Which ocean is smaller in area. Oceans of the world. How many, names, largest, deepest, smallest, warm, salty, cold. Borders, organic world. Which ocean is the largest
The largest body of water on Earth is the ocean. Water resources are in constant interaction with the atmosphere and the earth's surface. Previously, four water bodies were identified, which together represented the World Ocean, occupying 71% of the planet's surface. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization designated the Southern Ocean as a separate entity.
Consider the list of water areas and find out the name of the smallest ocean in the world.
What are the oceans?
The science of oceanology deals with the study of hydrological processes. The waters of individual water areas have distinctive characteristics, their own unique flora and fauna. The boundaries are determined by the currents and the location of the continents.
Quiet (178.68 million km 2)
The largest in terms of area and volume of water in the world, it accounts for 53% of the volume of water in the entire oceans. Otherwise known as the Great. If you calculate the surface area of the land, the water area of \u200b\u200bthe Pacific will surpass it by 30 million square kilometers - it is so huge.
Pacific Ocean
The name of the space was given by Ferdinand Magellan, who crossed it and never encountered a storm on the way. The borders are drawn along the coasts of Australia, Eurasia, North and South America. In addition to its size, it is famous for its depth. The Mariana Trench is located here, the depression of which is the deepest in the world (11022 meters).
High salinity is noted in the tropical zone, it decreases with decreasing temperature. Ice in this area is found only in the Antarctic and Arctic zones.
Sand sharks off the coast of Australia in the Pacific Ocean are a danger to humans
Atlantic (91.66 million km 2)
It ranks second in area and depth. From the east it is bounded by the shores of Africa, Europe, from the west by South and North America. The deepest point is recorded at around 8742 meters in the Puerto Rico trench.
Atlantic Ocean
The seas and bays of the water area are pronounced, outlined by groups of islands and a rugged coastline. Named after a titan from ancient Greek mythology. The Atlantic Ocean has a large extent along the meridian and free circulation with the zones of the poles, which affects the system of prevailing winds.
Feature - minor annual fluctuations in water temperature. In temperate latitudes, the average change does not exceed 8 degrees. The saltiest area is the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the increase in fishing for fish and mammals, whales, turtles and other representatives of the living world are endangered.
A view from space of the Atlantic hurricane Irma, which brought tens of billions of dollars of destruction
Indian (76.174 million km 2)
Between the African, Eurasian and Australian continents is the third largest ocean. It is named after India, which in ancient times was a country to which seafarers were looking for a way. Three sectors make up the bottom:
- Antarctic;
- African;
- Indo-Australian.
Indian Ocean on the map
The connecting ranges in the western part are of volcanic origin and seismic activity. It is the most salty. In the Red Sea region, this figure reaches 41 ppm.
It is noteworthy that the fishing industry is underdeveloped here. Pearls and mother-of-pearl, as well as hydrocarbon raw materials are being mined. Tourism is developed in this zone, in which such countries as Malaysia, Thailand, and Egypt have succeeded.
The basis of the economy of the Seychelles, lying in the Indian Ocean, is tourism (70% of the foreign exchange income of the budget)
Southern (20.327 million km 2)
A relatively new concept, this ocean began to appear on world maps at the end of the 20th century. At the same time, it was first mentioned three centuries ago. It does not have geographically defined borders, that is, it is not isolated by groups of islands, coasts of continents. It is believed that its selection is necessary, since there is an invisible line of intersection of warm and cold currents.
Antarctica and the Southern Ocean washing its shores
From the Arctic Circle to 40 degrees south latitude, you can observe the most gusty winds on the planet. At some points they are constant and so strong that they rid the coastline of ice. The climate is harsh. Numerous seas freeze here, in summer the ice breaks off and wanders in the waters. They pose a danger to navigation. The largest ones reach a length of 180, and a width of tens of kilometers.
Bust of Lenin at the Pole of Inaccessibility, the closest Soviet station to the South Pole (now closed)
The South is not the smallest ocean on Earth. Despite the cold climate, it is full of life. Plankton, blue whale, fur seals and leopards, seals are found in the water area.
The smallest in area
Information about large and medium-sized world waters has been studied, it's time to talk about the smallest and shallowest ocean on the planet. It is located entirely in the northern hemisphere and is characterized by harsh climatic conditions.
Arctic (14.75 million km 2)
Small depths (maximum - 5527 meters) are explained by the fact that the bottom is the outskirts of the continents and the shelf. The Arctic is not only small, but also the coldest. It is located between the northern shores of Eurasia and North America.
Arctic Ocean on the map
The climate here is directly affected by the location of the water area. In winter, the lack of sunlight leads to cooling of the surface, the ice cover of water remains all year round, it is mobile.
