Approximately 75% of the entire Earth's surface is made up of seas and oceans. They are a single whole, interconnected by straits. The entire hydrosphere of the planet is called the oceans. In turn, the oceans of the Earth contain 97% of all water.
How many oceans are there in the world? Worldwide is divided into four parts. These are the following oceans: Pacific, Arctic, Atlantic and Indian.
Quiet is considered the largest. Its area is about 166 million square kilometers. It got its name after it was first managed to cross the famous traveler Magellan. The water resource of the Pacific Ocean is almost half of the planetโs water reserves. Its greatest length is 17 thousand kilometers. This is almost half the globe. But its name is not true. Not always he remains beautiful and serene. Due to the high seismic activity, it is characterized by severe storms and earthquakes, which make it intimidating.
The waters of the Pacific Ocean wash the territory of the earth from East Asia to America, including the coast of Africa. The depth of its waters is uneven. The smallest is 120 meters. The average is around 4000 meters. The ocean is famous for the most unique place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, the depth of which is 11022 meters. After research, it turned out that there are living organisms.
The bottom relief of the Pacific Ocean has a different structure. There are ridges of seamounts, and numerous hollows. On its territory there are many islands of volcanic origin. The waters of the ocean are rich in living organisms.
The oceans of the Earth are interconnected with each other. The second largest is considered Atlantic. Its area is 82 million square kilometers. The largest ocean depth reaches 9218 meters. In the middle of its territory stretches a huge underwater ridge. The Atlantic Ocean has a great influence on the weather in Europe.
Another representative of the system that the oceans of the Earth make up is Indian. Its area is 73 million square kilometers, it ranks third in size. It can be called the warmest ocean. In this regard, its waters are distinguished by a wide variety of plant and animal organisms. Around the island of Java, which is located in the Indian Ocean, a hollow is discovered. Its depth reaches 7450 meters. A feature of the ocean is the reversal of the flow of its waters. This happens twice a year.
The Indian Ocean washes the shores of East Africa, India, Australia and Antarctica. Underwater earthquakes cause the formation of mountain peaks that protrude above the surface and form a chain of islands.
The oceans of the Earth include the smallest Arctic Ocean. It is located between Siberia and Canada. Its feature is that most of its surface is covered with ice. Therefore, this ocean has not yet been fully explored. The greatest depth is 5000 meters. Closer to the territory of Russia is the mainland sandbank. This determines the shallow depth of the coastal seas: the Barents, Chukchi, Laptev, Kara, and East Siberian.
3% of sea water consists of dissolved mineral salts. This indicator may vary. So, for example, the water of the Dead Sea contains 24% salt. Also included in the ocean water is gold. Its total amount is huge, but the density is so small that it is almost impossible to get it.
The world's oceans contain a lot of information about the past of the planet. Their research continues today. The oceans of the Earth keep many secrets and mysteries. Mankind cannot solve some phenomena for a long time. This is a storehouse of minerals and other resources necessary for people.