All the existing oceans of the world, as well as seas and rivers, occupy approximately 70% of the surface of planet Earth. Huge bodies of water stretch for thousands of kilometers, they are completely deserted and have an incredible depth of tens of kilometers, thousands of all kinds of creatures live there, many of them are still unknown to world science.

Water plays an important role not only for the climate, geographical features of the planet, but also for all creatures living on it. It is known that without the presence of water in one form or another, life is impossible.

Oceans are the largest bodies of water on earth, which are located in the open spaces among the continents and together make up the so-called World Ocean.

Consider all of the 5 largest oceans (there are disputes that there are only 4 of them) and their main features.

World Ocean

First of all, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the concept of the oceans. This term refers to the largest part of the entire hydrosphere, within which most of all seas and oceans exist.

One of the main characteristics of this concept is the general salt composition of all water spaces included in it. It covers 70.8% of the planet's surface and is divided into the following main parts:

• Atlantic;
• Indian;
• Quiet;
• Arctic;
• South ocean. As for this point, it is still considered controversial, but this will be discussed below.

The origin of the entire hydrosphere is a mystery to modern science. The first attempts to explore the oceans began in the 1500s and continue actively even today.

How many oceans on earth - 5 or 4

Why scientists even now cannot come to an agreement on the question of how many huge reservoirs are present on Earth? The problem here is the difficulty of determining the boundaries of each of them, or maybe the essence of the issue is somewhere deeper?

Historically, scientists have divided all the expanses of water into 4 regions or oceans. Such a system existed for a long time, but in the 21st century it was revised by specialists who came to the conclusion that it is worth highlighting the 5th ocean - the South, whose waters were previously attributed to the rest.

It is worth noting: such a decision has found its understanding in the society of researchers, but at the moment it has not yet been officially approved, has no legal force, therefore, sometimes disputes and disagreements arise on the basis of this.

The location of the oceans on the map of the hemispheres with the continents

Continents and expanses of water alternate on the map with each other.

Any map takes into account the following accepted boundaries of these objects:

1. The Pacific Ocean is located in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. It extends to the shores of all 6 continents of the planet. Its territory begins near Antarctica and stretches to the Arctic Circle.
2. The Atlantic, which is also present in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, washes the shores of all of America, Europe, and Africa.
3. Indian almost entirely located only in the southern part of the planet. Washes the shores of Africa, India, Australia.
4. The Arctic Ocean is located around the North Pole. It is isolated from other large expanses of water and washes the shores of Russia, Canada, and Alaska.
5. Near Antarctica is the Southern Ocean, and it washes only its icy rocky shores.

A map of currents operating throughout the world allows you to more clearly see these divisions.

Pacific Ocean

The largest in terms of area. It got its name because during most of the expeditions of the great traveler Magellan there were tolerable conditions and storms did not seethe.

The area is 178 million km2. Here the average depth is about 4 km, but the deepest place on the planet is also located here - the Mariana Trench with an incredible depth of 11 km!

The largest ocean received its name in 1520, and since then it has been established in world practice.

Life is developed here and there is a huge number of fish, animals, as well as representatives of the flora.

Atlantic Ocean

The second largest and warmest water region on the planet, with an area of ​​92 million km2.

The average depth in it is almost the same as in the Pacific, and is 3736 m, but the maximum is slightly less - 8700 and is called the Puerto Rican Trench.

It contains on its territory many volcanic islands, passes over the belt of instability of the earth's crust.

The life of the Atlantic reservoir boils at any time of the year. The density of plankton available here is as much as 16,000 pieces per liter of water.

There are a huge number of varieties of fish, sharks, corals and other things.

In the northern tropical latitudes, sailors encounter powerful winds and hurricanes, which, according to legend, are capable of breaking huge oak ship masts and throwing guns weighing more than one ton overboard.

Indian Ocean

The third largest body of water on Earth, occupies 20% of the water surface. The area is 76 million km 2. The average depth is similar to the previous case, and the maximum reaches 7.7 km.

