From the largest ocean on earth to the smallest. Which ocean is the largest
In the section on the question Which ocean is the deepest and which is the shallowest? given by the author Sound combination the best answer is The deepest is the Pacific Ocean, with an average depth of 4,281 m. Next comes the Indian Ocean, with an average depth of 3,963 m. Then comes the Atlantic Ocean, with an average depth of 3,926 m.
Northern Arctic Ocean the shallowest of all oceans. The deepest part of the ocean lies between the Lomonosov Ridge and the continental shelf of Eurasia and is 4000-4600 m. On the other side of the ridge, the depth does not exceed 3400 m.
The deepest place - 5527 m - is located outside the ocean floor, in the Greenland Sea.
And he is also the coldest.
Source: ;
Answer from Ester[guru]
The oceans remain a mystery to us in many ways. We don't even know the age of the oceans. It is quite possible that in the early stages of the development of the Earth, oceans did not exist.
Today, man explores the ocean floor to better study them. Up to a depth of 3600 m, the ocean floor is covered with soft muddy sediments. They consist of calcareous skeletons of the smallest marine animals. At depths greater than 6 km, the bottom is covered with fine reddish silt called “red clay”. It consists of particles of animal skeletons, remains of small plants and volcanic ash.
Currently, the depth of the oceans is measured by sending sound waves into the depths and receiving the reflected signal. To do this, measure the time during which sound wave reaches the bottom and returns after reflection; After this, the amount of time is divided in half.
Based on these measurements, we have a pretty good idea of the average depth of the various oceans, as well as their deepest points. The deepest is the Pacific Ocean, with an average depth of 4,281 m. Next comes the Indian Ocean, with an average depth of 3,963 m. Then comes the Atlantic Ocean, with an average depth of 3,926 m. For comparison, the Baltic Sea has an average depth of only 55 m!
Today, the deepest place in the oceans is known - in the area of the Guam Islands - 10,790 m. The other deepest place is located in the Atlantic Ocean near the Guam Islands - here the depth reaches 9,219 m. Hudson Bay, which is larger in area than many seas, has the average depth is only 183 m.
Depths of oceans and seas
This table provides data on average and maximum depths oceans and seas, total area, including the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, South ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Arctic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Bering Sea, and others.
| Name | Square | Average depth | Maximum depth | Name of the deepest point | |||
| sq. | sq.km | ft. | m. | ft. | m. | ||
| Pacific Ocean | 60 060 700 | 155 557 000 | 13 215 | 4 028 | 36 198 | 11 971 | Mariana Trench |
| Atlantic Ocean | 29 637 900 | 76 762 000 | 12 880 | 3 926 | 30 246 | 9 219 | Puerto Rico Trench |
| Indian Ocean | 26 469 500 | 68 556 000 | 13 002 | 3 963 | 24 460 | 7 455 | Sunda Trench |
| South ocean (Northern boundary of the ocean 60 degrees south latitude) |
7 848 300 | 20 327 000 | 13 100-16 400 | 4 000-5 000 | 23 736 | 7 235 | South Sandwich Trench |
| Arctic Ocean | 5 427 000 | 14 056 000 | 3 953 | 1 205 | 18 456 | 5 625 | Point with coordinates: 77°45\’N; 175°W |
| Mediterranean Sea | 1 144 800 | 2 965 800 | 4 688 | 1 429 | 15 197 | 4 632 | From the Cape Matapan, Greece |
| Caribbean Sea | 1 049 500 | 2 718 200 | 8 685 | 2 647 | 22 788 | 6 946 | From the Cayman Islands |
| South China Sea | 895 400 | 2 319 000 | 5 419 | 1 652 | 16 456 | 5 016 | West of Luzon |
| Bering Sea | 884 900 | 2 291 900 | 5 075 | 1 547 | 15 659 | 4 773 | From Buldyr Island |
| Gulf of Mexico | 615 000 | 1 592 800 | 4 874 | 1 486 | 12 425 | 3 787 | Sigsbee Depression |
| Sea of Okhotsk | 613 800 | 1 589 700 | 2 749 | 838 | 12 001 | 3 658 | Point with coordinates: 146°10\’E; 46°50\’N |
