The average depth is 3988 m. The deepest point of the ocean (it is also the deepest point in the world) is located in the Mariana Trench and is called the Challenger Deep (11.022 m).
. Average temperature: 19-37°C. The widest part of the Pacific Ocean is located in the equatorial-tropical latitudes, so the surface water temperature is much higher than in other oceans.
. Dimensions: area - 179.7 million sq. km, volume - 710.36 million sq. km.
Numbers are enough to imagine how big the Pacific Ocean is: it occupies a third of our planet and makes up almost half of the world's oceans.
Salinity - 35-36 ‰.
Currents of the Pacific Ocean
Alaskan- washes the western coast of North America and reaches the Bering Sea. It spreads to great depths, down to the bottom. Flow speed: 0.2-0.5 m/s. Water temperature: 7-15°C.
East Australian- the largest off the Australian coast. It starts at the equator (Coral Sea), runs along the east coast of Australia. The average speed is 2-3 knots (up to 7). Temperature - 25°C.
Kuroshio(or Japanese) - washes the southern and eastern shores of Japan, transferring the warm waters of the South China Sea to northern latitudes. It has three branches: East Korean, Tsushima and Soya. Speed: 6 km/h, temperature 18-28°C.
North Pacific- continuation of the Kuroshio current. It crosses the ocean from west to east, near the coast of North America it branches into Alaska (leaves to the north) and California (to the south). Near the coast of Mexico, it turns and crosses the ocean in the opposite direction (North Passat Current) - up to Kuroshio.
South Passatnoe- flows in the southern tropical latitudes, stretches from east to west: from the coast of South America (Galapogos Islands) to the coast of Australia and New Guinea. Temperature - 32°C. Gives rise to the Australian current.
Equatorial countercurrent (or Intertrade)- stretches from west to east between the North Passat and South Passat currents.
Cromwell current- a subsurface countercurrent that passes under the South Passatny. Speed 70-150 cm/sec.
Cold:
california- the western branch of the North Pacific Current, flows along the western coasts of the United States and Mexico. Speed - 1-2 km / h, temperature 15-26 ° С.
Antarctic Circumpolar (or West Wind Current)- envelops the entire globe between 40 ° and 50 ° S.l. Speed 0.4-0.9 km/h, temperature 12-15 °С. This current is often referred to as the "roaring forties" because powerful storms rage here. The Peruvian current branches off from it in the Pacific Ocean.
Peruvian Current (or Humboldt Current)- flows from south to north from the coast of Antarctica along the western coast of Chile and Peru. Speed 0.9 km/h, temperature 15-20 °С.
The underwater world of the Pacific Ocean
The flora and fauna of the underwater world in the Pacific Ocean is the richest and most diverse. Almost 50% of all living organisms of the World Ocean live here. The most densely populated area is considered to be the area near the Great Balier Reef.
All the wildlife of the ocean is located according to climatic zones - in the north and south it is poorer than in the tropics, but the total number of each species of animal or plant is greater here.
The Pacific Ocean provides more than half of the world's seafood. Of the commercial species, the most popular are salmon (95% of the world catch), mackerels, anchovies, sardines, horse mackerels, halibuts. There is a limited whale fishery: baleen and sperm whales.
The richness of the underwater world is eloquently evidenced by the numbers:
- more than 850 types of algae;
- more than 100 thousand species of animals (of which over 3800 species of fish);
- about 200 species of animals living at a depth of more than 7 thousand km;
- more than 6 thousand species of mollusks.
The largest number of endemics (animals that are found only here) live in the Pacific Ocean: dugongs, fur seals, sea otters, sea lions, holothurians, polychaetes, leopard sharks.
The nature of the Pacific Ocean has been studied only by 10 percent. Every year, scientists discover more and more new species of animals and plants. For example, in 2005 alone, more than 2,500 new species of molluscs and more than 100 species of crustaceans were found.
Pacific exploration
According to scientists, the Pacific Ocean is the oldest on the planet. Its formation began in the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic, that is, more than 140 million years ago. The development of the ocean began long before the advent of writing. People who lived on the shores of the greatest water area used the gifts of the ocean for thousands of years ago. Thus, Thor Heyerdahl's expedition on the Kon-Tiki balsa raft confirmed the scientist's theory that the islands of Polynesia could be settled by people from South America who were able to cross the Pacific Ocean on the same rafts.
