The oceans of the world - a complete description. A short course in oceanography: how many oceans are on Earth and what are their names

Instruction

The ocean is the largest component of the world's water area. The waters of the oceans wash the continents, which often serve as their boundaries. This, however, is not the point. The oceans differ from each other in features that are unique to them - the circulation of water and air masses over their surfaces, an independent system of currents, salinity of the waters, the nature of the bottom, the climate of the adjacent continents, the features of the animal world that are characteristic only for this part of the World's water area, etc.

There are five oceans in total on Earth. However, until recently it was believed that there were only four of them - the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans. The fifth - the Southern Arctic Ocean - appeared on the maps quite recently.

The biggest one is Pacific Ocean washing the shores of five continents. Its borders are: in the east - North and South America, in the south - Antarctica, with west side– Eurasia and Australia. The northern boundary between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans runs along the 62°30´ parallel in the Bering Strait. Ocean area - 179.7 million square meters. km, the average depth is about 4000 m. Its name is the most greater ocean planets received in 1520. During world travel flotilla of 5 ships under the command of Ferdinand Magellan, the waters of an unfamiliar ocean for more than 3 months were surprisingly calm, for which he was named Pacific.

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest. Its area is 91.66 million square meters. km. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean wash the shores of Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. The Atlantic is the boundary between the Old and New Worlds. Why the ocean is called the Atlantic is not exactly known. Perhaps this is the "guilty" of the hero ancient Greek mythology Titan Atlant, and, perhaps, the name comes from the mysterious Atlantis that once sunk in the depths of the ocean. To date, perhaps the most impressive feature of the Atlantic is the warm Gulf Stream, which has a noticeable effect on the climate of coastal European states.

The third largest - 76 million square meters. km - warm Indian Ocean. It is located between Asia, Africa and Australia. The Indian Ocean is characterized by the highest salinity compared to the waters of other oceans. Especially salty water in the Red Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean. The Red Sea is one of the warmest on the planet.

In the penultimate place is the "youngest" Southern Ocean. In fact, as an independent one, it was distinguished by the previously mentioned Benhard Varenius back in 1650. The Southern Ocean is the body of water that surrounds Antarctica. Its conditional area is 20.327 million square meters. km. At the time of Varenius, Antarctica, which was not yet discovered, was also ranked among the waters of the Southern Ocean. Later, he was either indicated on the maps or disappeared. Some countries recognized it, others did not. Finally, in 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization decided to single out the Southern Ocean as an independent one. Its northern border runs along 60 ° south latitude. From the south it is limited by the coastline of Antarctica.

How many oceans are on Earth? This question is asked by every geography teacher. The waters of the oceans are the main source of one of the most important resources - water, which is vital for normal human life. The oceans are a guarantee of life and prosperity for all life on Earth.

So how many oceans are there on Earth? There are four oceans on the surface of the planet, which are combined into one concept - the world ocean:

Indian Ocean,
Atlantic Ocean,
Pacific Ocean,
North - Arctic Ocean.

Indian Ocean.

The first ocean discovered on earth was the waters of the Indian Ocean. This is the warmest ocean on the planet. The waters of the Indian Ocean near the coast can warm up to 35 degrees. The Indian Ocean was discovered thanks to the traveler Christopher Columbus, who was looking for a new route for Europeans to India.

Atlantic Ocean

The second world ocean - the Atlantic, got its name from the Greek titan Atlant. According to ancient Greek mythology, the titan Atlas was very brave and had a tough character. The ocean, named after this unshakable and brave titan, fully corresponds to its name and the semantic load that it carries. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean behave completely unpredictably. Traffic The waters can be calm during the winter cold, and storms can rage in the summer.

Pacific Ocean

The very epithet "quiet" as the name of the ocean can suggest a calm ocean surface of water. But that's not the case at all. The Pacific Ocean is one of the most formidable of the earth's four oceans. Why did he get such a calm name? The thing is that when the navigator Magellan made his journey around the Earth, falling into unknown ocean waters, he was greeted by complete calm. The navigator was just very lucky, and he called the raging ocean the Pacific, which presents the western coasts of Japan and the countries of America with regular "surprises" in the form of tsunamis and severe storms.

