It is believed that the first person to visit the Pacific Ocean on a ship was Magellan. In 1520, he circumnavigated South America and saw new expanses of water. Since during the entire journey Magellan's team did not encounter a single storm, the new ocean was named " Quiet".
But even earlier, in 1513, the Spaniard Vasco Nunez de Balboa headed south from Colombia to a place where, as he was told, there was a rich country with a large sea. Having reached the ocean, the conquistador saw an endless expanse of water stretching to the west, and called it " South Sea".
Wildlife of the Pacific Ocean
The ocean is famous for its rich flora and fauna. It is home to about 100 thousand species of animals. Such diversity is not found in any other ocean. For example, the second largest ocean, the Atlantic, is inhabited by “only” 30 thousand species of animals.
There are several places in the Pacific Ocean where the depth exceeds 10 km. These are the famous Mariana Trench, the Philippine Trench and the Kermadec and Tonga trenches. Scientists were able to describe 20 species of animals living at such great depths.
Half of all seafood consumed by humans is caught in the Pacific Ocean. Among the 3 thousand species of fish, industrial-scale fishing is open for herring, anchovies, mackerel, sardines, etc.
Climate
The large extent of the ocean from north to south quite logically explains the diversity of climatic zones - from equatorial to Antarctic. The most extensive zone is the equatorial one. Throughout the year, the temperature here does not drop below 20 degrees. Temperature fluctuations throughout the year are so small that we can safely say that it is always +25 there. There is a lot of precipitation, more than 3,000 mm. in year. Characterized by very frequent cyclones.
The amount of precipitation is greater than the amount of water evaporating. Rivers, which bring more than 30 thousand m³ of fresh water into the ocean annually, make surface water less saline than in other oceans.
Relief of the bottom and islands of the Pacific Ocean
The bottom topography is extremely varied. Located in the east East Pacific Rise, where the terrain is relatively flat. In the center there are basins and deep-sea trenches. The average depth is 4,000 m, and in some places exceeds 7 km. The bottom of the center of the ocean is covered with products of volcanic activity with high contents of copper, nickel and cobalt. The thickness of such deposits in some areas can be 3 km. The age of these rocks begins with the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
At the bottom there are several long chains of seamounts formed as a result of the action of volcanoes: Emperor's Mountains, Louisville and Hawaiian Islands. There are approximately 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. This is more than in all other oceans combined. Most of them are located south of the equator.
Islands are classified into 4 types:
- Continental Islands. Very closely related to the continents. Includes New Guinea, the islands of New Zealand and the Philippines;
- High Islands. Appeared as a result of underwater volcanic eruptions. Many of the modern high islands have active volcanoes. For example Bougainville, Hawaii and Solomon Islands;
- Coral raised atolls;
The last two types of islands are huge colonies of coral polyps that form coral reefs and islands.
- This ocean is so huge that its maximum width is equal to half the earth's equator, i.e. more than 17 thousand km.
- The fauna is large and diverse. Even now, new animals unknown to science are regularly discovered there. So, in 2005, a group of scientists discovered about 1000 species of decapod cancer, two and a half thousand mollusks and more than a hundred crustaceans.
- The deepest point on the planet is in the Pacific Ocean in the Mariana Trench. Its depth exceeds 11 km.
- The tallest mountain in the world is located in the Hawaiian Islands. It is called Muana Kea and is an extinct volcano. The height from base to top is about 10,000 m.
- Located on the ocean floor Pacific Volcanic Ring of Fire, which is a chain of volcanoes located along the perimeter of the entire ocean.
The bottom of the world's oceans is uneven, cut through by gorges whose depth is tens of thousands of meters. The relief was formed millions of years ago due to the movement of tectonic plates - the “shell” of the earth’s crust. Due to their continuous movement, the location and shape of the continents and the ocean floor changed. The deepest ocean on the planet is the Pacific Ocean, which at this stage of technological development cannot be fully explored.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest on the planet. In its western latitudes lie the continents of Australia and Eurasia, in the southern - Antarctica, in the eastern - South and North America. The length of the Pacific Ocean from south to north is almost 16 thousand kilometers, and from west to east - 19 thousand. The area of the ocean together with its seas is 178.684 million kilometers, and the average depth is about 4 kilometers. But there are amazing places in the Pacific Ocean that make it the deepest in the world.
