Natural complexes of the world ocean. Oceans of our planet

Ocean (ancient Greek Ὠκεανός, on behalf of the ancient Greek deity Ocean) - the largest water body, part of the World Ocean, located among the continents, with a water circulation system and other specific features. The ocean is in continuous interaction with the atmosphere and the earth's crust. The surface area of ​​the world's oceans, which includes oceans and seas, accounts for about 71 percent of the Earth's surface (about 361 million square kilometers). The bottom topography of the Earth's oceans is generally complex and varied.

The science that studies the oceans is called oceanology; The fauna and flora of the ocean is studied by a branch of biology called ocean biology.

Antique meaning

IN Ancient Rome the word Oceanus denoted the waters that washed the known world from the west, that is, open Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, the expressions Oceanus Germanicus (“German Ocean”) or Oceanus Septentrionalis (“ Northern Ocean") denoted the North Sea, and Oceanus Britannicus ("British Ocean") - the English Channel.

Modern definition of oceans

The world ocean is the global volume of sea water, the main part of the hydrosphere, constituting 94.1% of its total area, continuous, but not continuous water shell Lands surrounding continents and islands and characterized by a common salt composition. Continents and large archipelagos divide the world's oceans into parts (oceans). Large regions of the oceans are known as seas, gulfs, straits, etc.

Some sources divided the World Ocean into four parts, others into five. From 1937 to 1953, five oceans were distinguished: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern (or Southern Arctic) ocean. The term “Southern Ocean” appeared many times back in the 18th century, when systematic exploration of the region began. In publications of the International Hydrographic Organization, the Southern Ocean was separated from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific in 1937. There was a justification for this: in its southern part, the boundaries between the three oceans are very arbitrary, while at the same time, the waters adjacent to Antarctica have their own specifics, and are also united by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. However, later they abandoned the distinction of a separate Southern Ocean. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted a division into five oceans, but this decision has not yet been ratified. The current definition of oceans from 1953 does not include the Southern Ocean.

In the table below, in addition to the seas related to the oceans, the seas related to Southern Ocean.

	Area, million km²	Volume, million km³	Average depth, m	Maximum depth, m
Atlantic				8,742 (Puerto Rico Trough)	Baltic, Northern, Mediterranean, Black, Sargasso, Caribbean, Adriatic, Azov, Balearic, Ionian, Irish, Marmara, Tyrrhenian, Aegean; Bay of Biscay, Gulf of Guinea, Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay : Weddell, Skosh, Lazarev
Indian				7,725 (Sunda Trench)	Andaman, Arabian, Arafura, Red, Laccadive, Timor; Bay of Bengal, Persian Gulf Also related to the Southern Ocean: Rieser-Larsen, Davis, Cosmonauts, Commonwealth, Mawson
Arctic				5,527 (in Greenland Sea)	Norwegian, Barents, White, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, Chukotka, Greenland, Beaufort, Baffin, Lincoln
Quiet				11 022 (Mariana Trench)	Bering, Okhotsk, Japanese, East China, Yellow, South China, Javanese, Sulawesi, Sulu, Philippine, Coral, Fiji, Tasmanovo Also related to the Southern Ocean: D'Urville, Somov, Ross, Amundsen, Bellingshausen

Brief characteristics of the oceans

The Pacific Ocean (or Great Ocean) is the largest ocean in terms of area and depth on Earth. Located between the continents of Eurasia and Australia in the west, North and South America in the east, Antarctica in the south. In the north, through the Bering Strait, it communicates with the waters of the Arctic, and in the south, with the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Occupying 49.5% of the surface of the World Ocean and containing 53% of the volume of water in the World Ocean, the Pacific Ocean extends approximately 15.8 thousand km from north to south and 19.5 thousand km from east to west. The area with seas is 179.7 million km2, the average depth is 3984 m, the volume of water is 723.7 million km3 (without seas, respectively: 165.2 million km2, 4282 m and 707.6 million km3). The greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean (and the entire World Ocean) is 11,022 m in the Mariana Trench. The International Date Line runs across the Pacific Ocean approximately along the 180th meridian. The study and development of the Pacific Ocean began long before the written history of mankind. Junks, catamarans and simple rafts were used to navigate the ocean. The 1947 expedition on the balsa log raft Kon-Tiki, led by the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl, proved the possibility of crossing the Pacific Ocean in westward from central South America to the islands of Polynesia. Chinese junks made voyages along the ocean shores into the Indian Ocean (for example, the seven voyages of Zheng He in 1405-1433). Currently, the coast and islands of the Pacific Ocean are developed and populated extremely unevenly. Most major centers industrial development are the US coast (from the Los Angeles area to the San Francisco area), the coast of Japan and South Korea. The role of the ocean is significant in economic life Australia and New Zealand.

