The narrowest ocean in the world. Salt is the main feature of ocean waters

Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on Earth, its area is estimated at 178.62 million km2, and this figure is several million kilometers greater than the area of the continents, and also 200% more than the space occupied by the Atlantic Ocean. The largest ocean in the world occupies almost 50% of the surface of the World Ocean and holds just over half of its volume water resources. From west to east it extends over almost 20 thousand km, and from south to north – over 16 thousand km.

The area of water with seas is 179.7 million km², with an average depth of almost 4 thousand m, the Pacific Ocean has a water volume of 724 million. cubic kilometers and reaches a maximum depth of 10,994 m (the so-called “ Mariana Trench"). The date change line runs through the ocean surface near the 180th meridian.

The conquistador from Spain Nunez de Balboa at the beginning of the 16th century, of course, did not know what the largest ocean was. But, nevertheless, crossing the Isthmus of Panama, he saw the shore of an unknown ocean. Since his ship approached the waters of the bay from the southern side, the conquistador gave the name to what he saw “South Sea”. A few years later, Ferdinand Magellan entered the open waters. During the entire 3 months and 20 days crossing the expanse from the Philippine Islands to Tierra del Fuego, the navigator observed ideal and calm weather. So he called the found waters the Pacific Ocean.

The ocean washes North and South America from the east, Australia and Eurasia from the west, and reaches Antarctica from the southern borders.

Climate of the largest ocean in the world

Ironically, the Pacific Ocean is the stormiest and most turbulent of all the oceans on Earth. The trade wind blows in its central part, and the monsoon blows in the west. IN winter time a dry and cold monsoon penetrates from the land, affecting the climatic state of the ocean; As a result, some seas are covered with a crust of ice. Quite often, tropical hurricanes of devastating power - typhoons - fly over the surface of the ocean from the west. The highest waves, reaching 30 m in height, were seen in the south and north of the Pacific Ocean. And the hurricane wind raises real columns of water.

The Pacific Ocean spreads its waters in all climatic zones. The air above its area is too humid, so that at the equator precipitation falls up to 2 thousand mm per year. Due to the vast area of the ocean, the water here fluctuates between temperatures from -1 to +29 °C. But still, precipitation over the water surface takes precedence over evaporation, so that the salinity of the water on the surface is lower than that of other oceans.

Another record holder

As mentioned above, the Pacific Ocean does not contain much salt in surface waters, only 34.5%. But one of his neighbors - Atlantic Ocean- the saltiest in the world, although a sufficient amount flows into it fresh water from all over the land. This record holder has accumulated 35.4% of salt. Some points in the Red Sea near the bottom contain 270% - which is actually a saturated saline solution! All this happens due to insufficient rainfall and large evaporation water.

Life in the Pacific

IN organic world The Pacific Ocean is home to a variety of life forms, and its waters are rich in various species of plants and animals. Just think, its depths are inhabited by half of the mass of diverse life forms of the World Ocean. And this is not surprising, considering huge size Pacific Ocean, and thanks to the climate, this environment has different natural conditions. The most rich life in the tropics and equatorial latitudes, near coral reefs. The northern part of the ocean is inhabited by salmon fish. Off the coast of South America in the southeast, the waters are simply teeming with fish. The Pacific Ocean is home to horse mackerel, herring, butterfish, mackerel and many other fish.

Fur seals, whales and sea beavers have found their refuge in these waters ( this type lives exclusively in the Pacific Ocean). Invertebrates also live here - sea urchins, corals, and a variety of shellfish.

The sky over the Pacific Ocean is a huge air route between countries in the Pacific region. There are transit roads between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Interesting fact. The asteroid Oceana is named after the Pacific Ocean.

Almost 95% of all water on Earth is salty and unfit for consumption. Seas, oceans and salt lakes are made of it. Collectively, all this is called the World Ocean. Its area is three quarters of the entire area of the planet.

The World Ocean - what is it?

The names of the oceans have been familiar to us since junior school. These are the Pacific, otherwise called the Great, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. All of them together are called the World Ocean. Its area is more than 350 million km2. This is a huge territory even on a planetary scale.

The continents divide the World Ocean into four oceans known to us. Each of them has its own characteristics, its own unique undersea world, varying depending on the climate zone, current temperature and bottom topography. A map of the oceans shows that they are all connected to each other. None of them are surrounded by land on all sides.

