The Atlantic Ocean occupies a huge area - 91 million square meters. km, and is the second largest after the Pacific Ocean. It contains 25% of all water on our planet. Let's get acquainted with a short list of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean, each of which has its own character traits and features.
Atlantic Ocean basin
The Atlantic Ocean is the most important component of the World Ocean, the average depth of its waters is about 4 kilometers, and the salinity of the waters varies within 35%.
The Atlantic Ocean is characterized by a strongly indented coastline with a pronounced division into water areas. The seas of the Atlantic are of great scientific interest, since they occupy 16% of total area ocean, that is, approximately 14.7 million square meters. km.
Rice. 1. Atlantic Ocean.
Many seas of the Atlantic are not directly connected to the ocean, and the connection between the basins occurs through bays and seas located nearby. Features of the geographical location and climatic conditions have a great influence on the animal and vegetable world seas of the Atlantic Ocean, which are very diverse.
The Atlantic Ocean was named after a mythical hero Ancient Greece- Atlanta, who held the entire sky on his mighty shoulders.
Seas of the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic basin includes 28 large and small seas, each of which has its own unique features.
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- Sea Labrador - the northernmost sea of the Atlantic, the surface of which is almost completely under ice in winter. Huge icebergs are often found in the water expanses of this sea. Despite the extremely cold climate, the Labrador coast was inhabited by northern tribes as early as the 5th century BC. e.
- - a very unusual sea, which has no analogues anywhere in the world. It is the only sea that has no shores, since its boundaries are sea currents. In addition, 90% of the area of the Sargasso Sea is occupied by Sargasso - long brown algae, the accumulation of which is visible even from space.
Rice. 2. Sargasso Sea.
- caribbean sea - a warm sea separating the South and Central America. In ancient times it was called Antilles, but later it was renamed in honor of the Caribs - ancient Indian tribes. In the Middle Ages, the Caribbean was given over to pirates.
The seas of the Atlantic basin, washing Russia, include the Baltic, Black and Sea of Azov. All of them are deep in the mainland, and their interaction with the ocean is carried out through straits and other seas. Such remoteness from oceanic waters determines their very peculiar hydrological regime.
- North Sea - is of great transport importance, since its water area is the intersection of almost all the most important sea routes on the planet.
- - an inland sea that divides Turkey into two parts: Asian and European. This is the oldest sea, formed several million years ago.
The Atlantic Ocean is considered one of the largest and most voluminous in size, namely the second largest after the Pacific Ocean. This ocean, the most studied and developed, when compared with other areas. Its location is as follows: from the east it is framed by the shores of North and South America, and in the west its borders end with Europe and Africa. In the South it goes into South ocean. And on the north side it borders on Greenland. The ocean is distinguished by the fact that there are very few islands in it, and the topography of its bottom is all dotted and has a complex structure. The coastline is broken.
Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean
If we talk about the area of \u200b\u200bthe ocean, then it occupies 91.66 million square meters. km. We can say that part of its territory is not the ocean itself, but existing seas, bays. The volume of the ocean is 329.66 million square meters. km, and its average depth is 3736 m. Where the Puerto Rico trench is located, it is considered the greatest depth of the ocean, which is 8742 m. There are two currents - North and South.
Atlantic Ocean from the north side
The border of the ocean from the north is marked in some places by ridges located under water. In this hemisphere, the Atlantic is framed by a rugged coastline. Its small northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by several narrow straits. Davis Strait is located in the northeast and connects the ocean with the Baffin Sea, which is also considered to belong to the Arctic Ocean. Closer to the center is the Danish Strait, which is less wide than Davis. Between Norway and Iceland towards the northeast lies the Norwegian Sea.
The Gulf of Mexico is located in the southwest of the North Ocean, which is connected by the Strait of Florida. Also the Caribbean. Many bays can be noted here, such as Barnegat, Delaware, Hudson Bay and others. Exactly at north side Ocean you can see the largest and largest islands, which are famous for their fame. These are Puerto Rico, the world famous Cuba and Haiti, as well as the British Isles and Newfoundland. Closer to the east you can find small groups of islands. This is Canary Islands, Azores and Cape Verde. Closer to the west Bahamas, Lesser Antilles.
South Atlantic Ocean
Some of the geographers believe that the southern part is the entire space to the Antarctic. Someone defines the border at Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope of the two continents. The coast in the south of the Atlantic Ocean is not as indented as in the north, and there are no seas here. There is one large gulf near Africa - Guinea. The farthest point in the south is Tierra del Fuego, which is framed by small islands in in large numbers. Also, you cannot find large islands here, but there are separate islands, like about. Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha. In the extreme south you can find the South Islands, Bouvet, Falkland and others.
