Pacific history of education. The deepest points of the oceans
The Pacific Ocean extends over a huge area and is the deepest. It washes almost all the continents of the globe with the exception of Africa.
In addition, it has enormous historical and economic significance.
This topic is studied at school during geography lessons in the 7th grade or earlier and is sure to appear in exam tests. Therefore, let us once again remember all the main things that characterize the Pacific Ocean.
History of the study
It is believed that the conqueror Nunez de Balboa, who was the first to see the shore, discovered the Pacific Ocean. The first trips across the waters were carried out on rafts and canoes. Researchers on the Kon-Tiki raft even managed to cross uncharted waters.
It is interesting to know why the Pacific Ocean was called the Pacific Ocean. During Ferdinand Magellan's voyage through its waters, not a single storm occurred in just under 4 months; the water surface was absolutely calm throughout the journey.
In honor of this, the name appeared, translated into English as Pacific ocean.
Characteristics of the largest ocean
The area of the Pacific Ocean is 178.68 million km², it includes 28 seas, including the Yellow, Bering, and Okhotsk seas.
Surprisingly, it occupies almost half the area of the entire World Ocean (49.5%), exceeding half the volume of all water on Earth by 3%, which is why it is deservedly considered the largest.
In the Pacific Ocean there is the Mariana Trench, which has the maximum depth among the known ones - 11022 m. The average depth is 3984 m.
Water salinity in the middle zone varies from 34 to 36%, while in the north it can reach 1%.
Geographical position
The Pacific Ocean occupies 1/3 of the globe. From the east it washes South and North America (their western coasts), from the west it touches the eastern coasts of Eurasia, Australia and Antarctica.
The border with the Arctic Ocean is determined only by the Bering Strait, which runs between the shores of Eurasia and North America.
Currents
There are 7 cold currents in the Pacific Ocean, the main ones being: the South Passat Current, the North Pacific Current, the Cromwell Current, the Alaskan Countercurrent and the Intertrade Current. There are only 3 warm ones: Californian, Peruvian and western winds.
Pacific Currents
In the Eurasian region, coastal areas are affected by monsoons, especially in the summer. At the equator, trade winds actively influence the sea current.
In the west of the equator there is a large amount of precipitation, on average 1500-2500 mm. In the east, precipitation is extremely rare and insignificant.
Seas
The area of the seas included in it is almost 20% of the total.
Bering Sea
It includes 27 seas, most of which are located along the coast of Eurasia.
coral sea
The greatest historical and economic importance are: Bering, Coral, Japanese, Okhotsk, Tasman and Philippine.
Climate and climate zones
Due to its large area, the Pacific Ocean is located in all climate zones. At the equator, the temperature can reach 24 0 C, while off the coast of Antarctica it drops to 0 and deforms into ice.
In the southern hemisphere, trade winds have a strong influence - winds that, in these climatic conditions, cause a huge number of typhoons and tsunamis.
Inhabitants of the Pacific Ocean
There are about 4,000 species of fish in the Pacific Ocean.
The list below briefly summarizes the most famous and abundant species found there:
It is believed that the largest ocean has the richest aquatic flora and fauna. This was influenced not only by its length across all climatic zones, but by the varied bottom topography and favorable temperature.
Islands and peninsulas
Most of the islands were formed due to volcanic eruptions and shifting tectonic plates.
Islands of New Guinea
In total, there are more than ten thousand islands in the ocean waters, among which the second largest island is. New Guinea - 829,000 km², in third place. Kalimantan - 736,000 km², is also home to the largest group of islands - the Greater Sunda Islands.
Solomon islands
Of the most famous islands there are: Kuril, Philippine, Solomon, Galapagos.
Peninsula California
Among the single ones we can highlight Sakhalin, Taiwan, Sumatra. California, Alaska, Kamchatka and Indochina are peninsulas that are washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Bays
The ocean has only 3 large bays, 2 are located in the north (Shelikhova, Alaska).
Shelikhov Bay - a bay of the Sea of Okhotsk between the coast of Asia and the base of the Kamchatka Peninsula
Shelikhov Bay is part of the Sea of Okhotsk; there are several large ports in the Gulf of Alaska.
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California washes the shores of the California Peninsula and contains 2 large islands.
Features of nature
The main natural features and characteristics of the ocean are its area and depth.
The Pacific Ring of Fire is one of the most active seismic zones in the earth's crust. It got its name from the fact that a long chain of volcanoes stretches along the entire Pacific coast.