The second largest ocean on Earth after the Pacific Ocean, the name comes from the name of the Titan Atlas (Atlanta) in Greek mythology or from the legendary island of Atlantis. It extends from subarctic latitudes all the way to Antarctica. The border with the Indian Ocean runs along the meridian of Cape Agulhas (20°E to the coast of Antarctica (Donning Maud Land). The border with the Pacific Ocean is drawn from Cape Horn along the meridian 68°04'W or the shortest distance from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula through the Drake Passage, from Oste Island to Cape Sterneck. The border with the Arctic Ocean runs along the eastern entrance of the Hudson Strait, then through the Davis Strait and along the coast of the island of Greenland to Cape Brewster, through. Denmark Strait to Cape Reydinupur on the island of Iceland, along its coast to Cape Gerpir, then to the Faroe Islands, then to the Shetland Islands and along 61° north latitude to the coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The area of ​​the seas, bays and straits of the Atlantic Ocean is 14.69 million km2 (16% of the total ocean area), the volume is 29.47 million km³ (8.9%). The area is 91.6 million km2, of which about a quarter is inland seas. The area of ​​coastal seas is small and does not exceed 1% of the total water area. The volume of water is 329.7 million km3, which is equal to 25% of the volume of the World Ocean. The average depth is 3736 m, the greatest is 8742 m (Puerto Rico Trench). The average annual salinity of ocean waters is about 35 ‰. The Atlantic Ocean has a highly indented coastline with a pronounced division into regional waters: seas and bays.

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean on Earth, covering about 20% of its water surface. The Indian Ocean is mainly located south of the Tropic of Cancer between Eurasia to the north, Africa to the west, Australia to the east and Antarctica to the south.

Its area is 76.17 million km2, volume - 282.65 million km3. In the north it washes Asia, in the west - the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, in the east - Indochina, the Sunda Islands and Australia; in the south it borders the Southern Ocean.

The border with the Atlantic Ocean runs along the 20° meridian of eastern longitude; from Quiet - along the 147° meridian of eastern longitude.

Northernmost point Indian Ocean is located at approximately 30° north latitude in the Persian Gulf. The Indian Ocean is approximately 10,000 km wide between the southern points of Australia and Africa.

Northern Arctic Ocean(English Arctic Ocean, Danish Ishavet, Norse and Nynorsk Nordishavet) is the smallest ocean on Earth by area, located between Eurasia and North America.

The area is 14.75 million km2, that is, slightly more than 4% of the entire area of ​​the World Ocean, the average depth is 1,225 m, the volume of water is 18.07 million km3.

The Arctic Ocean is the shallowest of all oceans, with an average depth of 1,225 m (the greatest depth is 5,527 m in the Greenland Sea).

Formation of the oceans

Today, there is a version in scientific circles that the ocean appeared 3.5 billion years ago as a consequence of degassing of magma and subsequent condensation of atmospheric vapor. Most modern ocean basins arose in the last 250 million years as a result of the breakup of an ancient supercontinent and divergence to the sides (so-called spreading) lithospheric plates. The exception is the Pacific Ocean, which is a shrinking remnant of the ancient Panthalassa Ocean.