For Europeans, the history of ocean exploration is officially calculated from September 15, 1513. On this day, the traveler Vasco Nunez de Balboa first saw the water surface, stretching to the horizon, and dubbed it the South Sea.
According to legend, the ocean got its name from F. Magellan himself. During his trip around the world, the great Portuguese for the first time rounded South America and ended up in the ocean. Having sailed over it for more than 17 thousand kilometers and having not experienced a single storm during all this time, Magellan dubbed the Pacific Ocean. And only later studies proved that he was wrong. The Pacific Ocean is actually one of the most turbulent. It is here that the largest tsunamis occur, and typhoons, hurricanes and storms are more frequent here than in other oceans.
Since then, active research has begun on the largest ocean on the planet. We list only the most significant discoveries:
1589 - A. Ortelius publishes the world's first detailed map of the ocean.
1642-1644 - the ocean conquers A. Tasman and opens a new continent - Australia.
1769-1779 - D. Cook's three round-the-world voyages and exploration of the southern part of the ocean.
1785 - J. Laperouse voyage, exploration of the southern and northern parts of the ocean. The mysterious disappearance of the expedition in 1788 still haunts the minds of researchers.
1787-1794 - the journey of A. Malaspina, who compiled a detailed map of the western coast of America.
1725-1741 - two Kamchatka expeditions led by V.I. Bering and A. Chirikov, study of the northern and northwestern parts of the ocean.
1819-1821 - round-the-world trip of F. Bellingshausen and M. Lazarev, discovery of Antarctica and islands in the southern part of the ocean.
1872-1876 - organized the world's first scientific expedition to study the Pacific Ocean on the corvette "Challenger" (England). Maps of depths, bottom topography were drawn up, a collection of flora and fauna of the ocean was collected.
1949-1979 - 65 scientific voyages of the vessel "Vityaz" under the flag of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (measurement of the depth of the Mariana Trench and detailed maps of the underwater relief).
1960 - the first dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
1973 - creation of the Pacific Oceanological Institute (Vladivostok)
Since the 1990s, a comprehensive study of the Pacific Ocean has begun, which combines and systematizes all the data obtained. Currently, the priority areas are geophysics, geochemistry, geology and commercial use of the ocean floor.
Since the discovery of the Challenger Deep in 1875, only three people have descended to the very bottom of the Mariana Trench. The last dive took place on March 12, 2012. And the brave diver was none other than the famous film director James Cameron.
Gigantism is characteristic of many representatives of the fauna of the Pacific Ocean: giant mussels and oysters, the clam tridacna (300 kg).
There are over 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean, more than all other oceans combined. Here is also the oldest island on the planet - Kauai, whose age is estimated at 6 million years.
More than 80% of tsunamis are "born" in the Pacific Ocean. The reason for this is the large number of underwater volcanoes.
The Pacific Ocean is full of secrets. There are many mystical places here: the Devil's Sea (near Japan), where ships and planes disappear; the bloodthirsty island of Palmyra, where everyone who remains there perishes; Easter Island with its mysterious idols; Truk Lagoon, where the largest cemetery of military equipment is located. And in 2011, a sign island, Sandy Island, was discovered near Australia. It appears and disappears, as evidenced by numerous expeditions and Google satellite photos.
In the north of the ocean, the so-called Garbage Continent was discovered. It is a large garbage heap containing over 100 million tons of plastic waste.
Sea of Aki- the open sea connecting the east and west of the Sea of Japan. It is small in size - only 35 * 45 km. In Japan, this sea is called "Aki Nada" (in honor of the historical province of Aki), and its eastern part has its own name - Itsuki.
The Sea of Aki is located in the monsoon zone in temperate latitudes - a rare phenomenon that has endowed the sea with an unusual climate: in summer there is more rainfall than in winter. The Aki Sea is considered a seismically hazardous area. During the monsoon period, powerful typhoons are born here, and the waves grow up to 12 meters. But the Japanese really appreciate the Aki Sea for its richest underwater world and abundance of fish. The sea is especially famous for mackerel and crucian carp.
