An ocean (from Ancient Greek , transc.

Okeans, the World Ocean of classical

antiqit! "#$% is a &od! of saline 'ater that com(oses mch of a (lanet)s h!dros(here."*$
On +arth, an ocean is one of the ma,or con-entional di-isions of the World Ocean, 'hich
occ(ies t'o.thirds of the (lanet)s srface. /hese are, in descendin0 order &! area, the
1acific, Atlantic, 2ndian, 3othern (Antarctic%, and Arctic Oceans."4$ "5$ /he 'ord sea is
often sed interchan0ea&l! 'ith 6ocean6 in American +n0lish &t, strictl! s(eakin0, a sea
is a &od! of saline 'ater (0enerall! a di-ision of the 'orld ocean% (artl! or fll! enclosed
&! land."7$
+arth is the onl! (lanet that is kno'n to ha-e an ocean (or an! lar0e amonts of o(en
liqid 'ater%. 3aline 'ater co-ers a((ro8imatel! 9*: of the (lanet)s srface (;4.<=#>?
km*% and is cstomaril! di-ided into se-eral (rinci(al oceans and smaller seas, 'ith the
ocean co-erin0 a((ro8imatel! 9#: of the +arth)s srface."<$ /he ocean contains @9: of
the +arth)s 'ater, and oceano0ra(hers ha-e stated that onl! 7: of the World Ocean has
&een e8(lored."<$ /he total -olme is a((ro8imatel! #.4 &illion c&ic kilometers (4#>
million c mi%"9$ 'ith an a-era0e de(th of 4,<?* meters (#*,>?> ft%."?$
Aecase it is the (rinci(al com(onent of +arth)s h!dros(here, the 'orld ocean is inte0ral
to all kno'n life, forms (art of the car&on c!cle, and inflences climate and
'eather(atterns. 2t is the ha&itat of *4>,>>> kno'n s(ecies, altho0h mch of the oceans
de(ths remain ne8(lored, and o-er t'o million marine s(ecies are estimated to e8ist."@$
/heori0in of +arth)s oceans remains nkno'nB oceans are &elie-ed to ha-e formed in
theCadean (eriod and ma! ha-e &een the im(ets for the emer0ence of life.
+8traterrestrial oceans ma! &e com(osed of 'ater or other elements and com(onds. /he
onl! confirmed lar0e sta&le &odies of e8traterrestrial srface liqids are the lakes of /itan,
altho0h there is e-idence for the e8istence of oceans else'here in the 3olar 3!stem.
+arl! in their 0eolo0ic histories, Dars and Eens are theoriFed to ha-e had lar0e 'ater
oceans. /he Dars ocean h!(othesis s00ests that nearl! a third of the srface of Dars 'as
once co-ered &! 'ater, and a rna'a! 0reenhose effect ma! ha-e &oiled a'a! the
0lo&al ocean of Eens. Gom(onds sch as salts and ammoniadissol-ed in 'ater lo'er
its freeFin0 (oint, so that 'ater mi0ht e8ist in lar0e qantities in e8traterrestrial
en-ironments as &rine or con-ectin0 ice. Hnconfirmed oceans are s(eclated &eneath the
srface of man! d'arf (lanets and natral satellitesB nota&l!, the ocean of +ro(a is
&elie-ed to ha-e o-er t'ice the 'ater -olme of +arth. /he 3olar 3!stem)s 0as 0iant
(lanets are also &elie-ed to (ossess liqid atmos(heric la!ers of !et to &e confirmed
com(ositions. Oceans ma! also e8ist on e8o(lanets and e8omoons, incldin0 srface
oceans of liqid 'ater 'ithin acircmstellar ha&ita&le Fone. Ocean (lanets are a
h!(othetical t!(e of (lanet 'ith a srface com(letel! co-ered 'ith liqid."#>$ "##$
Gontents
"hide$
# +arth)s 0lo&al ocean
# #.# Glo&al di-isions
* #.* 1h!sical (ro(erties
4 #.4 Iones 'ith de(th
5 #.5 +8(loration
7 #.7 Glimate
< #.< Aiolo0!
