Jakarta –
About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by saltwater oceans. So, how many oceans are there on Earth?
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the largest body of water on Earth is the ocean. As for the amount, however, it depends on your point of view.
Historically, many maps and textbooks presented a model of four oceans, namely the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. But in reality the number of oceans on earth depends on your point of view.
5th Ocean
A set of scientific organizations, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), and other countries note the existence of a fifth ocean, the Southern Ocean called the Southern Ocean, which consists of the waters around Antarctica below 60° of southern latitude.
In June 2021, the status of the Southern Ocean received a new boost when these waters were officially recognized by the National Geographic Society, an American non-profit research and educational organization with a tradition in the making. Despite these announcements, the boundaries of the Southern Ocean are still not universally accepted.
The 3 largest oceans in the world
Among the five oceans, there are three largest oceans on Earth. Quoting from the USA Today page, here is the list:
1. Pacific Ocean
Surface area: 165,250,000 square kilometers
The National Ocean Service has named the Pacific Ocean as the largest ocean in the world. This ocean borders directly on the west coast of North America.
The Pacific Ocean covers ⅓ of the Earth’s surface with an average depth of 4,280 m. Furthermore, the Pacific Ocean covers 46% of the global water surface.
This ocean is home to more than 2,848,450 species, including hammerhead sharks, elephant seals, killer whales, penguins and sea slugs.
The Pacific Ocean also borders the continents of North and South America, Asia, and Australia. The Pacific Ocean has many shipping routes that connect neighboring continents, oceans, and seas.
2. Atlantic Ocean
Surface area: 106,460,000 square kilometers
The Atlantic Ocean covers approximately 20% of the Earth’s surface. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 3,646 m.
The Bermuda Triangle region is also located in this ocean. This triangle, often called a vicious circle, has caused the mysterious disappearance of numerous ships and planes.
There is a canal that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, namely the Panama Canal. More than 17,500 species live in this ocean, including sharks, manatees, sea turtles and humpback whales.
3. Indian Ocean
Surface area: 70,560,000 square kilometers
The third largest ocean is the Indian Ocean. The water in the Indian Ocean covers 19.8% of the earth’s total water.
The average depth of the Indian Ocean is 3,741 m, deeper than the Atlantic Ocean. With an average temperature of 25°C, the Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean in the world. This ocean was also relatively calm and offered important shipping routes for the transportation of materials such as oil, rice, sugar, and silk.
The Indian Ocean is home to numerous islands, including Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world.
Watch the video “The Pacific Ocean makes strange sounds, scientists are confused”
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2024-01-13 08:00:31
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