| East China Sea | 482 300 | 1 249 200 | 617 | 188 | 9 126 | 2 782 | Point with coordinates: 25°16\’N; 125°E |
| Hudson Bay | 475 800 | 1 232 300 | 420 | 128 | 600 | 183 | Near the entrance to the bay |
| Sea of Japan | 389 100 | 1 007 800 | 4 429 | 1 350 | 12 276 | 3 742 | Central pool |
| Andaman Sea | 308 000 | 797 700 | 2 854 | 870 | 12 392 | 3 777 | Near Nicobar Islands |
| North Sea | 222 100 | 575 200 | 308 | 94 | 2 165 | 660 | Skagerrak Strait |
| Red sea | 169 100 | 438 000 | 1 611 | 491 | 7 254 | 2 211 | Near Port Sudan |
| Baltic Sea | 163 000 | 422 200 | 180 | 55 | 1 380 | 421 | Near the island of Gotland |
Shallowest ocean
Measuring the depth of the oceans
Man has learned to measure the depth of seas and oceans: to do this, they point into the water ultrasonic waves and record the time it takes them to reach the bottom and return, and the resulting value must be divided in half. Which ocean is the shallowest and which is the deepest?
The smallest, coldest, calmest and freshest ocean is the Arctic Ocean. It is located in the very north of the planet, in the center of the Arctic, and washes the shores of Eurasia and North America, and also borders on two oceans: the Atlantic and the Pacific. A significant part of its area is occupied by seas, and the ocean itself is a huge deep bowl called the Arctic Basin.
Animal life in the Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is also most shallow ocean on the planet. Its average depth is only 1,225 m, and its deepest point is in the Greenland Sea, beyond the ocean floor and its depth is 5,527 m.
A variety of algae and plankton that were able to adapt to low temperatures, can only be found in Atlantic waters. Animals that live in the shallowest ocean– these are whales, walruses, seals, as well as many types of commercial fish (cod, navaga, halibut, etc.).
Challenger Deep
If the Arctic is shallowest ocean, then the deepest ocean is the Pacific. Its average depth is 3,984 m. Its deepest point is Pacific Ocean(like the entire World Ocean) is located in the southwestern part of the Mariana Trench near the island of Guam, it is called the Challenger Deep and is 10,994 m according to 2011 studies.
Besides, deepest ocean It is also the largest in area, which with all the seas occupies 179.7 million km². It washes the shores of Eurasia and Australia in the west, located between Northern and South America in the east, reaches Antarctica in the south and borders the other three oceans.
Perhaps we can say that Quiet is also the most beautiful ocean, since the diversity and abundance of its life forms is nothing short of admirable: 4 thousand species of algae, 30 thousand plants, and the species composition of the animal world is 3-4 times richer than in other oceans.
In addition, the Pacific Ocean surpasses all others in the number of islands (about 30 thousand), many of which can be called heaven on earth/
The smallest ocean in the world– The Arctic Ocean has distinctive features.
The depth of this ocean is shallow, but it is surrounded by a harsh climate and a lot of ice. More than 80% of its surface in winter time sinks under the ice. Winds and currents cause ice masses to compress and form ice piles or hummocks. 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, the waters of this small ocean stretch in the center of the Arctic. The Arctic Ocean is rightfully considered the smallest ocean on Earth, because...
it occupies 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 depression in the ocean is located in the Greenland Sea, it is 5527 meters. And if we consider the average value of its depth, it will be only 1225 meters.
The waters of the Arctic Ocean border with the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Some scientists even propose to consider this baby one of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The smallest ocean in the world It has great value for our planet, because its waters warm vast areas in the Northern Hemisphere.
