Southern Ocean coordinates. Is the Southern Ocean officially recognized as a geographical community or is this just a convention?

The Southern Ocean is the part of the World Ocean that covers the waters of the Pacific, Indian and surrounding Antarctica.
Formed South ocean approximately 30 million years ago, when South America separated from Antarctica to form the Drake Passage.

The Southern Ocean contains a huge amount of plankton and krill - the main elements of the diet of whales. One of the most common whale species in the Southern Ocean, the humpback is also one of the most active whales, loving to perform spectacular acrobatic stunts jumping high out of the water.
On most sea navigation maps There is no such thing as the Southern Ocean at all. Sailors also do not use it for practical purposes. Moreover, there is no agreement in the scientific community regarding the exact definition of its boundaries.
The boundaries of this ocean are extremely arbitrary because the very definition of the location of the ocean is in question. It was marked as a separate ocean on maps as early as 1650 by the geographer of German-Dutch origin Bernhard Waren, also called Bernhardus Warenius (1622-1650). IN Last year During the life of Varenius, his main work “General Geography: a general scientific systematized description of the surface of the Earth” was published, in which Varenius tried to collect all the geographical knowledge accumulated by mankind by that time.
The reason why Varenius united the Antarctic regions of the three oceans into one - the Southern - is that at that time it had not yet been discovered, as well as all other areas above the Antarctic Circle.
In 1845, the Royal Geographical Society in London tried to introduce the name "Southern Arctic Ocean“, but it didn’t catch on.
The Southern Ocean was present on geographical maps until the beginning of the 20th century. In 1937, the International Hydrographic Organization used the name "Southern Ocean" in a number of publications. Moreover, many editions of geographical atlases referred to the Southern Ocean and the territory of the ice-covered continent of Antarctica. In this case, the latitude of the Antarctic Circle (66°33"44"" S) was considered the boundary of the Southern Ocean.
By the beginning of the 20th century. The southern regions of the three oceans had already been sufficiently studied, and disputes began in the scientific community regarding the boundary of the Southern Ocean. Each science considered its own method of determining the boundaries of the ocean to be the only correct one. Hydrologists and climatologists drew the boundary of the Southern Ocean based on the circulation of water and the atmosphere: 35° S. w. Marine geologists, having studied the nature of the bottom, insisted on drawing the boundary at 60° south. w. Oceanologists of the USSR, when compiling the Atlas of the Antarctic in 1969, drew the boundary of the Southern Ocean at 55° south. w. - the northern border of the Antarctic convergence zone (zone of convergence of northern, relatively warmer, and southern, colder surface waters).
In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization accepted the division into five oceans, but this decision was not finally ratified.
Because practical significance there was no identification of a separate ocean, gradually the question of the Southern Ocean disappeared from the practice of navigation, it ceased to be mentioned in maritime manuals. Currently, the topic of the Southern Ocean is sometimes raised by scientists specializing in very narrow branches of oceanology.
The issue of the boundary of the Southern Ocean has remained controversial, but as a compromise, most experts draw the northern boundary at 60° N. sh., and the southern one - along the coast of Antarctica. In accordance with this, the Southern Ocean can be considered the fourth largest by area.

Geography

The Southern Ocean is located in the South Polar region of the Earth. Most often this is the name given to the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans adjacent to Antarctica. The southern boundary of the ocean is considered to be the coast of Antarctica; the northern boundary is conventionally drawn approximately along the parallel of 60° S. w. Here (more precisely, up to 55° S) is the northern limit of Antarctic surface waters (Antarctic Circumpolar Current).
The sailors nicknamed the “Roaring Forties” the oceanic space between 40° and 50° latitude in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth, where strong and persistent westerly winds constantly blow, causing frequent storms.
A distinctive feature of the Southern Ocean is the atmospheric circulation of air masses moving a considerable distance over the open ocean, never encountering barriers in the form of mountains or large areas of flat land.
Intense cyclonic activity is extremely developed over the Southern Ocean. Most cyclones move from west to east. This zone is part of the region between the 60th and 70th parallels of south latitude, called the “howling sixties” due to the strong winds that constantly dominate the region, reaching speeds of 145 km/h and raising waves 15 m high and higher.
Another one distinctive feature Southern Ocean - the current of the Western winds, which spreads throughout the entire thickness of the waters and transports them in an easterly direction. To the south of this current, the Western Coastal Current forms. The cold and dense water masses formed here move from the shores of Antarctica along the ocean floor far to the north.
It is here in the Southern Ocean that the largest icebergs form, constantly breaking off from the Antarctic Ice Sheet. At the same time, there are more than 200 thousand icebergs in the Southern Ocean. The average length of an iceberg is about 500 m, but there are colossal ice floes up to 180 km long and several tens of kilometers wide. Currents carry icebergs to the north, and they can even reach 35-40° S. sh.: a significant mass melts under the sun long time. The average lifespan of an iceberg in the Southern Ocean is 6 years, but there are also “veterans” aged 12-15 years.