The Mariana Trench is the deepest place in the ocean
This deepest chasm got its name in honor of the nearby Mariana Islands. The depth of the Pacific Ocean in this place is 10 kilometers 994 meters. The deepest point of the trench is called the Challenger Deep. Geographically, the “Abyss” is located 340 km from the southwestern tip of the island of Guam.
If we take Mount Everest for comparison, which, as is known, rises 8848 m above sea level, it can completely disappear under water and there will still be room.
In 2010, an oceanographic expedition from New Hampshire conducted research on the ocean floor in the Mariana Trench area. Scientists have discovered four seamounts, each at least 2.5 kilometers high, crossing the surface of the trench at the point of contact between the Philippine and Pacific lithospheric plates. According to scientists, these ridges were formed about 180 million years ago as a result of the movement of the above-mentioned plates and the gradual creep of the older and heavier Pacific Plate under the Philippine Plate. The maximum depth of the Pacific Ocean was recorded here.
Diving into the abyss
Deep-sea vehicles with three people descended into the depths of the Challenger Deep four times:
- Brussels explorer Jacques Piccard, together with American Navy Lieutenant John Walsh, were the first to dare to look into the face of the abyss. This happened on January 23, 1960. The deepest dive in the world was made on the bathyscaphe Trieste, designed by Auguste Piccard, Jacques' father. This feat, without a doubt, set a record in the world of deep diving. The descent lasted 4 hours 48 minutes, and the ascent lasted 3 hours 15 minutes. The researchers found large flat fish at the bottom of the trench that looked like flounder. The lowest point of the World Ocean was recorded - 10,918 meters. Later, Picard wrote the book “11 thousand meters”, describing all the moments of the dive.
- On May 31, 1995, a deep-sea Japanese probe was launched into the depression, which recorded a depth of 10,911 m and also discovered ocean inhabitants - microorganisms.
- On May 31, 2009, the Nereus automatic apparatus went on reconnaissance and stopped at 10,902 m. It shot a video, took pictures of the bottom landscape and collected soil samples, in which microorganisms were also found.
- Finally, on March 26, 2012, film director James Cameron accomplished the feat of diving solo into the Challenger Deep. Cameron became the third person on Earth to visit the bottom of the World Ocean in its deepest place. The single-seat Deepsea Challenger was equipped with advanced deep-sea imaging equipment and powerful lighting equipment. Filming was carried out in 3G format. The Challenger Deep is featured in James Cameron's National Geographic Channel documentary.
This depression is located at the junction of the Indo-Australian plate and the Pacific plate. Extends from the Kermadec Trench towards the Tonga Islands. Its length is 860 km and its depth is 10,882 m, which is a record in the Southern Hemisphere and the second deepest on the planet. The Tonga region is notorious for being one of the most active seismic zones.
In 1970, on April 17, during Apollo 13's return to earth, the spent landing stage containing plutonium fell into the Tonga Trench to a depth of 6 km. No attempts were made to remove her from there.
Philippine Trench
The second deepest place in the Pacific Ocean is located in the Philippine Islands. The recorded depth of the depression is 10,540 m. The depression was formed as a result of the collision of granite and basalt layers, the latter, being heavier, was undermined by the granite layer. The process of meeting two lithospheric plates is called subduction, and the place of “meeting” is the subduction zone. In such places, tsunamis are born and earthquakes occur.
The depression runs along the volcanic ridge of the Kuril Islands on the border between Japan and Russia. The length of the trench is 1300 km, and the maximum depth is 10500 m. The depression was formed more than 65 million years ago during the Cretaceous period as a result of the collision of two tectonic plates.
It is located near the Kermadec Islands, northeast of New Zealand and in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The trench was first discovered by the Galatea group from Denmark, and the Soviet research vessel Vityaz studied the bottom of the trench in 1958 and recorded a maximum depth of 10,047 m. In 2008, an unknown species of sea slugs was discovered at the bottom of the trench, as well as deep-seated crustaceans long up to 30 cm.
Video: inhabitants of the Mariana Trench
Our blue planet is full of secrets, and we humans strive to comprehend them. We are curious by nature, learning from the past and looking forward to the future. The ocean is the cradle of humanity. When will he reveal his secrets to us? The greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean that is known to scientists - are these figures true, or is there something incomprehensible hidden under the black water?
