Pacific Ocean water temperature. Hydrometeorological conditions and temperature of the Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean owes its name to Magellan. During the three-month journey in the fall of 1520 from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands, he did not encounter a single storm in the ocean.

This pool is considered the warmest among ocean waters, second only to the Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic Oceans, respectively. What is the temperature of the Pacific Ocean?

The Pacific Ocean - what is it like?

The name given by the Spaniard Vasco Nunez de Balboa to the Pacific Ocean "Great" fully consistent with its scale. The area of the ocean exceeds the entire land area of the planet by the whole of Africa.

Despite its modern name, today the Pacific Ocean is the most turbulent.

For a long time, on maps of pre-revolutionary Russia, the ocean was marked as Eastern. The most powerful hurricanes on the planet are born precisely in its depths.

The ocean is surrounded on all sides by a chain of underwater and surface volcanoes. The seismic instability they create is the main reason for the appearance of giant waves. They can reach speeds of 700-800 km/h.

Among foreign ports the largest:

Port of Shanghai. Located in the East China Sea. The depth of the water area at the berths is 11 meters;
Port of Singapore. Located at the junction of the Indian and Pacific oceans. The depth of the water area at the berths is 16 meters;
Port of Vancouver. Located on the shores of the Strait of Georgia. The depth of the water area at the berths is 16.8 meters;
Port of Sydney. Located in Port Jackson Bay. The depth of the water area at the berths is 13.7 meters;
Port of Long Beach. One of the Air Force ports. The depth of the water area at the berths is 17 meters.

Flora and fauna

The fauna and flora of the ocean amazes with its diversity. It has not yet been fully studied. Every year, scientists discover species of vegetation and marine life unknown to science. Today there are more than 100 thousand species. About 20 of them are deep-sea. They live in the area of the famous trenches: Mariana, Kermadec, Tonga and Philippine Trench.

The Pacific Ocean is main place of seafood production. Almost half of the world's catch is caught here. The largest fisheries in ocean waters are for anchovies, mackerel and sardines. Fur seals and various species of whales feel great in the ocean waters.

Of particular value are giant clam pearls that they produce. The largest specimen known to date weighs more than 7 kg. In its appearance, this pearl resembles a person dressed in a turban.

The bottom vegetation of the Pacific Ocean has more than 4 thousand species. The most common of them is kelp.

Pacific horror They call the giant mollusks tridacnis that live off the coast. Their weight reaches half a ton. Despite the horror that their appearance causes in humans, they bring great benefits to the ocean. By passing huge masses of water through themselves, they saturate the sea water with plankton and oxygen.

Pacific waters

The ocean basin includes a large number of bays and seas. Among the significant straits is the Panama Strait. The most famous seas:

Yellow;
Beringovo;
Japanese;

Characteristics and properties

The saltiest waters oceans are located off the coast of tropical islands and continents. This is due to the low amount of precipitation that falls in these areas. The density of salt here is 35.5‰. The lowest ocean salinity is observed in the region of cold currents in the eastern part of the basin.

In the northern seas of the Pacific Ocean, the density of salt in water is completely close to 0.

No one can say for sure how many freshwater rivers and streams flow into the Pacific Ocean. On the map you can only see large rivers, of which there are about 40. The largest freshwater drainage into the ocean is considered Amur river. Unlike the Atlantic and Indian oceans, the Pacific does not have particularly salty seas such as the Red or Mediterranean.

Currents

All currents of the Pacific Ocean are divided into various groups. The most common division:

northern and southern;
warm and cold.

Warm currents can be found in the Japan area. Here flows a current called Kuroshio. Another warm flow can be found off the coast of Australia and New Zealand. This group also includes the Southern Trade Wind and Equatorial Currents. The most famous cold currents in the Pacific Ocean are the Californian and Peruvian.

All currents have a direct impact on the temperature distribution on the surface of the pool. This determines the climate of the areas adjacent to the ocean.

Climatic conditions

The quietest zone The ocean is located between the Tuamotu Islands and South America. It was here that Magellan's famous journey took place. This is an area of light winds.