Flora and fauna

The climatic conditions for the flora and fauna of the Southern Ocean only seem harsh. On the contrary, plants and animals have perfectly adapted to use cold as a protective element. The Southern Ocean is distinguished by gigantic accumulations of phyto- and zooplankton, krill; many species of sponges and echinoderms live on the bottom. There are several families of fish here, but nototheniids predominate.
The birds are very unique: the southern giant petrel, black-browed albatross, and skua are able to travel long distances by air, and the flightless penguin can walk on ice. The abundance of food explains the exceptional species diversity whales (blue whale, fin whale, sei whale, humpback whale) and seals (Weddell seal, crabeater seal, leopard seal, fur seal). Industrial fishing for cetaceans has seriously reduced their numbers, and whaling is now prohibited. Among other dangers that threaten the number of local fauna are poaching overfishing and the breeding of rats on the Antarctic islands, where the number of bird nests is very high.

Population

On the islands and the continental coast of the South Sea, the population is variable and small: they are primarily polar explorers. In accordance with the Convention on Antarctica, there cannot be any other settlers there, since the continent and islands located south of 60° S. sh., cannot belong to any state, and only scientific activity. Unfortunately, this does not mean that the states party to the convention have no territorial claims: very large territories on the continent are claimed by Great Britain, Norway, Australia, since 1908 by Great Britain, since 1940 by Chile, since 1943 by Chile. Argentina. The USA and Russia also have their sights on them. Since 1929, Norway has laid claim to the island of Peter I. There are also a number of disputed islands in the Southern Ocean, but all of them have no permanent population; only in the summer are the islands visited by scientific expeditions.

general information

Seas: Atlantic Ocean (Lazarev, Rieser-Larsen, Scots), Indian (Davis, Cosmonauts, Mawson, Commonwealth), Pacific (Amundsen, Bellingshausen, D'Urville, Somov).

Geographical boundaries: northern - 60° S. sh., southern - the coast of Antarctica.

Largest islands: Rossa, Adelaide, archipelagos: Palmera South Shetland Islands, South Orkney Islands, including the largest Antarctic islands completely surrounded by shelf ice: Alexander Land, Berkner, Thurston.

Numbers

Average depth: 3500 m.

Maximum depth: South Sandwich Trench (Atlantic Ocean, 8428 m).

Antarctic shelf depth: up to 500 m.

Ice cover area in September-October: 1819 million km 2, in January-February - 2-3 million km 2.

■ Natural: Ross Ice Shelf, Una Peaks (Le Mer Channel), Banger Oasis (western Wilkes Land), table-shaped icebergs, bird colonies.

Curious facts

■ The 60th parallel of latitude is not only the northern limit of the Southern Ocean, but also the northern limit of the demilitarized nuclear-weapon-free zone (Antarctic Treaty 1959).

■ In the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth, 61% of its surface is occupied by water, and in the Southern Hemisphere - 81%.

■ In the Southern Ocean there are sectors: Atlantic - between the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope, Indian - between the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope and the meridian of the South East Cape on the island of Tasmania, and Pacific - between the meridian of the South East Cape on the island of Tasmania and the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

■ The South Sandwich Trench is not only the deepest in the Southern Ocean, but also the second deepest in Atlantic Ocean- after the Puerto Rico trench (8742 m).

■ Most of the southern ocean species of fauna that live at water temperatures close to freezing (up to -1.9 ° C) have in the blood and other body fluids a kind of automobile “anti-freeze”: glycoproteins - a special connection of sugars with proteins that prevents the formation of ice in organism.

