Ocean

Lead Author: Michael Pidwirny This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: J. Emmett uffy
Table of Contents

! "ntroduction # Atlantic $cean % Arctic $cean & "ndian $cean ' Pacific $cean ( )outhern $cean * +urther ,eading

Introduction
)een from space- our planet.s surface appears to be dominated by the color blue. The Earth appears blue because large bodies of saline water /nown as the oceans dominate the surface. $ceans cover appro0imately *1.23 or %(! million s4uare /ilometers 5!%6 million s4uare miles7 of Earth.s surface 5Table !7 with a volume of about !-%*1 million cubic /ilometers 5%#6 million cubic miles7. The average depth of these e0tensive bodies of seawater is about %.2 /ilometers 5#.& miles7. Ma0imum depths can e0ceed !1 /ilometers 5(.# miles7 in a number of areas /nown as ocean trenches. The oceans contain 6*3 of our planet.s available water. The other %3 is found in atmosphere- on the Earth.s terrestrial surface- or in the Earth.s lithosphere in various forms and stores.

Table 1: Surface area of our planet covered by oceans and continents. Surface Earth.s )urface Area 8overed by Land Earth.s )urface Area 8overed by 9ater Pacific $cean Atlantic $cean "ndian $cean )outhern $cean Arctic $cean Percent of Earth's Total Surface Area #6.#3 *1.23 %1.'3 #1.23 !&.&3 &.13 #.23 Area S!uare "ilo#eters$ !&2-6&1-111 %(!-!%#-111 !''-''*-111 *(-*(#-111 (2-''(-111 #1-%#*-111 !&-1'(-111 Area S!uare %iles$ '*-&6!-111 !%6-%6*-111 (1-1&'-111 #6-(%1-111 #(-&(%-111 *-2&(-111 '-&#(-111

The spatial distribution of ocean regions and continents is unevenly arranged across the Earth.s surface. "n the :orthern ;emisphere- the ratio of land to ocean is about ! to !.'. The ratio of land to ocean in the )outhern ;emisphere is ! to &. This greater abundance of ocean surface has some fascinating effects on the environment of the southern half of our planet. +or e0ample- climate of )outhern ;emisphere locations is often more moderate when compared to similar places in the :orthern ;emisphere. This fact is primarily due to the presence of large amounts of heat energy stored in the oceans. The "nternational ;ydrographic $rgani<ation has divided and named the interconnected oceans of the world into five main regions: Atlantic $cean- Arctic $cean- "ndian $ceanPacific $cean- and the )outhern $cean. Each one of these regions is different from the others in some specific ways.

Atlantic Ocean

= width> The Atlantic $cean is a relatively narrow body of water that sna/es between nearly parallel continental masses covering about #!3 of the Earth.s total surface area 5+igure #

!7. This ocean body contains most of our planet.s shallow seas- but it has relatively few islands. )ome of the shallow seas found in the Atlantic $cean include the 8aribbeanMediterranean- ?altic- ?lac/- :orth- ?altic- and the @ulf of Me0ico. The average depth of the Atlantic $cean 5including its adAacent seas7 is about %-%11 meters 5!1-211 feet7. The deepest point- 2-(1' meters 5#2-#%# feet7- occurs in the Puerto ,ico Trench. The MidBAtlantic ,idge- running roughly down the center of this ocean region- separates the Atlantic $cean into two large basins. Many streams empty their freshwater discharge into the Atlantic $cean. "n fact- the Atlantic $cean receives more freshwater from terrestrial runoff than any other ocean region. This ocean region also drains some of the Earth.s largest rivers including the Ama<on- Mississippi- )t. Lawrence- and 8ongo. The surface area of the Atlantic $cean is about !.( times greater than the terrestrial area providing runoff.

Arctic Ocean

= width> The Arctic $cean is the smallest of the worldCs five ocean regions- covering about %3 of the Earth.s total surface area. Most of this nearly landloc/ed ocean region is located north of the Arctic 8ircle 5+igure #7. The Arctic $cean is connected to the Atlantic $cean by the @reenland )ea- and the Pacific $cean via the ?ering )trait. The Arctic $cean is also the shallowest ocean region with an average depth of !-1'1 meters 5%-&'1 feet7. The center of the Arctic $cean is covered by a drifting persistent icepac/ that has an average thic/ness of about % meters 5!1 feet7. uring the winter months- this sea ice covers much of the Arctic $cean surface. ;igher temperatures in the summer months cause the icepac/ to seasonally shrin/ in e0tent by about '13.