Natural phenomena

The strongest tides Ocean waters can be observed off the Korean coast. In this area of the pool the difference in levels is up to 9 meters. On the opposite Korean side, the difference in tidal levels is only 0.5 meters. It is very rare to see calm weather west of the Tuamotu. Strong winds and hurricanes blow in this part of the ocean.

The strongest ocean winds walking in December off the coast of Australia. In the northern part of the Coral Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean, at the beginning of autumn, powerful tropical cyclones transform into warm westerly winds.

Why is this water area the warmest?

The average temperature of the Pacific Ocean is +19.4 degrees Celsius. This highest rate among all the oceans. The Indian Ocean, located in southern latitudes, is 2 degrees colder than the Pacific. The Atlantic Ocean, whose waters are located north of the Indian Ocean, is also inferior to it.

At first glance, this phenomenon seems inexplicable. After all, a significant part of the Pacific Ocean is in contact with the northern seas and Antarctica. According to scientists, the temperature of the water in the Pacific Ocean is largely influenced by have such factors, How:

large volume water concentrated in the equator, tropics and subtropics;
significant amount algae, shellfish and other ocean inhabitants.

Range maximum temperature in the surface layer of water is in the range from +30 to +3°С. Atmospheric currents regulate the temperature of ocean waters.

Maximum temperature surface waters of the ocean is observed in the equator and tropics. It is +25-29°C.

The western part of the ocean is warmer than the eastern part by an average of 2-5°C. Coldest of all water in northern latitudes. Even in summer, the water temperature in the Bering Strait does not exceed +5-6°C.

The formation of ice in the Pacific Ocean is observed in the Antarctic zone, as well as in the northern seas.

What is the average temperature by month?

The temperature of ocean water depends on the area of its basin. The average annual temperature is determined by the state of surface waters in the basin as a whole. in winter it amounts to:

December- +14.6°C;
January— +13.7°С;
February- +13.9°C.

Average ocean temperature in the spring:

March- +13.9°C;
April- +13.5°C;
May- +14.1°C.

Average ocean temperature in summer:

June- +15.2°С;
July- +16.6°C;
August- +17.3°C.

Average ocean temperature in autumn:

September- +17.6°C;
October- +16.6°C;
november- +15.6°C.

But temperatures at the same time can significantly vary. For example, the water temperature in February varies from 27°C near the equator to -1°C closer to the Bering Sea. In August, the temperature is 25-29°C at the equator, 5-8°C in the Bering Strait.

In the interim between 40° south and 40° north latitude the temperature off the coast of America is 3-5°C lower than that of New Zealand. North of 40° north latitude in the east is 5-7° C higher than in the west south of 40° south latitude.

Learn some more interesting facts about the Pacific Ocean from this video:

The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. It stretches from the very north of the planet to its south, reaching the shores of Antarctica. It reaches its greatest width at the equator, in the tropical and subtropical zones. Therefore, the climate of the Pacific Ocean is more defined as warm, because most of it is in the tropics. This ocean contains both warm and warm waters. It depends on which continent the bay is adjacent to in one place or another and what atmospheric flows are formed above it.

Atmospheric circulation

In many ways, the climate of the Pacific Ocean depends on the atmospheric pressure that forms above it. In this section, geographers identify five main areas. Among them there are zones of both high and low pressure. In the subtropics in both hemispheres of the planet, two areas of high pressure form above the ocean. They are called the North Pacific or Hawaiian High and the South Pacific High. The closer to the equator, the lower the pressure becomes. We also note that the atmospheric dynamics are lower in the east than in the east. In the north and south of the ocean, dynamic lows are formed - the Aleutian and Antarctic, respectively. The northern one exists only in the winter season, while the southern one, in its atmospheric characteristics, is stable all year round.