The science that studies the oceans is oceanology

How do we know that seas and oceans exist? Geography - school subject, which introduces us to these concepts for the first time. But he studies the oceans more deeply special science- oceanology. She considers water expanses as an integral natural object, studies biological processes, occurring within it, and its connection with other constituent elements of the biosphere.

This science studies the ocean depths to achieve the following goals:

increasing the efficiency and ensuring the safety of underwater and surface navigation;
optimization of the use of mineral resources of the ocean floor;
maintaining the biological balance of the oceanic environment;
improvement of meteorological forecasts.

How did the modern names of the oceans come about?

Every geographical feature is given a name for a reason. Any name has certain historical background or related to characteristic features one or another territory. Let's find out when and how the names of the oceans came about and who came up with them.

Atlantic Ocean. The works of the ancient Greek historian and geographer Strabo described this ocean, calling it Western. Later, some scientists called it the Hesperides Sea. This is confirmed by a document dated 90 BC. Already in the ninth century AD, Arab geographers announced the name “Sea of Darkness”, or “Sea of Darkness”. This strange name received because of the clouds of sand and dust that were raised above him by the winds constantly blowing from the African continent. First modern name sounded in 1507, after Columbus reached the shores of America. Officially, this name was established in geography in 1650. scientific works Bernhard Waren.
The Pacific Ocean was named so by a Spanish navigator. Despite the fact that it is quite stormy and there are often storms and tornadoes, during Magellan’s expedition, which lasted a year, the weather was constantly good and calm, and this was a reason to think that the ocean was really quiet and calm. When the truth was revealed, no one began to rename the Pacific Ocean. In 1756, the researcher Bayush proposed calling it the Great, since it is the largest ocean of all. To this day, both of these names are used.
The reason for the name was the many ice floes drifting in its waters, and, of course, geographical position. Its second name - Arctic - comes from the Greek word “arktikos”, which means “northern”.
With the name of the Indian Ocean, everything is extremely simple. India is one of the first countries known Ancient world. The waters that wash its shores were named after her.

Four Oceans

How many oceans are there on the planet? This question seems to be the simplest, but for many years it has been causing discussions and debates among oceanologists. The standard list of oceans looks like this:

2. Indian.

3. Atlantic.

4. Arctic.

But since ancient times, there has been another opinion, according to which there is a fifth ocean - the Antarctic, or Southern. Arguing this decision, oceanologists cite as evidence the fact that the waters washing the shores of Antarctica are very unique and the system of currents in this ocean differs from the rest of the water expanses. Not everyone agrees with this decision, so the problem of dividing the World Ocean remains relevant.

The characteristics of the oceans vary depending on many factors, although they may all appear to be the same. Let's get to know each of them and find out the most important information about all of them.

Pacific Ocean

It is also called Great because it has the largest area among all. The Pacific Ocean basin occupies slightly less than half the area of all the world's waters and is equal to 179.7 million km².

It includes 30 seas: Japan, Tasman, Java, South China, Okhotsk, Philippines, New Guinea, Savu Sea, Halmahera Sea, Koro Sea, Mindanao Sea, Yellow Sea, Visayan Sea, Aki Sea, Solomonovo, Bali Sea, Samair Sea, Coral, Banda, Sulu, Sulawesi, Fiji, Maluku, Comotes, Seram Sea, Flores Sea, Sibuyan Sea, East China Sea, Bering Sea, Amudesen Sea. All of them occupy 18% of the total area of the Pacific Ocean.

It is also a leader in the number of islands. There are about 10 thousand of them. The most large islands The Pacific Ocean is New Guinea and Kalimantan.

The subsoil of the seabed contains more than a third of the world's reserves of natural gas and oil, active production of which occurs mainly in the shelf areas of China, the United States of America and Australia.

Many transport routes pass through the Pacific Ocean, connecting Asian countries with South and North America.

Atlantic Ocean

It is the second largest in the world, and this is clearly demonstrated by the map of the oceans. Its area is 93,360 thousand km 2. The Atlantic Ocean basin contains 13 seas. They all have a coastline.