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is the calmest, but also the coldest ocean. The underwater world of the ocean, the video of which can be viewed on the Internet, does not have a rich variety of flora and fauna, which is due to the harsh living conditions in too cold waters.

fifth ocean

Once the surface of the earth consisted of five oceans. In addition to the four that exist today, there was a fifth ocean - the South, which washed Antarctica. But over time, the movements of tectonic plates made the boundaries of the Southern Ocean fuzzy and uncertain. This led to the fact that the Southern Ocean was no longer singled out as a separate water body on geographical maps.

Other planets

Many explorers of vast outer space claim that the ocean is not only the privilege of planet Earth. Some facts indicate that the hydrosphere could exist on other planets of ours. solar system. Many photos from the surface of Mars and numerous facts indicate that there were once water oceans on the red planet, which means that there was life there, which in the form of various microorganisms can be present there now.

water circuit

All four of the world's oceans on planet Earth are not independent. They are interconnected by numerous rivers. Today, humanity faces one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed is the pollution of the world's oceans. Using the ocean as a source of many resources necessary for life, mankind forgets about the careful attitude to the world's oceans.

Thanks to the biological, natural and energy reserves of the world's oceans, humanity has secured itself from the problem of resource depletion in the earth's interior. Only the correct distribution of the resources of the world's oceans, and careful attitude to its waters, will help humanity avoid many natural disasters.

Covers approximately 360,000,000 km² and is usually divided into several or more major oceans shallow 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.

In contact with

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 affect climate and weather. It is also home to 230,000 known species animals, but since most of them have not been studied, the number of underwater species is probably much larger, perhaps more than 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?

Oceans (from Ancient Greek Ὠκεανός, Okeanos), make up most 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 overlaps North Pole touching North America in the Western Hemisphere, Scandinavia and Siberia in the Eastern Hemisphere. Almost all covered sea ice, the area of which varies depending on the season.

Southern - surrounds Antarctica, where the Antarctic circumpolar flow prevails. it maritime space has only recently been identified as a separate oceanic unit that lies south of sixty degrees south latitude and is partially covered by sea ice, the size of which varies with 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 - salty 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. Average depth is about 3688 meters and the maximum depth is 10994 meters in 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 integral part multiple facilitators. 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; this is the area where photosynthesis takes place and, therefore, is characterized by a large biodiversity.

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 up 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 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.

However, very recently...

... in 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization united the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, creating the fifth addition to the list - the Southern Ocean. And this is not a voluntary decision: this region has a special structure of currents, its own weather formation rules, etc. The arguments in favor of such a decision are as follows: in the southern part of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, the boundaries between them are very arbitrary, to Antarctica, have their own specifics, and are also united by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

The largest of the oceans is the Pacific. Its area is 178.7 million km2. .

The Atlantic Ocean extends for 91.6 million km 2.

The area of the Indian Ocean is 76.2 million km2.

The area of the Antarctic (Southern) Ocean is 20.327 million km 2.

The Arctic Ocean covers an area of approximately 14.75 million km2.

Pacific Ocean, the largest on Earth. It was named so by the famous navigator Magellan. This traveler was the first European to successfully swim across the ocean. But Magellan was just very lucky. There are often terrible storms here.

The Pacific Ocean is twice the size of the Atlantic. It occupies 165 million square meters. km, which is almost half the area of the entire oceans. It contains more than half of all the water on our planet. In one place, this ocean stretches 17 thousand km wide, stretching almost half the globe. Despite its name, this vast ocean is not only blue, beautiful and serene. Strong storms or underwater earthquakes infuriate him. In fact, there are large zones of seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean.

Photographs of the Earth from space show the true size of the Pacific Ocean. This largest ocean in the world covers one third of the planet's surface. Its waters stretch from East Asia and Africa to America. In the shallowest places, the depth of the Pacific Ocean averages 120 meters. These waters are washed by the so-called continental shelves, which are submerged parts of continental platforms that start from the coastline and go gradually under water. In general, the depth of the Pacific Ocean averages 4,000 meters. The depressions in the west connect to the deepest and darkest place in the world - the Mariana Trench - 11,022 m. It was previously believed that there was no life at such a depth. But even there, scientists have found living organisms!