Winds

Factors such as trade winds largely influence the climate of the Pacific Ocean. Briefly speaking, such wind currents are formed in the tropics and subtropics in both hemispheres. A system of trade winds has been installed there for centuries, which also determine stable hot air temperatures. They are separated by a strip of equatorial calm. This area is mostly calm, but there are occasional light winds. In the northwestern part of the ocean, the most frequent guests are the monsoons. In winter, the wind blows from the Asian continent, bringing with it cold and dry air. In summer, the oceanic wind blows, which increases the humidity and temperature of the air. The temperate climate zone, as well as the entire southern hemisphere, starting with the subtropical climate, is subject to strong winds. The climate of the Pacific Ocean in these areas is characterized by typhoons, hurricanes, and gusty winds.

Air temperature

In order to clearly understand what temperatures the Pacific Ocean is characterized by, the map will come to our aid. We see that this body of water is located in all climatic zones, starting from the northern, icy, passing through the equator and ending with the southern, also icy. Above the surface of the entire reservoir, the climate is subject to latitudinal zonality and winds, which bring hot or cold temperatures to certain regions. In equatorial latitudes, the thermometer shows from 20 to 28 degrees in August, approximately the same figures are observed in February. In temperate latitudes, February temperatures reach -25 Celsius, and in August the thermometer rises to +20.

Characteristics of currents, their influence on temperature

The peculiarities of the climate of the Pacific Ocean are that in the same latitudes at the same time different weather can be observed. This is how everything works out because the ocean consists of various currents that bring warm or cold cyclones here from the continents. So, first, let's look at In the tropics, the western part of the reservoir is always warmer than the eastern. This is due to the fact that in the west the waters are warmed by trade winds and the Kuroshio and East Australian currents. In the east, the waters are cooled by the Peruvian and California currents. In the temperate climate zone, on the contrary, the east is warmer than the west. Here the western part is cooled by the Kuril Current, and the eastern part is heated by the Alaskan Current. If we consider the Southern Hemisphere, we will not find a significant difference between the West and the East. Here everything happens naturally, since trade winds and high latitude winds distribute the temperature over the surface of the water equally.

Clouds and pressure

Also, the climate of the Pacific Ocean depends on the atmospheric phenomena that form over one or another area. Rising air flows are observed in low pressure areas, as well as in coastal areas where there is mountainous terrain. The closer to the equator, the fewer clouds gather over the waters. In temperate latitudes they are contained in 80-70 percent, in the subtropics - 60-70%, in the tropics - 40-50%, and at the equator only 10 percent.

Precipitation

Now let's look at what weather conditions the Pacific Ocean conceals. zones shows that the highest humidity here occurs in the tropical and subtropical zones, which are located north of the equator. Here the amount of precipitation is equal to 3000 mm. In temperate latitudes this figure is reduced to 1000-2000 mm. We also note that in the West the climate is always drier than in the East. The driest region of the ocean is considered to be the coastal zone near the California Peninsula and off the coast of Peru. Here, due to problems with condensation, the amount of precipitation is reduced to 300-200 mm. In some areas it is extremely low and amounts to only 30 mm.

Climate of the Pacific seas

In the classical version, it is generally accepted that this water reservoir has three seas - the Japanese, Bering and Okhotsk. These bodies of water are separated from the main reservoir by islands or peninsulas, they are adjacent to continents and belong to countries, in this case Russia. Their climate is determined by the interaction of ocean and land. On average, the temperature above the water surface in February is about 15-20 below zero, in the coastal zone - 4 below zero. The Sea of Japan is the warmest, so the temperature there remains within +5 degrees. The most severe winters occur in the north. Here the thermometer can show below -30 degrees. In summer, the seas heat up to an average of 16-20 above zero. Naturally, Okhotsk in this case will be cold - +13-16, and Japanese can heat up to +30 or more.

Conclusion

The Pacific Ocean, which is essentially the largest geographical feature on the planet, is characterized by a very diverse climate. Regardless of the time of year, a certain atmospheric influence is formed over its waters, which generates low or high temperatures, strong winds or complete calms.