Geographical position. The Pacific (or Great) Ocean, in terms of its size and natural features, is a unique natural object on our planet. The ocean is located in all hemispheres of the Earth, between the continents of Eurasia and Australia in the west, North and South America in the east and Antarctica in the south.
The Pacific Ocean occupies more than 1/3 of the planet's surface and almost half of the World Ocean (Table VII.3). It has an oval outline, is somewhat elongated from northwest to southeast and is widest between the tropics. The coastline is relatively straight off the coasts of North and South America and highly dissected off the coast of Eurasia. The Pacific Ocean includes a number of marginal seas in East and Southeast Asia. There are a large number of archipelagos and individual islands in the ocean that are studied as part of Oceania.
Table VII.3
General information about the oceans
Oceans Area, million km3 Volume,
million km3 Average
depth, m Maximum
depth, m World Ocean 361.10 1340.74 3700 11022 (Mariana Trench) Pacific 178.62 710.36 3980 11022 (Mariana Trench) Atlantic 91.56 329.66 3600 8142 (Puerto Rico Trench) Indian 16.17 2 82 .65 3710 7729 (Sunda Trench) Arctic
14,75
18,07
1220
5527 (Greenland Sea)
Bottom relief. The Pacific Ocean is the deepest. The topography of its bottom is complex. The shelf (continental shelf) occupies a relatively small area. Off the coast of North and South America its width does not exceed tens of kilometers, and off the coast of Eurasia the shelf measures hundreds of kilometers. In the marginal parts of the ocean there are deep-sea trenches, and the Pacific Ocean contains the bulk of the deep-sea trenches of the entire World Ocean: 25 out of 35 have a depth of more than 5 km; and all trenches with a depth of over 10 km - there are 4 of them. Large uplifts of the bottom, individual mountains and ridges divide the ocean floor into basins. In the southeast of the ocean is the East Pacific Rise, which is part of the global system of mid-ocean ridges.
Associated with the system of deep-sea trenches and mountain structures on continents and islands adjacent to the ocean is an almost continuous chain of active volcanoes that form the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” In this zone, land and underwater earthquakes are also frequent, causing giant waves - tsunamis.
Climate. The Pacific Ocean stretches from subarctic to subantarctic latitudes, that is, it is located in almost all climatic zones of the Earth. Its main part is located in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones of both hemispheres. The air temperature over the waters of these latitudes is from +16 to +24°C all year round. However, in the north of the ocean in winter it drops below 0°C. Along the coasts of Antarctica, this temperature also persists in the summer months.
The circulation of the atmosphere over the ocean is characterized by zonal features: westerly winds predominate in temperate latitudes, trade winds dominate in tropical latitudes, and monsoons are pronounced in subequatorial latitudes off the coast of Eurasia. Strong winds of storm force and tropical cyclones - typhoons - are frequent over the Pacific Ocean. The maximum amount of precipitation falls in the western parts of the equatorial belt (about 3000 mm), the minimum in the eastern regions of the ocean between the equator and the southern tropic (about 100 mm).
Currents. The Pacific Ocean is quite elongated from west to east and therefore latitudinal water flows predominate in it. Two huge rings of water movement are formed in the ocean: northern and southern. The Northern Ring includes the Northern Trade Wind Current, Kuroshio Current, North Pacific Current and California Current. The southern ring consists of the South Trade Wind, East Australian Current, West Wind Current and Peruvian Current. Currents have a significant impact on the redistribution of heat in the ocean and on the nature of the adjacent continents. Thus, trade wind currents drive warm waters from the western tropical coasts of the continents to the eastern ones, therefore, in low latitudes, the western part of the ocean is significantly warmer than the eastern. In mid-high latitudes, on the contrary, the eastern parts of the ocean are warmer than the western ones.
Properties of water. All types of surface water masses, except Arctic ones, are formed in the Pacific Ocean. Because of the large area of ocean between the tropics, its surface waters are warmer than other oceans. The average annual water temperature between the tropics is +19°C, in equatorial latitudes it is from +25 to +29°C, and off the coast of Antarctica it drops to -1°C. Precipitation over the ocean generally dominates evaporation. The salinity of the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean is slightly lower than in the Atlantic, since the western part of the ocean receives a lot of fresh river water (Amur, Yellow River, Yangtze, Mekong and others). Ice phenomena in the northern part of the ocean and in the subantarctic zone are seasonal. Off the coast of Antarctica, sea ice lasts all year. Antarctic icebergs with surface currents rise to 40° S.