■ The grey-headed albatross is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the bird with the fastest horizontal flight: 127 km/h - the speed that the albatross maintained for more than 8 hours, returning to its nest on South Georgia Island. The wandering albatross, which lives there, has the largest wingspan among birds: up to 325 cm.

■ Another record holder among Antarctic birds is the gentoo penguin from the Falkland Islands, which reaches a speed of 36 km/h underwater - the fastest of all penguins.

The Southern Ocean is considered the youngest on the planet. It is located in the Southern Hemisphere and neighbors other oceans. The waters of the Southern Ocean wash only one continent - Antarctica.

History of the discovery of the Southern Ocean

Interest in the Southern Ocean arose a long time ago. They first tried to explore it in the 18th century, but travelers were stopped by large accumulations of ice - the technology of that time did not allow them to overcome this obstacle. But it appeared on the map even earlier, in 1650.

English and Norwegian whalers visited polar Antarctica in the 19th century, and in the 20th century the Southern Ocean became a place for whaling and scientific research. The International Geographical Organization identified the Southern Ocean in 2000, combining the waters of the southern regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans into one. And although the Southern Ocean has only conditional boundaries (this is due to the fact that there are no islands or continents in its southern part), its existence has long been proven, although the decision of the hydrological organization has never been legitimized.

Characteristics of the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean covers an area of ​​more than 20 million square meters. m. In the south it borders on the coast of the southern polar continent; in the west and east it does not have clearly defined boundaries. The deepest place in the ocean is the South Sandwich Trench (Meteor Trench). His maximum depth is 8428 m, and the average is 3503 m. Near the shores of Antarctica, 14 marginal seas that are part of the ocean are identified: Somov, D'Urville, Mawson, Commonwealth, Cosmonauts, King Haakon VII, Riiser-Larsen, Lazarev, Davis, Amundsen, Ross, Bellingshausen, Scotch and Weddell.

The main feature of the Southern Ocean is the change in its conventional geographical boundaries in time and space due to interseasonal and interannual changes in the position of the Antarctic convergence lines. Another feature of the ocean is a large number of icebergs (scientists record more than 200 thousand annually).

Southern Ocean Climate

The Southern Ocean coast is an area where harsh elements reign. Mostly observed over water maritime climate, while on the shore it is closer to the Antarctic. It is cloudy, windy and cold throughout the year. Snow falls in any season.

Closer to the Arctic Circle, the most powerful winds on the planet are formed. Large temperature differences contribute to frequent storms. In winter, temperatures can drop to 65 degrees below zero. Scientists classify the atmosphere over the Southern Ocean as environmentally friendly.

Such weather conditions are due to a number of factors: the close location of Antarctica, the absence of warm currents, and the constant presence of ice cover. A zone of high pressure constantly forms above the land, and a zone of low pressure around it.

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The Southern Ocean was, until recently, a conventionally designated area of ​​water surrounding Antarctica. In 2000, the international cartographic organization decided to name the waters from Antarctica to 60° S. Southern Ocean. This version was supported by numerous studies by scientists who proved that this water area is unique in its geology, geophysics and natural world. But this decision was not ratified, although, starting from the 21st century, the term “Southern Ocean” appears on all maps of the world.

Russian scientists define the ocean boundary along the boundary of Antarctic surface waters. In a number of other countries, such a boundary is drawn along the latitude beyond which floating ice and icebergs are not found.

Characteristics

Area: 20.327 million sq. km

Average depth: 3500 m, maximum - 42 m (South Sandwich Trench)

Average temperature: -2°C to +10°C

Southern Ocean Currents

Western winds(or Antarctic Circumpolar) is the main current of the Southern Ocean, which has a significant impact on water circulation, temperature changes and the formation of the coastline. The current penetrates the entire thickness of the water, reaching the bottom. Moves, encircling Earth in the area of ​​40° S. It is this current that becomes the “culprit” for the occurrence of powerful hurricanes and typhoons. The average current speed is 30-35 cm/sec.

Western Coastal the current moves from east to west. It is located south of the Western Winds, approximately 65° S. Average speed - 15-30 cm/sec.

Underwater world of the ocean

Despite the harsh climatic conditions, characteristic of the Arctic and subarctic zones, the nature of the Southern Ocean amazes with its abundance and uniqueness.