Physical geography of continents and oceans

OCEANS

PACIFIC OCEAN

Climate and hydrological conditions of the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean extends between 60° north and south latitude. In the north, it is almost closed by the landmass of Eurasia and North America, separated from each other only by the shallow Bering Strait with its smallest width of 86 km, connecting the Bering Sea of the Pacific Ocean with the Chukchi Sea, which is part of the Arctic Ocean.

Eurasia and North America extend south all the way to the Tropic of the North in the form of vast, massive land areas that represent centers of formation of continental air that can influence the climate and hydrological conditions of neighboring parts of the ocean. To the south of the Northern Tropic, the land becomes fragmented; up to the coast of Antarctica, its large land areas are only Australia in the southwest of the ocean and South America in the east, especially its extended part between the equator and 20° S latitude. South of 40° S. The Pacific Ocean, together with the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, merge into a single water surface, uninterrupted by large areas of land, over which oceanic air of temperate latitudes is formed, and into which Antarctic air masses freely penetrate.

The Pacific Ocean reaches greatest width(almost 20 thousand km) within the tropical-equatorial space, i.e. in that part where the thermal energy of the sun is most intensively and regularly received throughout the year. Because of this, the Pacific Ocean receives more solar heat throughout the year than other parts of the world's oceans. And since the distribution of heat in the atmosphere and on the water surface depends not only on the direct distribution of solar radiation, but also on the air exchange between land and water surface and water exchange between different parts of the World Ocean, it is quite clear that the thermal equator over the Pacific Ocean is shifted to the northern hemisphere and runs approximately between 5 and 10°N latitude, and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean is generally warmer than the southern one.

Let's look at the main pressure systems, which determine meteorological conditions (wind activity, precipitation, air temperature), as well as the hydrological regime of surface waters (current systems, temperature of surface and subsurface waters, salinity) of the Pacific Ocean throughout the year. First of all, this is a subequatorial depression (calm zone), somewhat expanded towards the northern hemisphere. This is especially pronounced in the summer of the northern hemisphere, when a vast and deep pressure depression is established over highly heated Eurasia, centered in the Indus River basin. Streams of moisture-unstable air from subtropical high pressure centers of both the northern and southern hemispheres rush towards this depression. Most of the northern half of the Pacific Ocean at this time is occupied by the North Pacific High, along the southern and eastern periphery of which the monsoons blow towards Eurasia. They are associated with heavy rainfall, the amount of which increases towards the south. The second monsoon flow moves from the southern hemisphere, from the side of the subtropical high pressure belt. In the northwest there is a weakened westerly transport towards North America.

In the southern hemisphere, where it is winter at this time, strong westerly winds carrying air from temperate latitudes cover the waters of all three oceans south of the parallel of 40° S. almost to the shores of Antarctica, where they are replaced by easterly and southeasterly winds blowing from the mainland. The westerly transport operates at these latitudes of the southern hemisphere in the summer, but with less force. Winter conditions in these latitudes are characterized by heavy precipitation, stormy winds, and high waves. With a large number of icebergs and floating sea ice, travel in this part of the world's oceans poses great dangers. It is not for nothing that sailors have long called these latitudes “the roaring forties.”

At the corresponding latitudes in the northern hemisphere, the dominant atmospheric process is also westerly transport, but due to the fact that this part of the Pacific Ocean is closed by land from the north, west and east, in winter the meteorological situation there is slightly different than in the southern hemisphere. With the westerly transport, cold and dry continental air from Eurasia enters the ocean. It is involved in the closed system of the Aleutian Low, which forms over the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, is transformed and is carried by southwestern winds to the shores of North America, leaving heavy precipitation in the coastal zone and on the slopes of the Cordillera of Alaska and Canada.

