Magellan discovered the Pacific Ocean in the fall of 1520 and called the ocean the Pacific Ocean, "because, - as one of the participants reports, during the transition from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands, more than three meyats - we have never experienced the slightest storm." In terms of the number (about 10 thousand) and the total area of the islands (about 3.6 million km²), the Pacific Ocean ranks first among the oceans. In the northern part - Aleutian; in the west - Kuril, Sakhalin, Japanese, Philippine, Big and Small Sunda, New Guinea, New Zealand, Tasmania; in the central and southern parts there are numerous small islands. The bottom relief is varied. In the east - the East Pacific uplift, in the central part there are many depressions (North-East, North-West, Central, East, South, etc.), deep-water trenches: in the north - Aleutian, Kuril-Kamchatsky, Izu-Boninsky; in the west - the Mariana (with the maximum depth of the World Ocean - 11,022 m), Philippine and others; in the east - Central American, Peruvian, etc.
The main surface currents: in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean - warm Kuroshio, North Pacific and Alaskan and cold California and Kuril; in the southern part there are warm South Trade winds and East Australian winds and cold West Winds and Peruvian ones. The water temperature at the surface at the equator is from 26 to 29 ° C, in the polar regions up to -0.5 ° C. Salinity 30-36.5 ‰. The Pacific Ocean accounts for about half of the world's fish catch (pollock, herring, salmon, cod, sea bass, etc.). Extraction of crabs, shrimps, oysters.
Important sea and air communications between the countries of the Pacific basin and transit routes between the countries of the Atlantic and Indian oceans run through the Pacific Ocean. Major ports: Vladivostok, Nakhodka (Russia), Shanghai (China), Singapore (Singapore), Sydney (Australia), Vancouver (Canada), Los Angeles, Long Beach (USA), Huasco (Chile). The date line passes through the Pacific Ocean along the 180 meridian.
Plant life (except for bacteria and lower fungi) is concentrated in the upper 200th layer, in the so-called euphotic zone. Animals and bacteria inhabit the entire water column and the ocean floor. Life develops most abundantly in the shelf zone and especially near the coast at shallow depths, where the flora of brown algae and a rich fauna of mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, and other organisms are diversely represented in the temperate zones of the ocean. In tropical latitudes, the shallow-water zone is characterized by the widespread and strong development of coral reefs, along the very coast - mangrove thickets. As we move from cold to tropical zones, the number of species increases sharply, and the density of their distribution decreases. In the Bering Strait, about 50 species of coastal algae - macrophytes are known, in the Japanese islands - over 200, in the waters of the Malay Archipelago - over 800. In the Soviet Far Eastern seas, there are about 4000 known species of animals, and in the waters of the Malay Archipelago - at least 40-50 thousand ... In the cold and temperate zones of the ocean, with a relatively small number of plant and animal species, due to the massive development of some species, the total biomass greatly increases; in the tropical zones, individual forms do not receive such a sharp predominance, although the number of species is very large.
With distance from the coasts to the central parts of the ocean and with increasing depth, life becomes less diverse and less abundant. In general, the fauna of T. o. includes about 100 thousand species, but of which only 4-5% is found deeper than 2000 m.At depths of more than 5000 m, about 800 species of animals are known, more than 6000 m - about 500, deeper than 7000 m - slightly more than 200, and deeper than 10 thousand m - only about 20 species.
Among the coastal algae - macrophytes - in the temperate zones, fucus and kelp are especially distinguished by their abundance. In tropical latitudes, they are replaced by brown algae - sargassus, green algae - kaulerpa and galimeda and a number of red algae. The surface zone of the pelagial is characterized by the massive development of unicellular algae (phytoplankton), mainly diatoms, peridiniaceae, and coccolithophorids. In zooplankton, the most important are various crustaceans and their larvae, mainly copepods (at least 1000 species) and euphausids; there is a significant admixture of radiolarians (several hundred species), coelenterates (siphonophores, jellyfish, ctenophores), eggs and larvae of fish and benthic invertebrates. In T. about. it is possible to distinguish, in addition to the littoral and sublittoral zones, a transition zone (up to 500-1000 m), bathyal, abyssal and ultraabyssal, or a zone of deep-sea trenches (from 6-7 to 11 thousand m).