Bathymetric position

According to the bathymetric position and the nature of the relief on the ocean floor, the following several stages are distinguished:

• Shelf - depth up to 200-500 m
• Continental slope - depth up to 3500 m
• Ocean bed - depth up to 6000 m
• Deep sea trenches - depth below 6000 m

Ocean and atmosphere

The ocean and atmosphere are fluid media. The properties of these environments determine the habitat of organisms. Flows in the atmosphere affect the general circulation of water in the oceans, and the properties of the air depend on the composition and temperature of the air. ocean waters. In turn, the ocean determines basic properties atmosphere and is a source of energy for many processes occurring in the atmosphere. The circulation of water in the ocean is influenced by winds, the rotation of the Earth, and land barriers.

Ocean and climate

The ocean warms up more slowly in summer and cools down more slowly in winter. This makes it possible to smooth out temperature fluctuations on land adjacent to the ocean.

The atmosphere receives from the ocean a significant part of the heat supplied to it and almost all the water vapor. The steam rises, condenses, forming clouds, which are carried by the winds and fall as rain or snow on land. Only surface waters of the ocean participate in heat and moisture exchange. Internal ones (about 95%) do not participate in the exchange.

Chemical composition of water

There is an inexhaustible source in the ocean chemical elements, which is contained in its water, as well as in deposits located at the bottom. There is a constant renewal of mineral deposits, through the fall or introduction to the bottom of various sediments and solutions from the earth's crust.

The average salinity of sea water is 35 ‰. The salty taste of water is given by the 3.5% dissolved minerals it contains - these are mainly sodium and chlorine compounds.

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 parts of the ocean.

Flora and fauna

The Pacific Ocean accounts for more than 50% of the total biomass of the World Ocean. Life in the ocean is abundant and diverse, especially in the tropical and subtropical zones between the coasts of Asia and Australia, where vast areas are occupied coral reefs and mangroves. Phytoplankton in the Pacific Ocean consists primarily of microscopic single-celled algae, numbering about 1,300 species. In the tropics, fucus algae, large green algae, and especially the famous red algae are especially common, which, along with coral polyps, are reef-forming organisms.

The flora of the Atlantic is different species diversity. The water column is dominated by phytoplankton, consisting of dinoflagellates and diatoms. At the height of their seasonal bloom, the sea off the coast of Florida turns bright red, and a liter of sea water contains tens of millions of single-celled plants. The bottom flora is represented by brown (fucus, kelp), green, red algae and some vascular plants. At the mouths of rivers, sea zoster, or eelgrass, grows, and in the tropics, green (caulerpa, valonia) and brown (sargassum) algae predominate. The southern part of the ocean is characterized by brown algae (Fucus, Lesonia, Electus). The fauna is distinguished by a large - about a hundred - number of bipolar species that live only in cold and temperate zones and absent in the tropics. First of all, these are large sea animals (whales, seals, fur seals) and ocean birds. They live in tropical latitudes sea ​​urchins, coral polyps, sharks, parrotfish and surgeonfish. Dolphins are often found in Atlantic waters. The cheerful intellectuals of the animal kingdom willingly accompany ships large and small - sometimes, unfortunately, falling under the merciless blades of the propellers. The indigenous inhabitants of the Atlantic are the African manatee and the largest mammal on the planet - the blue whale.

The flora and fauna of the Indian Ocean are incredibly diverse. The tropical region is distinguished by the richness of plankton. The unicellular algae Trichodesmium (a type of Cyanobacterium) is especially abundant, due to which the surface layer of water becomes very cloudy and changes its color. Indian Ocean plankton features big number glowing at night organisms: peridines, some types of jellyfish, ctenophores, tunicates. Brightly colored siphonophores are abundant, including poisonous phasalia. In temperate and arctic waters, the main representatives of plankton are copepods, eufuazides and diatoms. The most numerous fish of the Indian Ocean are coryphens, tunas, nototheniids and various sharks. Among reptiles there are several species of giant sea turtles, sea snakes, and among mammals there are cetaceans (toothless and blue whales, sperm whales, dolphins), seals, and elephant seals. Most cetaceans live in temperate and circumpolar regions, where, due to intense mixing of waters, favorable conditions arise for the development of planktonic organisms. The flora of the Indian Ocean is represented by brown (sargassum, turbinaria) and green algae (caulerna). The calcareous algae lithothamnia and halimeda also develop luxuriantly, which participate together with corals in the construction of reef structures. Typical for the coastal zone of the Indian Ocean is the phytocenosis formed by mangroves. For temperate and Antarctic waters, the most characteristic are red and brown algae, mainly from the fucus and kelp groups, porphyry, and gelidium. In the polar regions southern hemisphere giant macrocystis are found.