9 #.9 Gases
? #.? Ocean 3rface
@ #.@ Di8in0 /ime
#> #.#> 3alinit!
## #.## A&sor(tion of li0ht
#* #.#* +conomic -ale
#4 #.#4 Wa-es
* +8traterrestrial oceans
#5 *.# 1lanets
#7 *.* Jatral satellites
#< *.4 K'arf (lanets and trans.Je(tnian o&,ects
#9 *.5 +8trasolar
#? *.7 Jon.'ater srface liqids
* 4 3ee also
4 5 Leferences
5 7 Mrther readin0
7 < +8ternal links
+arth)s 0lo&al ocean"edit$
Glo&al di-isions"edit$
Mrther informationN Aorders of the oceans
Earios 'a!s to di-ide
the World Ocean
/ho0h 0enerall!
descri&ed as se-eral se(arate oceans, these 'aters com(rise one 0lo&al, interconnected
&od! of salt 'ater sometimes referred to as the World Ocean or 0lo&al ocean."#*$ "#4$
/his conce(t of a continos &od! of 'ater 'ith relati-el! free interchan0e amon0 its
(arts is of fndamental im(ortance to oceano0ra(h!."#5$
/he ma,or oceanic di-isions are defined in (art &! the continents, -ariosarchi(ela0os,
and other criteria. 3ee the ta&le &elo' for more informationB note that the ta&le is in
descendin0 order in terms of siFe."##$ "#7$
Lan
k
Ocean Jotes
# 1acific
/he (eacefl sea 'est of the Da0ellan 3trait,"#<$officiall! se(arated into
the Jorth and 3oth 1acific(di-ided &! the +qator "#9$ and containin0
the 'aters &et'een the sothernmost (oints of /asmania and/erra del
Me0o (and incldin0 the 'aters of theDa0ellan 3trait% &t limited &! the
&orders of the/asman, Goral, 3olomon, and Aismark 3eas, the +ast 2ndian
Archi(ela0o, the 1hili((ine, Oa(an, Okhotsk, andAerin0 3eas, the Glf of
Alaska, the coastal 'aters ofsotheast Alaska and Aritish Golm&ia, and
the Glf of Galifornia."#?$
* Atlantic
/he sea &e!ond the Atlas Dontains,"#@$ "*>$ officiall! se(arated into the
Jorth and 3oth Atlantic (di-ided &! the +qator% and containin0 the
'aters &et'een the sothernmost (oints of /ierra del Me0o and Africa
&t limited &! the &orders of the Lio de la 1lata, theGari&&ean 3ea, the
Glf of De8ico, the Aa! of Mnd!, the Glf of 3t. Pa'rence, the Ka-is
3trait, theGreenland, Jor'e0ian, Jorth, 3cottish, and 2rish 3eas, the
Aristol and +n0lish Ghannels, the Aa! of Aisca!, theDediterranean 3ea,
and the Glf of Ginea,"#?$altho0h no' often considered to end north of
theAntarctic Gon-er0ence.
4 2ndian
/he sea soth of 2ndia, officiall! containin0 the 'aters &et'een the
sothernmost (oints of Africa and/asmania, &onded on the north &! the
Ara&ian andPaccadi-e 3eas, the Aa! of Aen0al, the +ast 2ndian
Archi(ela0o, and the Great Astralian Ai0ht and on the soth &!
Antarctica,"#?$ altho0h no' often considered to end north of the
Antarctic Gon-er0ence.
5
3othern
or
Antarcti
c
3till officiall! considered an e8tension of the 1acific, Atlantic and 2ndian
Oceans &! the 2CO,"##$ "#?$ it is distin0ished &! the con-er0ence 'hich
encirclesAntarctica.
7 Arctic
/he sea arond the Jorth 1ole, officiall! containin0 the 'aters north of
the Greenland 3ea, then a line east alon0 ?>QJ to the AarentsF, Rara,
Pa(te-, +ast 3i&erian, Ghckchi, and Aeafort 3eas."#?$ 3ometimes itself
considered a sea of the Atlantic.
