Which ocean is deeper. The deepest cave Diving into the abyss
The water element, which occupies 70% of the planet's surface, attracts, delights and at the same time frightens. The bottomless oceans amaze with their majesty and power. What is the deepest among the four oceans of our planet, and are there analogues in the Universe that surpass it?
The largest ocean on earth
The longest and deepest body of water on our planet is the Pacific Ocean. If the entire surface of the earth is taken as 100%, then 46% should be allocated to the share of the Pacific Ocean. The average depth of the reservoir reaches 3984 meters. The average depth of the silver medalist of the rating - the Atlantic Ocean, is only a thousand meters less.
Titan surpasses other oceans in two ways at once:
- Length. The surface of the reservoir occupies 180 million km, the main part of which lies in the southern latitudes.
- Volume. It occupies more than half of the total water volume of the oceans.
The Pacific Ocean is also famous for the deepest Mariana Trench, which resembles a crescent in shape. The lower mark of the hollow reaches 11 km. For comparison: the depth of the Mariana Trench, known as the “Challenger Abyss”, is longer than the revered Mount Chomolungma.
Other points look no less intimidating, the depth of which reaches 10 km:
- The Tonga Trench is the second deepest Mariana Trench. It was formed under the influence of seismic activity of the zone. The deepest point reaches 10,882 meters.
- The Philippine Trench is a bronze medalist, resulting from the collision of two lithospheric plates. The most deep point The Galatea Depth trough reaches 10,540 meters.
The Pacific Ocean is considered the most ancient. From space, it resembles a triangle, which gradually narrows from the Arctic south to the Arctic north.
Out of competition is the Pacific Ocean and the number of islands located on it, the number of which reaches over 25 thousand. The longest among them Malay archipelago.
The reservoir is unusually rich in flora and fauna. More than 100 thousand species of animals live in its waters. This figure is three times the "population" of the Atlantic Ocean.
Titanium atolls or coral islands have formed on top of submerged volcanoes. Lying along the coast of Australia in the waters of the ocean barrier reef leads the ranking of the longest ridges coral islands peace.
Number one in the solar system
On the scale of the solar system, the deepest ocean is found on Europa. This is the name of the smallest satellite of Jupiter, completely covered with ice. Its size is slightly smaller than another satellite - the Moon. The ice-covered surface is the flattest in the solar system.
Astronomers have come to the conclusion that an oxygen-rich reservoir with a liquid medium is hidden under a thickness of relatively pure ice. The similarity of a similar picture on our planet is the ice fields of the North Pole.
The depth of the ocean covering Europe reaches 110-160 km. The surface temperature of the ice covering it is very cold by earthly standards and fluctuates between 160-190°C below zero. The thickness of the ice crust is more than 3 km.
If there was life in the waters of the boundless expanse, then the oxygen contained in it would be more than enough to create conditions for the life of millions of tons of fish. Only the frozen shell serves as an obstacle to the emergence of complex life forms. The closed nature of the vast expanse does not allow organic compounds that fall on the satellite as part of meteorites and asteroids to penetrate through the thickness of the ice and become the soil for the emergence of new life in its depths.
Recent studies show that already at a depth of 10 meters, the density of ice decreases, and the concentration of oxygen increases. This creates the prerequisites for the development of life in the bowels of the ocean at shallow depths.
In fact, in the depths of the European ocean, it is not so cold. located at the bottom active volcanoes gradually warm up the water.
According to scientists, in 12 million years, under the influence of dynamic processes on the satellite, the temperature of the waters of the vast expanse and the level of their saturation with oxygen will become the same as on planet Earth. This will create conditions for maintaining a multifaceted marine life that exists on our planet.
giant of outer space
The largest and most distant giant in outer space, with reserves 140 trillion times greater than the capacity of our planet's oceans, surrounds the supermassive and most powerful black hole - the APM 08279+5255 quasar.
The most powerful source of energy in space is located at a distance of 12 billion light years from Earth. The energy emitted by it is 70 thousand times greater than the energy created by all galactic stars.
This quasar is surrounded by a shell, which is a gas and dust ring, the main component of which is water vapor. The length of the stretching border is a hundred light years. Due to this, a titanic mass of water is kept in the area of the astronomical object. But it is in a state of extremely rarefied gas. So it is unlikely that you will be able to drink the life-giving moisture from this pool.
