Favorite question of all geography teachers: “How many oceans on Earth exist?” In this case, you can answer in different ways, having examined in more detail the structure of the hydrosphere of our planet. The water shell is the key to life and prosperity on Earth, so every person should be at least superficially familiar with the processes that occur in it. This and many other interesting facts about the hydrosphere will be covered in this article.
After long observations, all scientists of the world came to the conclusion that the question of how many oceans on Earth exists, the answer will be unequivocal - four. If you turn to the history of the study of the hydrosphere, you will see that the
Indian Ocean was the first to be discovered
. It is rightfully considered the warmest on Earth, because in the summer near the coasts of its waters can warm up to a record temperature of 35 ° C.
After the journey of Christopher Columbus, trying to find a way to India - the country most attractive to Europeans of that time - mankind learned about a new large water body. In honor of the Greek titan Atlanta, which mythology endowed with steep temper and courage, the ocean was given the name Atlantic. This water body fully justifies the comparison with the hero of the myth, because at different times of the year it can behave completely unpredictably.
How many oceans on earth yet? Among the unnamed previously there were two: the Quiet and the Arctic.
The Pacific Ocean, in fact, got its name by mistake, since during the round-the-world trip the
great navigator Magellan was very lucky with the weather. As a result, the researcher thought that the ocean has a meek disposition, but this is far from the case. There are often tsunamis off the western coast of North America and near the
Japanese islands .
The Arctic Ocean is the calmest of the largest water bodies on our planet, as well as the coldest. There are not many fish and plants in its waters, because not all representatives of flora and fauna can withstand the harsh living conditions in it.
There was a period when some scientists answered the question: “How many oceans are there on Earth?” - answered: "Five." They isolated another water body that washes the shores of Antarctica. He was given the name Yuzhny, but its borders are so fuzzy that over time, the compilers of geographic maps ceased to denote this ocean.
This is well-known information about how many oceans on Earth. Many space researchers believe that the hydrosphere could be on other planets of the solar system. So, for example, scientists around the world are wondering: “How many oceans on the planet Mars once existed?” They have not yet found an answer, but if the hydrosphere was still there, then, most likely, living organisms could also live on a neighboring planet millions of years ago.
The oceans on our planet form a continuous chain, the constituent parts of which are all of the above water bodies. He is the source of life, so humanity must protect such an important resource as clean water. Thanks to the competent distribution of these reserves, people guarantee themselves a normal existence, as well as reducing the likelihood of various natural disasters.