The flora is represented by a variety of phytoplankton, which have two bloom peaks in the Southern Ocean. Lots of diatoms, much less blue-green.

The ocean is rich in zooplankon; its waters are home to a large number of species of echinoderms, sponges, and krill. Of the fish family (more than 100 species), the majority are representatives of nototheniids (blue and green notothenias, broad carps, toothfish, Antarctic silverfish trematomas).

Birds: 44 species (petrels, skuas, Arctic terns), penguin colonies are especially numerous, of which there are 7 species.

Animals: whales, fur seals and seals. The largest predators are leopard seals. Since 1965, the waters of the Southern Ocean have become the center of whaling. Since the 1980s, whaling has been prohibited. Since then, the Southern Ocean has become a catchment area for krill and fish.

Southern Ocean Research

The history of research in the Southern Ocean can be divided into three stages:

1. From the era of great geographical discoveries to the 19th century - geographical discoveries islands, seas, attempt at research underwater world and depths.

2. Early XIX century - the end of the 20th century - the discovery of Antarctica, the beginning of scientific oceanographic research.

3. XX century - our days - a comprehensive study of the ocean in all areas of oceanography.

(I. Aivazovsky. "Ice Mountains in Antarctica" 1870)

Important dates and openings:

1559 - voyage of D. Geeritz, who was the first to cross the ocean border.

1773 - "around the world" by D. Cook, who reached the southern polar circle and suggested that the abundance ice mountains indicates the presence of a continent to the south.

1819-1821 - F.F. Bellingshausen's round-the-world Antarctic expedition, discovery of Antarctica.

1821-1839 - more than a dozen whaling ships, in search of catch, reach the shores of Antarctica and discover islands along the way.

1840 - expedition of the Englishman D.K. Ross, compiled to explore the Antarctic regions, compile a map of the coast, study currents and ocean depths.

Officially, Antarctica does not belong to any country, but many states have put forward their claims to own individual islands and parts of the continent. For the time being, the Americans have already launched the issue of Antarctic currency: the Antarctic dollar.

In 1956, the largest iceberg was discovered in the Southern Ocean, covering an area of ​​about 31 thousand sq. km.

The number of seals in the Southern Ocean accounts for 65% of all pinnipeds in the world.

The name "Antarctica" is translated from ancient Greek as "opposite the Arctic."

Antarctica is the only continent that has no time zones. People who work here calculate time according to their country's time.

In particular, it is signed in the 3rd edition of the fundamental Atlas of the World and in other atlases published in the 21st century.

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  There are 14 seas off the coast of Antarctica: Weddell, Scotch, Bellingshausen, Ross, Amundsen, Davis, Lazarev, Riiser-Larsen, King Haakon VII, Cosmonauts, Commonwealth, Mawson, D'Urville, Somov. The most important islands of the Southern Ocean: Kerguelen, South Shetland, South Orkney. The Antarctic shelf is submerged to a depth of 500 meters.

  All seas washing Antarctica, except the Scotia and Weddell seas, are marginal. In the tradition accepted in most countries, they divide its coast into sectors as follows:

  Seas of the Southern Ocean

  Name	Sector	In whose honor is it named
  .
  Sea Lazarev	0-14° E. d.
  Riiser-Larsen Sea	14-34° E. d.
  Sea of ​​Cosmonauts	34-45° E. d.
  Commonwealth Sea	70-87° E. d.	International cooperation in Antarctica
  Davis Sea	87-98° E. d.
  Mawson's Sea	98-113° E. d.
  Sea of ​​D'Urville	136-148° E. d.
  Sea Somova	148-170° E. d.
  Sea of ​​Rossa	170° E. Longitude - 158°W d.
  Amundsen Sea	100-123° W. d.
  Bellingshausen Sea	70-100° W. d.
  Sea Scotia	30-50° W. long., 55-60° S. w.
  Weddell Sea	10-60° W. long., 78-60° S. w.
  King Haakon's Sea VII	20° E. 67° S w.
  .

  Southern Ocean in cartography

  The Southern Ocean was first identified in 1650 by the Dutch geographer Bernhard Varenius and included both the “southern continent”, which had not yet been discovered by Europeans, and all areas above the Antarctic Circle.

  Currently, the ocean itself continues to be considered a body of water, which is mostly surrounded by land. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted a division into five oceans, but this decision was never ratified. The current definition of oceans from 1953 does not include the Southern Ocean.