In its waters there is an extremely rare natural phenomenon - the Fireball. Huge reserves of heat are hidden in the depths, thanks to which the richest flora and fauna appeared.
Bottom relief
The ocean floor is home to many volcanoes of varying sizes, some of which are still active. Also there you can find underwater basins (sometimes quite large), which are also called pools, as they resemble them in structure.
Relief of the Pacific Ocean floor
Another characteristic feature of the bottom topography can be called depressions, sometimes reaching several tens of meters in depth. At much greater depths, flat seamounts are found in abundance.
The bottom topography is also different in that it is subject to constant changes occurring due to the shift of tectonic plates and the eruption of underwater volcanoes.
Coastline
The coastline is slightly indented; it includes only 3 large bays and several peninsulas.
For the most part, the coastline on the North and South America side is flat, but it is inconvenient for navigation. Mountain ranges occupy a significant part of the coast, while there are very few naturally formed bays and harbors.
Minerals
In the depths of the ocean, according to scientists, there is about 1/3 of the world's oil reserves, in fact, that is why active production of it, as well as gas, is carried out there.
The shelves are rich in various minerals, ore, copper and nickel sources (reserves are approximately equal to several billion tons). Recently, an abundant source of natural gases was found and is already being extracted.
The most interesting of them:
Environmental problems of the Pacific Ocean
For many years, people have been using up the rich resources of the Pacific Ocean, which has led to their significant impoverishment.
And numerous trade routes and mining affected the environment and caused severe water pollution, which also had a detrimental effect on flora and fauna.
Economic importance
More than half of the world's catch comes from the Pacific Ocean. Not surprisingly, most transport routes also run through the territory of its waters.
Transport routes not only carry passengers, but also transport minerals and resources (industrial, food).
Conclusion
The Pacific Ocean is a huge source of natural resources. It plays an important role in the global economy and ecology of the Earth. However, overuse of its resources could lead to depletion of natural reserves and pollution of the largest water basin on Earth.
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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A report on the Pacific Ocean for a geography lesson can be supplemented with interesting facts. Reports on the Pacific Ocean contain a lot of educational information.
Report on the topic “Pacific Ocean”
The Pacific Ocean received its name thanks to, which in 1521 crossed the Pacific Ocean from the western coast of South America to the coast of South Asia, and never encountered a storm, which is why he called the ocean “Pacific”.
The Pacific Ocean is called the Great Ocean for its size, as it is the largest body of water on Earth.
- This the deepest and the warmest in the surface layer of the ocean.
- The highest wind waves and the most destructive tropical hurricanes form here.
- He takes first place in number of islands. The islands of the central part of the ocean are united under the general name Oceania.
- It occupies almost half the area of the entire World Ocean and washes the shores of five continents of the Earth.
Geographical location of the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean covers more 30% of the Earth's surface and surpasses all continents in area. From north to south it stretches for 16,000 km, and from west to east – more than 19,000 km.
In the east, the boundaries of the ocean are the shores of South and North America, the Drake Passage, in the west - the shores of Asia, the Strait of Malacca, the islands of Sumatra, Java, the Lesser Sundas, New Guinea, the Torres Strait, the island of Tasmania, in the south the border runs conventionally along the Antarctic convergence line.
Average depth of the Pacific Ocean 3976 m, maximum 11,034 m (Mariana Trench).
Volcanoes are common at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. When underwater volcanoes erupt, islands are sometimes formed, many of which are short-lived and washed away by water.
The underwater relief of the vast ocean is diverse. At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean there are vast basins, individual mountains, hills, and in the southern part two rises that form the mid-ocean ridge.
Pacific climate
The ocean climate is varied and varies from equatorial to subarctic in the north and Antarctic in the south.
The widest part is located in hot zones. Therefore, the average temperature in the surface layer is 2 degrees. higher than in the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
Average ocean salinity – 34.5 ppm- this is lower than in other oceans, since more fresh water enters it with precipitation and rivers than evaporates.
The stretch of the ocean from the northern to the southern polar latitudes determines the climatic diversity in its spaces:
— The western part of the ocean is characterized by monsoons
— Moderate latitudes are characterized by winds that are relatively unstable in direction and quite frequent recurrence of storm winds with a speed of more than 16 m/sec, and their maximum speed at times reaches 45 m/sec
— In tropical latitudes - trade winds
In the tropics, typhoons often form (from the Chinese “tai feng” - big wind) - a tropical cyclone, within which hurricane-force winds blow at speeds of up to 100 km/h.