Planktonic and benthic animals serve as abundant food for fish and marine mammals (nekton). The fish fauna is exceptionally rich, including at least 2,000 species in tropical latitudes and about 800 in the Soviet Far Eastern seas, where, in addition, there are 35 species of marine mammals. Of the greatest commercial value are: of fish - anchovies, Far Eastern salmon, herring, mackerel, sardine, saury, sea bass, tuna, flounder, cod and pollock; mammals - sperm whale, several species of minke whales, fur seal, sea otter, walrus, sea lion; invertebrates - crabs (including Kamchatka), shrimps, oysters, scallops, cephalopods, and many others; from plants - kelp (seaweed), agaronos-anfeltia, zostera sea grass and phyllospadix. Many representatives of the Pacific Ocean fauna are endemic (pelagic cephalopod mollusk nautilus, most Pacific salmon, saury, green fishes, northern fur seal, sea lion, sea otter and many others).
The great extent of the Pacific Ocean from North to South determines the diversity of its climates - from equatorial to subarctic in the North and Antarctic in the South.Most of the ocean surface, approximately between 40 ° north latitude and 42 ° south latitude, is located in the zones of equatorial, tropical and subtropical climates. The circulation of the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean is determined by the main areas of atmospheric pressure: the Aleutian minimum, the North Pacific, South Pacific and Antarctic maximums. The indicated centers of action of the atmosphere in their interaction determine the great constancy of northeastern in the North and southeastern in the South winds of moderate strength - trade winds - in the tropical and subtropical parts of the Pacific Ocean and strong westerly winds in temperate latitudes. Especially strong winds are observed in the southern temperate latitudes, where the frequency of storms is 25-35%, in the northern temperate latitudes in winter - 30%, in summer - 5%. In the west of the tropical zone, from June to November, tropical hurricanes - typhoons are frequent. The northwestern Pacific Ocean is characterized by monsoon atmospheric circulation. The average air temperature in February decreases from 26-27 ° С near the equator to –20 ° С in the Bering Strait and –10 ° С near the coast of Antarctica. In August, the average temperature varies from 26-28 ° С near the equator to 6-8 ° С in the Bering Strait and to –25 ° С near the coast of Antarctica. Throughout the Pacific Ocean, located north of 40 ° S latitude, there are significant differences in air temperature between the eastern and western parts of the ocean, caused by the corresponding dominance of warm or cold currents and the nature of the winds. In tropical and subtropical latitudes, the air temperature in the East is 4–8 ° C lower than in the West. In the northern temperate latitudes, it is the other way around: in the east, the temperature is 8–12 ° C higher than in the West. Average annual cloudiness in areas of low atmospheric pressure is 60-90%. high pressure - 10-30%. Average annual precipitation at the equator is more than 3000 mm, in temperate latitudes - 1000 mm in the West. and 2000-3000 mm in V. The smallest amount of precipitation (100-200 mm) falls on the eastern outskirts of subtropical regions of high atmospheric pressure; in the western parts the amount of precipitation increases to 1500-2000 mm. Fogs are typical for temperate latitudes, they are especially frequent in the region of the Kuril Islands.
Under the influence of atmospheric circulation developing over the Pacific Ocean, surface currents form anticyclonic gyres in subtropical and tropical latitudes and cyclonic gyres in northern temperate and southern high latitudes. In the northern part of the ocean, the circulation is formed by warm currents: the North Passat - Kuroshio and the North Pacific and cold California currents. In the northern temperate latitudes, the cold Kuril Current dominates in the West, and the warm Alaskan Current in the East. In the southern part of the ocean, the anticyclonic circulation is formed by warm currents: the South Passat, East Australian, zonal South Pacific and cold Peruvian currents. North of the equator, between 2-4 ° and 8-12 ° north latitude, the northern and southern circulation during the year are separated by the Inter-trade (Equatorial) countercurrent.
The average temperature of the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean (19.37 ° C) is 2 ° C higher than the temperature of the waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, which is a result of the relatively large size of that part of the Pacific Ocean, which is located in well-warmed latitudes (over 20 kcal / cm2 per year ), and limited communication with the Arctic Ocean. The average water temperature in February varies from 26-28 ° С at the equator to -0.5, -1 ° С north of 58 ° north latitude, near the Kuril Islands and south of 67 ° south latitude. In August, the temperature is 25-29 ° С near the equator, 5-8 ° С in the Bering Strait and -0.5, -1 ° С south of 60-62 ° south latitude. Between 40 ° south latitude and 40 ° north latitude, the temperature in the eastern part of T. o. 3-5 ° C lower than in the western part. North of 40 ° north latitude - on the contrary: in the East, the temperature is 4-7 ° C higher than in the West. South of 40 ° south latitude, where zonal transport of surface waters prevails, there is no difference between water temperatures in the East and in the West. The Pacific Ocean has more precipitation than evaporated water. Taking into account the river flow, over 30 thousand km3 of fresh water flows here annually. Therefore, the salinity of the surface waters of T. o. lower than in other oceans (average salinity is 34.58 ‰). The lowest salinity (30.0-31.0 ‰ and less) is noted in the West and East of the northern temperate latitudes and in the coastal regions of the eastern part of the ocean, the highest (35.5 ‰ and 36.5 ‰) - respectively in the northern and southern subtropical latitudes. At the equator, the salinity of water decreases from 34.5 ‰ or less, in high latitudes - to 32.0 ‰ or less in the North, to 33.5 ‰ or less in the South.
