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SOCIAL SCIENCE

OCEANS

The ocean is a huge body of saltwater that covers about 71 percent of Earth’s surface. The planet has one global ocean, though oceanographers and the countries of the world have traditionally divided it into four distinct regions: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic oceans. Beginning in the 20th century, some oceanographers labeled the seas around Antarctica the Southern Ocean, and in 2021 National Geographic officially recognized this fifth ocean.

Another definition is “any of the large bodies of water into which the great ocean is divided Separate names are used to identify five different areas of the ocean: Pacific (the largest), Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), and Arctic (the smallest)] Seawater covers approximately 361,000,000 km2.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth’s five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean basin on Earth, covering more than 155 million square kilometers (60 million square miles) and averaging a depth of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). The ocean is shrinking around one inch every year. This is due to the effects of plate tectonics under the water.It has extremely deep trenches including The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.The ring of fire is located in the Pacific Ocean basin. A number of volcanoes form a ring around the basin which is where the name comes from. This area is home to many earthquakes due to volcanic activity and the movement of tectonic plates. The Pacific Ocean contains more than 75,000 volcanoes.

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world’s five oceans, with an area of about 106,460,000 km2 (41,100,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 20% of Earth’s surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the “Old World” of Africa, Europe and Asia from the “New World” of the Americas in the European perception of the World.This ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending in a north-south direction and is divided into the North Atlantic and South Atlantic by Equatorial Counter Currents at about 8° North latitude.The Atlantic Ocean is a huge mass of water covering about 16.7 percent of the Earth and a total area of approximately 85,133,000 square kilometers. To have an idea of its size, it is slightly larger than half of the Pacific Ocean.This ocean has an average depth of 3,339 meters with adjacent seas, and its volume is 354,700,000 cubic kilometers. The Atlantic is the saltiest ocean in the world; however, the surface salinity varies with latitude and season.The Atlantic Ocean is the main communication link between Europe and America and has been sailed for many centuries. It has a considerable vessel traffic.

Indian ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world’s five oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km2 (27,240,000 sq mi) or 19.8% of the water on Earth’s surface.It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. On average the Indian Ocean has a minimum temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius/71 degree Fahrenheit. Average depth of 13,002 feet (3,963 m). The Java Trench is its deepest point at -23,812 feet (-7,258 m). Suez Canal in Egypt, the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia are the two most well known waterways in the Indian Ocean.The Northern Indian Ocean also is the most important transport route for oil as it connects the oil-rich countries of the Middle East Each with Asia.The Indian Ocean provides home to many endangered sea species such as turtles, seals and dugongs (also called sea cows).

Artic ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world’s five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately 14,060,000 km2 (5,430,000 sq mi) and is known as the coldest of all the oceans.The Arctic Ocean includes the North Pole region in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere and extends south to about 60°N. The Arctic Ocean is surrounded by Eurasia and North America.Most of the Arctic Ocean is covered by ice throughout the year—although that is starting to change as temperatures climb. Pale and stark on the surface, the Arctic Ocean is home to a stunning array of life.The Arctic Ocean (Figure 1), the smallest of the world’s five major oceans, is about 4000km (2500 miles) long and 2400km (1500 miles) wide, about the size of the continental USA.The Arctic Ocean is home to whales, walruses, polar bears and seals. The biggest ports are Murmansk in Russia, Kirkenes in Norway and Nuuk in Greenland, Churchill in Canada and Barrow in Alaska/USA. The main Arctic research stations are located along the coastline.

Antarctic ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean,[1][note 4] comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica.[4] As such, it is regarded as the second-smallest of the five principal oceanic divisions: smaller than the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans but larger than the Arctic Ocean. The Southern Ocean covers 8,479,000 square miles (21,960,000 square km), and it holds 17,226,000 cubic miles (71,800,000 cubic km) of water. It has an average depth of 10,728 feet (3,270 metres) and a maximum depth of 24,383 feet (7,432 metres) in the South Sandwich Trench, southeast of the island of South Georgia.Its temperature ranges between 10°C and -2 °C, but it has the strongest winds and waves in the world, as the temperature of the ice contrasts the open ocean. During winter, the sea freezes at a latitude 65° south at the Pacific and a latitude 55° south in the Atlantic Ocean sector.Due to the low levels of iron and sunlight, productivity is not high. It is rich in nutrients and manganese nodules as well as possible oil and natural gas deposits. It is also home to over 10,000 species, all perfectly adapted to the weather conditions, such as penguins, squids, whales, seals, krill, and a variety of fish.

PACIFIC OCEAN

The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth’s five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean basin on Earth, covering more than 155 million square kilometers (60 million square miles) and averaging a depth of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).

ATLANTIC OCEAN

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world’s five oceans, with an area of about 106,460,000 km2 (41,100,000 sq. mi). It covers approximately 20% of Earth’s surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the “Old World” of Africa, Europe and Asia from the “New World” of the Americas in the European perception of the World. This ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending in a north-south direction and is divided into the North Atlantic and South Atlantic by Equatorial Counter Currents at about 8° North latitude. The Atlantic Ocean is a huge mass of water covering about 16.7 percent of the Earth and a total area of approximately 85,133,000 square kilometers.