The reason for the poverty of the organic world of the Arctic Ocean is harsh climatic conditions. The only exceptions are the North European Basin, the Barents and White Seas with their extremely rich flora and fauna. The ocean flora is represented mainly by kelp, fucus, ahnfeltia, and in the White Sea - also zostera. The seabed fauna of the eastern Arctic, especially the central part of the Arctic basin, is extremely poor. There are more than 150 species of fish in the Arctic Ocean, including a large number of commercial fish (herring, cod, salmon, scorpionfish, flounder and others). Seabirds in the Arctic lead a predominantly colonial lifestyle and live on the shores. Mammals are represented by seals, walruses, beluga whales, whales (mainly minke and bowhead whales), and narwhals. Lemmings are found on the islands, and arctic foxes and reindeer cross the ice bridges. The polar bear, whose life is mainly associated with drifting ice, pack ice or coastal fast ice, should also be considered a representative of the ocean fauna. Most animals and birds all year round(and some only in winter) are white or very light in color.

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Lesson Plan

Lesson #3

Subject:

Know the geographical location of the oceans, the history of their exploration, the features of nature, the organic world and economic use;

Determine the geographic location of the oceans using a map;

Establish relationships based on analysis and comparison thematic maps;

Draw geographic objects on a contour map.

Metasubject:

The ability to organize one’s activities, determine its goals and objectives, choose means of achieving the goal and apply them in practice, evaluate the results achieved;

Meaningful reading;

Ability to organize educational collaboration and joint activities with the teacher and peers;

Work individually and in a group;

Establish cause-and-effect relationships;

Make comparisons;

Extract knowledge from various sources of geographic information.

Basic Concepts

Bottom topography, ocean area, climate zones, salinity

Teacher's labor actions

Implementation professional activity in accordance with the requirements of federal government educational standards main general education;

Planning and conducting training sessions;

Systematic analysis of the effectiveness of training sessions and teaching approaches;

Formation of universal educational activities;

Formation of motivation for learning;

Objective assessment students’ knowledge based on testing and other control methods in accordance with real opportunities children.

Educational and methodological provision (facilities, equipment)

For the teacher

For students

1. PC

2. multimedia projector

1. Atlas

2. Contour map

3. Handout with tasks

4. Tutorial

Stage (progress) of the lesson, including the demonstrated work actions of the teacher

Teacher activities

Student activities

Greetings, psychological mood.

Free man!

No wonder you're in love

Into the mighty ocean:

Your boundless soul

He is a mirror;

How are you, is he on the move...

Greetings from the teachers. Divided into groups.

Checking homework

Setting the goals and objectives of the lesson (motivation)

Guys, today we have a lesson - practical work. Let's determine the topic of our lesson. To do this, try to guess the riddles:

1. He is mighty, he is great, he has many seas...

2. This is a desert made of water, where the waves are like dunes, here among the homeless blue there are storms and hurricanes

So, the topic of our lesson

"Pacific Ocean. Atlantic Ocean. Description of the main components of the nature of the oceans"

We will explore the oceans. The study will take place with scientific point vision. We will explore:

Geographical location of the oceans

History of ocean exploration

Climatic features

Currents in the oceans

Organic world

We will enter all data into a table

Guess riddles, make assumptions about the topic of the lesson

Pacific Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

Write down the topic of the lesson

Listen to the teacher, write down the research plan in notebooks

Organization cognitive activity

Discovering new knowledge and ways of doing things

Let's open the atlases and characterize the GP of the oceans.

Between which continents is the Atlantic Ocean located? Pacific Ocean

What seas and bays are part of the oceans?

How are the oceans located relative to the equator, tropics, polar circles and the prime meridian?

In what climate zones are the oceans located?

We outline the history of the research using the textbook.

Pages 44-50, 84-86

They work with atlases.

