Ocean
The Ocean
The Ocean (also known as the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water which covers approximately 71% of the surface of the Earth. The World Ocean are divided into five ocean. The five oceans are, in descending order by area are:
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Southern (Antarctic) Ocean
- Arctic Oceans
The world’s ocean is the
principal component of Earth’s hydrosphere and it is integral to life, forms part of the carbon
cycle, and alao influences climate and
weather patterns.
The ocean is the habitat of about 230,000 known species, but because much of it is unexplored, the number of species in the ocean is much larger, possibly over two million.
The Ocean is main Body of Water on the Earth
World Ocean
The Earth interconnected body
of salt water is sometimes referred to as the “World Ocean” or global ocean.
The contemporary concept of the World Ocean was cast in the early 20th century
by the Russian oceanographer Yuly Shokalsky. It’s referring to the continuous
ocean that covers and encircles most of Earth.
Tectonic Plates, Post-glacial rebound, and sea level rise continually change
the coastline and structure of the world ocean.
Origin of Ocean
The origin of Earth’s oceans is
unknown till now. It is thought to that
the Oceans have formed in the Hadean eon and may have been the cause for the
emergence of life.
The ocean plays a lead role in
whatever happens with the environment. The main role of Ocean is to soak up
energy (heat) and distribute it more evenly around the Earth and soak up CO2 gas.
The ocean does an excellent job
to absorb excess heat from the atmosphere. The top surface of the ocean stores
as much heat as Earth’s entire atmosphere. If the planet warms, it’s the ocean
that gets most of the extra heat.
If the ocean gets too warm,
then the plants and animals that live in it must adapt this extra heat or will
die. For this reason Scientists worries about global warming. The global
warming will mostly impact the Ocean environment.
Oceanic Division
Ocean Map
|
SL. No. |
Ocean |
Location |
Area (km2) (% |
Volume (km3) (%) |
Avg. depth (m) |
Coastline (km) |
|
1. |
Pacific Ocean |
Separates Asia and Australasia from the Americas |
168,723,00046.6 |
669,880,00050.1 |
3,970 |
135,663 |
|
2. |
Atlantic Ocean |
Separates the Americas from Europe and Africa |
85,133,00023.5 |
310,410,90023.3 |
3,646 |
111,866 |
|
3. |
Indian Ocean |
Borders southern Asia and separates Africa and Australia |
70,560,00019.5 |
264,000,00019.8 |
3,741 |
66,526 |
|
4. |
Southern Ocean |
Encircles Antarctica. Sometimes considered an
extension of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, |
21,960,0006.1 |
71,800,0005.4 |
3,270 |
17,968 |
|
5. |
Arctic Ocean |
Borders northern North America and Eurasia and
covers much of the Arctic. Sometimes considered a sea or estuary of the
Atlantic. |
15,558,0004.3 |
18,750,0001.4 |
1,205 |
45,389 |
Physical Properties of Ocean
The total mass of the
hydrosphere on the Earth is about 1.4 Quintillion Tonnes, which is about 0.023%
of Earth’s total mass. Less than 3% is fresh water, the rest is saltwater,
almost all of which is in the ocean. The area of the World Ocean is about 361.9
million square kilometres, which covers about 70.9% of Earth’s surface, and its
volume is approximately 1.335 billion cubic kilometres. The average depth of
Ocean is about 3,688 meters (12,100 feet).
The maximum depth of Ocean is 10,994 meters at the Mariana Trench. Half
of the world’s marine waters are over 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) deep.
Deepest point in the Ocean
The deepest point in the world
ocean is the Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean near the Northern
Mariana Islands. The maximum depth has been estimated to be 10,971 meters
(35,994 feet) (plus or minus 11 meters. Survey of Marina Trench done by the
British naval vessel Challenger II in 1951 and named the deepest part of the
trench the “Challenger Deep”. The Trieste successfully reached the bottom of
the trench in 1960 manned by a crew of two men.
The Ocean soaks up CO2
As we aware that Ocean covers
71% of earth surface area and have mostly contains many types of plants
(including sea grasses, or mangrove) & Algae. They all breath CO2 and
release Oxygen. Ocean plants breathe in the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen,
just like others plants on land. The ocean great role is sucking up CO2 from
the air. The Ocean absorbs about one-quarter of the CO2 that we humans create
when we burn fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas. Without Ocean on the
earth, we have less oxygen than CO2. Ocean keeps balance a good ratio between
two.
However, when the ocean absorbs
a lot of CO2, the water becomes more acidic. The alkalinity of the ocean is
very important in maintaining a delicate balance needed for animals like the
mussels. If the water is too acidic, the animals may not be able to make strong
shells. Corals could also be affected, since their skeletons are made of the
same shell-like material.
Ocean Producing Most of the Oxygen for life on Earth
World Scientists estimate that
50 to 80% of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean. The most of
this production is from oceanic plankton, drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria
that can photosynthesize.
Note: The little bacteria
Prochlorococcus, is the smallest photosynthetic organism on Earth produces up
to 20% of the oxygen in our entire biosphere. That is a higher percentage than
all of the tropical rainforests on land combined.
The Ocean affects the climates
The ocean affects the climate
in places like Europe is by carrying heat to the north in the Atlantic Ocean.
The cold water in the North Atlantic ocean sinks very deep and spreads out all
around the world. The sinking water is replaced by warm water near the surface
that moves to the north area. Scientists call this as the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt. The heat
carried towards north helps keep the Atlantic Ocean warmer in the winter time,
which warms the nearby countries as well.
Role of salt in the ocean
The Salt concentration in river
water is least, estuary water is middle
and ocean water is most. Ocean water is most salty than others.
The amount of salt percentage
in the ocean water also affects currents. Saltier water is heavier than less
salty water. When the salty ocean water freezes, the ice can no longer hold on
to the salt. Instead, the salt mixes with the water below making it saltier and
heavier. Glaciers, land ice and icebergs are made of fresh water.
Read more on related article on Body of Water
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