In terms of the number of islands, this small ocean ranks second after the Pacific Ocean. Greenland (the largest island on planet 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 by 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 throughout the world. educational establishments. But to get into Canada, as well as the USA, to work or study, you must pass an exam English language, 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 edge of the continent, located off the coast of Eurasia, reaches 1300 meters. If we look at the central part of the ocean, we can find several deep pits there, the depth of which reaches 5000 meters. They are separated by the transoceanic ridges - Lomonosov, Gakkel and Mendeleev.
The water temperature of the Arctic Ocean and its salinity vary depending on depth. IN upper layers salinity is reduced, because The composition of the water is influenced by meltwater and river runoff, which replenish the ocean waters. In addition, the low evaporation of its waters has an effect. The next layer of water (subsurface) is more salty - about 34.3%, it is formed by the waters of the upper and intermediate layers of water. The intermediate layer extends to a depth of 800 meters and is characterized by temperatures above zero degrees and high 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, which is due to its geographical location and the lack of solar heat. The ocean itself has a significant impact on the climate of the Arctic and its hydrodynamics. Ocean waters are protected by ice cover from solar radiation and the harmful effects of the atmosphere. The North Atlantic Current is a powerful factor that determines the circulation regime 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 cyanides. These fantastic jellyfish have a dome with a diameter of 2.5 meters and tentacles 35 meters long.
Sailors, 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 humanity, and still not all the secrets of the Arctic Ocean are known to people.
The smallest ocean on Earth
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is rightfully recognized as the smallest ocean. It is located between Eurasia and North America. Its area is 14.75 million km2, and this is only one tenth of the largest ocean - the Pacific, or a little more than 4% of the total area of the World Ocean. But, despite this, the Arctic Ocean is rich in islands and, in terms of their number, ranks second after the Pacific Ocean.
By the way, here, in the waters of the smallest ocean, is the largest island on earth - Greenland and the second largest archipelago - the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
History of the discovery of the Arctic Ocean
For the first time, the Arctic Ocean was highlighted as an independent one on a German map of the mid-17th century. There it was called the Hyperborean Ocean, which means “Ocean in the extreme north.” At that time, various foreign sources used the names: “Northern Ocean”, “Scythian Ocean”, “Tatar Ocean”, “Arctic Sea”. On Russian maps of the 17th-18th centuries there were names: “Arctic Sea”, “Sea Ocean”, “Arctic Sea Ocean”, “Arctic Ocean” and “Northern Ocean”.
The real name - the Arctic Ocean - was given to it in the 20s of the 19th century by the Russian navigator Admiral F.P. Litke.
The Arctic Ocean, as its name suggests, is the northernmost, coldest and least studied of all the oceans. Almost its entire water area is covered with ice for most of the year. Therefore, it is unattractive not only for sailors and fishermen, but even for marine life and plants. However, in nature there are lovers of cold climates. Here, in more or less open parts of the ocean, you can find seals, polar bears, whales and several species of fish.
Animals of the Arctic Ocean
Generally fauna northern seas has some features. For example, gigantism. The largest mussels live in the Arctic Ocean, there is the largest jellyfish Cyania (about 2 meters in diameter with a tentacle length of 20 meters), the largest Ophiura (or Snaketail) named “Gorgon's head”. In the Kara Sea there is a giant single coral and a sea spider (its leg span reaches 30 cm).
Another feature of living organisms in the Arctic Ocean is longevity. For example, mussels in the Barents Sea live up to 25 years (and in the Black Sea - only 6), cod lives here up to 20 years, and halibut - 30-40 years. But there is no magic in this, the whole secret is that in cold Arctic waters the development of life processes proceeds much more slowly.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean on Earth
Kristina Yashina, Samogo.Net
The Pacific Ocean is the largest on Earth
Pacific Ocean- the largest ocean in terms of area and depth on Earth, it occupies 49.5% of the surface of the World Ocean and holds 53% of the volume of its water. Located between the continents of Eurasia and Australia in the west, North and South America in the east, Antarctica in the south.