Sea Bali
Sea Bali. The Bali Sea stretches between the islands of Bali, Lombok, Subawa, Java and Madura. Its area is 40 thousand km. The subequatorial zone provides a mild and humid climate. Storms are rare here, and the water temperature rarely drops below 28°C. It is for this that divers love the Bali Sea. The underwater world is almost as beautiful as the Indian Ocean. In the sea there are such unusual fish as barracudas, crocodile fish, angelfish, hammerhead sharks and giant tortoises. But swimming here is not very convenient, since coral thickets begin almost at the edge of the sea.
- one of the deepest in the world (average depth - 2744 m), located within the Malay Archipelago. Great depth, low tides (up to 2 m) and warm water (average temperature 26-28°C) have made the Banda Sea one of the favorite meeting places for divers.
The underwater world here is exceptionally diverse. One of the most interesting species of fish is the talking umbrine fish. They make a sound like grunting, and very loud. Local fishermen simply listen to the water and easily determine the places where fish gather. And the catch of umbrine brought to the deck rolls up a deafening concert.
The sea got its name in honor of the Banda archipelago. Until the middle of the 19th century, these islands were the only place in the world where nutmeg was grown - the most valuable spice that Arab merchants sold at exorbitant prices. And the location of the islands was kept in the strictest confidence.
- the largest (area 2304 sq. km) and the deepest sea in Russia. Its average depth is 1640m, the greatest is 4151m. This sea is also the most northerly, ice is formed here already in September, and disappears only by the end of June. In winter, more than half of the sea is under ice, and in the Gulf of Laurentia, for example, the ice crust stays for years.
The Bering Sea is often called the "sea of abundance", because. it is one of the richest ecoregions in the world. It is home to over 450 species of fish, about 50 species of seabirds and more than 20 species of marine animals.
- an inland sea located between the islands of the Philippine archipelago. Clear waters, snow-white beaches, cozy coves and excellent weather conditions have made the sea a popular tourist destination. The sea is shallow (average depth is only 80 m), but very warm, as it is located near the equator. The underwater world of the sea is, first of all, coral thickets, which attract numerous species of fish and shellfish. Pearls are mined in shallow waters.
(Seto-Nankai Sea) is located between the Japanese islands and connects through the Shimonoseki Strait with the Sea of Japan, which washes these islands. The sea is shallow - the average depth is 22 meters. But in this water area there are over 1000 islands. The largest islands are connected by bridges.
Since ancient times, this sea has served as the most important transport artery. In the Middle Ages, the power of the sea was seized by pirates who had a huge fleet and completely controlled maritime trade in this region. The most influential were the pirates from the Murakami family clan, who received the status of samurai for their activities.
The unique natural conditions became the reason that it was the water area of the Inland Sea of Japan that became the world's first marine reserve (since 1934).
Located between the coast of China and the Japanese islands. Its area is 836 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 309 m, the greatest is 2718 m. This sea is very dangerous for sailors, since there are still huge unexplored areas of the water area, and navigation equipment is installed only near the most important ports. The uneven topography of the seabed is the result of numerous earthquakes, as a result of which powerful tsunamis are formed.
Washes the east coast of China and Korea. The area is 416 thousand square kilometers, the average depth is 40 m. It was called yellow because of the color of the water. The fact is that several of the largest Chinese rivers flow into this sea, which form deposits of sand and silt. And in spring, dust storms often rage over the sea, which are so strong that ships have to be stopped.
The first European to visit the Yellow Sea was Marco Polo, although the ancient peoples of China and Korea have traveled this sea since time immemorial and were active in maritime trade.
One of the most amazing natural phenomena occurs in the southwestern part of the sea. Here, between the Korean islands of Jindo and Modo, at low tide, the sea parted, exposing the bottom. For almost an hour, the “sea road” opens, along which you can get from one island to another on foot, practically without getting your feet wet. This happens 1-3 times a year. People call this phenomenon "the miracle of Moses".
- an inland sea located between the islands of the Philippine archipelago. It got its name in honor of the Camotes group of islands, which rise almost in the very center of the water area.