Unlike the South, in the Arctic, flora and fauna are poor. There are bowhead whales, polar bears, reindeer, arctic foxes, cyanide jellyfish, the largest mussels, beluga whales.
The polar bear is one of the main predators of the North Pole
The territory is rich in oil and gas, 13% of the world's undiscovered reserves are located in the ice of the Arctic.
conclusions
- The largest part of the world's water area is the Pacific Ocean. Sparsely populated, warm and calm, it is also the deepest.
- The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean and the least deep.
In the northern hemisphere of our planet, there is the smallest ocean, which has its own distinctive features that researchers dream of thoroughly studying. This is the Arctic Ocean, located between Eurasia and North America.
For our planet, it plays a very important role, since it warms large areas in the Northern Hemisphere with its waters. Unlike other oceans, the Arctic Ocean is densely surrounded by land.
Excursion into history
As an independent (albeit small) ocean was isolated in the middle of the XVII century. In those days, it was called differently in different countries of the world, including in Russia it had several names. It began to be called the Arctic Ocean only in the 19th century, when the navigator Litke came up with such a “name”. And at this time in our country this smallest ocean is called that way. However, it is more familiar to foreigners as the Arctic Ocean.
The water area of the Arctic Ocean stretches in the center of the Arctic, from the shores of North America to Eurasia. Its area is 14.75 km2, which is equal to only 4 percent of the entire territory of the oceans. Its depth is not too great - the deepest depression, located in the Greenland Sea, is 5,527 m. Different layers of the ocean are characterized by different temperatures and degrees of salinity.
Climatic conditions
From the name of the ocean, it is clear that it is very cold. Constant low temperatures, the predominance of cold arctic winds, lack of sun, low rainfall and long polar nights - all this makes the climate of the small ocean very harsh. Due to the lack of heat, the surface of the ocean is replete with a huge number of ice masses.
The ice cover protects the ocean waters from the negative effects of the atmosphere and solar radiation. Ice floes, which are called "ice fields" have different sizes. These can be small pieces that you can take in your hand, or huge ones suitable for accommodating an entire settlement.
Ice under the influence of wind and current is in constant motion. The course of the ocean has been studied by scientists to the least extent. This is due to the large amount of ice heaps and the great danger for ships to freeze into this ice. However, a solution was found - scientists tracked exactly where the ships drifted, which got stuck in the ice.
Due to the harsh climatic conditions, the ocean is distinguished by a small amount of vegetation and representatives of the animal world. But still, the flora and fauna here are represented by seals, whales, polar bears and even giant long-lived jellyfish with a diameter of 2.5 m.
Islands
Despite the fact that this ocean is significantly different in size from the Pacific Ocean (the largest in the world), it does not lag behind it in terms of the number of islands here. For example, here is the largest island on the planet - Greenland.
Main problems
Over the past few decades, due to climate warming, the area and thickness of ice in the Arctic Ocean are rapidly decreasing. For the local nature, this threatens with great problems. For example, it will be quite difficult for walruses and polar bears to survive. Also, global warming can cause water from melting glaciers to enter the ocean, and this will contribute to sea level rise.
Oceans are vast bodies of water that are located between the continents. They differ from each other in salinity, the nature of currents, inhabitants and other features. Which ocean is the smallest in area? Why is he interesting? Let's find out.
Which ocean is the smallest?
The ratio of land and water on our planet is not the same. Most of the Earth's area is covered by the oceans. It covers approximately 71% or 361 million km 2 of its surface. It is part of the hydrosphere, a water shell that washes all the continents and islands.
Conventionally, it is divided into several areas that differ in their features. It is generally accepted that there are four of them: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic oceans. Around the 17th century, the concept of the Southern Ocean appeared, washing the shores of Antarctica or the “southern mainland”, unknown at that time. But in 1953 this concept was abandoned.
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest in area. It is almost 12 times smaller than the Pacific, and covers only 14.75 million km2. Despite its modest size, it is the most difficult to study and develop, because its vast territories are covered with ice and icebergs.
northern ocean
In the past, there were many names behind him. It was called the "Hyperborean", "Northern", "Arctic" ocean, "Ice Sea". Some of his names were associated with ancient kingdoms, so the names "Scythian" and "Tartar" appeared.
The smallest ocean in the world was formed approximately 145-66 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. It filled the space around the North Pole, nestling between Eurasia and North America. Its entire water area is usually divided into three basins: Canadian, North European and Central Arctic.