/hese ad,acent re0ionsS'hether seas, 0lfs, &a!s, &i0hts, or straitsSare -er! often
inclded as (art of the nearest ocean.
1h!sical (ro(erties"edit$
Mrther informationN 3ea'ater
/he total mass of the h!dros(here is a&ot #,5>>,>>>,>>>,>>>,>>>,>>> metric tons
(#.7=#>#? short tons% or #.5=#>*# k0, 'hich is a&ot >.>*4 (ercent of the +arth)s total
mass. Pess than 4 (ercent is fresh'aterB the rest issalt'ater, mostl! in the ocean. /he area
of the World Ocean is 4<# million sqare kilometers (#4@ million sqare miles%,"*#$ and
its -olme is a((ro8imatel! #.4 &illion c&ic kilometers (4#> million c mi%."9$ /his can
&e tho0ht of as a c&e of 'ater 'ith an ed0e len0th of #,### kilometers (<@> mi%. 2ts
a-era0e de(th is 4,9@> meters (#*,54> ft%, and its ma8imm de(th is #>,@*4 meters (<.9?9
mi%."*#$ Jearl! half of the 'orld)s marine 'aters are o-er 4,>>> meters (@,?>> ft% dee(.
"#4$ /he -ast e8(anses of dee( ocean (an!thin0 &elo' *>> meters (<<> ft%% co-er a&ot
<<: of the +arth)s srface."**$ /his does not inclde seas not connected to the World
Ocean, sch as the Gas(ian 3ea.
/he &lish color of 'ater is a com(osite of se-eral contri&tin0 a0ents. 1rominent
contri&tors inclde dissol-ed or0anic matter and chloro(h!ll."*4$
3ailors and other mariners ha-e re(orted that the ocean often emits a -isi&le 0lo', or
lminescence, 'hich e8tends for miles at ni0ht. 2n *>>7, scientists annonced that for the
first time, the! had o&tained (hoto0ra(hic e-idence of this 0lo'."*5$ 2t is most likel!
cased &! &iolminescence."*7$ "*<$ "*9$
Iones 'ith de(th"edit$
/he ma,or
oceanic
di-isions
Oceano0ra(hers di-ide the ocean into differentFones &! (h!sical and &iolo0ical
conditions. /he(ela0ic Fone incldes all o(en ocean re0ions, and can &e di-ided into
frther re0ions cate0oriFed &! de(th and li0ht a&ndance. /he(hotic Fone incldes the
oceans from the srface to a de(th of *>> mB it is the re0ion 'here (hotos!nthesis can
occr and is, therefore, the most &iodi-erse. 3ince (lants reqire (hotos!nthesis, life
fond dee(er than the (hotic Fone mst either rel! on material sinkin0 from a&o-e (see
marine sno'% or find another ener0! sorce. C!drothermal -ents are the (rimar! sorce
of ener0! in 'hat is kno'n as the a(hotic Fone (de(ths e8ceedin0 *>> m%. /he (ela0ic
(art of the (hotic Fone is kno'n as the e(i(ela0ic.
/he (ela0ic (art of the a(hotic Fone can &e frther di-ided into -ertical re0ions accordin0
to tem(eratre. /hemeso(ela0ic is the ((ermost re0ion. 2ts lo'ermost &ondar! is at a
thermocline of #* QG (75 QM%, 'hich, in the tro(ics 0enerall! lies at 9>>T#,>>> meters
(*,4>>T4,4>> ft%. Je8t is the &ath!(ela0ic l!in0 &et'een #> and 5 QG (7> and 4@ QM%,
t!(icall! &et'een 9>>T#,>>> meters (*,4>>T4,4>> ft% and *,>>>T5,>>> meters (<,<>>T
#4,#>> ft% P!in0 alon0 the to( of the a&!ssal (lain is the a&!sso(ela0ic, 'hose lo'er
&ondar! lies at a&ot <,>>> meters (*>,>>> ft%. /he last Fone incldes the dee( oceanic
trench, and is kno'n as the hadal(ela0ic. /his lies &et'een <,>>>T##,>>> meters
(*>,>>>T4<,>>> ft% and is the dee(est oceanic Fone.