Organic World of the Pacific
The organic world of the Pacific Ocean is rich and diverse. It is the richest in the number of species of living organisms. Overall, the ocean is home to about 100 thousand species of animals. Plant plankton alone has about 1,300 species. It accounts for half of the total mass of living organisms in the World Ocean.
Brown algae is abundant in the cold and temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the Southern Hemisphere, at these latitudes, a giant of the world of algae grows, 200 m long.
Coral reefs are one of the wonders of the tropical seas. Coral structures of various colors and shapes create a magical world underwater. Among the purple, green, orange, yellow branches of coral buildings, light silhouettes of fish flash; shellfish, starfish and algae live here.
Coral reefs are created by living organisms - coral polyps, living in colonies. A branched coral colony has been growing for many years, the growth rate is 10-20 cm per year.
For the development of corals, sea water with a salinity of 27-40‰ and a temperature of at least +20 ºС is required. Corals live only in the upper 50-meter layer of clean, transparent water.
In the southern tropical zone off the coast of Australia, a unique natural complex of the Great Barrier Reef has formed. This is the largest “mountain range” on Earth created by organisms.
In size it is comparable to the Ural Range.
The Pacific Ocean in people's lives
About half of the world's population lives along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The lives of many of them are inextricably linked with the ocean and depend on it.
The longest sea routes run through this ocean, connecting port cities of different continents. However, human economic activities have led to a serious problem of pollution of the Great Ocean. Entire islands of garbage have accumulated in its waters.
The message about the Pacific Ocean can be used by students in grades 5-7. If you are a 2-3 grade student, it is better to shorten the report by selecting the main facts.
The largest body of water in the world, the area of which is estimated at 178.62 million km2, which is several million square kilometers larger than the Earth's land area and more than twice the area of the Atlantic Ocean. The width of the Pacific Ocean from Panama to the eastern coast of Mindanao is 17,200 km, and the length from north to south, from the Bering Strait to Antarctica is 15,450 km. It extends from the western coasts of North and South America to the eastern coasts of Asia and Australia. From the north, the Pacific Ocean is almost completely closed by land, connecting with the Arctic Ocean through the narrow Bering Strait (minimum width 86 km). In the south it reaches the shores of Antarctica, and in the east its border with the Atlantic Ocean is located at 67° west. – meridian of Cape Horn; in the west, the border of the South Pacific Ocean with the Indian Ocean is drawn at 147° E, corresponding to the position of Cape South-East in the south of Tasmania.
History of the study
The Spanish conquistador Vasco Nunez de Balboa founded the settlement of Santa María la Antigua del Darién on the western shore of the Gulf of Darien in 1510. Soon news reached him about a rich country and a large sea located in the south. Balboa and his detachment set out from his city (September 1, 1513), and four weeks later, from one of the peaks of the mountain ridge, “in silence,” he saw the vast expanse of water of the Pacific Ocean stretching to the west. He went to the ocean shore and dubbed it the South Sea (Spanish: Mar del Sur).
In the fall of 1520, Magellan circumnavigated South America, crossing the strait, after which he saw new expanses of water. During the further journey from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands, the expedition did not encounter a single storm for more than three months, apparently, which is why Magellan called the Pacific Ocean (lat. Mare Pacificum). The first detailed map of the Pacific Ocean was published by Ortelius in 1589.
Seas: Bering, Okhotsk, Japanese, East China, Yellow, South China, Java, Sulawesi, Sulu, Philippine, Coral, Fiji, Tasman, etc. The Amundsen, Bellingshausen, and Ross seas are now included in the Southern Ocean.
In terms of the number (about 10 thousand) and total area of islands (about 3.6 million km²), the Pacific Ocean ranks first among the oceans. In the northern part - Aleutian; in the western - Kuril, Sakhalin, Japanese, Philippine, Greater and Lesser Sunda, New Guinea, New Zealand, Tasmania; in the central and southern regions there are numerous small islands. The islands of the central and western part of the ocean make up the geographical region of Oceania.
Characteristics of the coasts
The shores of the Pacific Ocean vary so much from place to place that it is difficult to identify any common features. With the exception of the far south, the Pacific coast is framed by a ring of dormant or sporadically active volcanoes known as the “Ring of Fire.” Most of the coastline is formed by high mountains, so that the absolute surface elevations change sharply at a close distance from the coast. All this indicates the presence of a tectonically unstable zone along the periphery of the Pacific Ocean, the slightest movements within which cause strong earthquakes.