Organic world. In terms of biomass and number of species, the organic world of the Pacific Ocean is richer than in other oceans. This is explained by its long geological history, enormous size, and diversity of environmental conditions. Organic life is especially rich in equatorial-tropical latitudes, in areas where coral reefs develop. There are many different species of salmon fish in the northern part of the ocean.
Fishing in the Pacific Ocean accounts for more than 45% of global production. The main fishing areas are areas of interaction between warm and cold waters; shelf areas in the western ocean and areas of rising deep waters off the coast of North, and especially South, America.
Natural complexes. The Pacific Ocean has all natural zones except the North Polar.
The North Polar Belt occupies a small part of the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. In this zone there is intense water circulation, so they are rich in fish. The northern temperate zone occupies vast areas of water. It is characterized by the interaction of warm and cold water masses. This contributes to the development of the organic world. In the west of the belt, a unique aquatic complex of the Sea of Japan is formed, characterized by great species diversity.
The northern subtropical zone in the Pacific Ocean is not as clearly defined as the temperate zone. The western part of the belt is warm, the eastern part is relatively cold. The waters are slightly mixed, blue, transparent. The number of plankton and fish species is small.
The northern tropical belt is formed under the influence of the powerful North Trade Wind Current. There are many individual islands and archipelagos in this belt. The productivity of the waters of the belt is low. However, near underwater hills and islands, where the vertical movement of water increases, accumulations of fish and other marine organisms appear.
In the equatorial belt there is a complex interaction of winds and various currents. At the boundaries of streams, eddies and gyres contribute to the rise of water, and therefore their biological productivity increases. The aquatic complexes off the Sunda Islands and the coast of North-Eastern Australia, as well as coral reef complexes, are richest in life.
In the southern hemisphere, similar natural belts are formed in the Pacific Ocean as in the northern hemisphere, but they differ in some properties of water masses and the composition of organisms. For example, notothenia and white-blooded fish live in the waters of the subantarctic and Antarctic zones. In the southern tropical zone between 4 and 23° S. A special aquatic complex is being formed off the coast of South America. It is characterized by a stable and intense rise of deep waters (upwelling) and the active development of organic life. This is one of the most productive areas of the entire World Ocean.
Economic use. The Pacific Ocean and its seas wash the coasts of continents on which more than 30 coastal states are located with a total population of about 2 billion people. The main types of natural resources of the ocean include its biological resources. Ocean waters are characterized by high productivity (about 200 kg/km2). In recent years, the Pacific Ocean has ranked first in the world in the production of fish and seafood. Mining began on the ocean shelf: deposits of oil and gas, tin ores and other non-ferrous metals; From sea water, table and potassium salts, magnesium, and bromine are obtained. World and regional shipping routes pass through the Pacific Ocean, and a large number of ports are located on the ocean’s shores. The most important lines run from the shores of North America to the Far Eastern shores of Asia. The energy resources of the Pacific waters are large and varied, but are not yet used enough.
Human economic activity has led to severe pollution of some areas of the Pacific Ocean. This was especially evident off the coast of Japan and North America. The stocks of whales, a number of valuable species of fish and other animals have been depleted. Some of them have lost their former commercial importance.
§ 8. Atlantic Ocean
Geographical position. The Atlantic Ocean stretches from north to south for 16 thousand km from subarctic to Antarctic latitudes. The ocean is wide in the northern and southern parts, narrowing in equatorial latitudes to 2900 km. In the north it communicates with the Arctic Ocean, and in the south it is widely connected with the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is limited by the shores of North and South America in the west, Europe and Africa in the east, and Antarctica in the south.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest among the planet's oceans. The ocean coastline in the northern hemisphere is heavily dissected by numerous peninsulas and bays. There are many islands, internal and marginal seas near the continents. The Atlantic includes 13 seas, which occupy 11% of its area.
