The world's oceans briefly. Concise geographical dictionary

Three quarters of the surface of our planet is covered by oceans and seas, the rest is land. The world's oceans, by definition, include all the oceans, seas of our planet and other bodies of water that communicate with them. The world's oceans and land are different in their qualities, but they are not isolated from each other: there is a constant exchange of energy and substances between them.

The world ocean has an area of ​​361 million km2.

Oceans

The world's oceans are divided into four main parts:

• Quiet (or Great)
  • Area - 179 million km 2;
  • Average depth - 4,000 m;
  • Maximum depth- 11,000 m.
  • Located between the continents of Eurasia and in the West, Northern and South America in the East, Antarctica in the South.
• Atlantic
  • Area - 92 million km 2;
  • Average depth - 3,600 m;
  • Maximum depth - 8,700 m.
  • Located mostly in the west. hemisphere, stretches from North to South for 16,000 km. It also washes Antarctica and Europe. Connected to all oceans.
• Indian
  • Area - 76 million km 2;
  • Average depth - 3,700 m;
  • Maximum depth - 7,700 m.
  • Located mainly in the Southern Hemisphere, between the shores of Asia, Australia and Antarctica. The western boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean runs along 20°E. d., eastern - in the south from the southern tip of the island. Tasmania to Antarctica at 147° E. d., north of Australia - at 127°30′ E. between the mainland and the island. Timor and further in the West and North-West along the Lesser Sunda Islands, the islands of Java, Sumatra and the Malacca Peninsula.
• Arctic
  • Area - 15 million km 2;
  • Average depth - 1,200 m;
  • Maximum depth - 5,500 m.
  • Located between Eurasia and North America. Many islands: Greenland, Canadian Arctic, Spitsbergen, New. Earth, North Earth, etc. with total area 4 million km 2. Large rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean - the North. Dvina, Pechora, Khatanga, Indigirka, Kolyma, Mackenzie.

The exchange of water masses between the oceans is constant. The division of the World Ocean into parts is largely arbitrary and the boundaries have changed more than once in history. The oceans, in turn, are also divided into parts. The oceans are divided into seas, bays, and straits. Parts of the ocean that protrude into the land and are separated from it by islands, peninsulas, and also elevations of underwater relief are called seas.

Seas

The surface of the sea is called the water area. The part of the sea that stretches along the territory of a state is called territorial waters. These same territorial waters have a certain width and are part of a given state.

International law stipulates that the width of the strip of territorial waters along the coast should not exceed 12 nautical miles. This value was recognized by about 100 states, including Russia, but 22 countries arbitrarily established wider territorial waters.

The part of the sea located outside the territorial waters is called the high seas. It is located in common use in all states.

The part of the sea or ocean that flows deeply into the land, but freely communicates with it, is called bay. In terms of the properties of currents, water, and the organisms living in them, bays usually differ little from seas and oceans.

Parts of the oceans are called seas or bays in some cases incorrectly: for example, the Persian, Mexican, Hudson, and California bays, according to their hydrological regimes, should be classified as seas, while the Beaufort Sea (North America) should be called a gulf.

What types of bays are there?

The bays are a different story.

Depending on the causes of occurrence, configuration, size, degree of connection with the main body of water, bays are distinguished:

bays- small water areas with more or less defined coastlines, limited by capes or islands and usually convenient for ships to enter;

estuaries- funnel-shaped bays formed at river mouths under the influence of sea currents and high tides (Latin aestuanum - flooded river mouth). Estuaries are formed at the confluence of the seas, Thames and St. Lawrence rivers;

fjords(Norwegian fjord) - narrow and deep bays with rocky and high shores. Fjords cut into the land to great depths (up to 200 km), the depth can be 1000 meters or more. Fjords were formed as a result of the flooding of tectonic faults and river valleys along which glaciers passed. For fjords, the phenomenon is not widespread, although it actually exists on the Kola Peninsula, Novaya Zemlya, and Chukotka. Fjords are common along the shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Greenland, Alaska, and New Zealand.

lagoons(Latin, lacus - lake) - shallow bays, separated from the sea by narrow sandy spits. Exchange of water masses through straits, often shallow. In low latitudes, the water in lagoons is saltier than in the sea, but in high latitudes and at the confluence of large rivers, on the contrary, their salinity is lower than sea water.

estuaries(Greek limen - harbor, bay). These bays are similar to lagoons and are formed when the widened mouths of lowland rivers are flooded by the sea. The formation of the estuary is also associated with the subsidence of the coastline. Just like in the lagoon, the water in the estuary has significant salinity, but, in addition, it also contains healing mud.