Atlantic Ocean

Africa, Eurasia, North America, South America Pacific Ocean

Eurasia, North America, South America, Australia

Atlantic Ocean

Caribbean Sea, Sargasso Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Guinea, Bay of Biscay

Pacific Ocean

Philippine Sea, Sea of ​​Okhotsk, Gulf of Alaska

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Crosses except the polar circles and the prime meridian

In all except the Arctic and Antarctic

Taking notes from the textbook

History of ocean exploration

Physical education minute

How nice it is to swim in the river

Shore on the left, shore on the right

Ocean ribbon forward

Look at the bridge from above

To swim even faster

We need to row faster

We work with our hands

Who will keep up with us

And now it's time for us brothers

Lay on the sand

We're climbing out of the river

And we relax on the grass

Swimming movements

Turns left - right

Pulling your arms forward

Hands up

Swimming movements

Walking in place

Sit down in their seats

3. Climatic features of the oceans. The climate of the oceans is varied.

Teacher:

In what climate zones are the oceans located?

Name what climatic zones it lies in most of oceans?

Average water temperature

Average salinity

4. Currents in the ocean.

1. Warm:

Cold:

2. Why do currents deviate to the east in the northern hemisphere, and to the west in the southern hemisphere?

5.Organic world.

taking notes from the textbook

Page 62, 92

(In all except the North Polar (Arctic).

(equator., subequator., tropical. Subtrop.).

18.1ºС (at the equator 25 - 28 ºС).

Atlantic - 37.5

Quiet-36.5%

Kuroshio, North trade wind, South trade wind.

Gulf Stream, Guiana, Brazilian

Peruvian, Californian, Kuril,

Benguela

(constant winds and as a result of the movement of the earth around its axis).

Taking notes from the textbook

Stage of consolidation of what has been learned

Name the features of the oceans

Atlantic Ocean:

1.Second largest ocean.

2. Area – 91.6 million km2.

3. Volume - 329.7 million km3.

4.Average depth - 3,600 m.

5.Greatest depth - 8,742 m (Puerto Rico Trench).

6.The ocean lies in all climate zones.

7.The Atlantic Ocean is crossed by both the equator and the prime meridian.

Pacific Ocean

The largest in area.

The most deep.

The warmest.

The most restless and formidable.

The most ancient.

The largest number of seas belongs to the basin.

Largest number of islands.

It washes over more than 50 countries where half of the Earth's humanity lives.

Half the world's fish catch.

Summing up stage.

In today's lesson, we got acquainted with two of the largest oceans and learned their features

Draw conclusions based on practical work

Homework Information Stage

Prepare a message:

1v-El Niño

2c-Aquaculture

3c-Mariana Trench

Write down homework

Reflection

What was the result of your work?

Where can the knowledge of today's lesson be useful? Why do people study the oceans?

completed the tasks?

What are the difficulties?

Students in orally talk about the knowledge and skills acquired in the lesson

1) What natural complexes of the ocean do you know?

In the World Ocean there are large natural complexes - individual oceans, smaller ones - seas, bays, straits, etc. In addition, in the ocean there are natural complexes of surface layers of water, various layers of water and the ocean floor.

2) How do they differ from natural complexes sushi?

Natural ocean complexes are distinguished by a different set of components and less diversity.

Questions in a paragraph

*Remember what you already know about ocean resources from your continental and oceanic geography course. What resources are the Russian seas rich in?

The world's oceans are rich mineral resources, which are mined from its bottom. Highest value has oil and gas that is produced from continental shelf. The main wealth of the deep ocean floor are ferromanganese nodules containing up to 30 different metals. Huge potential energy resources waters of the World Ocean. The greatest progress has been made in the use of tidal energy. The world's oceans are a source of food - fish, algae, seafood. The seas of Russia are of great economic importance. First of all, these are cheap transport routes connecting our country both with other states and with its individual regions. Of significant value biological resources seas, primarily their fish wealth. The importance of the mineral resources of the seas is increasing. The energy of sea tides can be used to generate electricity. The seas are also places of rest. Of course, most of the seas in our country are too harsh natural conditions so that people can relax there. But southern seas– Azov, Black, Caspian and Japanese attract a large number of vacationers.