Bottom relief. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs across the entire ocean (approximately at an equal distance from the coasts of the continents). The relative height of the ridge is about 2 km. Transverse faults divide it into separate segments. In the axial part of the ridge there is a giant rift valley ranging from 6 to 30 km wide and up to 2 km deep. Both underwater active volcanoes and the volcanoes of Iceland and the Azores are confined to the rift and faults of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. On both sides of the ridge there are basins with a relatively flat bottom, separated by elevated rises. The shelf area in the Atlantic Ocean is larger than in the Pacific.
Mineral resources. Oil and gas reserves have been discovered on the North Sea shelf, in the Gulf of Mexico, Guinea and Biscay. Phosphorite deposits were discovered in the area of rising deep waters off the coast of North Africa in tropical latitudes. Placer deposits of tin off the coast of Great Britain and Florida, as well as diamond deposits off the coast of South-West Africa, have been identified on the shelf in sediments of ancient and modern rivers. Ferromanganese nodules were found in bottom basins off the coasts of Florida and Newfoundland.
Climate. The Atlantic Ocean is located in all climate zones of the Earth. The main part of the ocean is between 40° N latitude. and 42° S - is located in subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and equatorial climatic zones. There are high positive air temperatures here all year round. The most severe climate is found in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic latitudes, and to a lesser extent in subpolar and northern latitudes.
Currents. In the Atlantic, as in the Pacific, two rings of surface currents are formed. In the northern hemisphere, the Northern Trade Wind Current, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic and Canary Currents form a clockwise movement of water. In the southern hemisphere, the South Trade Wind, the Brazilian Current, the West Wind Current and the Benguela Current form the movement of water counterclockwise. Due to the considerable extent of the Atlantic Ocean from north to south, meridional water flows are more developed in it than latitudinal ones.
Properties of water. The zoning of water masses in the ocean is complicated by the influence of land and sea currents. This is manifested primarily in the temperature distribution of surface waters. In many areas of the ocean, isotherms off the coast deviate sharply from the latitudinal direction.
The northern half of the ocean is warmer than the southern half, the temperature difference reaches 6°C. The average surface water temperature (16.5°C) is slightly lower than in the Pacific Ocean. The cooling effect is exerted by the waters and ice of the Arctic and Antarctic. The salinity of surface waters in the Atlantic Ocean is high. One of the reasons for increased salinity is that a significant part of the moisture evaporating from the water area does not return to the ocean, but is transferred to neighboring continents (due to the relative narrowness of the ocean).
Many large rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean and its seas: the Amazon, Congo, Mississippi, Nile, Danube, La Plata, etc. They carry huge masses of fresh water, suspended material and pollutants into the ocean. Ice forms in the desalinated bays and seas of subpolar and temperate latitudes in winter off the western shores of the ocean. Numerous icebergs and floating sea ice are disrupting shipping in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Organic world. The Atlantic Ocean is poorer in flora and fauna species than the Pacific Ocean. One of the reasons for this is its relative geological youth and noticeable cooling in the Quaternary period during the glaciation of the northern hemisphere. However, in quantitative terms, the ocean is rich in organisms - it is the most productive per unit area. This is primarily due to the widespread development of shelves and shallow banks, which are home to many bottom and bottom fish (cod, flounder, perch, etc.). The biological resources of the Atlantic Ocean are depleted in many areas. The ocean's share of global fisheries has declined significantly in recent years.
Natural complexes. In the Atlantic Ocean, all zonal complexes are distinguished - natural zones, except for the North Polar. The waters of the northern subpolar zone are rich in life. It is especially developed on the shelves off the coasts of Iceland, Greenland and the Labrador Peninsula. The temperate zone is characterized by intense interaction between cold and warm waters; its waters are the most productive areas of the Atlantic. Vast areas of warm waters of two subtropical, two tropical and equatorial zones are less productive than the waters of the northern temperate zone.
In the northern subtropical zone, a special natural aquatic complex of the Sargasso Sea stands out. It is characterized by high water salinity (up to 37.5 ppm) and low bioproductivity. In the clear, pure blue water, brown algae grow - sargassum, which gives the name to the water area.
In the temperate zone of the southern hemisphere, as in the northern, natural complexes are rich in life in areas where waters with different temperatures and water densities mix. The sub-Antarctic and Antarctic belts are characterized by seasonal and permanent ice phenomena, which affect the composition of the fauna (krill, cetaceans, nototheniid fish).
Economic use. The Atlantic Ocean represents all types of human economic activity in marine areas. Among them, maritime transport is of greatest importance, followed by underwater oil and gas production, and only then by fishing and use of biological resources.