An interesting fact is that in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean there is the fourteenth sea - Sargasovo, called the sea without shores. Its boundaries are ocean currents. It is considered the largest sea in the world by area.

Another feature of this ocean is the maximum influx of fresh water, which is provided by large rivers North and South America, Africa and Europe.

In terms of the number of islands, this ocean is the complete opposite of the Pacific. There are very few of them here. But it is in the Atlantic Ocean that the largest island on the planet, Greenland, and the most remote island, Bouvet, are located. Although sometimes Greenland is classified as an island of the Arctic Ocean.

Indian Ocean

Interesting facts about the third largest ocean by area will make us even more surprised. The Indian Ocean was the first known and explored. He is the guardian of the largest coral reef complex.

The waters of this ocean hold a secret that has not yet been properly explored. The fact is that luminous circles periodically appear on the surface correct form. According to one version, this is the glow of plankton rising from the depths, but their ideal spherical shape still remains a mystery.

Not far from the island of Madagascar you can see one of a kind a natural phenomenon- underwater waterfall.

Now some facts about the Indian Ocean. Its area is 79,917 thousand km 2. The average depth is 3711 m. It washes 4 continents and includes 7 seas. Vasco da Gama is the first explorer to sail across the Indian Ocean.

Interesting facts and characteristics of the Arctic Ocean

It is the smallest and coldest of all the oceans. Area - 13,100 thousand km 2. It is also the shallowest, the average depth of the Arctic Ocean is only 1225 m. It consists of 10 seas. In terms of the number of islands, this ocean ranks second after the Pacific.

The central part of the ocean is covered with ice. IN southern regions floating ice floes and icebergs are observed. Sometimes you can find intact ice sheets 30-35 m thick. It was here that the infamous Titanic crashed after colliding with one of them.

Despite the harsh climate, the Northern Arctic Ocean- this is the habitat of many species of animals: walruses, seals, whales, seagulls, jellyfish and plankton.

Depth of the oceans

We already know the names of the oceans and their features. But which ocean is the deepest? Let's look into this issue.

A contour map of the oceans and ocean floor shows that the bottom topography is as diverse as the topography of the continents. Under the thickness sea water hidden depressions, depressions and elevations like mountains.

The average depth of all four oceans combined is 3700 m. The deepest is the Pacific Ocean, the average depth of which is 3980 m, followed by the Atlantic - 3600 m, followed by the Indian - 3710 m. The latest in this list, as already mentioned, is is the Arctic Ocean, the average depth of which is only 1225 m.

Salt is the main feature of ocean waters

Everyone knows the difference between sea and ocean water and fresh river water. Now we will be interested in such a characteristic of the oceans as the amount of salt. If you think that the water is equally salty everywhere, you are very mistaken. The concentration of salt in ocean waters can vary significantly even within a few kilometers.

Average salinity ocean waters- 35 ‰. If we consider this indicator separately for each ocean, then the Arctic is the least saline of all: 32 ‰. Pacific Ocean - 34.5 ‰. The salt content in the water here is reduced due to large quantities precipitation, especially in the equatorial zone. Indian Ocean - 34.8 ‰. Atlantic - 35.4 ‰. It is important to note that bottom waters have a lower salt concentration than surface waters.

The most salty seas The world's oceans are the Red Sea (41 ‰), the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf (up to 39 ‰).

World Ocean Records

The most deep place in the World Ocean - its depth is 11,035 m from the surface water level.
If we consider the depth of the seas, the Philippine Sea is considered the deepest. Its depth reaches 10,540 m. The second place in this indicator is the Coral Sea with a maximum depth of 9,140 m.
The largest ocean is the Pacific. Its area is larger than the area of the entire earth's land.
The saltiest sea is the Red Sea. It is located in the Indian Ocean. Salty water It supports all objects that fall into it well, and in order to drown in this sea, you need to try very hard.
The most mysterious place is located in the Atlantic Ocean, and its name is Bermuda Triangle. There are many legends and mysteries associated with it.
The most poisonous sea creature is the blue-ringed octopus. It lives in the Indian Ocean.
The largest collection of corals in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, is located in the Pacific Ocean.

On our planet there are several huge oceans that can accommodate entire continents in their waters. A The largest ocean in the world is the Pacific Ocean, the area of which, together with the seas, is 178.6 million km²(and without them - 165.2 million km²).