In the east, the steep slopes of the mountains approach the very shore of the Pacific Ocean or are separated from it by a narrow strip of coastal plain; This structure is typical for the entire coastal zone, from the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska to Cape Horn. Only in the far north does the Bering Sea have low-lying shores.
The west coast of the Pacific Ocean is significantly different from the east; The coasts of Asia have many bays and bays, in many places forming a continuous chain. There are numerous protrusions of different sizes: from such large peninsulas as Kamchatka, Korean, Liaodong, Shandong, Leizhoubandao, Indochina, to countless capes separating small bays. There are also mountains along the Asian coast, but they are not very high and are usually somewhat distant from the coast. More importantly, they do not form continuous chains and do not act as a barrier isolating coastal areas, as is observed on the eastern shore of the ocean. In the west, many large rivers flow into the ocean: Anadyr, Penzhina, Amur, Yalujiang (Amnokkan), Yellow River, Yangtze, Xijiang, Yuanjiang (Hongha - Red), Mekong, Chao Phraya (Menam). Many of these rivers have formed vast deltas where large populations live. The Yellow River carries so much sediment into the sea that its deposits formed a bridge between the shore and a large island, thus creating the Shandong Peninsula.
Flora and fauna
The Pacific Ocean is distinguished by its richest fauna, in the tropical and subtropical zones between the coasts of Asia and Australia (here vast areas are occupied by coral reefs and mangroves) common with the Indian Ocean. Endemics include nautilus mollusks, poisonous sea snakes and the only species of marine insects - the water strider of the genus Halobates. Of the 100 thousand species of animals, 3 thousand are represented by fish, of which about 75% are endemic. The waters off the Fiji Islands are inhabited by numerous populations of sea anemones. Fish of the Pomacentridae family feel great among the burning tentacles of these animals. Mammals that live here include walruses, seals and sea otters, among others. The sea lion inhabits the coasts of the California Peninsula, the Galapagos Islands and Japan. Its body length reaches 2.5 m. These animals are easy to train, so they can often be seen in circuses and aquariums.
Bottom relief
The Pacific Ocean Trench has a fairly constant depth throughout its entire area - approx. 3900–4300 m. The most notable elements of the relief are deep-sea depressions and trenches; elevations and ridges are less pronounced. Two uplifts stretch from the coast of South America: the Galapagos in the north and the Chilean, which stretches from the central regions of Chile to approximately 38° S. latitude. Both of these rises connect and continue south towards Antarctica. As another example, a fairly extensive underwater plateau can be mentioned, above which the Fiji and Solomon islands rise. Deep-sea trenches are often located close to the coast and parallel to it, the formation of which is associated with the belt of volcanic mountains framing the Pacific Ocean. The most famous include the deep-sea Challenger Basin (11,033 m) southwest of Guam; Galatea (10,539 m), Cape Johnson (10,497 m), Emden (10,399 m), three Snell depressions (named after the Dutch ship) with depths from 10,068 to 10,130 m and the Planet depression (9,788 m) near the Philippine Islands; Ramapo (10,375 m) south of Japan. The Tuscarora depression (8513 m), which is part of the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, was discovered in 1874.
A characteristic feature of the Pacific Ocean floor are numerous underwater mountains - the so-called. guyots; their flat tops are located at a depth of 1.5 km or more. It is generally accepted that these are volcanoes that previously rose above sea level and were subsequently washed away by waves. To explain the fact that they are now at great depth, we have to assume that this part of the Pacific Trench is experiencing subsidence.
The bed of the Pacific Ocean is composed of red clays, blue silts and crushed fragments of corals; Some large areas of the bottom are covered with globigerina, diatoms, pteropods and radiolarians. Manganese nodules and shark teeth are found in the bottom sediments. There are a lot of coral reefs, but they are common only in shallow waters.
The salinity of water in the Pacific Ocean is not very high and ranges from 30 to 35‰. Temperature fluctuations are also quite significant depending on latitudinal position and depth; surface layer temperatures in the equatorial belt (between 10° N and 10° S) are approx. 27°C; at great depths and in the extreme north and south of the ocean, the temperature is only slightly above the freezing point of sea water.
It is a champion in many respects: it has the deepest depression on earth and the most powerful typhoons (despite its “meek” name). It also has the largest number of seas, which is natural given its size. Now we will look at the seas of the Pacific Ocean, a list of their names, and learn something interesting about them.