On the shores of the Atlantic there are more than 70 coastal countries with a population of over 1.3 billion people. Many transoceanic routes with large volumes of freight and passenger traffic pass through the ocean. The most significant ports in the world in terms of cargo turnover are located on the coasts of the ocean and its seas.
The already explored mineral resources of the ocean are significant (examples are given above). However, oil and gas fields are currently being intensively developed on the shelf of the North and Caribbean Seas, in the Bay of Biscay. Many countries that previously did not have significant reserves of these types of mineral raw materials are now experiencing economic growth due to their production (England, Norway, the Netherlands, Mexico, etc.).
The biological resources of the ocean have been intensively used for a long time. However, due to overfishing of a number of valuable commercial fish species, in recent years the Atlantic is inferior to the Pacific Ocean in the production of fish and seafood.
Intensive human economic activity in the Atlantic Ocean and its seas causes a noticeable deterioration of the natural environment - both in the ocean (water and air pollution, reduction in stocks of commercial fish species) and on the coasts. In particular, recreational conditions on the ocean shores are deteriorating. In order to prevent further and reduce existing pollution of the natural environment of the Atlantic Ocean, scientific recommendations are being developed and international agreements are being concluded on the rational use of ocean resources.
Geographical position. The Pacific (or Great) Ocean, in terms of its size and natural features, is a unique natural object on our planet. The ocean is located in all hemispheres of the Earth, between the continents of Eurasia and Australia in the west, North and South America in the east and Antarctica in the south.
The Pacific Ocean occupies more than 1/3 of the planet's surface and almost half of the World Ocean. It has an oval outline, is somewhat elongated from northwest to southeast and is widest between the tropics. The coastline is relatively straight off the coasts of North and South America and highly dissected off the coast of Eurasia. The Pacific Ocean includes a number of marginal seas in East and Southeast Asia. There are a large number of archipelagos and individual islands in the ocean (for example, as part of Oceania).
Bottom relief. The Pacific Ocean is the deepest. The topography of its bottom is complex. The shelf (continental shelf) occupies a relatively small area. Off the coast of North and South America its width does not exceed tens of kilometers, and off the coast of Eurasia the shelf measures hundreds of kilometers. In the marginal parts of the ocean there are deep-sea trenches, and the Pacific Ocean contains the bulk of the deep-sea trenches of the entire World Ocean: 25 out of 35 have a depth of more than 5 km; and all trenches with a depth of over 10 km - there are 4 of them. Large uplifts of the bottom, individual mountains and ridges divide the ocean floor into basins. In the southeast of the ocean is the East Pacific Rise, which is part of the global system of mid-ocean ridges.
Associated with the system of deep-sea trenches and mountain structures on continents and islands adjacent to the ocean is an almost continuous chain of active volcanoes that form the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” In this zone, land and underwater earthquakes are also frequent, causing giant waves - tsunamis.
Climate. The Pacific Ocean stretches from subarctic to subantarctic latitudes, that is, it is located in almost all climatic zones of the Earth. Its main part is located in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones of both hemispheres. The air temperature over the waters of these latitudes is from +16 to +24°C all year round. However, in the north of the ocean in winter it drops below 0°C. Along the coasts of Antarctica, this temperature also persists in the summer months.
The circulation of the atmosphere over the ocean is characterized by zonal features: westerly winds predominate in temperate latitudes, trade winds dominate in tropical latitudes, and monsoons are pronounced in subequatorial latitudes off the coast of Eurasia. Strong winds of storm force and tropical cyclones - typhoons - are frequent over the Pacific Ocean. The maximum amount of precipitation falls in the western parts of the equatorial belt (about 3000 mm), the minimum in the eastern regions of the ocean between the equator and the southern tropic (about 100 mm).
Currents. The Pacific Ocean is quite elongated from west to east and therefore latitudinal water flows predominate in it. Two huge rings of water movement are formed in the ocean: northern and southern. The Northern Ring includes the Northern Trade Wind Current, Kuroshio Current, North Pacific Current and California Current. The southern ring consists of the South Trade Wind, East Australian Current, West Wind Current and Peruvian Current. Currents have a significant impact on the redistribution of heat in the ocean and on the nature of the adjacent continents - site. Thus, trade wind currents drive warm waters from the western tropical coasts of the continents to the eastern ones, therefore, in low latitudes, the western part of the ocean is significantly warmer than the eastern. In mid-high latitudes, on the contrary, the eastern parts of the ocean are warmer than the western ones.