The density of water on the surface of the Pacific Ocean increases quite evenly from the equator to high latitudes in accordance with the general nature of the distribution of temperature and salinity: at the equator 1.0215-1.0225 g / cm3, in the North - 1.0265 g / cm3 and more, in the South - 1.0275 g / cm3 and more. The color of the water in subtropical and tropical latitudes is blue, the transparency in some places is more than 50 m.In the northern temperate latitudes, dark blue water predominates, at the coast it is greenish, the transparency is 15-25 m.In the Antarctic latitudes, the water color is greenish, the transparency is up to 25 m ...
The tides in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean are dominated by irregular semidiurnal (height up to 5.4 m in the Gulf of Alaska) and semidiurnal (up to 12.9 m in the Penzhinskaya Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk). Near the Solomon Islands and off the coast of New Guinea, daily tides, up to 2.5 m. 40 ° north latitude. The maximum height of wind waves in the Pacific Ocean is 15 m and more, the length is over 300 m. Tsunami waves are characteristic, especially often observed in the northern, southwestern and southeastern parts of the Pacific Ocean.
Ice in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean is formed in seas with harsh winter climatic conditions (Beringovo, Okhotskoye, Yaponskoye, Yellow) and in bays off the coast of Hokkaido Island, Kamchatka and Alaska peninsulas. In winter and spring, ice is carried by the Kuril Current into the extreme northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, and small icebergs are found in the Gulf of Alaska. In the South Pacific, ice and icebergs are formed off the coast of Antarctica and are carried out into the open ocean by currents and winds. The northern boundary of floating ice in winter runs at 61-64 ° S latitude, in summer it shifts to 70 ° S latitude, icebergs are carried out to 46-48 ° S latitude in late summer. Icebergs are formed mainly in the Ross Sea.
The Pacific Ocean, in terms of its area and depth, is the largest and deepest ocean on our planet. Its area is 178.684 million km? (which exceeds the area of the entire land by almost 30 million km?), and the greatest depth in the Mariana Trench is 10994 +/- 40 m.The average depth is 3984 m.From north to south, the length of the ocean is about 15.8 thousand km, and the width from east to west is 19.5 thousand km. Fernand Maggelan (the Portuguese and Spanish navigator who first crossed this vast ocean) called him "Quiet" because during his trip, which lasted three months and twenty days, the weather was calm all the time.
Location of the Pacific
The share of the Pacific Ocean in the surface of the World Ocean is 49.5%, and the volume of water is 53%. It is divided into two regions - north and south, the border of which is the equator. Since the Pacific Ocean is very large, its borders run along the coasts of several continents. In the north, the border with the Arctic Ocean is a line that connects two capes: Cape Dezhnev and Cape Prince of Wales.
In the west, the ocean waters wash Eurasia and Australia, then its border runs along the eastern side of the Bass Strait, connecting Australia and the island of Tasmania, and descends to the south along the meridian 146 ° 55'E. d. to Antarctica.
In the east, the Pacific Ocean washes the coasts of North and South America, and to the south, the border between it and the Atlantic Ocean runs from Cape Horn along the meridian 68 ° 04''W. to the Antarctic Peninsula.
But part of the southern waters of the Pacific Ocean, which is located south of the 60th parallel south latitude, belongs to the Southern Ocean.
Seas and bays of the Pacific Ocean
The sea is a part of the ocean, which differs from it in currents, properties of water and organisms living in it. The seas are internal and marginal. They are separated from the ocean by islands, peninsulas, or underwater uplifts.
Seas along the shores of Eurasia
Bering Sea - washes the shores of Russia and the United States. Earlier on the maps of the 18th century it was called the Bobrov or Kamchatka Sea. Later it was named after the navigator Vitus Bering. Area 2.315 million sq. km. The maximum depth is 4151 m. The peculiarity of this sea is that for 10 months its surface is covered with ice. It is inhabited by common seals, walruses, bearded seals, 402 species of fish, several species of whales. The sea has 28 bays.