Wind systems, water exchange, topography features of the ocean floor, the position of continents and the outlines of their coasts influence the formation of surface ocean currents, and these, in turn, determine many features of the hydrological regime. In the Pacific Ocean, with its vast size within the intertropical space, there is a powerful system of currents generated by the trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres. In accordance with the direction of movement of the trade winds along the equatorward outskirts of the North Pacific and South Pacific maximums, these currents move from east to west, reaching a width of more than 2000 km. The Northern Trade Wind Current heads from the coast of Central America to the Philippine Islands, where it splits into two branches. The southern one partially spreads over the interisland seas and partially feeds the surface inter-trade wind countercurrent running along the equator and to the north of it, moving towards the Central American isthmus. The northern, more powerful branch of the North Trade Wind Current heads towards the island of Taiwan, and then enters the East China Sea, skirting the Japanese islands from the east, giving rise to a powerful system of warm currents in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean: this is the Kuroshio, or Japan Current, moving at a speed of 25 to 80 cm/s. Near the island of Kyushu, the Kuroshio branches, and one of the branches enters the Sea of Japan under the name of the Tsushima Current, the other goes out into the ocean and follows along the eastern coast of Japan, until at 40 ° N. latitude. it is not pushed to the east by the cold Kuril-Kamchatka countercurrent, or Oyashio. The continuation of the Kuroshio to the east is called the Kuroshio Drift, and then the North Pacific Current, which heads towards the shores of North America at a speed of 25-50 cm/s. In the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean, north of the 40th parallel, the North Pacific Current branches into the warm Alaska Current, heading towards the shores of Southern Alaska, and the cold California Current. The latter, following along the coast of the mainland, south of the tropic flows into the Northern Trade Wind Current, closing the northern gyre of the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the Pacific Ocean north of the equator experiences high surface water temperatures. This is facilitated by the large width of the ocean in the intertropical space, as well as by the system of currents that carry the warm waters of the Northern Trade Wind Current north along the coast of Eurasia and its neighboring islands.

Northern Trade Wind Current All year long it carries water with a temperature of 25... 29 °C. High surface water temperatures (up to a depth of approximately 700 m) persist within Kuroshio to almost 40° N latitude. (27...28 °C in August and up to 20 °C in February), as well as within the North Pacific Current (18...23 °C in August and 7... 16 °C in February). A significant cooling effect on the northeast of Eurasia up to the north of the Japanese Islands is exerted by the cold Kamchatka-Kuril Current originating in the Bering Sea, which in winter is intensified by cold waters coming from the Sea of Okhotsk. From year to year, its power fluctuates greatly depending on the severity of winters in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. The area of the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido is one of the few in the North Pacific Ocean where there is ice in winter. At 40° N latitude when meeting the Kuroshio Current, the Kuril Current plunges to depth and flows into the North Pacific. In general, the temperature of the waters of the northern part of the Pacific Ocean is higher than in the southern part at the same latitudes (5...8 °C in August in the Bering Strait). This is partly due to limited water exchange with the Arctic Ocean due to the threshold in the Bering Strait.

Southern Trade Wind Current moves along the equator from the coast of South America to the west and even enters the northern hemisphere to approximately 5° N latitude. In the area of the Moluccas Islands, it branches: the bulk of the water, together with the Northern Trade Wind Current, enters the Inter-Trade Wind Countercurrent system, and the other branch penetrates the Coral Sea and, moving along the coast of Australia, forms the warm East Australian Current, which flows into the current off the coast of the island of Tasmania Western winds. The temperature of surface waters in the South Trade Wind Current is 22...28 °C, in the East Australian Current in winter it changes from north to south from 20 to 11 °C, in summer - from 26 to 15 °C.

Circumpolar Antarctic, or Western Wind Current, enters the Pacific Ocean south of Australia and New Zealand and moves in a sublatitudinal direction to the shores of South America, where its main branch deviates to the north and, passing along the coasts of Chile and Peru under the name of the Peruvian Current, turns west, joining the South Trade Wind , and closes the South Pacific Gyre. The Peruvian Current carries relatively cold waters and reduces the air temperature over the ocean and off the western coasts of South America almost to the equator to 15...20 °C.