These bays are well defined along the shores of the Black and Azov seas. Estuaries in the Baltic Sea and in the Southern Hemisphere are called gaffs (German haff - bay). Gaffs are formed as a result of action along coastal currents and surf.

lip- a sea bay at the mouth of the river. This is the Pomeranian name for large and small bays into which rivers flow. These are shallow bays, the water in them is highly desalinated and the color is sharply different from the sea, the bottom in the bays is covered with river sediments carried by the river. In the north of Russia there are Onega Bay, Dvina Bay, Ob Bay, Czech Bay, etc.

Straits

Parts of the World Ocean (seas, oceans, bays) are connected to each other straits. A strait is a relatively wide expanse of water, bounded on both sides by the shores of continents, islands or peninsulas.

Straits come in a variety of widths. The Drake Passage, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, is about 1000 km wide, and the Strait of Gibraltar, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, is no wider than 14 km at its narrowest point.

World Ocean- this is the salty, watery shell of the Earth surrounding the islands and continents. The collection of all the largest bodies of water on Earth. Something we simply couldn't live without. The World Ocean includes all four oceans of our planet.

World Ocean

Most globe cover the seas and oceans. , which means that the aquatic world is simply obliged to surprise us with interesting and extraordinary facts, which, by the way, it does. The world ocean is the totality of all the seas and oceans on Earth. This name comes from

• Greek Okeanos - the great river flowing around the Earth,
• English WorldOcean,
• him . Weltmeer
• French Ocean, Ocean Mondial,
• Spanish Oceano, Oceano mundial)

It is important to answer the question correctly here: how many oceans are there in the world? The French scientist de Florier introduced the term for the components of the World Ocean. This term is “the world’s oceans.” The names of these oceans are

In total, on the map you will find five oceans, which together with the seas represent a large organism with its own life and its own stories. The world's oceans directly influence a huge amount of natural processes, which is why it is a close object of various studies. Thus, the nature of the currents determines the climate of the regions, and in salt water that is, at first glance, unsuitable for life, there is a whole undersea world, with its large and very small representatives. Oceans of the world rich in various minerals, in addition, they represent a source of energy and food. Residents of a large number of coastal areas are engaged in fishing, which is very often their main source of income. In this article I will answer the most popular questions about the World Ocean.

Volume of the world's oceans

The world's oceans constantly exchange with environment energy, warmth. He is an inexhaustible source for humanity. How big is this source? Let's find out. An ocean is a collection of water; John Murray was the first to measure its quantity. And in 1983, Leningrad scientists Shiklomanov and Sokolov carried out their measurements. The data they published states that the volume of the world's oceans is 1.338 billion km 3 of water. Murray's measurements were corrected by only 1%.

World Ocean Map

Rising sea levels

Many scientists are concerned rising sea levels. This is due to an anomaly in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. An increase in overall temperature leads to an increase in the melting of ice. Gradually, over the course of three years, the archipelago loses its snow cover, and the volume of water increases by 60 km 3 when the temperature increases by only 1 0.

World Ocean - video

Video film “Secrets of the World Ocean” - its history and impact on our survival and on the planet.

film “Secrets of the Depths of the Sea. The Unknown World" is a popular science film made by oceanographers about what can be seen if the World's oceans are drained.

I hope that these two videos made the same impression on you as they did on me.

Which ocean is the largest in the world

The largest ocean in the world— Quiet, occupying a third of the World. This ocean is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful, amazing and beautiful, with a unique and diverse fauna. He also holds the record for the number of islands, which amount to 10 thousand. We can talk about this ocean endlessly. It is full of secrets, riddles and mystical stories. It owes its name to the voyage of Magellan, who sailed through its waters for three months. During all this time, the captain and his crew never struggled with bad weather. This ocean includes such seas as the Yellow, Japanese, Bering, Tasman, Coral, Java, and East China. Also, very important international air and sea routes pass through the Pacific Ocean.