  In the Soviet tradition (1969), the approximate boundary of the so-called “Southern Ocean” was considered to be the Antarctic convergence zone (the northern limit of Antarctic surface waters), near 55° south latitude. In other countries the border is also blurred - latitude south of Cape Horn, border floating ice, Antarctic Convention Zone (area south of 60 degrees south latitude). The Australian Government considers the "Southern Ocean" to be the waters immediately south of the Australian continent.

  In atlases and geographic Maps the name "Southern Ocean" was included until the first quarter of the 20th century. IN Soviet time this term was not used [ ], however, from the end of the 20th century he began to sign on maps published by Roscartography.

  History of Southern Ocean exploration

  XVI-XIX centuries

  The first ship to cross the border of the Southern Ocean belonged to the Dutch; it was commanded by Dirk Geeritz, who sailed in the squadron of Jacob Magyu. In 1559, in the Strait of Magellan, Geeritz's ship, after a storm, lost sight of the squadron and went south. Having descended to 64° south latitude, it saw high ground- possibly the South Orkney Islands. In 1671, Anthony de la Roche discovered South Georgia; Bouvet Island was discovered in 1739; in 1772, the French naval officer Kerguelen discovered an island in the Indian Ocean named after him.

  Almost simultaneously with Kerguelen's voyage, James Cook set off from England on his first voyage to the southern hemisphere, and already in January 1773 his ships Adventure and Resolution crossed the Antarctic Circle on meridian 37 °33"E longitude. After a difficult struggle with the ice, he reached 67°15"S latitude, where he was forced to turn north. In December of the same year, Cook again set off for the Southern Ocean; on December 8, he crossed the Antarctic Circle at 150°6" west longitude and, at the parallel of 67°5" south latitude, was covered with ice, freed from which, he went further south and, in late January 1774, reached 71°15" south latitude, 109°14" west longitude, southwest of Tierra del Fuego. Here an impenetrable wall of ice prevented him from going further. On his second voyage in the Southern Ocean, Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle twice. During both voyages, he became convinced that the abundance of ice mountains indicated the existence of a significant Antarctic continent. He described the difficulties of polar voyages in such a way that only whalers continued to visit these latitudes and the southern polar scientific expeditions ceased for a long time.

  In 1819, the Russian navigator Bellingshausen, commanding the sloops of war "Vostok" and "Mirny", visited South Georgia and tried to penetrate deep into the Southern Ocean; for the first time, in January 1820, almost on the Greenwich meridian, he reached 69°21" south latitude; then, leaving the southern polar circle, Bellingshausen walked along it east to 19° east longitude, where he crossed it again and reached in February again almost the same latitude (69°6"). Further east, he rose only to the 62° parallel and continued his journey along the edge of the floating ice, then, on the meridian of the Balleny Islands, he reached 64°55", in December 1820, at 161° west longitude, he passed the southern polar circle and reached 67°15" south latitude, and in January 1821, between the meridians 99° and 92° west longitude, reached 69°53" south latitude; then, almost at the 81° meridian, discovered a high coast at 68°40" south latitude Peter I Island, and going further east, inside the Southern Arctic Circle - the coast of Alexander I Land. Thus, Bellingshausen was the first to complete a complete voyage around the Southern Arctic continent, which he discovered, almost all the time between latitudes 60° - 70°, on small sailing ships.

  At the end of 1837, a French expedition, under the command of Dumont-D'Urville, consisting of two steam ships - "Astrolabe" ("L'Astrolabe") and "Zélée" ("La Zélée"), set off to explore Oceania, to check information Weddel and others. In January 1838, Dumont-D'Urville followed Weddel's path, but ice blocked his path at the parallel of 63° south latitude. South of the South Shetland Islands he saw a high coast called the Land of Louis Philippe; it later turned out that this land was an island, the western shores of which were called Trinity Land and Palmer Land. After wintering in Tasmania, on the way to the south, Dumont-D'Urville encountered the first ice and, after difficult navigation between them, on January 9, 1840, at latitudes 66° - 67°, almost on the Arctic Circle, and 141° east. D. saw a high mountainous coast. Dumont-D'Urville traced this land, called Adélie Land, along the Arctic Circle to the meridian of 134° east longitude. On January 17, at 65° south latitude and 131° east longitude, another coast was discovered, called the Clary Coast.