The Pacific Ocean extends approximately 15.8 thousand km from north to south and 19.5 thousand km from east to west. The area with seas is 179.7 million km², the average depth is 3984 m, the volume of water is 723.7 million km³. The greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean (and the entire World Ocean) is 10,994 m (in the Mariana Trench).
On November 28, 1520, Ferdinand Magellan entered the open ocean for the first time. He crossed the ocean from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands in 3 months and 20 days. All this time the weather was calm, and Magellan called the ocean Quiet.
The second largest ocean on Earth after the Pacific Ocean, occupying 25% of the surface of the World Ocean, with total area 91.66 million km² and water volume - 329.66 million km³. The ocean is located between Greenland and Iceland in the north, Europe and Africa in the east, North and South America in the west, and Antarctica in the south. Greatest depth - 8742 m (deep-sea trench - Puerto Rico)
The name of the ocean first appears in the 5th century BC. e. in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote that “the sea with the pillars of Hercules is called Atlantis.” The name comes from the famous Ancient Greece the myth of Atlas, the Titan holding the firmament on his shoulders at the westernmost point of the Mediterranean. The Roman scientist Pliny the Elder in the 1st century used the modern name Oceanus Atlanticus - “Atlantic Ocean”.
The third largest ocean on Earth, covering about 20% of its water surface. Its area is 76.17 million km², volume - 282.65 million km³. The deepest point of the ocean is located in the Sunda Trench (7729 m).
In the north, the Indian Ocean washes Asia, in the west - Africa, in the east - Australia; in the south it borders on Antarctica. The border with the Atlantic Ocean runs along the 20° meridian of eastern longitude; from Quiet - along 146°55’ meridian of eastern longitude. The most northern point Indian Ocean is located at approximately 30° north latitude in the Persian Gulf. The Indian Ocean is approximately 10,000 km wide between the southern points of Australia and Africa.
The ancient Greeks called the western part of the ocean known to them with the adjacent seas and bays the Erythraean Sea (Red). Gradually, this name began to be attributed only to the nearest sea, and the ocean was named after India, the country most famous at that time for its wealth on the ocean shores. So Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. e. calls it Indicon pelagos - “Indian Sea”. Since the 16th century, the name Oceanus Indicus - Indian Ocean, introduced by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder back in the 1st century, has been established.
The smallest ocean on Earth, located entirely in the northern hemisphere, between Eurasia and North America.
The ocean area is 14.75 million km² (5.5% of the area of the World Ocean), the volume of water is 18.07 million km³. The average depth is 1225 m, the greatest depth is 5527 m in the Greenland Sea. Most of the bottom relief of the Arctic Ocean is occupied by the shelf (more than 45% of the ocean floor) and the underwater margins of continents (up to 70% of the bottom area). The ocean is usually divided into three vast water areas: the Arctic Basin, the North European Basin and the Canadian Basin. Thanks to the polar geographical location Ice cover in the central part of the ocean persists throughout the year, although it is in a mobile state.
The ocean was identified as an independent ocean by the geographer Varenius in 1650 under the name Hyperborean Ocean - “Ocean in the extreme north.” Foreign sources of that time also used the names: Oceanus Septentrionalis - “Northern Ocean” (Latin Septentrio - north), Oceanus Scythicus - “Scythian Ocean” (Latin Scythae - Scythians), Oceanes Tartaricus - “Tartar Ocean”, Μare Glaciale - “Arctic Sea” (lat. Glacies - ice). On Russian maps of the 17th - 18th centuries the names are used: Sea Ocean, Sea Ocean Arctic, Arctic Sea, Northern Ocean, Northern or Arctic Sea, Arctic Ocean, Northern Polar Sea, and the Russian navigator Admiral F. P. Litke in the 20s of the XIX century centuries called it the Arctic Ocean. In other countries the English name is widely used. Arctic Ocean - "Arctic Ocean", which was given to the ocean by the London Geographical Society in 1845.
By resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR dated June 27, 1935, the name Arctic Ocean was adopted, as corresponding to the form already used in Russia since early XIX century, and close to earlier Russian names.
Code name three waters oceans (Pacific, Atlantic and Indian), surrounding Antarctica and sometimes unofficially identified as the “fifth ocean”, which, however, does not have a clearly delineated northern border by islands and continents. The conditional area is 20.327 million km² (if we take the northern boundary of the ocean to be 60 degrees south latitude). Greatest depth (South Sandwich Trench) - 8428 m.
Oceans are called vast water bodies, which are located between 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 World Ocean. It covers approximately 71% or 361 million km 2 of its surface. It is part of the hydrosphere, a shell of water that washes all continents and islands.
Conventionally, it is divided into several areas that differ in their characteristics. 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, washing the shores of Antarctica or the then unknown “southern continent” appeared. 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 km 2. 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 its names were associated with ancient kingdoms, which is how 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, located 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 saltiest of all. Its volume is 18.07 million km³, of which approximately 6.63 million km3 is located in the seas. 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 closed nature, some geographers consider it to be 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, Bering Strait, Danish Strait, and 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, melting ice, 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 Trans-Arctic flow. Near the Bering Strait, it is intensified by the Pacific Current, ensuring ice drift from Alaska to Greenland.
However, the volume of the rivers is very small compared to the amount that comes from the Atlantic. Every year the Atlantic Ocean provides its “northern neighbor” with 298 thousand km 3 of water. Thus, the northern branch of the warm Gulf Stream passes between Spitsbergen and Norway. It softens the climate of Northern Europe and prevents its western shores from becoming covered permanent ice even in winter. From Spitsbergen, currents head to the Chukchi Sea, taking about five years to reach it.
The eternal cold of the Arctic
The polar position affects the ocean climate. In its various regions, the polar night lasts from 50 to 150 days a year, and access to solar heat is completely stopped. At this time there is a zone above the ocean high pressure, which is shifted towards Greenland. Extreme cold and dry air masses come here.
The main feature of the smallest ocean is ice. He is constantly present in him. Some areas are covered with welded, stationary ice floes; in other areas they drift at speeds from 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, although some areas still remain. The northern shores of Greenland are ice-free throughout the year. The eastern and western shores of the island regularly supply the oceans with thousands of icebergs, which often penetrate the shipping routes between America and Europe. One of these “gifts” met the infamous Titanic.
Fauna and flora
Animal and vegetable world The smallest ocean has been poorly studied, but even now we can conclude that it is not very diverse. Only river mouths, shelves, and Atlantic regions are distinguished by their richness.
The most inhabited are the Barents, Kara, Greenland and Norwegian seas. They are home to 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 there are even fewer of them.
The main plants of the Arctic Ocean are diatoms, which can withstand the absence of heat. Many of them are attached to the undersurface of ice floes. In the seas of the oceans there are herring, tuna, salmon, flounder, cod, various mollusks and crustaceans. 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, whose diameter reaches two meters, also lives in the ocean waters. In addition, many native species live up to ten years longer than their counterparts in tropical and subtropical areas.
Usage
Due to the abundance of ice cover, the smallest ocean is not easy to develop, but people have learned to use it. Two large shipping routes pass through its seas: the Northern route along Eurasia, and the Northwestern route 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 there every year. Its shelves and coastal areas are rich in oil and gas. On its banks, coal, titanium, uranium, gold, mica, pigs, zinc, apatite, tin and iron are mined.
Fishing and production mineral resources harm vulnerable nature northern ocean. Therefore, along with industrial development, programs for its conservation are also being developed.