/he &enthic Fones are a(hotic and corres(ond to the three dee(est Fones of the dee(.sea.
/he &ath!al Foneco-ers the continental slo(e do'n to a&ot 5,>>> meters (#4,>>> ft%. /he
a&!ssal Fone co-ers the a&!ssal (lains &et'een 5,>>> and <,>>> m. Pastl!, the hadal Fone
corres(onds to the hadal(ela0ic Fone, 'hich is fond in oceanic trenches.
/he (ela0ic Fone can &e frther s&di-ided into t'o s&re0ionsN the neritic Fone and the
oceanic Fone. /he neritic Fone encom(asses the 'ater mass directl! a&o-e the continental
shel-es 'hereas the oceanic Fone incldes all the com(letel! o(en 'ater.
2n contrast, the littoral Fone co-ers the re0ion &et'een lo' and hi0h tide and re(resents
the transitional area &et'een marine and terrestrial conditions. 2t is also kno'n as the
intertidal Fone &ecase it is the area 'here tide le-el affects the conditions of the re0ion.
/he ocean can &e di-ided into three densit! FonesN the srface Fone, the (!cnocline, and
the dee( Fone. /he srface Fone, also called the mi8ed la!er, refers to the ((ermost
densit! Fone of the ocean. /em(eratre and salinit! are relati-el! constant 'ith de(th in
this Fone de to crrents and 'a-e action. /he srface Fone contains ocean 'ater that is
in contact 'ith the atmos(here and 'ithin the (hotic Fone. /he srface Fone has the
ocean)s least dense 'ater and re(resents a((ro8imatel! *: of the total -olme of ocean
'ater. /he srface Fone sall! ran0es &et'een de(ths of 7>> feet to 4,4>> feet &elo'
ocean srface, &t this can -ar! a 0reat deal. 2n some cases, the srface Fone can &e
entirel! non.e8istent. /he srface Fone is t!(icall! thicker in the tro(ics than in re0ions of
hi0her latitde. /he transition to colder, denser 'ater is more a&r(t in the tro(ics than in
re0ions of hi0her latitdes. /he (!cnocline refers to a Fone 'herein densit! s&stantiall!
increases 'ith de(th de (rimaril! to decreases in tem(eratre. /he (!cnocline
effecti-el! se(arates the lo'er.densit! srface Fone a&o-e from the hi0her.densit! dee(
Fone &elo'. /he (!cnocline re(resents a((ro8imatel! #?: of the total -olme of ocean
'ater. /he dee( Fone refers to the lo'ermost densit! Fone of the ocean. /he dee( Fone
sall! &e0ins at de(ths &elo' 4,4>> feet in mid.latitdes. /he dee( Fone nder0oes
ne0li0i&le chan0es in 'ater densit! 'ith de(th. /he dee( Fone re(resents a((ro8imatel!
?>: of the total -olme of ocean 'ater. /he dee( Fone contains relati-el! colder and
sta&le 'ater.
2f a Fone nder0oes dramatic chan0es in tem(eratre 'ith de(th, it contains a
thermocline. /he tro(ical thermocline is t!(icall! dee(er than the thermocline at hi0her
latitdes. 1olar 'aters, 'hich recei-e relati-el! little solar ener0!, are not stratified &!
tem(eratre and 0enerall! lack a thermocline since srface 'ater at (olar latitdes are
nearl! as cold as 'ater at 0reater de(ths. Aelo' the thermocline, 'ater is -er! cold,
ran0in0 from U# QG to 4 QG. 3ince this dee( and cold la!er contains the &lk of ocean
'ater, the a-era0e tem(eratre of the 'orld ocean is 4.@ QG 2f a Fone nder0oes dramatic
chan0es in salinit! 'ith de(th, it contains a halocline. 2f a Fone nder0oes a stron0,
-ertical chemistr! 0radient 'ith de(th, it contains a chemocline.
/he halocline often coincides 'ith the thermocline, and the com&ination (rodces a
(rononced (!cnocline