  An American expedition, consisting of three ships: "Vincennes", "Peacock" and "Porpoise", under the command of Lieutenant Willis, set out from the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in February 1839 with the aim of trying to follow the Weddel route to the south, but it was met with the same insurmountable obstacles , like Dumont-D'Urville, and she was forced to return without much results to Chile (at the meridian of 103° west longitude she reached almost 70° south latitude and here she seemed to see land). In January 1840, American explorer Charles Wilkes went almost due south along 160° east longitude. Already at the parallel of 64°11" south latitude, the ice blocked his further path. Turning west and reaching the meridian 153°6" east longitude, at 66° south latitude, he saw a mountain 120 km away, which he named Ringold Knoll. Ross, who visited the area a little later, disputed Wilkes's discovery, but without reason. The honor of discovering various parts of Wilkes's Earth actually belongs to each of the three navigators - Wilkes, Dumont-D'Urville and Ross - separately. During January and February 1840, Wilkes traveled a considerable distance along the outskirts of the Antarctic continent and reached the meridian of 96° east longitude. During the entire voyage he was unable to land anywhere on the shore.

  The third English expedition, under the command of James Clark Ross, on the steam ships Erebus and Terror (Crozier was the commander of Erebus), was equipped to explore the southern polar countries in general. In August 1840, Ross was in Tasmania, where he learned that Dumont-D'Urville had just discovered the shores of the Terre Adélie; this led him to begin his research further east, on the meridian of the Balleny Islands. In December 1840, the expedition crossed the Antarctic Circle at the meridian 169°40"E and soon began fighting the ice. After 10 days, the ice strip was passed, and on December 31 (old style) they saw the high coast of Victoria Land, one of the highest mountain peaks which Ross named after the initiator of the expedition - Sabin, and the entire chain of mountains with a height of 2000 - 3000 m - the Admiralty Ridge. All the valleys of this chain were filled with snow and huge glaciers descending to the sea. Beyond Cape Adar, the coast turned to the south, remaining mountainous and inaccessible Ross landed on one of the Possession Islands, at 71°56" south latitude and 171°7" east longitude, completely devoid of vegetation and inhabited by a mass of penguins who covered its shores with a thick layer of guano. Continuing his voyage further south, Ross discovered the Kuhlman Islands and Franklin (the latter at 76°8" south latitude) and saw directly to the south a coast and a high mountain (Erebus volcano) 3794 meters high, and a little to the east another volcano was seen, already extinct, called Terror, 3230 meters high. A further path to the south was blocked by a coast that turned east and was bordered by a continuous vertical ice wall, up to 60 meters high above the water, descending, according to Ross, to a depth of about 300 meters. This ice barrier was distinguished by the absence of any significant depressions, bays or capes; its almost flat, vertical wall stretched over an enormous distance. Beyond the icy shore, to the south, the peaks of a high mountain range were visible, extending into the depths of the southern polar continent; she is named after Parry. Ross traveled from Victoria Land to the east about 840 km, and throughout this entire distance the nature of the ice coast remained unchanged. Finally, late time year forced Ross to return to Tasmania. On this voyage, he reached 78°4" south latitude, between meridians 173°-174° west longitude. On the second voyage, his ships on December 20, 1841 again crossed the Antarctic Circle and went south. In early February 1842, on meridian 165 ° west longitude, they reached a more open sea and headed straight south, approaching the ice coast a little more east than in 1841. At 161 ° 27 "west longitude they reached 78 ° 9" south latitude, that is, they approached south pole closer than anyone so far. Further voyage to the east was blocked solid ice(pack), and the expedition turned north. In December 1842, Ross made a third attempt to penetrate the south; this time he chose the path of Weddel and headed towards the Land of Louis Philippe. Going east, Ross, at the meridian of 8° west longitude, crossed the Arctic Circle and on February 21 reached 71°30" south latitude, 14°51 west longitude.

  Almost 30 years later, the expedition on the corvette Challenger visited, among other things, the southern polar countries. Having visited Kerguelen Island, the Challenger headed south and reached 65°42" south latitude. At 64°18" south latitude and 94°47" east longitude, he determined a depth of 2380 meters, and although, according to Wilkes's map, the coast should have been only 30 kilometers away, it was not visible.