Camotes is located in the tropics, so in May there is calm, and from June to October typhoons dominate here.
Near the island of Cebu in the Camotes Sea is one of the most unusual places on our planet - Magnoles Bay. Huge reserves of beryllium have been discovered at the bottom of the bay. By dissolving in sea water, beryllium makes this water taste sweet. Therefore, Camotes is popularly called the "sweet sea".
Spread between Australia and the islands of New Guinea and New Caledonia. Total area - 4791 sq. km, the average depth is 2194 m (the greatest is 9140 m).
The sea got its name in honor of the corals, whose thickets form huge reefs and islands. It is here that the longest coral reef in the world is located - the Great Barrier Reef. The entire water area has belonged to Australia since 1964.
There is also a tragic page in the history of the sea. In May 1942, one of the largest naval battles of World War II between the fleets of Japan and the allies (Great Britain, the USA and Australia) took place in the Coral Sea. It was the first battle of aircraft carriers in the world, and the ships themselves did not fire a single shot, and the battle was fought exclusively in the air.
The Pacific Ocean (a world map makes it possible to visually understand where it is) is an integral part of the world's water area. It is the largest on the planet Earth. In terms of water volume and area, the described object occupies half the volume of the entire water area. In addition, it is in the Pacific Ocean that the deepest depressions of the Earth are located. By the number of islands located in the water area, it also ranks first. It washes the shores of all the continents of the Earth, except Africa.
Characteristic
As mentioned earlier, the geographical position of the Pacific Ocean is determined in such a way that it occupies most of the planet. Its area is 178 million km2. By volume of water - 710 million km 2. From north to south, the ocean stretches for 16 thousand km, and from east to west - for 18 thousand km. The entire Earth will have an area less than the Pacific Ocean by 30 million km2.
Borders
Allows him to occupy an impressive area in both the southern and northern hemispheres. However, due to the large amount of land in the latter, the water area noticeably narrows to the north.
The borders of the Pacific Ocean are as follows:
- In the east: washes the shores of the two American continents.
- In the north: it borders the southeastern part of Malaysia and Indonesia, the eastern edge of Australia.
- In the south: the ocean rests on the ice of Antarctica.
- In the north: through the Bering Strait, which separates American Alaska and Russian Chukotka, it merges with the waters of the Arctic Ocean.
- In the southeast: along connects with the Atlantic Ocean (conditional border from Cape Drake to Cape Sternek).
- In the southwest: meets the Indian Ocean (a conditional border from the island of Tasmania to the shortest meridional point off the coast of Antarctica).
Challenger Abyss
Features of the geographical position of the Pacific Ocean allow us to speak of its unique mark, which characterizes the distance from the bottom to the surface of the waters. The maximum depth of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the entire World Ocean as a whole, is almost 11 km. This trench is located in the Mariana Trench, which, in turn, is located in the western part of the water area, not far from the islands of the same name.
For the first time, they tried to measure the depth of the depression in 1875 with the help of the English Challenger corvette. For this, a deep-water lot (a special device for measuring the distance to the bottom) was used. The first recorded indicator during the study of the trench was a mark of just over 8,000 m. In 1957, a Soviet expedition took up the measurement of the depth. Based on the results of the work carried out, the data of previous studies were changed. It is worth noting that our scientists got closer to the real value. The depth of the gutter, according to the results of measurements, was 11,023 m. This figure was considered correct for a long time, and was indicated in reference books and textbooks as the deepest point on the planet. However, already in the 2000s, thanks to the emergence of new, more accurate instruments that help determine various values, the real, most accurate depth of the trench was established - 10,994 m (according to studies in 2011). This point of the Mariana Trench was called the "Challenger Deep". So unique and especially the geographical position of the Pacific Ocean.
The trench itself stretches along the islands for almost 1,500 km. It has sharp slopes and a flat bottom stretching for 1.5 km. The pressure at the depth of the Mariana Trench is several tens of times higher than at shallow ocean depths. The depression is located at the junction of two tectonic plates - the Philippine and Pacific.