*Name and remember the ports White Sea.

Arkhangelsk, Belomorsk, Vitino, Kem, Mezen, Onega, Severodvinsk, Kandalaksha.

Questions at the end of the paragraph

1. What components does the natural complex of the sea consist of?

Components of the PC of the sea - underlying surface, water, vegetation and animal world.

2. What factors influence the formation of this complex?

Very many natural features seas are determined by their position within certain climatic zones: water temperature, ice cover, fog, wind strength, storms and hurricanes, currents. All these factors have direct impact on navigation conditions, make it easier or more difficult. Rivers have a great influence on marine complexes.

3. Why is it so important to know the properties of the PC of the sea?

In the era scientific and technological progress problems of comprehensive study and development natural resources seas and oceans are becoming one of the most important for humanity. Rational use ocean resources requires knowledge of the characteristics of the natural complexes of the seas.

4. Describe the natural complex of the White Sea.

The White Sea protrudes deep into the land between the Kola and Kanin peninsulas and is connected to the Barents Sea by a wide strait. The sea has bays - Kandalaksha, Dvinsky, Mezensky, Onega, which protrude deeply into the land. The rivers Northern Dvina, Onega and Mezen flow into the sea.

Underlying surface. The relief of the seabed is uneven, the depth increases from east to west.

Water. The volume of water is 5400 km3. Rivers bring significant volumes of water into the small sea, which desalinate sea ​​water. The salinity of the water is about 30 ‰, in the south – 20-26 ‰. From November to May the sea is covered with drifting ice.

Flora and fauna. The biological productivity of the White Sea is low. There are 194 species of algae, 57 species of fish, beluga whales, and two species of seals.

1. Name several natural complexes in your area. Briefly describe one of them and indicate the relationships between the components.
2. From natural history and biology courses, remember how soils are formed and what kind of soils you know.

Natural sushi complexes. The geographical envelope, being integral, is heterogeneous in different latitudes, on land and in the ocean.

Due to uneven supply solar heat The geographical cover of the earth's surface is very diverse. Near the equator, for example, where there is a lot of heat and moisture, nature is distinguished by the richness of living organisms that pass more quickly natural processes, in the polar regions, on the contrary, slowly flowing processes and poverty of life. At the same latitudes, nature can also be different. It depends on the terrain, on the distance from the ocean. Therefore, the geographic envelope can be divided into areas, territories, or natural-territorial complexes of different sizes (abbreviated as natural complexes, or PC).

The formation of any natural complex took a long time. On land it was carried out under the influence of the interaction of natural components: rocks, climate, air masses, water, plants, animals, soils (Fig. 32). All components in the natural complex, as in the geographical shell, are intertwined with each other and form an integral natural complex; metabolism and energy also occur in it. A natural complex is a section of the earth's surface that is distinguished by the characteristics of the natural components found in complex interaction. Each natural complex has more or less clearly defined boundaries and has a natural unity, manifested in its external appearance (for example, a forest, a swamp, a mountain range, a lake, etc.).

Rice. 32. Relationships between the components of the natural complex

Natural complexes of the ocean, unlike land, consist of the following components: water with gases dissolved in it, plants and animals, rocks and bottom topography. In the World Ocean there are large natural complexes - individual oceans, smaller ones - seas, bays, straits, etc. In addition, in the ocean there are natural complexes of surface layers of water, various layers of water and the ocean floor.

Variety of natural complexes. Natural complexes come in different sizes. They also differ in education. Very large natural complexes are continents and oceans. Their formation is determined by the structure of the earth's crust. On continents and oceans they emit less large complexes- parts of continents and oceans. Depending on the amount of solar heat, i.e. on geographic latitude, there are natural complexes equatorial forests, tropical deserts, taiga, etc. Examples of small ones include, for example, a ravine, lake, river valley, sea bay. And the largest natural complex of the Earth is the geographical envelope.

All natural complexes are experienced a huge impact person. Many of them have already been greatly changed by centuries of human activity. Man has created new natural complexes: fields, gardens, cities, parks, etc. Such natural complexes are called anthropogenic (from the Greek “anthropos” - man).