On the Pacific Plate, a huge stretch of the earth's crust, there are ridges of high seamounts. There are many islands of volcanic origin in the Pacific Ocean, such as Hawaii, the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Hawaii has the highest mountain in the world, Mauna Kea. It is an extinct volcano with a height of 10,000 meters from the base at the bottom of the sea. In contrast to the volcanic islands, there are low-lying islands formed by coral deposits that have accumulated over thousands of years on the tops of underwater volcanoes. In this vast ocean, a wide variety of representatives are found. underwater world- ranging from the world's largest fish (whale shark) to flying fish, squid and sea lions. The warm shallow waters of the coral reefs are home to thousands of species of brightly colored fish and algae. In cool deep waters all kinds of fish swim marine mammals, shellfish, crustaceans and other creatures.

The Pacific - people and history

Sea voyages across the Pacific Ocean were undertaken in ancient times. About 40,000 years ago, the Aborigines crossed by canoe from New Guinea to Australia. Centuries later, between the 16th century BC. e. and X century AD. e. Polynesian tribes settled the Pacific islands, daring to overcome vast water distances. This is considered one of the greatest achievements in the history of navigation. Using special canoes with a double bottom and sails woven from leaves, Polynesian sailors eventually covered almost 20 million square meters. km of ocean space. In the western Pacific, around the 12th century, the Chinese made great advances in the art of maritime navigation. They were the first to use big ships with several masts located on the underwater part of the vessel, steering and also compasses.

Europeans began exploring the Pacific Ocean in the 17th century, when the Dutch captain Abel Janszoon Tasman sailed around Australia on his ship and New Zealand. Captain James Cook is considered one of the most famous explorers of the Pacific Ocean. Between 1768 and 1779 he mapped New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, and many of the Pacific islands. In 1947, the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl sailed on his Kon-Tiki raft from the coast of Peru to the Tuamotu archipelago, which is part of French Polynesia. His expedition served as proof that the ancient native inhabitants of South America could cross vast sea distances on rafts.

In the twentieth century, the exploration of the Pacific Ocean continued. The depth of the Mariana Trench was established, and unknown species of marine animals and plants were discovered. Tourism industry development, pollution environment and the establishment of beaches threaten the natural balance of the Pacific Ocean. Governments individual countries and environmental groups are trying to minimize the damage our civilization does to the aquatic environment.

Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean is the third largest on Earth and covers 73 million square meters. km. This is the warmest ocean, the waters of which are rich in various flora and fauna. Most deep place in the Indian Ocean - a depression located south of the island of Java. Its depth is 7450 m. It is interesting that the currents in the Indian Ocean change their direction to the opposite twice a year. AT winter time, when monsoons prevail, the current goes to the shores of Africa, and in summer - to the shores of India.

The Indian Ocean stretches from the shores East Africa to Indonesia and Australia and from the coast of India to Antarctica. This ocean includes the Arabian and Red Seas, as well as the Bengal and Persian Gulf. The Suez Canal connects the northern part of the Red Sea with the Mediterranean.

At the bottom of the Indian Ocean are huge sections of the earth's crust - the African Plate, the Antarctic Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. Shifts in the earth's crust cause underwater earthquakes that cause giant waves called tsunamis. As a result of earthquakes, new mountain ranges appear on the ocean floor. In some places, seamounts protrude above the surface of the water, forming most of the scattered islands in the Indian Ocean. Between the mountain ranges deep depressions. For example, the depth of the Sunda Trench is approximately 7450 meters. The waters of the Indian Ocean serve as a habitat for various representatives of the animal world, including corals, sharks, whales, turtles and jellyfish. powerful currents are huge streams of water moving through the warm blue spaces of the Indian Ocean. The West Australian Current carries cold Antarctic waters north to the tropics.

The equatorial current, located below the equator, circulates warm waters counterclock-wise. The northern currents depend on causing torrential downpours monsoon winds, which change their direction depending on the time of year.

Indian Ocean - people and history

Seafarers and traders plowed the waters of the Indian Ocean many centuries ago. The ships of the ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians and Indians passed along the main trade routes. In the early Middle Ages, settlers from India and Sri Lanka crossed into Southeast Asia. From ancient times, they swam in the Arabian Sea wooden ships called dhow, which carried exotic spices, African ivory and textiles.