This gigantic body of water can accommodate all of the earth's continents and most three other largest oceans. It occupies 50% of the world's oceans and stretches from the Bering Strait in the north to Antarctica in the south, bordered by North and South America in the east, and with Asia and Australia in the west. Numerous seas are an additional part of the Pacific Ocean. These include the Bering Sea, the Sea of Japan and the Coral Sea.

However, the Pacific Ocean is shrinking by 1 km every year. This is due to the influence tectonic plates in this district. But what is bad for the Pacific is good for the Atlantic, which is growing every year. This is the largest ocean on Earth after the Pacific.

And the Pacific Ocean also bears the title of “the most deep ocean" , Mount Everest, would have disappeared if it had fallen into the Philippine Trench, which is 10,540 meters deep. And this is not yet the deepest Pacific Trench; the depth of the Mariana Trench is 10,994 meters. For comparison: the average depth in the Pacific Ocean is 3984 meters.

How the Pacific Ocean got its name

On September 20, 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain in an attempt to find a western sea route to the spice-rich islands of Indonesia. Under his command were five ships and 270 sailors.

At the end of March 1520, the expedition organized wintering in the Argentine Bay of San Julian. On the night of 2 April, the Spanish captains mutinied against their Portuguese captain, attempting to force him to turn back to Spain. But Magellan suppressed the rebellion, ordering the death of one of the captains and leaving another ashore when his ship left the bay in August.

On October 21, he finally discovered the strait he was looking for. The Strait of Magellan, as is now known, separates Tierra del Fuego from continental South America. It took 38 days to cross the long-awaited strait, and when the ocean was seen on the horizon, Magellan wept with joy. For many years he remained the only captain who did not lose a single ship during the passage through the Strait of Magellan.

His fleet completed the western crossing of the Pacific Ocean in 99 days, and during this time the waters were so calm that the largest ocean in the world was named "Pacific", from the Latin word "pacificus", meaning "calm". And Magellan himself was the first European to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Flora and fauna of the Pacific Ocean

While the coastal Pacific ecosystem can be divided into several subtypes—mangrove forests, rocky shores, and sandy shores—it has similar vegetation and animal world.

Crabs, sea anemones, green algae and other living organisms are drawn to the relatively light and warm waters of this zone. Marine mammals such as dolphins and whales are also often found relatively close to shore.
Up close coastline There are many corals growing, but the reefs they form are considered their own unique type of ecosystem. Coral reefs are living organisms that are made up of thousands of tiny marine invertebrates (coral polyps).
Coral reefs provide shelter to countless animals and plants, including coral trout, coralline algae, sea bass, sponges, whales, sea snakes and shellfish.

And flora and fauna in open ocean, also called the pelagic zone, is as diverse as any ecosystem on Earth. Seaweed and plankton thrive near surface waters, and in turn become a food resource for baleen whales, tuna, sharks and other fish. Very little sunlight penetrates to a depth of 200 meters, but this depth is where jellyfish, snipe and snakes live. Some - such as squids, scotoplanes and hellvampires - live in the Pacific depths below 1000 meters.

The North Pacific Ocean is dominated by bottom-dwelling fish species such as hake and pollock.

In the warm tropical zone, approximately between the North and South Equatorial Currents, the number of marine animals increases sharply.

A diversity of oceanic animal life predominates in the western Pacific Ocean, where warm monsoon climates and unusual landforms have facilitated the evolution of unique marine forms. The Western Pacific also contains the most spectacular and extensive coral reefs of any ocean.

In total, the Pacific Ocean is home to about 2,000 species of fish in particular and approximately 100 thousand living organisms in total.

Useful resources of the Pacific Ocean

Salt (sodium chloride) is the most important mineral obtained directly from seawater. Mexico is the leading country Pacific region for the extraction of salt from the sea, mainly by solar evaporation.

Another important chemical element is bromine, which, like salt, is extracted from sea water. It is used in the food, pharmaceutical and photo industries.

Another necessary for people The mineral magnesium is extracted through an electrolytic process and then used in industrial metal alloys.

Sand and gravel dredged from the seabed are also important. One of their main producers is Japan.