It got its name from the country of India, which, even before our era, was always considered the richest region and attracted invaders, traders and colonialists.

Indian waters are famous for their wonderful azure and blue hues. The volume of salt water here is somewhat higher than in other regions of the planet.

Since the region as a whole is very warm, the humidity of the air is always increased, and the nearest lands constantly experience heavy rains.

Arctic Ocean

The smallest one also has the smallest depth. The list of countries washed by it is also small, and the diversity of life in the North Pole region is not so great due to extreme weather conditions.

The average depth is 1.2 km, and the maximum is 5.5, so this ocean is considered as the shallowest.

The ocean got its name from the suggestion of the Russian navigator Admiral Litke F.P. in the early 19th century. The size of this water region is not as impressive as the frosts, northern winds, and the presence of interesting life forms.

An important feature of this reservoir is that it is the freshest.

South ocean

At the moment, the legally established Southern Ocean does not yet exist, and many people mean by it some parts of the other oceans considered. The maximum depth of the region is 8.2 kilometers, the area is taken at the level of 20 million km 2 with a little.

It consists of 13 seas that wash the shores of Antarctica. The first attempts to distinguish this region separately were made by travelers and cartographers in the 1600s.

As a conclusion, it is worth saying that all the reservoirs considered at different times had other names, but history decided to leave the names that are valid today for them.

The youngest of them is the Atlantic, formed after serious tectonic changes, the largest is the Quiet, which is also the oldest. The oceans, in descending order of area, are listed in many reference books and tables. It is important to know this information at least in general terms, because our globe is so interesting and diverse.

The ocean is the largest object and is the part that covers about 71% of our planet's surface. The oceans wash the shores of the continents, have a system of water circulation and have other specific features. The oceans of the world are in constant interaction with everyone.

Map of oceans and continents of the world

Some sources indicate that the World Ocean is divided into 4 oceans, however, in 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization singled out the fifth - the Southern Ocean. This article provides a list of all 5 oceans of planet Earth in order - from the largest in area to the smallest, with the name, location on the map and main characteristics.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean on a map of the Earth / Wikipedia

Due to its large size, the Pacific Ocean has a unique and varied topography. It also plays an important role in shaping the world's weather patterns and the modern economy.

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

In terms of geology, the area surrounding the Pacific Ocean is sometimes called. The region has this name because it is the world's largest area of ​​volcanism and earthquakes. The Pacific region is subject to violent geological activity, because much of its floor is in subduction zones, where the boundaries of some tectonic plates are pushed under others after a collision. There are also some hotspot areas where magma from the Earth's mantle is forced out through the Earth's crust, creating underwater volcanoes that can eventually form islands and seamounts.

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

The climate of the ocean varies greatly depending on the latitude, the presence of land, and the types of air masses moving over its waters. Ocean surface temperature also plays a role in climate as it affects the availability of moisture in different regions. The climate in the vicinity is humid and warm during most of the year. The far north Pacific and the far south are more temperate, with large seasonal variations in weather patterns. In addition, some regions are dominated by seasonal trade winds that affect the climate. Tropical cyclones and typhoons also form in the Pacific Ocean.

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

Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean on a map of the Earth / Wikipedia

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

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

The time when the supercontinent Pangea broke up, about 130 million years ago, was the beginning of the formation of the Atlantic Ocean. Geologists have determined that it is the second youngest of the world's five oceans. This ocean has played a very important role in connecting the Old World with the newly explored America since the late 15th century.

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

The Atlantic Ocean flows into the Pacific Ocean, however they are not always the same due to water temperature, ocean currents, sunlight, nutrients, salinity, etc. The Atlantic Ocean has coastal and open ocean habitats. Its coastal areas are located along the coastlines and extend to the continental shelves. Marine life is usually concentrated in the upper layers of the ocean waters, and closer to the coast there are coral reefs, algae forests and sea grasses.