Other areas
Near the Mariana Trench there are a number of transitional areas from the mainland to the ocean: the Aleutian, Japanese, Kuril-Kamchatka, Tonga-Kermadek and others. All of them are located along the fault of tectonic plates. This area is the most seismically active. Together with the eastern transitional regions (within the mountainous regions of the western outskirts of the American continents), they form the so-called Pacific volcanic ring of fire. Most active and extinct geological formations are located within its boundaries.
Seas
The description of the geographical position of the Pacific Ocean must necessarily refer to the seas. Near the outskirts of the ocean coast there are quite a large number of them. They concentrated to a greater extent in the Northern Hemisphere, off the coast of Eurasia. There are more than 20 of them, with a total area (including straits and bays) of 31 million km 2. The largest are Okhotsk, Barents, Zheltoye, South and East China, Philippine and others. Off the coast of Antarctica there are 5 Pacific reservoirs (Ross, D'Urville, Somov, etc.). The eastern coast of the ocean is uniform, the coast is slightly indented, difficult to access and has no seas. However, there are 3 bays - Panama, California and Alaska.
Islands
Of course, a detailed description of the geographical position of the Pacific Ocean also includes such a feature as a huge amount of land located directly on the territory of the water area. There are more than 10 thousand islands and island archipelagos of different sizes and origins. Most of them are volcanic. They are located within the subtropical and tropical climatic zones. Formed by a volcanic eruption, many of the islands are overgrown with corals. Subsequently, some of them again went under water, and only the coral layer remained on the surface. It usually has the shape of a circle or semicircle. Such an island is called an atoll. The largest is located on the border of the Marshall Islands - Kwajlein.
In this water area, in addition to small islands of volcanic and coral origin, there are also the largest land areas of the planet. This is quite natural, given the geographical position of the Pacific Ocean. New Guinea and Kalimantan are islands in the western part of the water area. They respectively occupy the 2nd and 3rd place in terms of area around the world. Also in the Pacific Ocean is the largest archipelago of the planet - the Greater Sunda Islands, consisting of 4 large land areas and more than 1,000 small ones.
Ocean area - 178.7 million square kilometers;
Maximum depth - Mariana Trench, 11022 m;
Number of seas - 25;
The largest seas are the Philippine Sea, the Coral Sea, the Tasman Sea, the Bering Sea;
The largest bay is Alaska;
The largest islands are New Zealand, New Guinea;
The strongest currents:
- warm - Northern Equatorial, Southern Equatorial, Kuroshio, East Australian;
- cold - West Winds, Peruvian, Californian.
The Pacific Ocean occupies a third of the entire earth's surface and half of the area of the World Ocean. Almost in the middle it crosses the equator. The Pacific Ocean washes the shores of five continents:
- Eurasia from the northwest;
- Australia from the southwest;
- Antarctica from the south;
- South and North America from the west.
In the north, through the Bering Strait, it connects to the Arctic Ocean. In the southern part, the conditional boundaries between the three oceans - the Pacific and Indian, Pacific and Atlantic - are drawn along the meridians, from the extreme southern continental or island point to the Antarctic coast.
The Pacific Ocean is the only one that is located almost entirely within the boundaries of one lithospheric plate - the Pacific. In places where it interacts with other plates, seismically active zones arise, which create the Pacific seismic belt, known as the Ring of Fire. Along the edges of the ocean, at the boundaries of the lithospheric plates, there are its deepest parts - oceanic trenches. One of the main features of the Pacific Ocean are tsunami waves that result from underwater eruptions and earthquakes.
The climate of the Pacific Ocean is due to its location in all climatic zones, except for the polar one. Most precipitation occurs in the equatorial zone - up to 2000 mm. Due to the fact that the Pacific Ocean is protected by land from the influence of the Arctic Ocean, its northern part is warmer than the southern.
Trade winds reign in the central part of the ocean. Devastating tropical hurricanes - typhoons, which are characteristic of monsoonal air circulation, are characteristic of the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Storms are frequent in the north and south.
There is almost no floating ice in the North Pacific, as the narrow Bering Channel limits communication with the Arctic Ocean. And only the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea are covered with ice in winter.