Marine sulfide ores containing iron, copper, cobalt, zinc and traces of other metal elements are deposited in large quantities by deep-sea hydrothermal vents off the Galapagos Islands, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and in the Manus Island basin off New Guinea.

However, the main wealth of the Pacific Ocean is its oil and gas deposits. It is the most valuable and in demand fuel in the modern world economy.

The main directions of oil and gas production in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean are in the South China Sea, near Vietnam, the Chinese island of Hainan and on continental shelf northwest of the island of Palawan in the Philippines.
In the northwest Pacific Ocean, the main areas of oil and gas production are located in the northwest of Kyushu Island in Japan, in the southern part Yellow Sea and in the Bohai Basin, as well as near Sakhalin Island.
Oil and gas wells have been drilled in the Bering Sea in the north and off the coast of Southern California in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
In the South Pacific, hydrocarbon production and exploration occurs in northwestern and northern Australia and in the Gippsland Basin in southeastern Australia.

Tourism in the Pacific

When travelers think of visiting the islands, their imagination conjures images of blue waters, sandy beaches and majestic palm trees. But the Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world, with many islands, including.

And so that you don’t have to choose long and painfully between the good and the best, we will tell you which islands you should pay attention to first.

Palau, Micronesia.
A tiny island surrounded by turquoise waters. Its main tourist feature is diving. If you plan to dive in Palau, you will be able to see shipwrecks and fascinating and diverse ocean life.
Tahiti, French Polynesia.
This is a mecca for surfers. They flock to Tahiti year after year for the amazing waves and weather conditions. The preferred months for surfing are from May to August. And if you visit the island in July, you'll be treated to the Heiva Festival, which showcases Tahitian crafts and folk dances.
Bora Bora, French Polynesia.
This is one of the most popular islands among tourists in the South Pacific. Home to many upscale resorts and hotels, the most popular type of accommodation in Bora Bora is overwater bungalows. An ideal place for a honeymoon.
Lord Howe in the Tasman Sea.
It has hardly been touched by human hands, since the island is home to rare (and legally protected) plants and animals. This is an excellent place for eco-tourists who want to avoid crowded with people places and are ready for peaceful bird watching, snorkeling and fishing.
Tanna, Vanuatu.
This island is home to the world's most accessible active volcano Yasur. It is also the main local attraction. But besides the volcano, the island land boasts hot springs, tropical forests and coffee plantations, as well as secluded beaches and a calm, measured life that is worth living for city dwellers accustomed to the bustle of big cities.
Solomon islands.
A great place for history buffs, as the region was the scene of fighting during World War II during the Japanese occupation. Nowadays, the Solomon Islands are a great destination for canoe trips, scuba diving, dolphin diving and selfies with orchids in bloom.

Garbage Island of the Pacific

In the center of the North Pacific Ocean lies a huge “garbage island” (also known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch), mostly made up of plastic waste. It is twice the size of Texas, which covers 695,662 km².

The garbage island was formed due to ocean currents, which is also called the subtropical gyre. Such currents move clockwise and carry all the debris and waste on their way to the site in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.

But while humans can successfully avoid the Pacific Garbage Patch, marine animals are unable to do so and become victims of the plastic dump. After all, the makeshift island includes not only plastic, but also toxic substances and fishing nets in which whales and dolphins die. And marine organisms absorb plastic particles, confusing it with plankton, thereby including plastic waste in food chain. Scientific research by the American Scripps Institute of Oceanography has shown that the remains of 5 to 10% of Pacific fish contain small pieces of plastic.

The sad thing is that the accumulated waste and debris is difficult to clean from the surface of the largest ocean on Earth. According to some researchers working on the Trash Island topic, the cleanup operation is so expensive that it could bankrupt several countries at once.

The Pacific Ocean is one of the most important components of life on Earth. It provides people with food, valuable resources, important trade routes, jobs, and many other benefits. And a complete study of all the riches and mysteries of this largest of all oceans on the planet will take many more decades.

And here’s what the list of the world’s oceans looks like, if you arrange them from the most small ocean to the largest (after Quiet, of course):

Arctic Ocean, with an area of 14.75 million km².
Southern Ocean (unofficially) - 20.327 million km².
Indian Ocean - 76.17 million km².
Atlantic Ocean - 91.66 million km².