As for the current in the south of the ocean, here all systems flow counterclockwise. Near the east of Brazil, the South Equatorial Current forks. One branch goes north, flows near the northern coast of South America, filling with itself caribbean. And the second is considered southern, very warm, moves near Brazil and soon connects with the Antarctic current, then heads to the east. Partially separates and turns into the Benguela Current, which is distinguished by its cold waters.
Landmarks of the Atlantic Ocean
There is a special underwater cave in the Belize Barrier Reef. They called it the Blue Hole. It is very deep, and inside it is located more whole line caves, which are interconnected by tunnels. Deep into the cave reaches 120 m and is considered unique in its kind.
There is no person who does not know about the Bermuda Triangle. But it is located in the Atlantic Ocean and excites the imagination of many superstitious travelers. Bermudas beckon with their mystery, but at the same time they frighten with the unknown.
It is in the Atlantic that you can see an unusual sea that has no shores. And all because it is located in the middle of the body of water, and its boundaries cannot be framed by land, only currents show the boundaries of this sea. This is the only sea in the world that has such unique data and is called the Sargasso Sea.
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The name alone of the Atlantic Ocean already reflects its vast scale. It is part of the oceans and contains significant reserves water resources. In terms of size, it ranks second (after the Pacific) place. It contains a quarter of all the water on the planet, and this is a lot - 25%. Its huge area is impressive, amounting to about 91 million square meters. km. An equally significant amount of water, which amounted to 329.7 million km³ according to the latest data. An indicator such as the average depth of the ocean is considered to be 3,600 meters. The salinity of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean is approximately 35%. To date, it is known that scientists have taken measurements and as a result have established more accurate data, according to which the average depth of the ocean is 4022 meters.
The Atlantic Ocean got its name not by chance, there are several versions of its origin. The first says that he was so named in honor of the legendary continent of Atlantis, while the second is based on the fact that he received the name from the name of the hero of ancient myths - Atlanta, who supported the entire sky on his shoulders. Even the geographical location of the mythical hero is known - in the very extreme point western part of the Mediterranean.
Of great scientific interest are the seas of which - about 14.69 million km², which is approximately 16% of the total ocean area. The seas and bays include the following: the Irish, Baltic, North Seas, as well as the Gulf of Finland, Bothnia and Riga. If you list the seas of the Atlantic Ocean, then this is the Mediterranean, and such seas as the Balearic, Alboran, Ligurian, Adriatic, Tyrrhenian, Ionian, Aegean, Marble, Black, Azov and This list can be continued, since the Riiser-Larsen, Lazarev sea , Sargasso, Weddell, Caribbean, Gulfs of Maine, Mexican, St. Lawrence and Labrador, the Scotia Sea also belong here.
The seas of the Atlantic Ocean have an indirect connection with their main source, it is carried out through nearby bays and seas, so there are various specific features characteristic only of these regions. climatic conditions, as well as the difference between diverse species of flora and fauna.
The Mediterranean Sea stretches between Asia, Europe and Africa. it is connected in the northeast with the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus with the Black Sea. From the southeast, it is connected through the unique Red Sea. 2,500 thousand km is the area of the Mediterranean Sea, while its volume is 3,839 thousand km³.
It communicates with the ocean through the North, and the Black through the waters of the neighboring Marmara and Mediterranean Seas. The Baltic Sea is inland, its area is 385 thousand km, the average depth is 86 meters. It received its modern outlines approximately 2.5 thousand years ago. The volume of water in it is 21,700 km3.
The Black Inland Sea also enters the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. In the southwest, it is connected to the Sea of Marmara through the Bosporus Strait. Its area is almost 413.5 thousand km, and the average depth is 1000 m (with a maximum depth of 2245 m), the volume of water in this sea is 537 thousand km. cubic.
For many centuries, a very important life-supporting phenomenon has been formed, such as the Gulf Stream. It originates in the southeast North America. The width of the current of the Atlantic Ocean is 75 km, and its speed is 6-30 km/h. It is characterized by a warm upper layer of water with a temperature of 26 degrees and a speed that lies within such limits - 6-30 km / h. Warm provide the European states that are located on its shores with a mild and favorable climate, very comfortable for living. The heat that the Gulf Stream emits is equivalent to the amount of heat that 1 million nuclear power plants can generate.
is the smallest sea in the world. The average depth is only 7.4 m, the greatest is 13.5 m. The sea was formed around 5600 BC. after the spill of the neighboring Black Sea, which flooded the mouth of the Don, forming a new water area.