What is the smallest ocean in the world

Most small ocean in the world- Arctic. Located between North America and Eurasia, it occupies only 4% of the area of ​​the entire World Ocean. It is also ten times smaller than the largest Pacific Ocean. Despite its rather modest size, this representative of the aquatic world has a unique fauna and is rich in stories.

What is the saltiest ocean in the world

List of oceans of the world complements and the saltiest ocean in the world, which is the Atlantic. Despite the fact that he collects himself a large number of fresh water, the percentage of salt here is 35.4%. The Atlantic Ocean is very interesting. In almost any place, the percentage of salt is the same. This feature is unique to him. The Indian Ocean, for example, does not fit this rule at all, since in some areas the saturation with salt is several times higher than the salinity Atlantic Ocean.

Which ocean is the warmest in the world

The Pacific Ocean will appear several times on lists of the very best. This time he became the first, as he received the title “C” warmest ocean in the world" Despite the fact that there has always been a lot of controversy and doubt regarding this fact, just think a little logically, and it will become clear that this ocean deserves the title of the warmest. Thus, the cover of ice and the proximity of oceans such as the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic to Antarctica definitely exclude them from possible contenders for this title. Only the Indian Ocean raises doubts, because it includes the warmest seas and currents. However, it is also adjacent to Antarctica, which deprives it of the opportunity to be called the warmest ocean. The coldest ocean is the Arctic Ocean. He is also the smallest.

The world's oceans and its parts: what else is worth knowing

• Scientists note that the Moon has been studied much better than the World Ocean. We know only about 3% of information about him.
• Despite the thickness of the water at the bottom, in some places there are underwater waterfalls. Currently, 7 such natural phenomena are known.
• At the bottom there are underwater rivers - areas in which methane, hydrogen sulfide, seeps through cracks and mixes with water.
• The deepest point of the World Ocean is called the Mariana Trench. The maximum depth is more than 11 km.
• Almost 2.2 million different species of organisms live in the depths of the waters.
• The whale shark is recognized as one of the largest fish on earth. Its weight reaches 21.5 tons.
• The average depth of the world's oceans is 3,984 km.
• At a depth of 1 km you can find organisms that are amazing in appearance. They often have a very scary appearance.

The most beautiful ocean in the world

It is difficult to say which is the most beautiful ocean in the world, since each part of the World Ocean has its own charms and its own unique beauty. That is why you need to visit all the oceans and determine your favorite for yourself. Well, I’ll help you a little - look at the photos of the ocean.

Oceans of the world - photos

The water shell surrounding continents and islands and being continuous and unified is called

The word "ocean" comes from the Greek. oceanos, which means “great river flowing around the whole earth.”

The concept of the World Ocean as a single whole was introduced by a Russian oceanologist Yu. M. Shokalsky(1856-1940) in 1917

The ocean is the keeper of water. In the Southern Hemisphere it occupies 81% of the territory, in the Northern Hemisphere - only 61%, which indicates the uneven distribution of land on our planet and is one of the main factors in shaping the nature of the Earth. The ocean influences climate (since it is a huge accumulator of solar heat and moisture, thanks to which sharp temperature fluctuations on Earth are smoothed out, remote areas of land are moistened), soils, vegetation and animal world; is a source of various resources.

Stand out in separate part Earth's hydrosphere - oceanosphere, which accounts for 361.3 million km 2, or 70.8% of the globe's area. The mass of ocean water is approximately 250 times the mass of the atmosphere.

The world's oceans are not just water, but a single natural formation in its essence.

Unity of the World Ocean how the water mass is ensured by its continuous movement in both horizontal and vertical directions; homogeneous universal composition water, which is an ionized solution containing all chemical elements Periodic tables, etc.

All processes occurring in the World Ocean have a pronounced zonal and vertical character. Natural and vertical belts of the ocean are described in section. "Biosphere of the Earth".

The world ocean is a habitat for many forms of life, as it contains enough favorable conditions development of life. Almost 300 thousand species of plants and animals live here, including fish, cetaceans (whales and dolphins), cephalopods (octopuses and squids), crustaceans, sea worms, corals, etc., as well as algae. More details about the inhabitants of the World Ocean are described in section. "Biosphere of the Earth".