Sea of Okhotsk - washes the shores of Russia and Japan. Named for the river - Hunt. Previously it was called Lamsky and Kamchatsky. Area - 1603 thousand km? Maximum depth 3916m. In winter, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The sea has 26 bays.
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea separated from the ocean by Sakhalin Island and the Japanese Islands. Washes the shores of Japan, Russia, North Korea and the Republic of Korea. Area - 1062 thousand km? The greatest depth is 3742m. In winter, its northern part freezes over. The underwater world in the northern and southern regions of the sea is very different. In the northern part, the flora and fauna characteristic of temperate latitudes has formed, and in the southern part, warm-water fauna prevails. Squids and octopuses are found here. Has 57 bays.
Inland Sea of Japan - connects with the Sea of Japan by the Shimonoseki Strait. It includes the Bingo, Hiuchi, Suo, Iyo and Harima seas. The area is 18,000 km2. Maximum depth 241m.
The Yellow Sea is a shallow marginal sea located on the east coast of Asia. It got its name due to its color. The Huanghai River brings a lot of silt to the sea and thus makes it brown-yellow. Sometimes the coasts of the Yellow Sea are simply covered with algae.
It washes the sea of the DPRK, China and the Republic of Korea. Area - 416 thousand km? The maximum depth is 106 m. Bays: Dalianwan, West Korean, Bohaiwan, Liaodong, Laizhouwan, Jiaozhouwan.
It is here that you can see a very interesting phenomenon - "Moisee's miracle" - the phenomenon of the parting of water between the two islands of Chindo and Modo.
At low tide, the water separates between these islands several times a year and only for one hour. A road up to 2.8 km long and up to 40 meters wide appears. A huge number of tourists come to this region to see this phenomenon and walk along this path. If someone does not have time to complete their journey, the boats and the police will help them.
The East China Sea is a semi-enclosed sea located between the Japanese Islands and the Chinese coast. Area - 836 thousand km? The maximum depth is 2719 m.
The Philippine Sea is an inter-island sea that lies near the Philippine archipelago. It ranks second in size after the Sargasso Sea. Area - 5726 thousand km? The maximum depth is 10 994 ± 40 m (the Mariana Trench or it is also called the Mariana Trench).
The Mariana Trench is one of the mysterious places on our planet, which is inhabited by the most unusual creatures.
Seas located between the islands of Southeast Asia
The South China Sea is a semi-enclosed sea off the coast of Southeast Asia. The area is 3,537,289 km ?, and the maximum depth is 5560 m. Monsoons and typhoons are a great danger in this sea. The sea has 7 bays. The Gulf of Thailand is part of this sea.
The Java Sea is an inter-island sea located north of the island of Java. The area is 552 thousand km ?, and the average depth is 111 m. The main straits are Sunda and Makassarsky. The fauna of this sea is very diverse.
Sulu is a sea clearly bounded by islands. This sea is unique for the presence of coral reefs. Here is the Tubbataha Atoll, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is protected by a Marine Reserve.
Sulawesi is an inter-island sea. The sea area is about 453 thousand km ?, depth is up to 6220 m. Mangrove forests grow on the shores of Kalimantan, and there are a lot of coral reefs in the Sulu archipelago.
This list also includes the following seas: Flores, Sava, Seram, Halmahera, Bali, Banda, Molucca.
Seas along the east coast of Australia
The New Guinea or Bismarck Sea is an inter-island sea, the area of which is 310 thousand km ?, and the maximum depth is 2665 m. In this sea, underground earthquakes often occur.
Solomon - the inter-island sea of the Pacific Ocean. The sea area is about 755 thousand km ?, the average depth is 2652 m. It has three bays: Velja, Kula, Huon.
The Coral Sea is the Pacific Ocean, whose area is 4,791 thousand km ?, and the maximum depth is 9140 m. This sea is famous for the fact that it contains the largest coral reef on our planet.
Fiji is an inter-island sea with an area of 3177 thousand km? Maximum depth 7633m. It has a difficult bottom topography: ridges and volcanoes. The underwater world of this sea is very rich and varied.
Tasmanovo is the sea that separates Australia and New Zealand. The maximum depth is 5200 m. It has 9 bays.
The eastern part of the ocean, located along the coast of North and South America, has no seas, but there are such large bays, such as Alaska, California and Panama.
Pacific Islands.
The ocean contains 20-30 thousand islands and the world's largest Malay archipelago. In the Pacific Ocean there are the second (New Guinea, which has an area of 785.753 thousand km?) And the third (Kalimantan, whose area is 743 330 km?) The largest island. The largest island is Greenland, with an area of 2,130,800 km², which is washed by the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.