In the 15th century, the great Chinese navigator Zhen Ho led a large expedition across the Indian Ocean to the shores of India, Sri Lanka, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. In 1497, the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama became the first European to sail a ship around the southern tip of Africa and reach the shores of India. It was followed by English, French and Dutch traders, and the era of colonial conquest began. For centuries, new settlers, traders and pirates landed on the islands lying in the Indian Ocean. Many species of island animals that did not live anywhere else in the world became extinct. For example, the dodo, a flightless dove the size of a goose that lived in Mauritius, was exterminated by the end of the 17th century. Giant tortoises on Rodrigues Island have disappeared XIX century. Exploration of the Indian Ocean continued into the 19th and 20th centuries. Scientists have done a great job of mapping the topography of the seabed. Currently, Earth satellites launched into orbit take pictures of the ocean, measure its depth and transmit information messages.

Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean is the second largest and covers an area equal to 82 million square meters. km. It is almost half the size of the Pacific Ocean, but its size is constantly increasing. From the island of Iceland to the south in the middle of the ocean stretches a powerful underwater ridge. Its peaks are the Azores and Ascension Island. Mid-Atlantic Ridge - large Mountain chain at the bottom of the ocean - every year it becomes wider by about 2.5 cm. The deepest place in the Atlantic Ocean is a depression located north of the island of Puerto Rico. Its depth is 9218 meters. If 150 million years ago there was no Atlantic Ocean, then over the next 150 million years, scientists suggest, it will occupy more than half of the globe. The Atlantic Ocean greatly influences the climate and weather in Europe.

The Atlantic Ocean began to form 150 million years ago, when crustal displacements separated the North and South America from Europe and Africa. This youngest of the oceans is named after the god Atlas, who was worshiped by the ancient Greeks.

Ancient peoples, such as the Phoenicians, began exploring the Atlantic Ocean around the 8th century BC. e. However, it was not until the ninth century A.D. e. The Vikings managed to get from the coast of Europe to Greenland and North America. Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator who was in the service of the Spanish monarchs, began the "golden age" of the exploration of the Atlantic. In 1492, his small squadron of three ships, after a long storm, entered the Caribbean Bay. Columbus believed that he was sailing to the East Indies, but in fact he discovered the so-called New World- America. He was soon followed by other navigators from Portugal, Spain, France and England. The study of the Atlantic Ocean continues to this day. Currently, to map the relief of the seabed, scientists use an echo sounder ( sound waves). Many countries fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Humans have fished in these waters for thousands of years, but modern trawling has led to a significant reduction in fish stocks. The seas fringing the oceans are polluted with waste. The Atlantic Ocean continues to play a huge role in international trade. Many important trade sea routes pass through it.

Arctic Ocean

Arctic Ocean, which is located between Canada and Siberia, is the smallest and smallest compared to others. But at the same time, it is the most mysterious, as it is almost completely hidden under a huge layer of ice. The Arctic Ocean divides the Nansen Submarine Threshold into two basins. The Arctic Basin is larger in area and contains the greatest depth of the ocean. It is equal to 5000 m and is located north of Franz Josef Land. In addition, here at Russian coasts, there is an extensive continental shelf. For this reason, our Arctic seas, namely: the Kara, Barents, Laptev, Chukchi, East Siberian, are shallow.

The correct answer would be that there are exactly 5 oceans on Earth. This is the Pacific Ocean, which is located on the eastern coast of Eurasia, this is the Atlantic Ocean, located off the western coast of Eurasia. This is the Arctic Ocean (north of Russia), this is the Indian Ocean (south of India). And there is also the Southern Ocean, it was discovered relatively recently, located near Antarctica.

I read on a site that has little to do with geography that this decision was never ratified - this is how wikipedia writes.

How is it correct? What to say to children?

From school curriculum We know that there are 5 oceans on earth. These are the Pacific Ocean (the largest), the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the second largest, followed by the Arctic Ocean and the Southern (Antarctic) Ocean.

According to the normal logical definition, an ocean is a vast area of water connected by straits (or directly) to two or more oceans, having seas and gulfs, and separated from other oceans by continents and islands.