The Arctic Ocean is the least deep, inhabited and saline of all. Its volume is 18.07 million km³, of which approximately 6.63 million km3 is in the sea. The average depth is 1225 meters, the deepest place reaches 5527 meters and is located in the Greenland Sea.
ocean waters
Due to its small size and closeness, some geographers consider it the sea of the Atlantic. The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by land on almost all sides. It connects with other oceans through the Davis Strait, the Bering Strait, the Danish Strait, and the Hudson Strait. All seas, bays, bays occupy about 70% of its area.
The waters of the smallest ocean have low salinity, the reason for this is precipitation, ice melting, and a low level of evaporation. In addition, they are desalinated by the rivers of Asia and Alaska, which annually bring about 5 thousand km 3. They create a powerful Transarctic stream. At the Bering Strait, it is intensified by the Pacific current, ensuring the drift of ice from Alaska to Greenland.
However, the volume of rivers is very small compared to the amount that comes from the Atlantic. Every year, the Atlantic Ocean gives its "northern neighbor" 298 thousand km 3 of water. So, between Svalbard and Norway passes the northern branch of the warm Gulf Stream. It softens the climate of Northern Europe and prevents its western shores from being covered with permanent ice even in winter. From Svalbard, the currents go to the Chukchi Sea, reaching it for about five years.
The eternal cold of the Arctic
The polar position affects the climate of the ocean. In its various regions, from 50 to 150 days a year, the polar night lasts, and access to solar heat is completely stopped. At this time, there is a high pressure zone above the ocean, which is shifted towards Greenland. Here comes a strong cold and dry air masses.
The main feature of the smallest ocean is ice. He is present in it all the time. Some areas are covered with soldered motionless ice floes, in other areas they drift at a speed of 7 to 100 km / day.
In winter, most of the ocean and its seas freeze. In summer, solar radiation is quite powerful. At this time, some coastal areas thaw, however, some massifs still remain. The northern shores of Greenland are not freed from ice throughout the year. The eastern and western shores of the island regularly supply the World Ocean with thousands of icebergs, which often penetrate the shipping lanes between America and Europe. One of these "gifts" met with the infamous Titanic.
Fauna and flora
The flora and fauna of the smallest ocean is poorly understood, but even now we can conclude that it is not very diverse. Only the mouths of the rivers, the shelves, and the Atlantic regions differ in wealth.
The most inhabited are the Barents, Kara, Greenland and Norwegian seas. They contain up to 200 species of zooplankton and more than 100 species of fish. In the East Siberian and Laptev Seas, the number of species decreases several times, in the Arctic basin they are even less.
The main plants of the Arctic Ocean are diatoms, which can withstand the absence of heat. Many of them are attached to the bottom surface of the ice floes. Herring, tuna, salmon, flounder, cod, various mollusks and crustaceans are found in the seas of the oceans. Thanks to them, many birds nest on the islands and coasts, forming entire “bird colonies”.
The inhabitants of the polar regions are characterized by gigantism, as well as longevity. The ocean is inhabited by the world's largest mussels, the planet's largest predator - the polar bear, huge whales, walruses and seals. The largest jellyfish, the arctic cyanide, lives in the waters of the ocean, the diameter of which reaches two meters. In addition, many native species live ten years longer than their counterparts in tropical and subtropical regions.
Usage
Due to the abundance of ice cover, the smallest ocean is not easy to master, but people have learned to use it. Two large shipping routes pass through its seas: the North - along Eurasia, and the North-West - along North America. In addition to them, there are many short sea routes along Norway, Alaska, Greenland, Canada and other regions.
The Arctic Ocean is a major source of seafood. More than 2 million tons of fish are caught annually in it. Its shelves and coastal areas are rich in oil and gas. Coal, titanium, uranium, gold, mica, pigs, zinc, apatite, tin and iron are mined on its shores.
Fishing and mining damage the vulnerable nature of the northern ocean. Therefore, along with industrial development, programs for its conservation are also developing.
The depth of the Arctic Ocean is relatively small, but it is surrounded by a lot of ice and a harsh climate. It should be noted that in winter more than 80% of its surface is submerged under ice. Currents and winds contribute to the fact that the ice masses are gradually compressed, forming ice cables or heaps. The height of such cables often reaches ten meters.
From the coast of Eurasia to North America, in the center of the Arctic, the waters of this ocean are located. The Arctic Ocean is rightfully considered the smallest. In terms of area, it occupies about 14.7 million square meters. km. This figure is approximately equal to 4% of the total area of the World Ocean. The deepest basin of the Arctic Ocean is in the Greenland Sea, its depth is 5527 m.
Description of the Arctic Ocean
The waters of the Arctic Ocean border on the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Scientists expressed the opinion that this body of water could be considered one of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Arctic Ocean is of great importance for the planet, as its waters warm vast expanses of the Northern Hemisphere. It is worth noting that the waters of this ocean are washed by only a small number of countries. Among them are the two most significant in the world in terms of territory - Canada and Russia.