Quiet, Indian, Arctic and Southern. What is the largest ocean, do you think? Of course, Quiet! The area of this gigantic reservoir of water is 178.6 million km2. Which is one third of the surface of our planet and almost half the area of the entire World Ocean. Imagine that such a huge territory could freely accommodate all the earth’s continents and islands. And the largest ocean on Earth is also the deepest. Its average depth is 3984 m . The Pacific Ocean "owns" seas, islands, volcanoes, its waters are home to huge amount Living creatures. It’s not for nothing that this “quiet guy” is called the Great. You can talk endlessly about the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, our capabilities are limited to the scope of one article, but we will try to provide in it as much information as possible about the great aquatic Titan.

Where is the Pacific Ocean

Let's take a globe or a map and see where the largest ocean on the planet is. Look: in the west it stretches between Australia and Eurasia, in the east - between North and South America, in the south it approaches Antarctica itself.

Along the Bering Strait (from Cape Peek in Chukotka to Cape Prince of Wales in Alaska), the Pacific Ocean borders on its brother, the Arctic Ocean. Along the western coast of Sumatra, the northern edge of the Strait of Malacca, the southern shores of the islands of Timor, New Guinea and Java, through the beautiful Torres and Bass Straits, along the coast of eastern Tasmania and further to Antarctica, the border with the Indian Ocean stretches, and the Pacific borders with the Atlantic, starting from the Antarctic peninsula, then along dangerous rapids between the Shetland Islands to Tierra del Fuego. The Great Ocean extends from north to south for approximately 15.8 thousand km, and from east to west - for 19.5 thousand km.

A little history

The largest ocean in the world was named "Pacific" by the famous Spanish and Portuguese navigator Magellan. It was he who, in 1520, was the first to venture on a journey through uncharted waters. During all this time sea route, lasting more than three months, Magellan’s ship did not encounter a single storm, the skies were surprisingly favorable to the brave sailors, which is quite strange, because it is in these places that the strongest and most ferocious typhoons and hurricanes are born, to which the World Ocean is so generous.

The Spaniard Vasco Nunez de Balboa is considered to be the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean. This conquistador was lucky enough to be the first to see new, previously unseen ocean spaces. And it happened in 1510 in this way: de Balboa founded a settlement on the shores of the Gulf of Darien, and unexpectedly rumors reached him about a fabulous rich country, which can be reached if you sail across the huge sea located in the south. Balboa's detachment immediately set off and after 4 weeks reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Of course, he had no idea about the fantastic size of the expanse of water he had discovered. Balboa thought it was the sea.

Pacific Seas

The largest ocean on Earth is joined by 31 seas. Here are their names:

Javanese.
Japanese.
South China.
Tasmanovo.
Filipino.
New Guinea.
Okhotsk.
Sea of Savu.
Halmahera Sea.
Koro.
Mindanao.
Yellow.
Solomon Sea.
Visayan.
Samar.
Coral.
Sea Bali.
Japanese;
Sulu.
Sea Banda.
Silavesi.
Fiji.
Moluccan.
Camotes.
Sea Seram.
Flores.
East China.
Sibuyan.
Amundsen Sea.
Bering Sea.

Pacific Islands

The largest ocean on our planet washes the shores of 5 continents: Australia, Eurasia, South and North America and Antarctica. It also contains more than 25 thousand islands with a total area of 3.6 million km 2. Most of them are of volcanic origin.

The Aleutian Islands are located in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese, Kuril, Philippine, Sakhalin, New Guinea, Tasmania, New Zealand, Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands are located in the western part, and a huge number of small islands are scattered in the southern and central regions. The islands located in the western and central parts of the ocean form the Oceania region.

Climate zones

The most big oceans world can radically influence the weather on the entire planet. What can we say about such a giant as the Pacific Ocean! Terrible typhoons are born there destructive force, tropical storms, huge tsunamis that threaten many countries with great disasters. Scientists carefully monitor all changes in his mood, and this is not so easy to do, because thousands of kilometers of ocean water, stretching from north to south, are divided into different climatic zones - from cold Antarctic to hot equatorial.