  Climate and weather

  Sea temperatures vary from approximately −2 to 10 °C. Storms cyclonically move eastward around the continent and are often intense due to the temperature contrast between the ice and the open ocean. The ocean region from 40 degrees south latitude to the Antarctic Circle experiences the strongest average winds on Earth. In winter, the ocean freezes to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, dropping surface temperatures well below 0 °C; in some coastal locations there are permanent strong winds leave the coastline ice-free during the winter.

  Icebergs can occur at any time of year throughout the Southern Ocean. Some of them are capable of reaching several hundred meters; Smaller icebergs, fragments and sea ice (usually 0.5 to 1 meter) also pose problems for ships. The icebergs found are 6-15 years old, which suggests the simultaneous existence in the ocean waters of more than 200 thousand icebergs ranging in length from 500 meters to 180 km and a width of up to several tens of kilometers.

  Sailors latitudes from 40 to 70 degrees south latitude, from the era sailing ships, are known as the “Roaring Forties”, “Furious Fifties” and “Shrill Sixties” due to the bad weather, stormy winds and large waves formed due to the movement of air masses that, flowing around the globe, do not encounter any obstacles in the form of any -or noticeable land masses. Floating ice, especially between May and October, makes this area even more dangerous, and the region's remoteness from populated areas of the Earth makes search and rescue operations ineffective.

  Life

  Despite the harsh climate, the Southern Ocean is teeming with life.

  Due to the circumpolar location of the Southern Ocean, there are sharp seasonal dynamics the most important condition photosynthesis - solar radiation. Under such conditions, a large amplitude of quantitative changes is observed throughout the year.

  In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted a division into five oceans, separating the Southern Ocean from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. In its southern part, the boundaries between the three oceans are very arbitrary, while at the same time, the waters adjacent to Antarctica have their own specifics, and are also united by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.

  In the Soviet and Russian tradition, the Antarctic Convergence Zone (the northern limit of Antarctic surface waters) is considered the approximate boundary of the Southern Ocean. In other countries, the border is also blurred - the latitude south of Cape Horn, the border of floating ice, the Antarctic Convention zone (the area south of 60 degrees south latitude).

  This term appeared many times back in the 18th century, when systematic exploration of the region began.

  Intense cyclonic activity has developed over the Southern Ocean. Most cyclones move from West to East. The air temperature in January off the coast of Antarctica does not exceed 0 °C (–6 °C in the Weddell and Ross Seas), at 50° S. latitude. increases to 7 °C in the Indian and Atlantic sectors and to 12 °C in the Pacific. In winter, the contrasts are even greater: in the coastal zone. the temperature drops to –20 °С (in the Weddell and Ross seas to –30 °С), and at 50° S. latitude. is 2-3 °C in the Atlantic and Indian sectors and 6-7 °C in the Pacific.

  Iceberg

  The main feature of the Southern Ocean is the current of the Western Winds, which spreads throughout the entire thickness of the waters and transports them in an easterly direction. To the south of this current the Western Coastal Current is formed. Cold and dense water masses from the shores of Antarctica flow along the ocean floor far to the North. The ice cover of the Southern Ocean is more developed in the Western Hemisphere and varies greatly with the seasons: in September - October its area is 18-19 million km², and in January - February - only 2-3 million km². Average width of the drifting ice belt in November at 30° W. is 2000 km, at 170° W. - 1500 km, at 90-150° east. - 250-550 km.

  Icebergs are constantly calving off the Antarctic Ice Sheet. At the same time, there are more than 200 thousand icebergs in the Southern Ocean, their environments. the length is 500 m, but there are giants up to 180 km long and several tens of kilometers wide. Icebergs are carried to the North and can be found even at 35-40° S. They exist in the ocean for an average of 6 years, but in some cases their age can exceed 12-15 years.

  How deep do penguins swim?

  Despite the harsh climate, the Southern Ocean is rich in life. There are huge masses of phyto- and zooplankton, krill, sponges and echinoderms are abundant, and several families of fish, especially notothenia. Among the birds, petrels, skuas, and penguins are numerous. There are many whales in the ocean (blue whale, fin whale, sei whale, humpback whale, etc.) and seals (Weddell seal, crabeater seal, leopard seal, fur seal). Whaling is prohibited, but a lot of krill and fish are caught.