1. Using the text of the textbook, write down the components of the geographical shell in the left column of your notebook, the components of the natural complexes of the land in the middle column, and the components of the natural complexes of the ocean in the right column. What do the components of each natural complex have in common?
2. What is a natural complex?
3. How do natural complexes differ?

Our Earth appears to be a blue planet from space. This is because ¾ of the surface globe occupies the World Ocean. He is united, although greatly divided.

The surface area of ​​the entire World Ocean is 361 million square meters. km.

Oceans of our planet

The ocean is the water shell of the earth, the most important component of the hydrosphere. Continents divide the World Ocean into parts.

Currently, it is customary to distinguish five oceans:

. - the largest and oldest on our planet. Its surface area is 178.6 million square meters. km. It occupies 1/3 of the Earth and makes up almost half of the World Ocean. To imagine this magnitude, it is enough to say that the Pacific Ocean can easily accommodate all the continents and islands combined. This is probably why it is often called the Great Ocean.

The Pacific Ocean owes its name to F. Magellan, who during his trip around the world crossed the ocean under favorable conditions.

The ocean has oval shape, its widest part is located near the equator.

The southern part of the ocean is an area of ​​calm, light winds and a stable atmosphere. To the west of the Tuamotu Islands, the picture changes dramatically - here is an area of ​​storms and squalls that turn into fierce hurricanes.

In the tropical region, the waters of the Pacific Ocean are clean, transparent and have deep Blue colour. Formed near the equator favorable climate. The air temperature here is +25ºC and practically does not change throughout the year. Winds are moderate and often calm.

The northern part of the ocean is similar to the southern part, as if in a mirror image: in the west there is unstable weather with frequent storms and typhoons, in the east there is peace and quiet.

The Pacific Ocean is the richest in the number of animal and plant species. Its waters are home to over 100 thousand species of animals. Almost half of the world's fish catch is caught here. Through this ocean are laid the most important sea ​​routes, connecting 4 continents at once.

. occupies an area of ​​92 million square meters. km. This ocean, like a huge strait, connects the two poles of our planet. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, famous for the instability of the earth's crust, runs through the center of the ocean. Individual peaks This ridge rises above the water and forms islands, the largest of which is Iceland.

The southern part of the ocean is influenced by trade winds. There are no cyclones here, so the water here is calm, clean and clear. Closer to the equator, the Atlantic changes completely. The waters here are muddy, especially along the coast. This is explained by the fact that large rivers flow into the ocean in this part.

Northern tropical zone The Atlantic is famous for its hurricanes. Two major currents meet here - the warm Gulf Stream and the cold Labrador Stream.

The northern latitudes of the Atlantic are the most picturesque area with huge icebergs and powerful ice tongues protruding from the waters. This area of ​​the ocean is dangerous for shipping.

. (76 million sq. km) is an area of ​​ancient civilizations. Navigation began to develop here much earlier than in other oceans. The average depth of the ocean is 3700 meters. Coastline slightly indented, with the exception of the northern part, where most of the seas and bays are located.

The waters of the Indian Ocean are saltier than others because there are far fewer rivers flowing into it. But thanks to this, they are famous for their amazing transparency and rich azure and blue color.

The northern part of the ocean is a monsoon region; typhoons often form in autumn and spring. Closer to the south, the water temperature is lower, due to the influence of Antarctica.

. (15 million sq. km) is located in the Arctic and occupies vast areas around north pole. Maximum depth— 5527m.

The central part of the bottom is a continuous intersection of mountain ranges, between which there is a huge basin. The coastline is heavily dissected by seas and bays, and in terms of the number of islands and archipelagos, the Arctic Ocean ranks second after such a giant as the Pacific Ocean.

The most characteristic part of this ocean is the presence of ice. The Arctic Ocean remains the most poorly studied to date, since research is hampered by the fact that most of the ocean is hidden under ice cover.

. . The waters washing Antarctica combine signs. Allowing them to be separated into a separate ocean. But there is still debate about what should be considered boundaries. If the borders from the south are marked by the mainland, then the northern borders are most often drawn at 40-50º south latitude. Within these limits, the ocean area is 86 million square meters. km.