Properties of waters. All types of surface water masses, except Arctic ones, are formed in the Pacific Ocean. Because of the large area of ocean between the tropics, its surface waters are warmer than other oceans. The average annual water temperature between the tropics is +19°C, in equatorial latitudes it is from +25 to +29°C, and off the coast of Antarctica it drops to -1°C. Precipitation over the ocean generally dominates evaporation. The salinity of the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean is slightly lower than in the Atlantic, since the western part of the ocean receives a lot of fresh river water (Amur, Yellow River, Yangtze, Mekong and others). Ice phenomena in the northern part of the ocean and in the subantarctic zone are seasonal. Off the coast of Antarctica, sea ice lasts all year. Antarctic icebergs with surface currents rise to 40° S.
Organic world. In terms of biomass and number of species, the organic world of the Pacific Ocean is richer than in other oceans. This is explained by its long geological history, enormous size, and diversity of environmental conditions. Organic life is especially rich in equatorial-tropical latitudes, in areas where coral reefs develop. There are many different species of salmon fish in the northern part of the ocean. Fishing in the Pacific Ocean accounts for more than 45% of global production. The main fishing areas are areas of interaction between warm and cold waters; shelf areas in the western ocean and areas of rising deep waters off the coast of North, and especially South, America.
Natural complexes. The Pacific Ocean has all natural zones except the North Polar. The North Polar Belt occupies a small part of the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. In this zone there is intense water circulation, so they are rich in fish. The northern temperate zone occupies vast areas of water. It is characterized by the interaction of warm and cold water masses. This contributes to the development of the organic world. In the west of the belt, a unique aquatic complex of the Sea of Japan is formed, characterized by great species diversity.
The northern subtropical zone in the Pacific Ocean is not as clearly defined as the temperate zone. The western part of the belt is warm, the eastern part is relatively cold. The waters are slightly mixed, blue, transparent. The number of plankton and fish species is small.
The northern tropical belt is formed under the influence of the powerful North Trade Wind Current. There are many individual islands and archipelagos in this belt. The productivity of the waters of the belt is low. However, near underwater hills and islands, where the vertical movement of water increases, accumulations of fish and other marine organisms appear.
In the equatorial belt there is a complex interaction of winds and various currents. At the boundaries of streams, eddies and gyres contribute to the rise of water, and therefore their biological productivity increases. The aquatic complexes off the Sunda Islands and the coast of North-Eastern Australia, as well as coral reef complexes, are richest in life.
In the southern hemisphere, similar natural belts are formed in the Pacific Ocean as in the northern hemisphere, but they differ in some properties of water masses and the composition of organisms. For example, notothenia and white-blooded fish live in the waters of the subantarctic and Antarctic zones. In the southern tropical zone between 4 and 23° S. A special aquatic complex is being formed off the coast of South America. It is characterized by a stable and intense rise of deep waters (upwelling) and the active development of organic life. This is one of the most productive areas of the entire World Ocean.
Economic use. The Pacific Ocean and its seas wash the coasts of continents on which more than 30 coastal states are located with a total population of about 2 billion people. The main types of natural resources of the ocean include its biological resources. Ocean waters are characterized by high productivity (about 200 kg/km2). Mining began on the ocean shelf: deposits of oil and gas, tin ores and other non-ferrous metals; From sea water, table and potassium salts, magnesium, and bromine are obtained. World and regional shipping routes pass through the Pacific Ocean, and a large number of ports are located on the ocean’s shores. The most important lines run from the shores of North America to the Far Eastern shores of Asia. The energy resources of the Pacific waters are large and varied, but are not yet used enough.
Human economic activity has led to severe pollution of some areas of the Pacific Ocean. This was especially evident off the coast of Japan and North America. The stocks of whales, a number of valuable species of fish and other animals have been depleted. Some of them have lost their former commercial importance.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and oldest on our planet. It is so huge that it can easily accommodate all the continents and islands combined and that is why it is often called the Great. The area of the Pacific Ocean is 178.6 million square meters. km, which corresponds to 1/3 of the surface of the entire globe.
general characteristics
The Pacific Ocean is the most important part of the World Ocean, as it contains 53% of its total water volume. It extends from east to west for 19 thousand kilometers, and from north to south - 16 thousand. Moreover, most of its waters are located in southern latitudes, and a smaller part - in northern latitudes.