The widest climatic zone of the Pacific Ocean is the equatorial one. It is located between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. Here the average temperature never drops below +20 degrees. These places are characterized by frequent tropical cyclones. To the north and south of the equatorial zone are tropical and subtropical climatic zones, and then there are moderate ones, bordering the polar zones. Antarctica has a significant influence on the temperature characteristics of ocean water. In equatorial and tropical zones there is a lot of precipitation, approximately 3000 mm per year. This value is significantly greater than the amount of moisture evaporating from the ocean surface. 30 thousand m 2 of fresh water annually enters the Pacific thanks to the numerous rivers flowing into it. These two factors lead to the fact that the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean are less saline than those in the Atlantic, Indian, etc.

Bottom relief

The bottom of the Pacific Ocean has an extremely diverse topography. In the center of the Pacific Basin there are deep-sea basins and trenches. And in the west there is the deepest place in the entire World Ocean - the Mariana Trench. Vast areas of the bottom are covered with products of volcanic activity containing cobalt, nickel, and copper. Some sections of these deposits are about three km thick.

The floor of the Pacific Ocean contains volcanoes and several long chains of high seamounts. These are the Emperor Mountains, Hawaiian Islands and Louisville. In the east of the ocean, where the East Pacific Rise is located, the relief is relatively flat.

Mariana Trench

The greatest depth of the ocean is 10,994 km. This place is located in the famous Mariana Trench - the most inaccessible and little-studied place on Earth. The Mariana Trench forms a giant crack in the earth's crust, 2550 km long and 69 km wide, resembling a crescent in shape. The water pressure at the bottom of the depression is almost a thousand times greater than on the surface. That is why diving into this place, even with the help of the most modern deep-sea vehicles, poses incredible danger and difficulty.

The exploration of the underwater world of the deepest point of the World Ocean is carried out mainly with the help of special robots. Only a few people have managed to visit the bottom of the Mariana Trench. For the first time, Don Walsham and Jacques Picard landed there in the bathyscaphe Trieste. This event occurred on January 23, 1960. The next human-assisted voyage into the depths of the ocean took place in 2012. This was done by the famous American film director James Cameron. Thanks to these brave people, humanity's knowledge of the secrets of the Pacific Ocean has been significantly enriched.

The largest volcano in the world

The largest ocean in the world never ceases to amaze its researchers. In 2013, under its waters it was discovered dormant volcano, whose area is 310 thousand km. This huge mountain range is called Tamu, and its size is comparable only to the Martian giant volcano Olympus.

Flora of the Pacific

The Pacific flora amazes with its richness and diversity. In the Pacific Ocean, as in all others, the laws of the distribution of wildlife across climatic zones operate. So, in moderate and cold climatic areas species diversity scarcer, but it is replenished larger numbers one or another type of plant or animal.

Plant life is especially vibrant in tropical and subtropical ocean waters, between the coasts of Australia and Asia. There are gigantic territories occupied coral reefs and overgrown with mangroves. The bottom flora of the Pacific Ocean includes almost 4 thousand species of algae and more than 28 species of flowering plants. In the cold and temperate regions of the Pacific basin, algae from the kelp group are common. In the southern hemisphere you can find giant brown algae, the length of which reaches 200 m.

Fauna

The Pacific Ocean, Earth's largest ocean, is endless blue waters that are home to thousands of living creatures. There is a place for both huge white sharks and very tiny mollusks. The Pacific fauna is almost 4 times richer in species composition than in other oceans!

Sperm whales, representatives of toothed whales, are widely distributed, and there are several species of rare striped whales. Fishing for both is strictly limited. In the north and south of the Pacific Ocean there are colonies of sea lions and seals. IN northern waters inhabited by walruses and sea lions, now on the verge of extinction. In total, the Pacific fauna includes about 100 thousand species of various animals.

As for fish, there are a great variety of them here - about 2000 species. Almost half of the world's fish catch comes from the Pacific Ocean. Among all living creatures living in the Pacific Ocean, invertebrates predominate, living at various depths. These are crabs, shrimp, various shellfish (squid, oysters, octopus), etc. Tropical latitudes are rich in various types corals

Tourist paradise

The largest ocean is loved by tourists all over the world. Still would! Who hasn’t dreamed of finding themselves, at least for a short time, in paradises located in Polynesia, Hawaii and the Philippine Islands? Fiji, Palau, and the Cook Islands are visited annually by huge crowds of vacationing people. In these places, the ocean water is clean, especially transparent and has a wonderful blue or green color.