In distribution salinity surface waters in the Pacific Ocean there are certain patterns. With an average ocean salinity of 34.5-34.6%o, maximum values (35.5 and 36.5%o) are observed in zones of intense trade wind circulation of the northern and southern hemispheres (respectively between 20 and 30° N and 10 and 20° S) This is due to a decrease in precipitation and an increase in evaporation compared to the equatorial regions. Up to the forties latitudes of both hemispheres in the open part of the ocean, salinity is 34-35% o. Salinity is lowest in high latitudes and in coastal areas of the northern part of the ocean (32-33% o). There, this is due to the melting of sea ice and icebergs and the desalinating effect of river runoff, so there are significant seasonal variations in salinity.

The size and configuration of the largest of the Earth's oceans, the features of its connections with other parts of the World Ocean, as well as the size and configuration of the surrounding land areas and the associated directions of circulation processes in the atmosphere created a number of features Pacific Ocean: average annual and seasonal temperatures of its surface waters are higher than in other oceans; The part of the ocean located in the northern hemisphere is generally much warmer than the southern part, but in both hemispheres the western part is warmer and receives more precipitation than the eastern part.

The Pacific Ocean, to a greater extent than other parts of the World Ocean, is the arena for the emergence of an atmospheric process known as tropical cyclones or hurricanes. These are vortices of small diameter (no more than 300-400 km) and high speed (30-50 km/h). They form within the tropical trade wind convergence zone, usually during the summer and autumn of the northern hemisphere, and move first in accordance with the direction of the prevailing winds, from west to east, and then along the continents to the north and south. For the formation and development of hurricanes, a vast expanse of water is required, heated from the surface to at least 26 ° C, and atmospheric energy, which would impart forward motion to the resulting atmospheric cyclone. The characteristics of the Pacific Ocean (its size, in particular, its width within the intertropical space, and the maximum surface water temperatures for the World Ocean) create conditions over its waters that are conducive to the formation and development of tropical cyclones.

The passage of tropical cyclones is accompanied by catastrophic events: winds of destructive force, strong waves on the open sea, heavy rainfall, flooding of plains on adjacent land, floods and destruction leading to severe disasters and loss of life. Moving along the coasts of continents, the most powerful hurricanes go beyond the intratropical space, transforming into extratropical cyclones, sometimes reaching great strength.

The main area of origin of tropical cyclones in the Pacific Ocean is located south of the Tropic of the North, east of the Philippine Islands. Moving initially to the west and northwest, they reach the coast of Southeast China (in Asian countries these vortices have the Chinese name “typhoon”) and move along the continent, deviating towards the Japanese and Kuril Islands.

The branches of these hurricanes, deviating to the west south of the tropic, penetrate into the interisland seas of the Sunda archipelago, into the northern part of the Indian Ocean and cause destruction in the lowlands of Indochina and Bengal. Hurricanes originating in the southern hemisphere north of the Tropic of the South move towards the coast of North-Western Australia. There they are called locally "BILLY-BILLY". Another center for the generation of tropical hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean is located off the western coast of Central America, between the Tropic of the North and the equator. From there, hurricanes rush to the offshore islands and shores of California.

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Atmospheric circulation in the Pacific Ocean.

The main features of atmospheric circulation over the Pacific Ocean are determined by five areas of high and low pressure, and in accordance with the location of pressure centers, the direction of the Pacific Ocean winds is formed:

In subtropical latitudes of both hemispheres There are two constant dynamic areas of high pressure over the Pacific Ocean - the North Pacific, or Hawaiian, and South Pacific highs, the centers of which are located in the eastern part of the ocean. Subtropical highs determine the existence in the tropical and subtropical latitudes of the Pacific Ocean of a stable system of trade winds, consisting of the northeastern trade wind in the Northern Hemisphere and the southeastern one in the Southern Hemisphere.
At equatorial latitudes these areas are separated by a permanent dynamic area of low pressure, developed more strongly in the west. The trade wind zones are separated by an equatorial calm zone, in which weak and unstable winds predominate with a high frequency of calms.
North and south of subtropical highs in higher latitudes there are two minima - the Aleutian, centered over the Aleutian Islands, and the Antarctic, extended from east to west, in the Antarctic zone. The first exists only in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the second - throughout the year.