The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is probably the only one in the world that has had more than 100 names in its entire history! Here are just a few of them: Meotian, Karguluk, Balysyr, Samakush, Saks, Frankish, Kaffa, Akdeniz. Modern name gave the sea the city of the same name, conquered for Russia by Peter I. And only from the middle of the 18th century on the maps it began to be designated as Azov.
Despite its shallow depth, the Sea of Azov is considered one of the richest in terms of the number of individuals per 1 sq. km. According to this indicator, it is 40 times richer than the Mediterranean and 160 times richer than the Black.
- marginal sea in the north-west of Europe. The area is 415 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 51 m. Some scientists distinguish the part of the sea between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland as a separate water area - the Archipelago Sea.
In the "Tale of Bygone Years" this sea is called the Varangian, the Swedes, Germans and Danes called it the East, and in Ancient Rome the sea was described as the Sarmatian Ocean. For a long time, the Baltic Sea has been considered one of the main transport routes linking Russia and Europe.
The Hebrides Sea is located between Scotland and the Hebrides. The area is 47 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 64 m.
The sea is cold, winds and hurricanes often rage over its surface, which are alternately replaced by showers and fogs. The weather here is unpredictable, which makes navigation very difficult.
- a small sea (area 100 thousand square kilometers) between Great Britain and Ireland. The ancient Greeks called it the Ibernian Ocean. In winter, storms rage here, in summer the water warms up to 13-16 °C. And the height of the tidal waves reaches 6 meters.
In the last 100 years, the issue of building a bridge across the seas or an underwater tunnel has been widely discussed. And according to Greenpeace, the Irish Sea is considered the most radioactively polluted in the world.
It separates Central and South America, and is connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal. Its area is 2.7 million sq. km, the average depth is 2500 m.
The sea got its name in honor of the Caribs - a group of Indian tribes who settled in the Antilles in the 15th century, that is, at the time when the Spanish conquerors appeared in these waters. However, very often this sea was also called the Antilles.
In the XVII-XVIII centuries, piracy flourished in the Caribbean, which had a significant impact on the development of the region's economy. The most famous pirates caribbean Cast: Henry Morgan, Edward Teach (nicknamed "Blackbeard") and Bartholomew Roberts ("Black Brother").
By the way, Tortuga is a real island in the Caribbean, which was once a stronghold of piracy.
It washes the southern parts of Ireland and Great Britain and the northwestern coast of France.
The name for the sea in 1921 was proposed by the English scientist E. Holt, who decided to perpetuate the memory ancient people who lived in this region - the Celts. Until that time, the northern part of the sea was considered part of the Strait of St. George, and the southern was designated as the "south-western approaches" to Great Britain. After a series of studies at the beginning of the 20th century, it was decided to single out this area as a separate sea and assign an official name to it.
Washes the southeast coast of Greenland. This small area is famous for its harsh climate and cold waters, which are brought here by the Arctic currents. The sea is named after the greatest Danish hydrographer of the 19th century, K.L. Irminger.
- the northernmost sea of the Atlantic with an area of 840 thousand square kilometers, the average depth is 1898 m. The proximity of the Arctic is clearly felt here. AT winter months The Labrador Sea is 2/3 covered with floating ice. And because of the melting of glaciers, icebergs are often found. One of the largest turbidite channels in the world lies in this water area.
Despite the harsh climate, the coasts of Labrador were inhabited as early as the 5th century BC. The coast of this sea has become home to many ancient cultures of the Indians and Eskimos.
The sea is named after the island of the same name, which was discovered by the Portuguese G. Kortirial in 1500. Translated from port. "Terro do Lavrador" means "land of the plowman".
- an inland sea separating the Asian and European part Turkey. The area is 11.4 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 259 m.
The Sea of Marmara was formed several million years ago, its description is found in the historical writings of the ancient Greeks and Arabs. But the first Scientific research Russians spent here: in 1845 - the expedition of M. P. Manganari, in 1890 - a special scientific expedition of S. O. Makarov and I. B. Spindler.
- a unique sea, which in many ways differs from all the seas on earth.
Firstly, this is the only sea on the planet without coasts. Its boundaries are currents. That is why the area of the Sargasso Sea is determined approximately - 6-7 million square kilometers.