In the equatorial Pacific Ocean, moderate winds blow, and water temperatures all year round comfortable. The beautiful underwater world, sandy white beaches, the friendliness of the local population, exotic flora and fauna - all the signs of paradise on earth are evident!

Ocean tracks of the Pacific

The largest ocean in the world plays a huge communication role. Through its waters lie many trade and passenger sea routes connecting the states of the Pacific basin, as well as the coasts of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. The most major ports are: Nakhodka and Vladivostok (Russia), Singapore, Shanghai (China), Sydney (Australia), Los Angeles and Long Beach (USA), Vancouver (Canada), Huasco (Chile).

There are many interesting facts that can help you immediately understand which ocean is the largest and most amazing. You have already learned about many from this article. Here are some more interesting facts about the Pacific Ocean:

If it were possible to evenly distribute all the Pacific water over the surface of our planet, it would cover the Earth completely with a water layer thickness of 2700 m.
Nowhere in the world are there such high waves, like in the Pacific Ocean, which is why it is especially respected by fans of extreme surfing.
The largest fish in the ocean is the giant whale shark. Its length can reach 18-20 meters. And this giant prefers to live in the Pacific water.
The average speed of destructive Pacific tsunamis is about 750 km per hour.
The Pacific Ocean boasts the highest tides. For example, off the coast of Korea, water at high tide can rise up to 9 meters.
The largest inhabitant of the ocean is the blue whale. Its weight sometimes exceeds 150 tons, and its length is more than 33 meters. In the Pacific Ocean, these rare animals can be found much more often than in other oceans.

Ecology

Now you know what the largest ocean is on our planet, as well as how important it is for the Earth and for us, the people living on it. Unfortunately, due to unreasonable human activity The waters of many parts of the Pacific Basin were polluted with industrial waste and oil, and many species of fauna were exterminated. All this threatens the fragile ecosystem of our planet and affects climate change. We can only hope that humanity will come to its senses, begin to behave more intelligently and learn to live in harmony with nature.

There are 4 oceans on our planet Earth

What are the oceans on our planet called?

1 – Pacific Ocean (the largest and deepest);

2 – Atlantic Ocean (second in volume and depth after the Pacific Ocean);

3 – Indian Ocean (third in volume and depth after the Pacific and Atlantic);

4 – Arctic Ocean (fourth and smallest in volume and depth among all oceans)

What is the ocean like? – This is a huge body of water located among the continents, which is constantly in interaction with earth's crust and the atmosphere of the earth. The area of the world's oceans, together with the seas included in it, is about 360 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface (71% of the total area of our planet).

IN different years The world's oceans were divided into 4 parts, while others divided it into 5 parts. For a long time, there were actually 4 oceans: Indian, Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic (except for the Southern Ocean). The Southern Ocean is not part of the oceans due to its very arbitrary boundaries. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted a division into 5 parts, including territorial waters called the “Southern Ocean” in the list, but in currently this document still does not have official legal force, and it is believed that the southern ocean is considered only conditionally by its name as the fifth on Earth. The Southern Ocean is also called the southern sea, which does not have its own clear independent boundaries, and it is believed that its waters are mixed, that is, the water currents of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans entering it.

Brief information about each ocean on the planet

Pacific Ocean- is the largest in area (179.7 million km 2) and the deepest. It occupies about 50 percent of the entire surface of the Earth, the volume of water is 724 million km 3, the maximum depth is 11,022 meters (the Mariana Trench is the deepest known on the planet).
Atlantic Ocean- second in volume after Tikhoy. The name was given in honor of the famous titan Atlanta. The area is 91.6 million km 2, the volume of water is 29.5 million km 3, the maximum depth is 8742 meters (an oceanic trench, which is located on the border of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean).
Indian Ocean covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface. Its area is just over 76 million km2, its volume is 282.5 million km3, and its greatest depth is 7209 meters (the Sunda Trench extends for several thousand kilometers along the southern part of the Sunda island arc).
Arctic Ocean considered the smallest among all. Thus, its area is “only” 14.75 million km 2, its volume is 18 million km 3, and its greatest depth is 5527 meters (located in the Greenland Sea).