Covers approximately 360,000,000 km² and is generally divided into several major oceans and smaller seas, with oceans covering approximately 71% of the Earth's surface and 90% of the Earth's biosphere.
They contain 97% of the Earth's water, and oceanographers claim that only 5% of the ocean depths have been explored.
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Since the world's oceans are the main component of the Earth's hydrosphere, they are an integral part of life, form part of the carbon cycle, and influence climate and weather patterns. It is also home to 230,000 known animal species, but since most of them are unexplored, the number of underwater species is probably much higher, perhaps over two million.
The origin of the oceans on Earth is still unknown.
How many oceans on earth: 5 or 4
How many oceans are there in the world? For many years, only 4 were officially recognized, and then in the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization established the Southern Ocean and defined its limits.
It is interesting to know: what continents exist on planet Earth?
The oceans (from the ancient Greek Ὠκεανός, Okeanos) make up most of the planet's hydrosphere. In descending order by area, there are:
- Quiet.
- Atlantic.
- Indian.
- Southern (Antarctic).
- Arctic Oceans (Arctic).
Earth's global ocean
Although several separate oceans are usually described, the global, interconnected body of salt water is sometimes referred to as the World Ocean. TO the concept of continuous water with relatively free exchange between its parts is fundamental to oceanography.
The major oceanic spaces, listed below in descending order of area and volume, are partly determined by continents, various archipelagos, and other criteria.
What are the oceans, their location
Quiet, the largest, extends north from the Southern Ocean to the North. It spans the gap between Australia, Asia and America and meets the Atlantic just south of South America at Cape Horn.
The Atlantic, the second largest, stretches from the Southern Ocean between America, Africa and Europe to the Arctic. It meets the Indian Ocean south of Africa at Cape Agulhas.
Indian, the third largest, extends north from the Southern Ocean to India, between Africa and Australia. It flows into the Pacific expanses in the east, near Australia.
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the five. It joins the Atlantic near Greenland and Iceland and the Pacific Ocean at the Bering Strait and spans the North Pole, touching North America in the Western Hemisphere, Scandinavia and Siberia in the Eastern Hemisphere. Almost all of it is covered with sea ice, the extent of which varies depending on the season.
Southern - surrounds Antarctica, where the Antarctic circumpolar flow prevails. This maritime space has only recently been identified as a separate oceanic unit, which is located south of sixty degrees south latitude and is partially covered by sea ice, the size of which depends on the season.
They are bordered by small adjoining reservoirs. such as seas, bays and straits.
Physical Properties
The total mass of the hydrosphere is about 1.4 quintillion metric tons, which is about 0.023% of the Earth's total mass. Less than 3% - fresh water; the rest is salt water. The ocean area is about 361.9 million square kilometers and covers about 70.9% of the Earth's surface, and the volume of water is about 1.335 billion cubic kilometers. The average depth is about 3,688 meters and the maximum depth is 10,994 meters in the Mariana Trench. Almost half of the world's sea waters are over 3,000 meters deep. Huge spaces below 200 meters deep cover about 66% of the Earth's surface.
The bluish color of the water is a constituent of several contributing agents. Among them are dissolved organic matter and chlorophyll. Sailors and other sailors have reported that ocean waters often emit a visible glow that extends for miles at night.
oceanic zones
Oceanographers divide the ocean into different vertical zones determined by physical and biological conditions. Pelagic zone includes all zones and can be divided into other areas, divided by depth and illumination.
The photic zone includes surfaces down to a depth of 200 m; it is an area where photosynthesis takes place and is therefore highly biodiverse.
Because plants require photosynthesis, life found deeper than the photon zone must either rely on material descending from above or find another energy source. Hydrothermal vents are the main source of energy in the so-called aphotic zone (more than 200 m deep). The pelagic part of the photon zone is known as the epipelagic.
Climate
Cold deep water rises and warms in the equatorial zone, while thermal water sinks and cools near Greenland in the North Atlantic and near Antarctica in the South Atlantic.
Ocean currents strongly influence the Earth's climate, transferring heat from the tropics to the polar regions. By transferring warm or cold air and precipitation to coastal regions, winds can carry it inland.
Conclusion
Many of the world's goods are moved by ship between the world's seaports. Ocean waters are also the main source of raw materials for the fishing industry. you can find out from the link.
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The ocean is the largest of all existing bodies of water on Earth or a continuous water shell of the planet, it makes up most of the entire hydrosphere of the Earth. The oceans occupy more than 70% of the entire surface of the planet Earth. These reservoirs have some features, for example, they are a habitat for many living beings, and also have a whole system of current regulation. All planetary shells constantly interact with the largest reservoirs of the Earth.
Until recently, the World Ocean had four oceans, but in 2000 a fifth ocean was identified, which geologists called the Southern Ocean. This article is intended to talk about all 5 oceans, their features, animals and plants for which these waters are habitat.
This ocean is the largest on the planet, its area is more than 165 million square kilometers. This water area exceeds the area of all land. It merges with the Southern Ocean in the south, and in the north with the Arctic Ocean. Australia, North and South America, and Africa are washed by this ocean. In addition, there are also the islands of the Pacific archipelago.