Secondly, the sea is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest stretch of calm water. Indeed, almost 90% of the sea is covered with sargasso - brown algae. Such a vast spot is visible even from space.
Thirdly, this is one of the safest seas in the world, as predatory marine animals do not look here for fear of getting entangled in algae. Other fish (especially eels) use this with might and main, choosing this sea for laying eggs.
Until recently, the waters of the Sargasso Sea were considered the most transparent - there is little plankton, so it was possible to look deep into almost 60 meters. Unfortunately, the currents bring here a lot of garbage, including plastic waste, which seriously threaten the ecology of the water area.
washes north coast Europe, located between British Isles, Scandinavia and the mainland. The area is 755 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 95 m.
The North Sea is of great transport importance. This is where almost all major sea routes of our planet, and the cargo turnover in this sea is 20% of the world.
Part of the World Ocean bounded by Europe and Africa from the east and north and South America from the west. The name comes from the name of the titan Atlas (Atlanta) in Greek mythology.
It is inferior in size only to the Quiet; its area is approximately 91.56 million km2. It is distinguished from other oceans by the strong indentation of the coastline, which forms numerous seas and bays, especially in the northern part. In addition, the total area of river basins flowing into this ocean or its marginal seas is much larger than that of rivers flowing into any other ocean. Another difference Atlantic Ocean is a relatively small number of islands and a complex bottom topography, which, thanks to underwater ridges and uplifts, forms many separate basins.
States of the coast of the Atlantic Ocean-49 countries:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland , Spain, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint -Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.
NORTHERN ATLANTIC OCEAN
It is divided into northern and southern parts, the border between which is conditionally drawn along the equator. From an oceanographic point of view, however, the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5–8° N latitude, should be attributed to the southern part of the ocean. The northern boundary is usually drawn along the Arctic Circle. In some places this boundary is marked by underwater ridges.
Borders and coastline
in the northern hemisphere has a heavily indented coastline. Its narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow straits. In the northeast, the Davis Strait, 360 km wide, connects it with the Baffin Sea, belonging to the Arctic Ocean. In the central part, between Greenland and Iceland, there is the Danish Strait, with a width of only 287 km at its narrowest point. Finally, in the northeast, between Iceland and Norway, is the Norwegian Sea, approx. 1220 km. East of Atlantic Ocean two water areas deeply protruding into the land are separated. The more northern of them begins with the North Sea, which to the east passes into the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. To the south there is a system of inland seas - the Mediterranean and the Black - with a total length of approx. 4000 km.
In the tropical zone in the southwest of the North Atlantic are the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, connected to the ocean by the Strait of Florida. The coast of North America is indented by small bays (Pamlico, Barnegat, Chesapeake, Delaware and Long Island Sound); to the northwest are the Bays of Fundy and St. Lawrence, Belle Isle, Hudson Strait, and Hudson Bay.
CURRENTS
Surface currents in the northern part Atlantic Ocean moving clockwise. The main elements of this large system are the north-facing warm current Gulf Stream, as well as the North Atlantic, Canary and North Trade Wind (Equatorial) currents. The Gulf Stream follows from the Strait of Florida and the island of Cuba in a northerly direction along the coast of the United States and at about 40 ° N. latitude. deviates to the northeast, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current divides into two branches, one of which follows the northeast along the coast of Norway and further into the Northern Arctic Ocean. The second branch turns south and further southwest along the coast of Africa, forming the cold Canary Current. This current moves to the southwest and joins the North Equatorial Current, which heads west towards the West Indies, where it merges with the Gulf Stream. To the north of the North Equatorial Current is an area of stagnant water, abundant in algae and known as the Sargasso Sea. Along the North Atlantic coast of North America, the cold Labrador Current passes from north to south, following from the Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cooling the coast of New England.
ISLANDS of the Atlantic Ocean
The largest islands are concentrated in the northern part of the ocean; these are the British Isles, Iceland, Newfoundland, Cuba, Haiti (Hispaniola) and Puerto Rico. On the eastern edge Atlantic Ocean there are several groups of small islands - Azores, Canaries, Cape Verde. There are similar groups in the western part of the ocean. Examples include the Bahamas, Florida Keys and Lesser Antilles. The archipelagos of the Greater and Lesser Antilles form an island arc surrounding the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea. AT pacific ocean similar island arcs are characteristic of deformation regions earth's crust. Deep-water trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.