New Guinea is the second largest island, separated from Australia by the Torres Strait. The climate is dominated by equatorial and subequatorial. The island is home to tropical rainforests. The western part of the island belongs to Indonesia, and the eastern part belongs to the state of Papua New Guinea. There are mountain ranges on the island. Since the island is tropical, flora and fauna are very diverse here. In 2005, American researchers discovered a place on this island, which they called the "Garden of Eden". This place, located on the slopes of the Fiji mountains and occupying 300 thousand hectares, has been isolated from the outside and the world for a long time. Scientists have discovered here unknown species of frogs, butterflies, palms and other plants.
Kalimantan is the third largest island, divided between three states: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. It was discovered by the expedition of Magellan in 1521. It is located in the center of the Malay Archipelago and is considered the largest skeleton of Asia. The climate is equatorial. There are many low mountains on the island; the highest point is Mount Kinabalu (4095 m). The entire territory of the island is occupied by dense forests. There is a huge variety of animals and plants. There are also many unexplored places. One of the interesting plants grows here - Rafflesia Arnold. There are a lot of orchids on the island. Oil and diamonds are mined on the island of Kalimantan.
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Throughout the winter of 1520, the Portuguese traveler Magellan crossed the unknown ocean and never got caught in a storm. The navigator was unusually lucky, but in the end he misled many captains.
32%
almost a third of the Earth's surface is occupied by the Pacific Ocean. This is more than the area of all land on the planet.
20 sverdrups (million cubic meters per second) is the average water consumption in the Equatorial (Inter-trade) countercurrent. This figure is 100 times higher than that of the Amazon, the most full-flowing river in the world. The current 13-15 thousand kilometers long crosses the entire Pacific Ocean - from New Guinea to Panama and is probably the longest in the world. Its width is 400–700 km, depth - 200–300 m, and the water speed is 0.6–0.8 m / s.
25000
- approximate number of islands located in the ocean. The exact number is difficult to determine because of the large number of very small uninhabited islands, as well as the ambiguous opinion of geographers about which ocean to include some of the 17,508 islands in Indonesia - the Pacific or Indian.
> 30 seas is part of the ocean. But some of them are not recognized by all geographers. For example, geographers disagree about the Chilean or Shantar Seas (in the north-west of the Sea of Okhotsk).
13 840 km- The world's longest regular non-stop air route Sydney (Australia) - Dallas (USA) runs over the Pacific Ocean. On the way back, due to crossing the date line, one day for the passengers of this flight falls out: boarding a plane in Dallas, for example, on the evening of February 20, they arrive in Sydney on the morning of the 22nd.
2575 km- at this distance is the point of the World Ocean farthest from land. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean (47 ° 30 'S, 120 ° W) at an equal distance from three islands: Pitcairn, Ducie and Peter I.
10 994 meters- a record depth on the planet. It is recorded in the Pacific Mariana Trench.
32–37 ppm- the salinity of the water in the Pacific Ocean is 5–6 teaspoons of salt per liter. If all the water suddenly evaporated from the ocean, a 65-meter-thick layer of salt would remain at the bottom.
0.5 km 2- so much the area of the Pacific Ocean decreases every year due to the convergence of continental plates. For a year, they "pass" by an average of 2 cm.
165,000,000 km 2
- the current area of the Pacific... Until 2000, its area was 14 million km 2 more. It's not about the catastrophic shallowing - it's just that the waters surrounding Antarctica (beyond 60 ° S lat.) Were decided to be attributed to the Southern Ocean.
3960 meters away- the average depth of the Pacific Ocean (4280 m excluding the seas). It is the deepest on the planet - almost 300 meters deeper than the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
165 x 3.960 = 653 million km 3- water volume in the Pacific Ocean. This is 49% of all sea water on Earth.
Photo: AGE / Legion-media (x2), iStock (x2)
Traditional geography taught that there are four oceans in the world - the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic and Indian.
However, more recently ... -.
... - in 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization united the southern parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, creating the fifth addition to the list - the Southern Ocean. And this is not a volitional decision: in this region there is a special structure of currents, its own rules of weather formation, etc. to Antarctica, have their own specifics, and are also united by the Antarctic circumpolar current.
The largest of the oceans is the Pacific. Its area is 178.7 million km 2. It is also the deepest ocean: in the Mariana Trench, which extends from the southeast of Guam to the northwest of the Mariana Islands, its depth reaches 11,034 m. The Pacific Ocean has the highest seamount, Mauna Kea. It rises from the ocean floor and protrudes above the water surface in the Hawaiian Islands. Its height is 10205 m, that is, it is higher than even the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, although its peak rises above sea level by only 4205 m.