Indian Ocean

= width> The "ndian $cean covers about !&3 of the EarthCs surface area. This ocean region is enclosed on three sides by the landmasses of Africa- Asia- and Australia 5+igure %7. The "ndian $cean.s southern border is open to water e0change with the much colder )outhern $cean. Average depth of the "ndian $cean is %-611 meters 5!#-211 feet7. The deepest point in this ocean region occurs in the Java Trench with a depth of *-#'2 meters 5#%-2!# feet7 below sea level. The "ndian $cean region has relatively few islands. 8ontinental shelf areas tend to be 4uite narrow and not many shallow seas e0ist. ,elative to the Atlantic $cean- only a small number of streams drain into the "ndian $cean. 8onse4uently- the surface area of the "ndian $cean is appro0imately &113 larger than the land area supplying runoff into it. )ome of the maAor rivers flowing into the "ndian $cean include the Dambe<i- ArvandrudE)hattBalBArab- "ndus- @anges- ?rahmaputra- and the "rrawaddy. )eawater salinity ranges between %# and %* parts per !111. ?ecause much of the "ndian $cean lies within the tropics- this basin has the warmest surface ocean temperatures.

Pacific Ocean

= width> The Pacific $cean is the largest ocean region 5+igure &7 covering about %13 of the Earth.s surface area 5about !' times the si<e of the Fnited )tates7. The ocean floor of the Pacific is 4uite uniform in depth having an average elevation of &-%11 meters 5!&-!11

&

feet7 below sea level. This fact ma/es it the deepest ocean region on average. The Pacific $cean is also home to the lowest elevation on our planet. The deepest point in the Mariana Trench lies some !1-6!! meters 5%'-2&1 feet7 below sea level as recorded by the Japanese probe- Kaiko- on March #&- !66'. About #'-111 islands can be found in the Pacific $cean region. This is more than the number for the other four ocean regions combined. Many of these islands are actually the tops of volcanic mountains created by the release of molten roc/ from beneath the ocean floor. ,elative to the Atlantic $cean- only a small number of rivers add terrestrial freshwater terrestrial runoff to the Pacific $cean. "n fact- the surface area of the Pacific is about !1113 greater than the land area that drains into it. )ome of the maAor rivers flowing into this ocean region include the 8olorado- 8olumbia- +raser- Me/ong- ,Go @rande de )antiago- )an Joa4uin- )hinano- )/eena- )ti/ine- Hi Jiang- and Iu/on. )ome of larger adAacent seas connected to the Pacific are 8elebes- Tasman- 8oral- East 8hina- )ulu)outh 8hina- Iellow- and the )ea of Japan.

Southern Ocean

= width> The )outhern $cean surrounds Antarctica e0tending to the latitude (1J )outh 5+igure '7. This ocean region occupies about &3 of the Earth.s surface or about #1-%#*-111 s4uare /ilometers 5*-2&(-111 s4uare miles7. ,elative to the other ocean regions- the floor of the )outhern $cean is 4uite deep ranging from &-111 to '-111 meters 5!%-!11 to !(-&11 feet7 below sea level over most of the area it occupies. 8ontinental shelf areas are very limited and are mainly found around Antarctica. ?ut even these areas are 4uite deep with an elevation between &11 to 211 meters 5!-%11 to #-(11 feet7 below sea level. +or comparison- the average depth of the continental shelf for the entire planet is about !%1 meters 5&#' feet7. The )outhern $cean.s deepest point is in the )outh )andwich Trench at *-#%' meters 5#%-*%* feet7 sea level. )eas adAacent to this ocean region include the Amundsen )ea- ?ellingshausen )ea- ,oss )ea- )cotia )ea- and the 9eddell )ea. ?y about )eptember of each year- a mobile icepac/ situated around Antarctic reaches its greatest seasonal e0tent covering about !6 million s4uare /ilometers 5* million s4uare miles7. This icepac/ shrin/s by around 2'3 si0 months later in March.

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&urther 'eadin(

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Citation
Michael Pidwirny 5Lead Author7KJ. Emmett uffy 5Topic Editor7 =$cean=. "n: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. 8utler J. 8leveland 59ashington- .8.: Environmental "nformation 8oalition- :ational 8ouncil for )cience and the Environment7. L+irst published in the Encyclopedia of Earth April *- #1!1K Last revised ate )eptember !1#1!1K ,etrieved ecember !6- #1!1 Mhttp:EEwww.eoearth.orgEarticleE$ceanN