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

Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean on a map of the Earth / Wikipedia

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean on the planet and has an area of ​​70.56 million km². It is located between Africa, Asia, Australia and the Southern Ocean. The Indian Ocean has an average depth of 3,963 m, and the Sunda Trench is the deepest trench, with a maximum depth of 7,258 m. The Indian Ocean occupies about 20% of the area of ​​the World Ocean.

The formation of this ocean is a consequence of the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent, which began about 180 million years ago. 36 million years ago, the Indian Ocean assumed its current configuration. Although it first opened about 140 million years ago, almost all Indian Ocean basins are less than 80 million years old.

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

The climate of the Indian Ocean varies considerably from north to south. For example, monsoons dominate in the northern part, above the equator. From October to April, strong northeasterly winds are observed, while from May to October - southerly and western ones. The Indian Ocean also has the warmest weather of all five oceans in the world.

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

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

The entire marine ecosystem of the Indian Ocean is facing species decline as water temperatures continue to rise, which in turn results in a 20% decline in phytoplankton, on which the marine food chain is highly dependent.

South ocean

Southern Ocean on a map of the Earth/Wikipedia

In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization singled out the fifth, youngest ocean in the world - the Southern Ocean - from the southern regions of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. The New Southern Ocean completely surrounds and extends from its coast north to 60°S. sh. The Southern Ocean is by far the fourth largest of the world's five oceans, only larger than the Arctic Ocean.

In recent years, a large amount of oceanographic research has focused on ocean currents, first due to El Niño and then due to the wider interest in global warming. One of the studies determined that currents near Antarctica isolate the Southern Ocean as a separate one, so it was identified as a separate, fifth ocean.

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

The water temperature in the Southern Ocean varies from -2° C to +10° C. It also contains the largest and most powerful cold surface current on Earth - the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which moves eastward and is 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers.

Despite the allocation of this new ocean, it is likely that the discussion about the number of oceans will continue in the future. After all, there is only one "World Ocean" since all 5 (or 4) oceans on our planet are interconnected with each other.

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean on the map of the Earth / Wikipedia

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans and has an area of ​​14.06 million km². Its average depth is 1205 m, and the deepest point is in the underwater Nansen Basin, at a depth of 4665 m. The Arctic Ocean is located between Europe, Asia and North America. In addition, most of its waters are north of the Arctic Circle. located in the center of the Arctic Ocean.

While located on a continent, the North Pole is covered in water. For most of the year, the Arctic Ocean is almost completely covered by drifting polar ice, which is about three meters thick. This glacier usually melts during the summer months, but only partially.

Due to its small size, many oceanographers do not consider it an ocean. Instead, some scientists suggest that it is a sea that is mostly enclosed by continents. Others believe that this is a partially closed coastal body of the Atlantic Ocean. These theories are not widely held, and the International Hydrographic Organization considers the Arctic Ocean one of the world's five oceans.

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

The polar climate dominates this ocean. Consequently, winters exhibit relatively stable weather with low temperatures. The best known characteristics of this climate are polar nights and polar days.

It is believed that the Arctic Ocean may contain about 25% of the total natural gas and oil reserves on our planet. Geologists have also established that there are significant deposits of gold and other minerals. The abundance of several species of fish and seals also make the region attractive to the fishing industry.

There are several animal habitats in the Arctic Ocean, including endangered mammals and fish. The region's vulnerable ecosystem is one of the factors that make the fauna so sensitive to climate change. Some of these species are endemic and irreplaceable. The summer months bring an abundance of phytoplankton which, in turn, feeds the base, which eventually ends up with large terrestrial and marine mammals.

Recent developments in technology are enabling scientists to explore the depths of the world's oceans in new ways. These studies are needed to help scientists study and possibly prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change in these areas, as well as to discover new types of living organisms.