The Atlantic Ocean stretches for 91.6 million km 2.
The area of the Indian Ocean is 76.2 million km 2.
The area of the Antarctic (Southern) Ocean is 20.327 million km 2.
The Arctic Ocean covers an area of approximately 14.75 million km 2.
Pacific Ocean, the largest on Earth. He was named so by the famous navigator Magellan. This traveler, the first of the Europeans, managed to safely cross the ocean. But Magellan was just very lucky. There are very often terrible storms here.
The Pacific Ocean is twice the size of the Atlantic. It occupies 165 million square meters. km, which is almost half of the area of the entire World Ocean. It contains more than half of all water on our planet. In one place, this ocean extends 17 thousand km wide, stretching for almost half of the globe. Despite its name, this vast ocean is not only blue, beautiful and serene. Severe storms or underwater earthquakes infuriate him. Indeed, there are large zones of seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean.
The photographs of the Earth from space show the true dimensions of the Pacific Ocean. This largest ocean in the world covers one third of the planet's surface. Its waters stretch from East Asia and Africa to America. In the shallowest places, the depth of the Pacific Ocean averages 120 meters. These waters are washed by the so-called continental shelves, which are submerged parts of continental platforms, starting from the coastline and gradually sinking under water. In general, the depth of the Pacific Ocean averages 4,000 meters. The depressions in the west connect to the deepest and darkest place in the world - the Mariana Trench - 11,022 m. It used to be thought that there was no life at this depth. But even there, scientists have found living organisms!
Ranges of high seamounts are located on the Pacific Plate, a huge section of the earth's crust. There are many islands of volcanic origin in the Pacific Ocean, for example Hawaii, the largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Hawaii has the highest peak in the world - Mount Mauna Kea. It is an extinct volcano 10,000 meters high from its base at the bottom of the sea. In contrast to volcanic islands, there are low-lying islands formed by coral deposits that have been layered for millennia on the summits of submarine volcanoes. This vast ocean is home to a wide variety of representatives of the underwater world - from the world's largest fish (whale shark) to flying fish, squid and sea lions. The warm shallow waters of coral reefs are home to thousands of species of brightly colored fish and algae. All kinds of fish, marine mammals, molluscs, crustaceans and other creatures swim in the cool deep waters.
Pacific Ocean - People and History
Sea voyages across the Pacific Ocean have been undertaken since ancient times. About 40,000 years ago, the Aborigines crossed by canoe from New Guinea to Australia. Centuries later, between the 16th century BC. NS. and X century A.D. NS. Polynesian tribes settled in the Pacific Islands, daring to overcome vast water distances. This is considered one of the greatest achievements in the history of sailing. Using special double-bottomed canoes with woven leaf sails, Polynesian sailors eventually covered almost 20 million square meters. km of ocean space. In the western Pacific Ocean around the 12th century, the Chinese made great advances in the art of maritime navigation. They were the first to use large ships with multiple underwater masts, steering, and compasses.
Europeans began exploring the Pacific in the 17th century, when Dutch captain Abel Janszon Tasman sailed around Australia and New Zealand on his ship. Captain James Cook is considered one of the most famous explorers of the Pacific Ocean. Between 1768 and 1779, he mapped New Zealand, the east coast of Australia, and many of the Pacific Islands. In 1947, the Norwegian traveler Thor Heyerdahl sailed on his Kon-Tiki raft from the coast of Peru to the Tuamotu archipelago, which is part of French Polynesia. His expedition proved that the ancient indigenous inhabitants of South America could cross vast sea distances on rafts.
In the twentieth century, the exploration of the Pacific Ocean continued. The depth of the Mariana Trench was determined, and unknown species of marine animals and plants were discovered. Tourism development, pollution and beach development threaten the natural balance of the Pacific. Governments of individual countries and groups of environmentalists are trying to minimize the harm caused by our civilization to the aquatic environment.
Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean is the third largest on Earth and covers 73 million square meters. km. This is the warmest ocean, the waters of which are rich in various flora and fauna. The deepest place in the Indian Ocean is a depression located south of the island of Java. Its depth is 7450 m. It is interesting that the currents in the Indian Ocean reverse direction twice a year. In winter, when monsoons prevail, the current goes to the shores of Africa, and in summer - to the shores of India.
The Indian Ocean stretches from the shores of East Africa to Indonesia and Australia and from the shores of India to Antarctica. This ocean includes the Arabian and Red Seas, as well as the Bengal and Persian Gulfs. The Suez Canal connects the northern part of the Red Sea with the Mediterranean.