The coast of the Pacific Ocean is framed by a whole “ring” of volcanoes. This ring is called "fiery". This is due to the fact that volcanic eruptions, as well as strong earthquakes, most often occur in the fiery zone.
The floor of the Pacific Ocean is constantly changing, as tectonic plates collide with each other, and sometimes “crawl” under each other, thereby creating storms and hurricanes. Therefore, the name “Pacific” is completely unjustified, it is the most restless ocean. Sometimes magma comes out from under the earth's crust, resulting in the formation of underwater volcanoes. Such a process can lead to the appearance of seamounts and islands.
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.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest on Earth
Pacific Ocean- the largest ocean in terms of area and depth on Earth, occupies 49.5% of the surface of the World Ocean and holds 53% of its water volume. It is located between the continents of Eurasia and Australia in the west, North and South America in the east, Antarctica in the south.
The Pacific Ocean stretches approximately 15.8 thousand km from north to south and 19.5 thousand km from east to west. The area with the seas is 179.7 million km², the average depth is 3984 m, the volume of water is 723.7 million km³. The greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean (and the entire World Ocean) is 10,994 m (in the Mariana Trench).
On November 28, 1520, Ferdinand Magellan went out into the open ocean for the first time. He crossed the ocean from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands in 3 months and 20 days. All this time the weather was calm, and Magellan called the ocean - Pacific.
The second largest ocean on Earth after the Pacific Ocean, occupying 25% of the surface of the World Ocean, with a total area of 91.66 million km² and a volume of water - 329.66 million km³. The ocean is located between Greenland and Iceland in the north, Europe and Africa in the east, North and South America in the west and Antarctica in the south. The greatest depth - 8742 m (deep trench - Puerto Rico)
The name of the ocean is first encountered in the 5th century BC. e. in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote that "the sea with the pillars of Hercules is called Atlantis." The name comes from the ancient Greek myth of Atlanta, a titan holding the vault of heaven on his shoulders at the extreme western point of the Mediterranean. The Roman scientist Pliny the Elder in the 1st century used the modern name Oceanus Atlanticus - "Atlantic Ocean".
The third largest ocean on Earth, covering about 20% of its water surface. Its area is 76.17 million km², volume - 282.65 million km³. The deepest point of the ocean is in the Sunda Trench (7729 m).
In the north, the Indian Ocean washes Asia, in the west - Africa, in the east - Australia; in the south it borders on Antarctica. The border with the Atlantic Ocean runs along the 20 ° meridian of east longitude; from the Pacific - along the 146 ° 55 'meridian of eastern longitude. The northernmost point of the Indian Ocean is located at approximately 30° north latitude in the Persian Gulf. The width of the Indian Ocean is approximately 10,000 km between the southern points of Australia and Africa.
The ancient Greeks called the western part of the ocean known to them with adjacent seas and bays the Erythrean Sea (Red). Gradually, this name began to be attributed only to the nearest sea, and the ocean gets its name from India, the country most famous at that time for its wealth on the shores of the ocean. So Alexander the Great in the IV century BC. e. calls it Indicon Pelagos - "Indian Sea". Since the 16th century, the name Oceanus Indicus, introduced by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder back in the 1st century, was established - the Indian Ocean.
The smallest ocean on Earth, located entirely in the northern hemisphere, between Eurasia and North America.
The area of the ocean is 14.75 million km² (5.5% of the area of the World Ocean), the volume of water is 18.07 million km³. The average depth is 1225 m, the greatest depth is 5527 m in the Greenland Sea. Most of the relief of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is occupied by the shelf (more than 45% of the ocean floor) and the underwater margins of the continents (up to 70% of the bottom area). The ocean is usually divided into three vast areas: the Arctic Basin, the North European Basin and the Canadian Basin. Due to the polar geographical position, the ice cover in the central part of the ocean persists throughout the year, although it is in a mobile state.
The ocean was singled out as an independent geographer Varenius in 1650 under the name of the Hyperborean Ocean - "The ocean in the farthest north." Foreign sources of that time also used the names: Oceanus Septentrionalis - "Northern Ocean" (lat. Septentrio - north), Oceanus Scythicus - "Scythian Ocean" (lat. Scythae - Scythians), Oceanes Tartaricus - "Tartar Ocean", Μare Glaciale - "Arctic Sea" (lat. Glacies - ice). On Russian maps of the 17th - 18th centuries, the names are used: Sea Ocean, Sea Ocean Arctic, Arctic Sea, Arctic Ocean, North or Arctic Sea, Arctic Ocean, North Polar Sea, and the Russian navigator Admiral F.P. Litke in the 20s of XIX century called it the Arctic Ocean. In other countries, the English name is widely used. Arctic Ocean - "Arctic Ocean", which in 1845 gave the ocean to the London Geographical Society.
By a decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of June 27, 1935, the name Arctic Ocean was adopted, as corresponding to the form already used in Russia since the beginning of the 19th century, and close to earlier Russian names.
The conditional name of the waters of the three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic and Indian) surrounding Antarctica and sometimes unofficially distinguished as the “fifth ocean”, which, however, does not have a northern border clearly defined by islands and continents. The conditional area is 20.327 million km² (assuming the northern boundary of the ocean is 60 degrees south latitude). The greatest depth (South Sandwich Trench) - 8428 m.
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.