The Pacific Ocean is not only the largest, but also the deepest body of water. The maximum depth of the Pacific Ocean is 10994 m - this is exactly the depth of the famous Mariana Trench. The average figures fluctuate within 4 thousand meters.
Rice. 1. Mariana Trench.
The Pacific Ocean owes its name to the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan. During his long journey, calm and calm weather reigned across the oceanic expanses, without a single storm or storm.
The bottom topography is very diverse.
Here you can find:
- basins (Southern, Northeastern, Eastern, Central);
- deep-sea trenches (Mariana, Philippine, Peruvian;
- elevations (East Pacific Rise).
The properties of water are formed through interaction with the atmosphere and are largely subject to change. The salinity of the Pacific Ocean is 30-36.5%.
It depends on the location of the waters:
- maximum salinity (35.5-36.5%) is characteristic of waters in tropical zones, where relatively little precipitation is combined with intense evaporation;
- salinity decreases to the east under the influence of cold currents;
- salinity also decreases under the influence of heavy precipitation, this is especially noticeable at the equator.
Geographical position
The Pacific Ocean is conventionally divided into two regions - southern and northern, the border between which lies along the equator. Since the ocean is colossal in size, its boundaries are the coasts of several continents and partially bordering oceans.
In the northern part, the border between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans is the line connecting Cape Dezhnev and Cape Prince of Wales.
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Rice. 2. Cape Dezhnev.
In the east, the Pacific Ocean borders the coasts of South and North America. A little further south, the boundary between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans extends from Cape Horn to Antarctica.
In the west, the waters of the Pacific Ocean wash Australia and Eurasia, then the border runs along the Bass Strait on the eastern side, and descends along the meridian south to Antarctica.
Climate Features
The climate of the Pacific Ocean is subject to general latitudinal zonality and the powerful seasonal influence of the Asian continent. Due to its huge area, the ocean is characterized by almost all climatic zones.
- Northeast trade winds reign in the tropical and subtropical zones of the northern hemisphere.
- The equatorial zone is characterized by calm weather throughout the year.
- In the tropics and subtropics of the southern hemisphere, the southeast trade wind dominates. In the summer, tropical hurricanes of incredible strength - typhoons - arise in the tropics.
The average air temperature in the equatorial and tropical zones is 25 Celsius. On the surface, the water temperature fluctuates between 25-30 C, while in the polar regions it drops to 0 C.
Near the equator, precipitation reaches 2000 mm, decreasing to 50 mm per year near the coast of South America.
Seas and islands
The Pacific coastline is most indented in the west, and least in the east. In the north, the Strait of Georgia cuts deeply into the mainland. The largest Pacific bays are California, Panama and Alaska.
The total area of the seas, bays and straits belonging to the Pacific Ocean occupies 18% of the total ocean area. Most of the seas are located along the coasts of Eurasia (Okhotsk, Bering, Japanese, Yellow, Philippine, East China), along the Australian coast (Solomonovo, New Guinea, Tasmanovo, Fiji, Coral). The coldest seas are located near Antarctica: Ross, Amundsen, Somov, D'Urville, Bellingshausen.
Rice. 3. Coral sea.
All rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin are relatively short, but with rapid water flow. The largest river flowing into the ocean is the Amur.
There are about 25 thousand large and small islands in the Pacific Ocean, with unique flora and fauna. For the most part, they are located in equatorial, tropical and subtropical natural complexes.
The large archipelagos of the Pacific Ocean include the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippine archipelago, Indonesia, and the largest island is New Guinea.
An urgent problem in the Pacific Ocean is the significant pollution of its waters. Industrial waste, oil spills, and thoughtless destruction of ocean inhabitants can cause irreparable harm to the Pacific Ocean, upsetting the fragile balance of its ecosystem.
What have we learned?
When studying the topic “Pacific Ocean”, we became acquainted with a brief description of the ocean and its geographical location. We found out which islands, seas and rivers belong to the Pacific Ocean, what are the characteristics of its climate, and became familiar with the main environmental problems.
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