The oceans have great value for the nature of the Earth and humans. For example, the transport significance of the ocean is simply undeniable. Back in the 19th century. the importance of the World Ocean as a means of communication between continents and countries became obvious. Currently, a huge amount of cargo is transported by the world's seaports. Although sea ​​transport is not the fastest, it is one of the cheapest.

So, the significance of the World Ocean is as follows:

• is a solar heat storage device;
• determines weather, climate;
• habitat for hundreds of thousands of species;
• these are the “lungs of the planet”;
• is a source of seafood, mineral resources;
• used as a transport route;
• it is a supplier of fresh water as a result of evaporation and transfer of moisture to land.

Natural resources of the World Ocean

The waters of the World Ocean are rich in various resources. Among them are of great value organic (biological) resources. At the same time, about 90% biological resources the ocean accounts for fisheries resources.

Herring ranks first in terms of production volumes in the world fishery. Salmon and especially sturgeon fish are especially rich. The fish are mainly caught in the shelf zone. The use of fish is not limited to simply eating, it is used as feed flour, technical fat, and fertilizers.

St. John's wort(harvest walruses, seals, fur seals) and whaling fishing is now either limited or completely prohibited.

Fishing related to catching invertebrates And crustaceans, has become widespread in the countries of Southeast Asia and many other coastal countries, where mollusks and echinoderms are widely used as food. Crustaceans are highly valued in the market. One of the representatives of crustaceans is krill, from which food protein and vitamins are produced.

The most important natural resource ocean, used for preparing food, for obtaining iodine, paper, glue, etc., - seaweed.

also in Lately The artificial cultivation of living organisms in the waters of the World Ocean (aquaculture) has become widespread.

Main chemical resource The ocean is the water itself and the chemical elements dissolved in it. There are about 800 desalination plants operating around the world, resulting in the production of millions of cubic meters of fresh water annually. However, the cost of this water is very high.

Main mineral resources extracted from the bottom of the sea are oil and gas. Their production continues and is growing rapidly every year. Coal, iron ore, tin and many other minerals are also mined, but this mining has not yet been fully established.

Huge and energetic resources ocean. Thus, water contains a promising fuel for nuclear reactors - deuterium (heavy water).

In some countries of the world (France, Great Britain, Canada, China, India, Russia, etc.) tidal power plants (TPPs) operate. The first TPP in the world was built in France in 1966. It was built at the mouth of the Rane River and is called “La Rane”. It is currently the world's largest tidal power plant. Its installed capacity is 240 MW. The volume of electricity production is about 600 million kWh.

More than 100 years ago, scientists proposed the idea of ​​generating energy from the difference in water temperatures in the surface and deep layers of the ocean. After 1973, extensive practical research was launched in this direction. There are experimental installations on the Hawaiian Islands, where the temperature difference at the surface of the water and at a depth of about one kilometer is 22 °C. Another hydrothermal station was built on the west coast of Africa near the city of Abidjan ( The largest city state of Côte d'Ivoire). Power plants that use the energy of sea waves can operate on a principle similar to tidal ones. One of these power plants, albeit of small capacity, was commissioned in Norway in 1985.

Due to the rich chemical composition sea ​​water has many healing properties, A sea ​​air saturated with many ions. This indicates the possibility of using recreational resources ocean. Sea water brings a special effect when used together with therapeutic mud and thermal waters. Therefore, seaside resorts, such as Mediterranean resorts, resorts in California, Florida, etc., are in great demand.

Ever since I was in school, I have had a globe on my desk. It is easy to see that most of our planet is occupied by water. Many have heard the concept of “World Ocean”. Now you will find out what it is.

What parts does the World Ocean consist of?

Believe it or not, as much as 70% of our planet is under water. It is this watery shell of the Earth that is considered the World Ocean, which surrounds the continents and islands. Its main parts are 4 oceans:

• Quiet;
• Atlantic;
• Indian;
• Arctic.

But the division does not end there. The oceans also consist of several components:

• seas;
• bays;
• straits.

The sea is that part of the ocean that borders the land; it can be separated from it by islands and peninsulas. Bays are understood as areas of sea that flow far into land. But in fact, bays are very similar in their characteristics to seas. All components of the World Ocean are very closely interconnected.