The bottom topography is indented by underwater canyons, ridges and basins. The fauna of the Southern Ocean is rich, with the largest number of endemic animals and plants.

Characteristics of the oceans

The world's oceans are several billion years old. Its prototype is the ancient ocean Panthalassa, which existed when all the continents were still a single whole. Until recently, it was assumed that the ocean floors were level. But it turned out that the bottom, like the land, has a complex topography, with its own mountains and plains.

Properties of the world's oceans

Russian scientist A. Voyekov called the World Ocean a “huge heating battery” of our planet. The fact is that the average water temperature in the oceans is +17ºC, and the average air temperature is +14ºC. Water takes much longer to heat up, but it also consumes heat more slowly than air, while having high heat capacity.

But not all water in the oceans has the same temperature. Under the sun, only surface waters heat up, and with depth the temperature drops. It is known that at the bottom of the oceans the average temperature is only +3ºC. And she remains like this because high density water.

It should be remembered that the water in the oceans is salty, which is why it freezes not at 0ºC, but at -2ºC.

The degree of salinity of waters varies depending on latitude: in temperate latitudes the waters are less salty than, for example, in the tropics. In the north, the waters are also less saline due to the melting of glaciers, which greatly desalinize the water.

Ocean waters also vary in transparency. At the equator the water is clearer. As you move away from the equator, water becomes more quickly saturated with oxygen, which means more microorganisms appear. But near the poles, due to low temperatures, the waters become clearer again. Thus, the waters of the Weddell Sea near Antarctica are considered the most transparent. Second place belongs to the waters of the Sargasso Sea.

The difference between the ocean and the sea

The main difference between the sea and the ocean is its size. Oceans are much larger, and seas are often only part of the oceans. Seas also differ from the ocean to which they belong by a unique hydrological regime (water temperature, salinity, transparency, distinctive composition of flora and fauna).

Ocean climate

Pacific climate Infinitely diverse, the ocean is located in almost all climatic zones: from equatorial to subarctic in the north and Antarctic in the south. There are 5 warm currents and 4 cold currents circulating in the Pacific Ocean.

The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the equatorial belt. The amount of precipitation exceeds the share of water evaporation, so the water in the Pacific Ocean is less salty than in others.

Atlantic Ocean Climate determined by its large extent from north to south. The equator zone is the most narrow part ocean, so the water temperature here is lower than in the Pacific or Indian.

The Atlantic is conventionally divided into northern and southern, drawing the border along the equator, and South part much colder due to its proximity to Antarctica. Many areas of this ocean are characterized by dense fogs and powerful cyclones. They are strongest near the southern tip North America and in the Caribbean region.

For formation Indian Ocean climate The proximity of two continents - Eurasia and Antarctica - has a huge impact. Eurasia actively participates in the annual change of seasons, bringing dry air in winter and filling the atmosphere with excess moisture in summer.

The proximity of Antarctica causes a decrease in water temperature in the southern part of the ocean. Frequent hurricanes and storms occur north and south of the equator.

Formation climate of the Arctic Ocean is determined by it geographical location. Arctic air masses dominate here. average temperature air: from -20 ºC to -40 ºC, even in summer the temperature rarely rises above 0ºC. But the ocean waters are warmer due to constant contact with the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Therefore, the Arctic Ocean warms a significant part of the land.

Strong winds are rare, but fog is common in summer. Precipitation falls mainly in the form of snow.

It is influenced by the proximity of Antarctica, the presence of ice and the absence of warm currents. The Antarctic climate prevails here with low temperatures, cloudy weather and light winds. Snow falls throughout the year. Distinctive feature climate of the Southern Ocean - high activity cyclones.

The influence of the ocean on the Earth's climate

The ocean has a tremendous influence on climate formation. He accumulates huge reserves heat. Thanks to the oceans, the climate on our planet becomes softer and warmer, since the temperature of the waters in the oceans does not change as sharply and quickly as the air temperature over land.

The oceans promote better circulation of air masses. And this is the most important a natural phenomenon, like the water cycle, provides the land with a sufficient amount of moisture.