At the bottom of the Indian Ocean are huge areas of the earth's crust - the African Plate, the Antarctic Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate. Shifts in the earth's crust cause underwater earthquakes, which trigger giant waves called tsunamis. As a result of earthquakes, new mountain ranges appear on the ocean floor. In some places, seamounts protrude above the surface of the water, forming most of the islands scattered in the Indian Ocean. Deep depressions run between the mountain ranges. For example, the Sunda Trench is approximately 7450 meters deep. The waters of the Indian Ocean are home to a variety of wildlife including corals, sharks, whales, turtles and jellyfish. Powerful currents are huge streams of water moving through the warm blue expanses of the Indian Ocean. The Western Australian Current carries cold Antarctic waters north to the tropics.
The equatorial current, located below the equator, circulates warm waters counterclockwise. The northern currents are dependent on the monsoon winds that cause heavy rainfall, which change their direction depending on the season.
Indian Ocean - people and history
Seafarers and traders sailed the waters of the Indian Ocean centuries ago. The main trade routes were the ships of the ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians and Indians. In the early Middle Ages, settlers from India and Sri Lanka crossed over to Southeast Asia. Since ancient times, wooden ships called dhows have sailed in the Arabian Sea, carrying exotic spices, African ivory and fabrics.
In the 15th century, the great Chinese navigator Zhen Ho led a large expedition across the Indian Ocean to the shores of India, Sri Lanka, Persia, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. In 1497, the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama became the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa and reach the shores of India. English, French and Dutch traders followed and the era of colonial conquest began. For centuries, new settlers, merchants and pirates have landed on the islands lying in the Indian Ocean. Many species of island animals that did not live anywhere else in the world became extinct. For example, the dodo, a goose-sized flightless pigeon found in Mauritius, was exterminated by the end of the 17th century. The giant tortoises on Rodrigues Island disappeared by the 19th century. Exploration of the Indian Ocean continued in the 19th and 20th centuries. Scientists have done a great job mapping the topography of the seabed. Currently, Earth satellites launched into orbit take pictures of the ocean, measure its depth and transmit information messages.
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean is the second largest and covers an area equal to 82 million square meters. km. It is almost half the size of the Pacific Ocean, but its size is constantly increasing. A powerful underwater ridge stretches from the island of Iceland to the south in the middle of the ocean. Its peaks are the Azores and Ascension Island. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a large mountain range at the bottom of the ocean, grows about 2.5 cm wider every year. The deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean is a depression located north of the island of Puerto Rico. Its depth is 9218 meters. If 150 million years ago the Atlantic Ocean did not exist yet, then over the next 150 million years, scientists assume, it will occupy more than half of the globe. The Atlantic Ocean greatly influences the climate and weather in Europe.
The Atlantic Ocean began to form 150 million years ago, when crustal displacements separated North and South America from Europe and Africa. This youngest of the oceans is named after the god Atlas, who was worshiped by the ancient Greeks.
Ancient peoples such as the Phoenicians began exploring the Atlantic Ocean around the 8th century BC. NS. Nevertheless, only in the 9th century AD. NS. the Vikings managed to get from the shores of Europe to Greenland and North America. The beginning of the "Golden Age" - the exploration of the Atlantic was laid by Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator who was in the service of the Spanish monarchs. In 1492 his small squadron of three ships entered the Caribbean Gulf after a long storm. Columbus believed that he was sailing to East India, but in fact he discovered the so-called New World - America. Other sailors from Portugal, Spain, France and England soon followed. Exploration of the Atlantic Ocean continues to this day. Scientists are currently using sonar (sound waves) to map the topography of the seabed. Many countries fish in the Atlantic Ocean. Humans have fished in these waters for millennia, but modern trawler fishing has led to a significant decline in fishing schools. The seas that border the oceans are being polluted by waste. The Atlantic Ocean continues to play a huge role in international trade. Many important trade sea routes pass through it.
Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean, which lies between Canada and Siberia, is the smallest and smallest in comparison with others. But at the same time it is the most mysterious, as it is almost completely hidden under a huge layer of ice. The Arctic Ocean divides into two basins the Nansen submarine rapids. The Arctic basin is larger in area and contains the deepest ocean. It is 5000 m and is located north of Franz Josef Land. In addition, here, on the Russian coast, there is a vast continental shelf. For this reason, our Arctic seas, namely the Kara, Barents, Laptev, Chukchi, and East Siberian seas, are shallow.
