, and there are large bays. There are relatively few islands. The largest of them are concentrated near the coasts of continents.

Bottom relief. As in other oceans, the bottom topography in the Indian Ocean is complex and varied. Among the uplifts on the ocean floor stands out mid-ocean ridge system diverging to the northwest and southeast. The ridges are characterized by rifts and transverse faults, seismicity and submarine volcanism. Between the ridges lie numerous deep-sea basins. The shelf generally has a small width. But it is significant off the coast of Asia.

Mineral resources. There are significant oil and gas deposits in the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Western India and off the coast of Australia. Large reserves of ferromanganese nodules have been discovered at the bottom of many basins. Sedimentary deposits on the shelf contain tin ores, phosphorites, and gold.

Climate. The main part of the Indian Ocean lies in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones, only the southern part covers high latitudes, up to the subantarctic. The main feature of the ocean climate is the seasonal monsoon winds in its northern part., which is significantly influenced by land. Therefore, in the northern part of the ocean there are two seasons of the year - a warm, quiet, sunny winter and a hot, cloudy, rainy, stormy summer. South of 10° S The southeast trade wind prevails. To the south, in temperate latitudes, a strong and stable westerly wind blows. The amount of precipitation is significant in the equatorial belt - up to 3000 mm per year. There is very little rainfall off the coast of Arabia, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

Currents. In the northern part of the ocean, the formation of currents is influenced by the change of monsoons, which rearranges the system of currents according to the seasons of the year: the summer monsoon - in the direction from west to east, the winter - from east to west. In the southern part of the ocean, the most significant are the Southern Trade Wind Current and the Western Wind Current.

Properties of water. The average surface water temperature is +17°C. The slightly lower average temperature is explained by the strong cooling effect of Antarctic waters. The northern part of the ocean warms up well, is deprived of the influx of cold water and is therefore the warmest. In summer, the water temperature in the Persian Gulf rises to +34°C. In the southern hemisphere, water temperatures gradually decrease with increasing latitude. The salinity of surface waters in many areas is higher than average, and in the Red Sea it is especially high (up to 42 ppm).

Organic world. Has much in common with the Pacific Ocean. The species composition of fish is rich and diverse. The northern part of the Indian Ocean is inhabited by sardinella, anchovy, mackerel, tuna, coryphaena, sharks, and flying fish. In southern waters - nototheniids and white-blooded fish; Cetaceans and pinnipeds are found. The organic world of the shelf and coral reefs is especially rich. Thickets of algae line the shores of Australia, South Africa, and islands. There are large commercial aggregations of crustaceans (lobsters, shrimp, krill, etc.). In general, the biological resources of the Indian Ocean are still poorly understood and underutilized.

Natural complexes. The northern part of the ocean lies in tropical zone. Under the influence of the surrounding land and monsoon circulation, several aquatic complexes are formed in this belt, differing in the properties of water masses. Particularly sharp differences are noted in the salinity of the waters.

In the equatorial zone The temperature of surface waters remains almost unchanged over the seasons. Above numerous bottom rises and near the coral islands in this belt, a lot of plankton develops, and bioproductivity increases. Tuna live in such waters.

Zonal complexes of the southern hemisphere in general terms they are similar in natural conditions to similar belts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Economic use. The biological resources of the Indian Ocean have been used by coastal residents since time immemorial. And to this day, artisanal fisheries and other seafood continue to play an important role in the economies of many countries. However, the ocean's natural resources are less exploited than in other oceans. Ocean biological productivity is generally low, it increases only on the shelf and continental slope.

Chemical resources Ocean waters are still poorly used. Desalination of salt water is being carried out on a large scale in the countries of the Middle East, where there is an acute shortage of fresh water.

Among mineral resources oil and gas deposits are identified. In terms of their reserves and production, the Indian Ocean ranks first in the World Ocean. Coastal marine placers contain heavy minerals and metals.

Important transport routes pass through the Indian Ocean. In the development of shipping, this ocean is inferior to the Atlantic and Pacific, but in terms of oil transportation volumes it surpasses them. The Persian Gulf is the main oil export region of the world; a large cargo flow of oil and petroleum products begins from here. Therefore, systematic observations of the state of the aquatic environment and its protection from oil pollution are necessary in this area.

The northern subpolar belt has some features. It is not directly influenced by the waters of the Arctic basin, and powerful jets of warm, highly saline waters do not penetrate here. It is dominated by cold waters. Within the belt there are extensive shelves. On the shallow shelf, nutrients are not lost irretrievably at great depths, but are included in the cycle of organic matter, so shelf waters are characterized by high biological and commercial productivity.

The northern tropical belt stretches from the coasts of Central America to and continues to the coasts and South China Sea. A significant part of the belt is dominated by the trade winds of the Northern Hemisphere and the Northern Trade Wind Current. It is developed in the western part. The belt is characterized by high water temperatures and salinity, and low bioproductivity.

The southern subtropical belt stretches in a winding strip of variable width from Southeast Australia and to the east, covering most of the Tasman Sea, the region, the space between 30 and 40° S. sh., closer to the shores, descends to slightly lower latitudes and approaches the coast between 20 and 35° S. w. The deviation of the boundaries from the latitudinal strike is associated with the circulation of surface waters and the atmosphere. The axis of the belt in the open part of the ocean is the subtropical convergence zone, where the waters of the South Trade Wind Current and the northern jet of the circumpolar current converge. The position of the convergence zone is unstable, depends on the season and changes from year to year, but the main processes typical of the belt are constant: the lowering of air masses, the formation of a high pressure area and marine tropical air, and salinization of waters. On the eastern edge of the belt along the coast of Chile, the coastal Peruvian Current can be traced from south to north, where intense flow and rise of water occurs, resulting in the formation of a subtropical upwelling zone and the creation of large biomass.

The southern temperate zone includes the large northern part of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The northern boundary of the belt is close to 40-45° S. sh., and the southern one passes about 61-63° S. sh., i.e. along the northern border of the distribution of sea ice in September. The southern temperate zone is an area dominated by western, northwestern and southwestern, stormy, significant, low winter and summer surface waters and intensive transport of surface waters to the east.