The atmospheric circulation over the Pacific Ocean is significantly influenced by the climate and topography of the surrounding continents. For example,

Cordillera prevent oceanic air flows from penetrating deep into the American continents and contribute to the stationary (stopping) of subtropical anticyclones near the eastern shores of the ocean.
The climate of the northwest Pacific Ocean is influenced by seasonal changes in atmospheric pressure over Asia and the seasonal monsoon circulation it causes.
In the tropics, islands have a significant influence on atmospheric circulation Indonesian archipelago. The complex orography of these islands in conditions of monsoon winds contributes to the development of convection, the formation of clouds, and significant precipitation. During condensation, a lot of heat is released, which leads to the formation of a permanent pressure depression.

Winds of the Pacific Ocean.

Figure 1. General circulation of the atmosphere.

For the Pacific Northwest characterized by monsoon atmospheric circulation. In winter it dominates northwest monsoon , bringing cold and dry air from the Asian continent, in summer - southeast monsoon , carrying warm and humid air from the ocean. Monsoons disrupt trade wind circulation and lead to the flow of air from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere in winter, and in the opposite direction in summer.

In temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere predominate in winter strong westerly winds , and in summer - weak southern ones. The frequency of storms in the northern temperate latitudes of the Pacific Ocean in winter is 30%, in summer - 5%. The frequency of storm winds is due to the occurrence of a large number of cyclones on polar fronts (at the meeting point of tropical and polar air masses).

In the subtropics and tropics of the northern hemisphere dominate northeast trade winds . In tropical latitudes, constant winds reach the strength of a storm extremely rarely, but from time to time tropical hurricanes - typhoons - pass through here. In the Northern Hemisphere, typhoons mainly travel from the area east and northwest of the Philippines to Japan. Most often, typhoons occur in the warm half of the year in the western part of the Pacific Ocean; in the eastern part of the ocean, typhoons are rare and occur only in the Northern Hemisphere.

In the equatorial zone observed mostly all year round calm weather .

In the tropical and subtropical zones of the southern hemisphere sustainable dominates southeast trade wind , strong in winter and weak in summer. In the tropics of the Southern Hemisphere, typhoons originate in the area of the New Hebrides and Samoa islands and move towards Australia.

In southern temperate latitudes observed strong constant westerly winds . The frequency of storms here is 25-35%.

At high latitudes of the southern hemisphere winds are subject to the general cyclonic circulation characteristic of the Antarctic low pressure area. In the northern part of Antarctica, westerly winds prevail, often of hurricane force - up to 75 m/sec (the so-called “furious fifties latitudes”). Near the mainland they dominate easterly winds , which, merging with katabatic winds of predominantly south-eastern directions, form an air flow along the coast from east to west.

Latitudes between 40 and 70 degrees south have been known to sailors since the age of sail as the "Roaring Forties", "Furious Fifties" and "Shrill Sixties" due to the foul weather, gale-force winds and large waves created by the movement of air masses. , which, flowing around the globe, do not encounter obstacles in the form of any noticeable land masses.

Deviations in location and local differences within their limits are caused by the characteristics of the underlying surface (warm and cold currents) and the degree of influence of adjacent continents with the circulation developing above them.

The main features over the Pacific Ocean are defined by five areas of high and low pressure. In the subtropical latitudes of both hemispheres, two dynamic areas of high pressure are constant over the Pacific Ocean - the North Pacific, or Hawaiian, and South Pacific highs, the centers of which are located in the eastern part of the ocean. In subequatorial latitudes, these areas are separated by a constant dynamic area of low pressure, developed more strongly in the west. To the north and south of the subtropical highs in higher latitudes there are two lows - the Aleutian, centered over the Aleutian Islands, and, extended from east to west, in the Antarctic zone. The first exists only in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the second - throughout the year.

