In the west, it reaches Africa and the Southern Ocean basin, and it stretches to the east until southern Asia and Australia. The Indian Ocean basin comes after the Atlantic in terms of size. The 20° meridian divides the Atlantic from the Indian Ocean basin in the east.Īnother man-made link between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean basins is the Panama Canal, created at the end of the 19th century thanks to extraordinary human labour. In the east, it connects to the Pacific Ocean basin at the tip of Africa, through the Southern Ocean basin. In the West, the Atlantic goes all the way from North to South America. This body of water has an elongated “S” shape, stretching between Africa and Europe, and the Americas, and connecting to the Arctic, and the Southern Ocean basin in the North and south. The second-largest ocean basin is the Atlantic, which takes its name from Greek mythology: Atlas, a Titan God condemned to hold Earth on his shoulders for eternity. The Pacific also contains the deepest spot on Earth: Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, east of the Philippines, at 11,034 m (36,201 ft). The name “Pacific” derives from Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan who, during his journey to the Philippines, found it very peaceful. It stretches from the western coasts of North and South America to Oceania and eastern Asia, connecting to the Arctic and the Southern Ocean basin in the North and South respectively. The Pacific Ocean basin is by far the largest and deepest ocean basin on the planet, occupying almost 30% of Earth’s surface. Today, there are five recognized Ocean basins on our planet: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern Ocean basins.Let’s see their main characteristics. Ocean, therefore, represents a much larger body of open water than a sea. Seas are generally smaller than the ocean, and are located at the point where the ocean meets land. Many people tend to use the terms sea and ocean interchangeably from a geographical point of view, however, which is based on the study of the Earth’s surface, the two terms have distinct meanings. What’s the difference between ocean and seas? The fact that oceans are interconnected is also proven by thermohaline circulation (also known as the Global Ocean Conveyor or the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt), a phenomenon for which seawater circulates around all the Global Ocean, independent of man-made boundaries, and water at depth is replaced by water from the surface.Īs we all know, however, human beings have divided this Global body of water in smaller parts, what we call seas and oceans, based on historical, geographical and cultural factors. ![]() Water covers about 71% of the planet’s surface, and oceans and seas hold roughly 9 7 % of all Earth’s water.ĭid you know that all ocean basins and seas are actually part of one huge body of water, connected throughout the world? This is called the Global Ocean and it is home to more than 230,000 marine creatures (and more to be discovered as most of it hasn’t even been explored yet!).
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