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The Pacific Ocean is the largest and most ancient on our planet. It is so huge that it can easily accommodate all the continents and islands taken together, and that is why it is often called the Great. The area of the Pacific Ocean is 178.6 million square meters. km, which corresponds to 1/3 of the surface of the entire globe.
general characteristics
The Pacific Ocean is the most important part of the World Ocean, since it contains 53% of the total volume of its water. It stretches from east to west for 19 thousand kilometers, and from north to south - for 16 thousand. Moreover, most of its waters are located in the southern latitudes, and a smaller part in the northern ones.
The Pacific Ocean is not only the largest, but also the deepest water basin. The maximum depth of the Pacific Ocean is 10994 m - this is exactly the depth of the famous Mariana Trench. The average indicators fluctuate within 4 thousand meters.
Rice. 1. Mariana Trench.
The Pacific Ocean owes its name to the Portuguese navigator Fernand Magellan. During his long journey, calm and calm weather reigned in the oceanic expanses, without a single storm or storm.
The bottom relief is very diverse.
Meet here:
- depressions (South, North-East, East, Central);
- deep water trenches (Mariana, Filipino, Peruvian;
- Uplands (East Pacific Rise).
The properties of water are formed by interaction with the atmosphere and are subject to many changes. The salinity of the Pacific Ocean is 30-36.5%.
It depends on the location of the waters:
- the maximum salinity (35.5-36.5%) is inherent in waters in tropical zones, where a relatively small amount of precipitation is combined with intense evaporation;
- salinity decreases to the east under the influence of cold currents;
- salinity also decreases under the influence of heavy rainfall, especially at the equator.
Geographical position
The Pacific Ocean is conventionally divided into two regions - southern and northern, the border between which runs along the equator. Since the ocean is colossal in size, its borders are the coasts of several continents and partially bordering oceans.
In the northern part, the border between the Pacific and the Arctic Ocean is the line connecting Cape Dezhnev and Cape Prince of Wales.
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Rice. 2. Cape Dezhnev.
In the east, the Pacific Ocean is bordered by the coasts of South and North America. Slightly to the south, the border between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean stretches from Cape Horn to Antarctica.
In the west, the waters of the Pacific Ocean wash Australia and Eurasia, then the border runs along the Bass Strait on the east side, and descends along the meridian to the south to Antarctica.
Climate features
The climate of the Pacific Ocean is subject to the general latitudinal zonality and the powerful seasonal influence of the Asian continent. Due to the huge area occupied by the ocean, almost all climatic zones are characteristic.
- In the tropical and subtropical zones of the northern hemisphere, the northeastern trade winds reign.
- The equatorial zone is characterized by calm weather throughout the year.
- In the tropics and subtropics of the southern hemisphere, the southeastern trade wind dominates. In summer, tropical hurricanes of incredible strength - typhoons arise in the tropics.
The average air temperature in the equatorial and tropical zones is 25 ° C. On the surface, the water temperature fluctuates between 25-30 C, while in the polar regions it drops to 0 C.
In the equator, precipitation reaches 2000 mm, decreasing to 50 mm per year near the coast of South America.
Seas and islands
The Pacific coastline is most indented in the west and least of all in the east. In the north, the Georgia Strait cuts deep into the mainland. The largest Pacific bays are California, Panama and Alaska.
The total area of seas, bays and straits belonging to the Pacific Ocean occupies 18% of the total area of the ocean. Most of the seas are located along the coast of Eurasia (Okhotsk, Bering, Japanese, Yellow, Philippine, East China), along the Australian coast (Solomon, New Guinea, Tasmanovo, Fiji, Koralovoe). The coldest seas are located near Antarctica: Ross, Amundsen, Somov, Durville, Bellingshausen.
Rice. 3. Coral Sea.
All the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin are relatively short, but with a rapid flow of waters. The largest river flowing into the ocean is the Amur.
There are about 25 thousand large and small islands in the Pacific Ocean, with unique flora and fauna. For the most part, they are located in equatorial, tropical and subtropical natural complexes.
The major archipelagos of the Pacific Ocean include the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippine Archipelago, Indonesia, and the largest island is New Guinea.
Substantial pollution of its waters is a pressing problem of the Pacific Ocean. Industrial waste, oil spills, thoughtless extermination of ocean inhabitants can cause irreparable harm to the Pacific Ocean, upsetting the delicate balance of its ecosystem.
What have we learned?
While studying the topic "Pacific Ocean" we got acquainted with a brief description of the ocean, its geographical position. We found out which islands, seas and rivers belong to the Pacific Ocean, what are the features of its climate, got acquainted with the main environmental problems.
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