About 45% of the area of the bottom of the Arctic Ocean is occupied by continental shelves. In these areas, the depth reaches only 350 m. The underwater margin of the mainland, located off the coast of Eurasia, stopped at a value of 1300 m. If you study the central part of the ocean, several deeper pits can be noted. Their depth sometimes reaches 5000 m. Such pits are separated by transoceanic ridges - Mendeleev, Gakkel, Lomonosov.
The salinity of the Arctic Ocean and its water temperature vary with location and depth. As a rule, salinity is slightly lower in the upper layers, since the main composition of water is influenced by river runoff and melt water.
The Arctic Ocean has a rather harsh climate. This is due to the lack of solar heat and its geographical location. In addition, the Arctic Ocean is of great importance for the climatic conditions of the Arctic and its hydrodynamics.
Scientists, travelers and navigators have been trying to explore and conquer the Arctic Ocean for decades. But the Arctic, with its severe and harsh climate, does not reveal all its secrets and mysteries to people.
The smallest ocean in the world- The Arctic Ocean has distinctive features.
The depth of this ocean is small, but it is surrounded by a harsh climate and a lot of ice. More than 80% of its surface is submerged under ice in winter. Winds and currents contribute to the fact that the ice masses are compressed and ice heaps or hummocks are formed. The height of the hummocks reaches ten meters or more. At any time of the year, ice occurs in all seas of the Arctic Ocean, and its central regions are covered with pack ice.
From the shores of North America to Eurasia in the center of the Arctic stretches the waters of this small ocean. The Arctic Ocean is rightfully considered the smallest ocean on Earth, because. it covers an area of only 14.74 million square meters. km. This figure is approximately equal to 4% of the total area of the World Ocean, which occupies 361.26 million square meters. km. The deepest ocean basin is located in the Greenland Sea, it is 5527 meters. And if we consider the average value of its depth, then it will be only 1225 meters.
The waters of the Arctic Ocean border on the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Some scientists even suggest considering this baby one of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The smallest ocean in the world is of great importance for our planet, because its waters warm vast areas in the Northern Hemisphere.
By the number of islands, this small ocean ranks second after the Pacific Ocean. Greenland (the largest island on Earth) is located in the Arctic Ocean.
The waters of the Arctic Ocean wash only a few countries. Among them are the two largest in the world in terms of territory - Russia and Canada. The latter is known as one of the most attractive countries in the world for business and professional immigration. Canadian higher education institutions are also famous all over the world. But in order to get to Canada, as well as the United States, for work or study, you must pass an English language exam, a mandatory test for all applicants for study and business visas to these countries.
Continental shelves occupy about 45% of the ocean floor area. Here the depth reaches only 350 meters. The underwater margin of the mainland, located off the coast of Eurasia, reaches 1300 meters. If we consider the central part of the ocean, then there you can find several deep pits, the depth of which reaches 5000 meters. They are separated by transoceanic ridges - Lomonosov, Gakkel and Mendeleev.
The water temperature of the Arctic Ocean and its salinity vary with depth. In the upper layers, salinity is lowered, because. the composition of water is influenced by melt water and river runoff, which replenish the waters of the ocean. In addition, the low evaporation of its waters has an effect. The next layer of water (subsurface) is more saline - about 34.3%, it is formed by the waters of the upper and intermediate water layers. The intermediate layer extends to a depth of up to 800 meters and is characterized by temperatures above zero degrees and increased salinity, which here is 37%. The deep water layer is even deeper. Its temperature is minus 0.9 degrees Celsius and its salinity is almost 35%. At the very bottom of the ocean there is a sedentary bottom layer; this layer does not take part in the circulation of the waters of the Arctic Ocean.
The Arctic Ocean has a harsh climate due to its geographical location and lack of solar heat. The ocean itself has a significant impact on the climate of the Arctic and its hydrodynamics. The waters of the ocean are protected by ice cover from solar radiation and the harmful effects of the atmosphere. The North Atlantic Current is the most powerful factor that determines the mode of circulation of ocean waters located in the surface layer.
The Arctic Ocean does not have a very diverse flora and fauna, this is due to its harsh living conditions. But some forms of the fauna of its seas have interesting features, such as longevity or gigantism. For example, among its inhabitants you can see the largest mussels or the largest jellyfish - arctic cyanide. These fantastic jellyfish have a dome with a diameter of 2.5 meters and tentacles with a length of 35 meters.
Navigators, travelers and scientists have been trying to conquer and explore the Arctic Ocean for many years. But the Arctic, with its harsh climate, does not reveal all its secrets to mankind, and still not all the secrets of the Arctic Ocean are known to people.