Only 4 water areas fall under this definition:

1) Pacific Ocean

2) Atlantic Ocean

3) Indian Ocean

4) Arctic Ocean

All the confusion began from the moment the IHO (International Hydrographic Association), without consulting geographers and based on the climatic difference of the oceans, decided to self-proclaim the Southern Ocean. Also, the allocation of the Southern Ocean has a political background - after all, the territory and water area south of 60 degrees south latitude cannot belong to any state. The decision to allocate the Southern Ocean has not yet been ratified - read Wikipedia.

So the normal logical definition of 4 oceans is geography; The Southern Ocean is politics, human stupidity and greed.

All the oceans on earth are interconnected, so we can assume that there is one World giant ocean, consisting of four or five parts. And if we consider geographically and consider the body of water surrounding Antarctica, which is called the Antarctic Ocean, then in the end we get five of them. But this is the reasoning of scientists, and the existence of four oceans on earth is officially recognized: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the fourth - the Arctic.

Zmiter gave a complete answer to the question, there are 5 oceans on earth at the present time (check the clock, I have March 2012) - this is what the geographers decided, though he forgot to include the World Ocean here - this is the entire volume sea water on the ground. So if you talk geographical language- then on earth there are not five, but six oceans!

And I also want to remind you that there is an ocean of Grz, as well as an ocean of Slz, and humanity cannot do without them...

And also on earth we have Okean Elzy

Today there is five oceans, while before 2000 there were only four oceans, all this happened because the union of hydrographers decided to separate or even open a new Southern Ocean.

How many oceans are there in the world

An amazing thing, when I was in school (and I graduated only 9 years ago), we were told that there are 4 oceans on planet Earth: Quiet, Atlantic, Indian and arctic. And it turns out, there was another ocean Southern surrounding Antarctica.

Live and learn!

In total, there are five oceans on planet Earth:

1) The Pacific Ocean, which is the largest in area, and occupies about fifty percent of all land

2) The Indian Ocean, which occupies about twenty percent of the Earth's land mass

3) Atlantic Ocean, the second largest ocean

4) The Southern Ocean, which has very conditional boundaries

5) The Arctic Ocean, as you know, is almost entirely covered with secular ice.

A few years ago, it was a big surprise for me when a child told me that there are 5 oceans on earth. I was taught that there are only 4 of them. It turns out that geography does not stand still, and they decided to add a fifth ocean. Taki added the South. But they say that there will be another one, but after some time (50-100 million years), when the crack in Africa will increase to the size of the ocean and fill with water.

How many oceans are there on earth.

Pacific Ocean (largest)
Atlantic
Indian Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Southern (Antarctic) Ocean

Yes. Valid 5. All as listed above. Pacific Ocean, Atlantic and Indian, then the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean.

On the this moment, scientists distinguish five oceans on planet earth.

The first is the Pacific Ocean, the second is the Atlantic Ocean, the third is the Indian Ocean, the fourth is the Arctic Ocean, the fifth is the Southern Ocean.

Interesting fact. Until 2000, scientists singled out only four oceans, but, later, they decided to single out a new ocean - the South.

Also, scientists suggest that in about 50-100 million years, the crack in Africa will expand to the size of an ocean and fill with water, and then a sixth ocean will appear.

Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Indian = 4

It is generally accepted that there are four oceans. These are the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. But there is another one, which used to be called the Southern Arctic Ocean, and now it is called the Southern Ocean, or it has another name - this is the Antarctic Ocean.

In 2000, the IHO (International Hydrographic Organization) decided that the world's oceans should be divided into five oceans. Here is a list (in alphabetical order):

And until 2000, it was customary to divide the World Ocean into 4 oceans without the South.

How many oceans are on earth

Officially, there are 5 oceans on Earth. List of oceans in descending order of area:
- Pacific Ocean (155,557,000 sq. km);
- Atlantic Ocean (76,762,000 sq. km);
- Indian Ocean (68,556,000 sq. km);
- Southern Ocean (20,327,000 sq. km);
- Arctic Ocean (14,056,000 sq. km).
The total area of the Earth covered by water is (361,419,000 sq. km) 70.9%.