Eurasia - from the words Europe and Asia. Europe is such an ancient word that it is extremely difficult to trace its origins. It could have come from the Semitic ereb or irib, which means "west", or from the Phoenician erep - "sunset", that is, again "west". Asia in ancient times was called the Greek province to the east of the Aegean Sea, as well as the Scythian tribes beyond the Caspian Sea (Asians, Asians). Asia - according to legend, one of the daughters of the god-titan Ocean.

Africa - BC, south of Carthage, the Berber tribe of Afrigia (Afrigi) lived; according to him, the Romans in the second century AD, having conquered Carthage, called the Roman province formed there - Afrika (the territory of modern Tunisia). With the colonial conquests of Europeans, the name spread to the entire mainland.

America - discovered in 1492 by H. Columbus, who considered the countries he discovered to be the islands of India and the east coast of Asia. In 1503, the Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci named South America the New World. The German scientist Waldesmuller in 1507 proposed the name America, by the name of Amerigo Vespucci, initially for the southern mainland of this part of the Sveia, then this name spread to the northern one.

Antarctica - from the Greek "opposite to the Arctic": the prefix "anti" - against. The Greek name for the northern polar region of the Earth - the Arctic, comes from the word arktos - a bear, after the name of the constellation Ursa Major, standing in the Arctic near the zenith.

Australia - Ptolemy (II century AD) shows Terra Australis Incognita - "Southern Unknown Land" south of the Indian Ocean. The mainland was studied in parts for a long time, but only by the beginning of the 19th century was it finally possible to establish that all the studied areas belong to one mainland. The Dutch called this land New Holland. The English explorer Matthew Flinders called the account of his voyage at the beginning of the 19th century "Journey to Terra Australis", but in the preface to it he suggested "more euphonious and corresponding to the names of other parts of the world" - Australia, which later came into use.

Oceania is the largest cluster of islands in the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean. The name Oceania came into use at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1832, the French navigator Dumont-Duville proposed the division of the islands of Oceania into three large parts: Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.

The Atlantic Ocean - the name is associated with the ancient Greek myth about the titan Atlanta, who held the vault of heaven on his shoulders, the location of which the Greeks considered the extreme west of the Mediterranean - the Ocean stretched behind it, part of which (closest to Atlanta) was called the Atlantic Ocean.

Pacific Ocean - at different times received various names. In 1513, Vasco Nunez de Balboa was the first European to reach the ocean and named it the South Sea. In 1520, F. Magellan entered the ocean and crossed it from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands in 3 months and 20 days. Throughout this voyage, calm weather prevailed, and Magellan gave the ocean the name Pacific.

Indian Ocean - from India. The ancient Indian name Sindhus is from the name of the river Sindhu (modern Indus). From him came the ancient Persian Hindu, then the ancient Greek and Latin India and Russian India; similar names are found in other European languages.

The Arctic Ocean - this name was given to the ocean in the 20s of the XIX century. It was proposed by a Russian researcher, Admiral F.P. Litke. In 1935, by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, this name was adopted as mandatory. Foreign countries use their national names for this ocean.

World Ocean- the main part of the hydrosphere, a continuous, but not continuous, water shell of the Earth, surrounding the continents and islands and characterized by a common salt composition. The world ocean is a heat regulator. The world ocean has the richest food, mineral and energy resources. Although the World Ocean is a single whole, for the convenience of research, its individual parts have been given different names: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic Oceans and the South.

Ocean and atmosphere. The oceans, the average depth of which is approx. 4 km, contains 1350 million km3 of water. The atmosphere, enveloping the entire Earth in a layer several hundred kilometers thick, with a much larger base than the World Ocean, can be considered as a "shell". Both the ocean and the atmosphere are the fluids in which life exists; their properties determine the habitat of organisms. The ocean determines the main properties of the atmosphere and is a source of energy for many processes occurring in the atmosphere. The circulation of water in the ocean is affected by winds, the rotation of the Earth, and land barriers.

Ocean and climate. It is well known that the temperature regime and other climatic characteristics of the area at any latitude can change significantly in the direction from the ocean coast to the interior of the mainland. Compared to land, the ocean heats up more slowly in summer and cools more slowly in winter, smoothing out temperature fluctuations on adjacent land.