Subtropical highs determine the existence in the tropical and subtropical latitudes of the Pacific Ocean of a stable system of trade winds, consisting of the northeastern trade wind in the Northern Hemisphere and the southeastern one in the Southern Hemisphere. The trade wind zones are separated by an equatorial calm zone, in which weak and unstable winds predominate with a high frequency of calms.

The Northwest Pacific Ocean is a pronounced monsoon region. In winter, the north-west monsoon dominates here, bringing cold and dry air from the Asian continent, in summer - the south-east monsoon, bringing warm and humid air from the ocean. Monsoons disrupt trade wind circulation and lead to the flow of air from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere in winter, and in the opposite direction in summer.

Constant winds are strongest in temperate latitudes and especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The frequency of storms in the Northern Hemisphere ranges from 5% in summer to 30% in winter in temperate latitudes. In tropical latitudes, constant winds reach the strength of a storm extremely rarely, but from time to time tropical winds pass here. They most often occur during the warm half of the year in the western Pacific Ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere, typhoons are directed mainly from the area lying to the east and northwest, to, in the Southern Hemisphere - from the region of the New Hebrides and Samoa islands to. In the eastern part of the ocean, typhoons are rare and occur only in the Northern Hemisphere.

Air distribution is subject to the general latitude. The average February temperature decreases from + 26 -I- 28 “C in the equatorial zone to - 20 ° C in the strait. The average temperature in August varies from + 26 - + 28 °C in the equatorial zone to + 5 °C in the strait.

The pattern of temperature decrease from to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere is disrupted under the influence of warm and cold currents and winds. In this regard, there are large differences between temperatures in the east and west at the same latitudes. With the exception of the area adjacent to Asia (mainly the region of marginal seas), in almost the entire zone of the tropics and subtropics, that is, within most of the ocean, the west is several degrees warmer than the east. This difference is due to the fact that in this zone the western part of the Pacific Ocean is warmed by trade wind currents (Kuroshio and East Australian) and theirs, while the eastern part is cooled by the Californian and Peruvian currents. In the Northern Hemisphere, on the contrary, the west is colder than the east in all seasons. The difference reaches 10-12° and is mainly caused by the fact that here the western part of the Pacific Ocean is cooled by the cold, and the eastern part is heated by the warm Alaskan Current. In the moderate and high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, under the influence of westerly winds and the predominance in all seasons of winds with a westerly component, temperature changes occur naturally and there is no significant difference between east and west.

And precipitation throughout the year is greatest in areas with low temperatures and near mountain coasts, since in those and other areas there is a significant increase in air flows. In temperate latitudes, cloudiness is 70-90, in the equatorial zone 60-70%, in trade wind zones and in subtropical high pressure areas it decreases to 30-50, and in some areas in the Southern Hemisphere - up to 10%.

The greatest amount of precipitation occurs in the zone where trade winds meet, which lies north of the equator (between 2-4 and 9 ~ 18° N), where intense ascending currents of moisture-rich air develop. In this zone the precipitation amount is more than 3000 mm. In temperate latitudes, the amount of precipitation increases from 1000 mm in the west to 2000-3000 mm or more in the east.

The least amount of precipitation occurs on the eastern edges of subtropical high-pressure areas, where prevailing downdrafts and cold air currents are unfavorable for moisture condensation. In these areas, the amount of precipitation is: in the Northern Hemisphere to the west of the California Peninsula - less than 200, in the Southern Hemisphere to the west - less than 100, and in some places even less than 30 mm. In the western parts of the subtropical regions, precipitation increases to 1500-2000 mm. In the high latitudes of both hemispheres, due to weak evaporation at low temperatures, the amount of precipitation decreases to 500-300 mm or less.

In the Pacific Ocean, fogs form mainly in temperate latitudes. They are most frequent in the area adjacent to the Kuril and Aleutian, in the summer season, when the water is colder than the air. The frequency of occurrence here is 30-40 in summer, 5-10% or less in winter. In the Southern Hemisphere in temperate latitudes, the frequency of fogs throughout the year is 5-10%.