The flora and fauna of the Pacific Ocean is characterized by richness and diversity. One of the richest organisms in terms of species composition is the Sea of Japan. The coral reefs of tropical and equatorial latitudes are particularly rich in life forms. The largest coral structure is the Great Barrier Reef (Great Coral Reef) near the east coast of Australia, where tropical fish species, sea urchins, stars, squids, octopuses live ... Many types of fish are of commercial importance: salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, tuna, herring, anchovies...
In the Pacific Ocean, there are also ssavtsy: whales, dolphins, fur seals, sea beavers (found only in the Pacific Ocean). One of the features of the Pacific Ocean is the presence of animal giants: blue whale, whale shark, king crab, tridacna mollusk ...
The territories of more than 50 countries, in which almost half of the world's population lives, go to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
The beginning of the development of the Pacific Ocean by Europeans was laid by Ferdinand Magellan (1519 - 1521), James Cook, A. Tasman, V. Bering. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the expeditions of the English ship Challenger and the Russian ship Vityaz had particularly important results. In the second half of the 20th century, the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl and the Frenchman Jacques-Yves Cousteau carried out interesting and versatile studies of the Pacific Ocean. At the present stage, specially created international organizations are engaged in the study of the nature of the Pacific Ocean.
Hello friends! Today I have prepared a new article for you. Now we will consider the characteristics of the Pacific Ocean.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of all oceans (about what an ocean is). It washes such continents (more on the continents): in the east - North America (more on North America) and South America, in the west - Australia and Eurasia (more on Eurasia), and in the south of the coast of Antarctica (more on Antarctica).
The volume of the Pacific Ocean is 710 million km 3, the area together with the seas (that such a sea is possible) is 178.6 million km 2. This is not only the largest, but also the deepest ocean, its maximum depth is 11022 m (Marian Trench), the average depth is 3980 m.
In the Pacific Ocean, the seas are mainly located on the western and northern margins: the Sea of Okhotsk, the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Bering Sea, the Yellow Sea, the Philippine Sea, the Sea of Japan, and the Inland Sea of Japan. The Tasmanovo and Coral Seas belong to the interisland or Australo-Asian Mediterranean seas. Seas off the coast of Antarctica: Ross, Bellingshausen and Amundsen.
The ocean is also rich in islands: in its northern part are the Aleutian Islands, in the western part - Sakhalin Island, the island of New Guinea, the Kuril Islands, the Philippine Islands, the Japanese Islands, the island of New Zealand, the Greater and Lesser Sunda Islands, the island of Tasmania and others. In the central part of the Pacific Ocean there are numerous islands, which are united under the name Oceania.
In the eastern part of the ocean, the bottom topography is relatively even, in the central and western parts there are many underwater hills and basins (the depth of which is more than 5000 m) separated by underwater ridges, on which the depths decrease to 2000–3000 m (South Pacific Ridge, East Pacific ridge, etc.).
Deep-sea trenches (depth 8000-10000 m), active volcanism and seismic activity are typical for peripheral regions.
The temperature of the water surface in the subpolar regions is up to -0.5 °С, and near the equator - from 26 to 29 °С.
The fish fauna is about 800 species in the Far Eastern seas and at least 2,000 species of fish and 6,000 species of mollusks in tropical latitudes. There are many coral reefs in the ocean.
Flora is represented by flowering plants (29 species), about 4000 species of algae live on the ocean floor, as well as about 1300 species of unicellular algae (peridinea, diatoms).
More than 1 / 2 of the world's seafood and fish production falls on the Pacific Ocean. The most important are: herring, pollock, cod, Pacific salmon, sea bass, saury, mackerel, greenling, etc. Oysters, shrimp and crabs are also harvested.
Also across the Pacific Ocean are vital air and sea routes that link four continents.
Main ports: Los Angeles (USA, more about the country), San Francisco (USA), Valparaiso (Chile), Vancouver (Canada), Vladivostok (Russia, more about the country), Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia), Nakhodka (Russia), Shanghai (China), Hong Kong (China), Tianjin (China), Guangzhou (China), Busan (South Korea), Sydney (Australia), Yokohama (Japan), Tokyo (Japan), Singapore (Singapore).
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