Who lives in the waters of the World Ocean

Incredibly, an underwater animal and vegetable world very rich and beautiful. In addition, new discoveries are constantly being made, and the list of living creatures is constantly growing. The underwater flora is represented by algae. There are also a huge number of them. Depending on the type, they can live very close to the surface of the water, or they can be found at great depths.

Among the representatives of the animal world of the ocean you can find: plankton, different kinds fish, cetaceans, crustaceans. The abundance of animals depends on the living conditions in one or another part of the World Ocean. For example, the Arctic Ocean cannot boast of an abundance of living creatures in its waters. Of course, not all animals and plants can adapt to such harsh conditions.

The number of living organisms is also affected by the environmental situation. The higher the level of water pollution, the fewer animals can live in such a place. First of all, people must take care that the environmental situation on our planet does not deteriorate.

Includes all the seas and oceans of the Earth. It occupies about 70% of the planet's surface and contains 96% of all water on the planet. The world ocean consists of four oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic.

Sizes of the oceans: Pacific - 179 million km2, Atlantic - 91.6 million km2, Indian - 76.2 million km2, Arctic - 14.75 million km2

The boundaries between oceans, as well as the boundaries of seas within oceans, are drawn rather arbitrarily. They are determined by land areas delimiting the water space, internal currents, differences in temperature and salinity.

Seas are divided into internal and marginal. Inland seas protrude quite deeply into the land (for example, the Mediterranean), and marginal seas adjoin the land with one edge (for example, the Northern, Japanese).

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific is the largest of the oceans. It is located in both the northern and southern hemispheres. In the east, its border is the coast of North and, in the west - the coast of and, in the south - Antarctica. It owns 20 seas and more than 10,000 islands.

Since the Pacific Ocean covers almost all but the coldest,

it has a diverse climate. over the ocean varies from +30°

to -60° C. Trade winds form in the tropical zone; monsoons are frequent to the north, off the coast of Asia and Russia.

The main currents of the Pacific Ocean are closed in circles. In the northern hemisphere, the circle is formed by the Northern Trade Wind, North Pacific and California Currents, which are directed clockwise. In the southern hemisphere, the circle of currents is directed counterclockwise and consists of the Southern Trade Wind, East Australian, Peruvian and Western Winds.

The Pacific Ocean is located on the Pacific Ocean. Its bottom is heterogeneous; there are underground plains, mountains and ridges. On the territory of the ocean is the Mariana Trench - the deepest point of the World Ocean, its depth is 11 km 22 m.

The water temperature in the Atlantic Ocean ranges from -1 °C to + 26 °C, the average water temperature is +16 °C.

The average salinity of the Atlantic Ocean is 35%.

The organic world of the Atlantic Ocean is distinguished by a wealth of green plants and plankton.

Indian Ocean

Most of the Indian Ocean is located in warm latitudes and is dominated by humid monsoons, which determine the climate of East Asian countries. The southern edge of the Indian Ocean is sharply cold.

Indian Ocean currents change direction depending on the direction of the monsoons. The most significant currents are the Monsoon, Trade Wind and.

The Indian Ocean has a varied topography; there are several ridges, between which there are relatively deep basins. The deepest point of the Indian Ocean is the Java Trench, 7 km 709 m.

The water temperature in the Indian Ocean ranges from -1°C off the coast of Antarctica to +30°C near the equator, the average water temperature is +18°C.

The average salinity of the Indian Ocean is 35%.

Arctic Ocean

Most of the North Arctic Ocean covered with thick ice - in winter it is almost 90% of the ocean surface. Only near the coast does the ice freeze to the land, while most of the ice drifts. Drifting ice is called "pack".

The ocean is located entirely in northern latitudes and has a cold climate.

A number of large currents are observed in the Arctic Ocean: the Trans-Arctic Current passes along the north of Russia, as a result of interaction with more warm waters The Norwegian Current is born in the Atlantic Ocean.

The relief of the Arctic Ocean is characterized by a developed shelf, especially off the coast of Eurasia.

The water under the ice always has a negative temperature: -1.5 - -1°C. In summer, the water in the seas of the Arctic Ocean reaches +5 - +7 °C. The salinity of ocean water decreases significantly in summer due to melting ice and, this applies to the Eurasian part of the ocean, deep water Siberian rivers. So in winter the salinity in different parts is 31-34% o, in summer off the coast of Siberia it can be up to 20% o.