Despite centuries of research, the Earth is still full of mysteries and mysteries. Even on the continents remained uncharted places, but the first place in the number mysterious riddles occupy, of course, the oceans. Scientists have not even established the exact age earth's oceans but about what is at the bottom deepest depressions, we have a very vague idea. And the deepest ocean, and all the rest will give us many more amazing discoveries.
The smallest of the four oceans on Earth is the Arctic Ocean. This mass of icy water bathes the Arctic, as well as the northern parts of Eurasia, Canada and the United States. Despite the cold, this ocean is rich in fish and krill. This is where the whales come to fatten up in a short summer. Third in this ranking is Atlantic Ocean- its average depth is 3926 meters. "Silver" went to 3963 meters of average depth. It is not difficult to guess which ocean is the deepest: of course, the Pacific. Its average depth reaches 4281 meters. But the deepest place on Earth is not in the Pacific Ocean, but in the Atlantic, near the Guam Islands, and has 10,790 meters. The depth of the oceans is determined using an instrument that catches reflections from the bottom
Little is known about the bottom of the oceans. Oceanographers have found that the oceans, including the deepest, up to 3600 meters deep are covered with silt - soft deposits from the remains of small marine life. Silt deposits at a depth of six kilometers and below turn red. Oceanographers call them "red clay" because volcanic ash is mixed with biological sediments.
Surrounded by all five continents. The western border of the Pacific Ocean is marked by Australia, Eurasia and the Malay Archipelago located between them. Its eastern border runs along the shores of both Americas, and in the south, "quiet" waters wash the icy shores of Antarctica. The boundary between the Pacific and Arctic oceans is marked and lies between the Seward and Chukotka peninsulas. The deepest ocean is separated from the Atlantic by an imaginary line connecting Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula. The most conditional is the border of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Starting on the Hindustan Peninsula, it passes through Sumatra and New Guinea, and ends on the northern coast of Australia.
Leading not only in depth. Of all the earth's oceans, the Pacific occupies largest area, equal to almost 180 thousand square kilometers. At least ten thousand islands are scattered over this considerable area, and in the bowels of the ocean there is the greatest underwater ridge on the planet, dividing it into two unequal parts. Its western part is warmed by warm currents, while the eastern part is “frozen” by the Peruvian Current. West Side much more than the east, so the Pacific Ocean is also considered the warmest on Earth. In this vast space covering several natural areas- the richest flora, and many representatives of the fauna live.
The Pacific Ocean is the deepest on Earth, but there are oceans not only on our planet. The deepest ocean in the solar system is on the planet Europa. This small planet orbits the gas giant Jupiter. Europa is slightly smaller than the Moon. Its center is the iron core, and the surface is covered with an ice shell many kilometers thick. According to a recently confirmed hypothesis, under a layer of ice is a hundred-kilometer-deep ocean that occupies the entire planet. Scientists suggest that the Europian ocean consists of water that does not freeze thanks to powerful tides born from Jupiter's gravity. They do not exclude the existence of biological life in this ocean.
Which is bigger - the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean? In what natural basin could fit all the continents on the planet? Covering about 178 million km 2 and containing more than half of all free water on the planet, the Pacific Ocean is the most voluminous.
Big and ancient
The Pacific Ocean is considered the oldest of the current ocean basins. Its ancient rocks are approximately 200 million years old. The basin is also called the "Ring of Fire" because of the intense earthquakes and volcanic activity, fixed near traffic areas tectonic plates. Answering the question of which is larger - the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean, it is worth noting that both of them are leaders, although the waters of the Atlantic take an honorable, but second place. Then follow the Indian, South and, finally, the Arctic.
and great discoveries
In the old days before they were possible air travel, the only way, other than land, to get abroad and see new countries and continents was the sea route.
Legendary explorers such as Christopher Columbus and Sir sailed the waves of the world on a ship, taking part in various epic adventures and discovering new countries, cultures and much more. Previously, no one could have guessed which one was larger - the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean, because all travel was made almost blindly. With the advent geographical maps things got easier.
Pacific Ocean and its islands
Most big ocean literally stretches from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south and borders on almost all continents. Some of the most beautiful tropical islands are found in its basin, from Hawaii in the north to Tahiti in the south. The names of the most magical places just fall off the tongue: Bora Bora, Rarotonga and Maui.