How many seas are there in the world?
The conversation begins with the fact that it is impossible to count the number of seas in the world, as well as in the Pacific Ocean. After all, the sea is not a lake; it never has clear boundaries. Which part of the ocean is considered a sea and which is not is a decision where often subjective, and even political-economic factors, play an important role.
The list of earth's seas is constantly changing, especially in the part where we are talking about tiny seas. Some of them are, in essence, large bays. From time to time, scientists and economists gather at special conferences to clarify the “sea” lists. The latest UNESCO recommendations indicate that 59 water regions of the planet should be considered seas. But we repeat, these recommendations always find their opponents.
Large seas of the Pacific Ocean
To please all points of view, we will first highlight the 6 largest seas of the Pacific Ocean. The area of each of them is more than 1 million km² or very close to it. The existence of these sea basins is indisputable and no one doubts it. So, here are our champions:
Other Pacific seas, list
Having paid tribute to these giant seas, let’s add the rest of the Pacific seas to the list. At the moment it looks like this (although we repeat - it may differ slightly in different sources):
- Amundsen.
- Yellow.
- Visayan Sea.
- East China.
- Sea Koro.
- Camotes.
- Mindanao Sea.
- Moluccan.
- New Guinea.
- Savu.
- Samar.
- Seram.
- Sibuyan.
- Sulu.
- Sulawesi.
- Solomonovo.
- Okhotsk.
- Fiji.
- Flores.
- Halmahera.
- Javanese.
If we have already singled out the largest seas of this ocean, we will also pay tribute to the smallest ones. Although, as already mentioned, the most controversial issues arise with them. As a rule, these seas are bays, parts of larger seas (and sometimes just large “pockets” between large islands). The big problem is defining their boundaries.
It looks like it is the smallest on our list and belongs entirely to Japan. Its area does not even reach 2 thousand km². Aki divides the east and west of the Sea of Japan. Despite its size, it is in the area of this reservoir that the powerful monsoons of Southeast Asia originate. In addition, the Aki Sea is rich in fish, primarily mackerel.
Second from the bottom on our list in terms of area, only 40 thousand km² (although this is not so small compared to the previous sea). A paradise for divers, a calm place where storms rarely sweep through. Located between the islands of Bali and Java. The climate here is subequatorial and humid.
The area is 740 thousand km². Despite its small size, Banda has great depths. It is located within the Malay Archipelago, in a zone of active seismicity. One of the faults in the earth’s crust passes here, so the average depth reaches 2,800 meters.
Its waters are warm all year round and the seabed is beautiful, which also attracts scuba diving enthusiasts. Interestingly, nutmeg was grown on the tiny Banda Islands until the 19th century, keeping their location a secret. This was the only place on Earth where this nut grew.
A little more interesting
There is a lot to be said about the Pacific Ocean. Of course, its area is larger than the area of the entire earth's land! The seas are the outskirts of this gigantic body of water, but they also have their own characteristics and mysteries. We have already mentioned some of them, let’s add some more information to what has been said:
- The Bering and Okhotsk seas are periodically covered with ice, although not completely. Among the other seas of the Pacific Ocean, ice occurs only in the Sea of Japan.
- The Sea of Okhotsk has the highest sea tides in Russia.
- The Savu Sea is a “disputed territory” between two oceans. Hydrologists have not yet decided whether it is part of the Pacific Ocean or the Indian Ocean.
- The Yellow Sea is the shallowest in the ocean, its average depth is only about 60 meters. It cuts deeply into the land, receiving the very large Yellow River. In the spring it overflows, carrying millions of cubic meters of dirty water mixed with sand into the sea. Given the shallow depths, this water can tint the entire sea area yellowish for several months.
- The Java Sea is considered one of the youngest not only in the Pacific Ocean, but throughout the world. It was formed in the last quarter of the Ice Age, and until that time it remained a landmass along which the ancestors of people probably came to the lands of Australia from Asia.
- The Solomon Sea, located east of New Guinea, has a particularly troubled geological nature. Here two small oceanic plates collide, so there are many sharp changes in altitude in the sea. There are two depressions, each more than 9 thousand meters deep, as well as a number of underwater volcanoes. It is also distinguished by its rich nature and numerous coral reefs.
This list of interesting facts could be continued for a long time. In the Pacific Ocean you can find something special, something of your own that distinguishes this sea basin from others. And this is the value, it’s not for nothing that this ocean is often called the Great!