Composition of sea water. The ocean water is salty. The salty taste is given by the 3.5% dissolved minerals contained in it - mainly sodium and chlorine compounds - the main ingredients of table salt. Magnesium is next in number, followed by sulfur; all common metals are also present. Of the non-metallic components, calcium and silicon are especially important, since they are involved in the structure of the skeletons and shells of many marine animals. Due to the fact that the water in the ocean is constantly mixed by waves and currents, its composition is almost the same in all oceans.

properties of sea water. The density of sea water (at a temperature of 20 ° C and salinity approx. 3.5%) is approximately 1.03, i.e. slightly higher than the density of fresh water (1.0). The density of water in the ocean varies with depth due to the pressure of the overlying layers, as well as depending on temperature and salinity. In the deepest parts of the ocean, the waters tend to be saltier and colder. The densest masses of water in the ocean can remain at depth and maintain a lower temperature for more than 1000 years.

Sea water is much less transparent to visible light than air, but more transparent than most other substances. Recorded penetration of sunlight into the ocean to a depth of 700 m. Radio waves penetrate into the water column only to a shallow depth, but sound waves can propagate under water for thousands of kilometers. The speed of sound propagation in sea water fluctuates, averaging 1500 m per second.

According to some sources, there are four oceans in the world: the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic and Indian. According to other sources, there is a fifth ocean - the South.
In the past, for various reasons, some experts singled out one ocean, two oceans, three oceans. For example, some geographers, oceanographers and other experts claim that there are three oceans in the world. In their opinion, the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans should be united into one ocean - the Atlantic. They believe that the Arctic Ocean is a continuation of the Atlantic Ocean. The question arises - are they right in their statement?
Another part of the experts, who say that there are three oceans in the world, proposes to combine into one ocean not the Atlantic and the Arctic, but the Pacific and the Indian. Some of them propose to call such an association the Great Ocean. I note that the Italian geographer and member of the Vienna Academy of Sciences Adriano Balbi (1782 - 1848) singled out the Great Ocean in his writings.
It should be noted that five oceans were identified from 1937 to 1953. The fifth ocean, which is called the South, had another name - the South Arctic.
Some sources indicate that the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000 made a decision, which has legal force, to divide the World Ocean into five parts. In other sources, it is recorded that this decision has no legal force. It is necessary to understand whether the decision of the International Hydrographic Organization of 2000 has legal force?
Most sources indicate that the decision of the International Hydrographic Organization of 2000 has not yet been ratified. I note that ratification should be understood as the process of giving legal force to any document. From the above, it follows that the decision of the International Hydrographic Organization of 2000 is not yet legally binding, that is, the number of oceans is currently four, not five.
I note that in 1953 the International Hydrogeographic Bureau developed a new division of the World Ocean, according to which there are four oceans, not five. The current 1953 definition of the oceans does not include the Southern Ocean. Therefore, there are currently four oceans.
The problem also lies in the fact that some teachers, tutors, teachers, students, schoolchildren and other categories of people cannot clearly define how the boundary of the Southern Ocean passes. When I, as a teacher, asked one student to show the boundaries of the Southern Ocean, and then made a similar request to another student, it turned out that each student showed the boundaries of the Southern Ocean in his own way.
I feel sorry for schoolchildren, students and other categories of people, because some teachers, tutors and teachers tell them that there are five oceans in the world, while others say that there are four oceans on Earth. It turns out confusion in the minds of students, and this is a mess. I believe that the information in the minds of people in relation to the number of oceans in the world should be the same, that is, it is necessary for the whole world to decide how many oceans there are on Earth - four or five.
From all that has been said, it follows that students, schoolchildren and other categories of people should be told that there are four oceans in the world. We can talk about the fifth ocean, but in this case it must be said that the decision of the International Hydrographic Organization of 2000 has not yet been ratified.