In fact, there are about 10,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The largest of these is Melanesia, which includes New Guinea (the second largest island in the world), romantic Fiji and Solomon islands. To the north of the equator are Kiribati, Guama and Polynesia occupies vast expanses. It includes Hawaii in the north, New Zealand in the south, Easter Island in the east and Tonga in the west.
And yet: is the Pacific Ocean the largest or the Atlantic?
Atlantic Ocean and its islands
The mighty Atlantic Ocean borders Greenland, Europe, Africa, North and South America. Canary Islands located off the coast of Africa. The Atlantic also borders Iceland, Ireland and Robben in South Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket in the US and the Eastern Caribbean. Which is bigger - the Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean?
The waters of the Atlantic cover about 20% of the total surface of the planet, covering 91.66 million km2. From this it is clear that the Pacific Ocean is large in area, and almost 2 times.
The most deep
It is no longer a secret which ocean is larger - the Pacific or the Atlantic. The equator conditionally divides the Pacific Ocean into northern and southern parts. In addition, the largest natural pool is also the deepest. On average, the depth reaches 3.9 kilometers. The Atlantic Ocean in this regard is inferior by as much as 20%. What is the deepest ocean? The answer is the same - Quiet.
The Mariana Trench in the northwest is the deepest point in the world. Its depth is more than 11 kilometers.
Is the water warm in the Pacific Ocean?
The water temperature in the Pacific Ocean varies by location. In some areas near the equator, it reaches 30 degrees Celsius, while near the poles this figure drops to 18-20 degrees.
What is the largest ocean after the Pacific Ocean?
When it comes to size, the Atlantic Ocean ranks 2nd as it covers one-fifth total area the surface of the earth. This is about 102 million km2. This massive water giant covers about 20% of the entire earth's surface and about 25% of the volume of the oceans. It was named after the myths ancient Greek mythology, where the Atlantic was referred to as the "Sea of Atlas".
The third is the Atlantic Ocean in its depth, which averages about 3.6 km. The most low point- Puerto Rico trench (8.742 km). In second place is Indian Ocean with an average depth of 3.7 km. Its deepest point is located at and goes down 7.7 km. Northern Arctic Ocean- on the fourth position. Its average depth is 1 km, and the lowest point is located in the Greenland Sea - 5.5 km.
So, we answered the question of which ocean is larger - the Pacific or the Atlantic, and which one is deeper. Interesting fact is also associated with the name of the very ocean on the planet. It was called quiet famous navigator and explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. During his journey, the huge reservoir seemed to him calm and peaceful. However, it was just a lucky coincidence of circumstances and weather conditions.
The seabed is strewn with thousands of underwater volcanoes
In fact, the Pacific Ocean is not so peaceful. For modern researchers managed to confirm the existence of the world's largest volcano, which in size resembles British Isles. It is located in the Pacific Ocean, 1.5 thousand kilometers east of Japan. The massive volcano is also quite unique due to its low and wide shape. Its flatness is due to the fact that its lava flowed over long distances compared to most other volcanoes on the planet.
Called Tamu, this massif covers about 193 thousand km 2, which is much more than the Hawaiian Mauna Loa - the largest active volcano on Earth, which covers about 3 sq. km. The best analogue can be considered dormant volcano Olympus Mons on the planet Mars, which is approximately 25 percent larger in volume than the ocean on planet Earth.
Today, there are 5 oceans on our planet, each of which has its own characteristics, sizes and peculiar forms of life. The largest is the Pacific Ocean, which is also the deepest ocean in the world.
How big is the Pacific Ocean?
It occupies an area of 178,600,000 km2. The volume of ocean water is 710,000,000 km3. Looking at the map, you will see that the ocean extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Southern Ocean. Approximately forty-six percent of all surface water on our planet falls on this ocean, where the average depth is approximately 4000 m. great depth in the ocean is approximately 11,000 m. Such a place in the Pacific Ocean is the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest place in the world's oceans.
How did scientists determine the greatest ocean depth?
Scientists managed to find the deepest place in the ocean using special instruments - echo sounders. And this device works as follows. The echo sounder, which is located on the research vessel, sends a special signal to the bottom. The sent sound wave, having reached the bottom of the ocean, is reflected and, upon return, is recorded by the echo sounder. So, the time taken by the sound signal to reach the ocean floor and return back to the device is measured. The resulting time is divided in half, and then the distance is calculated depending on the speed of sound propagation in water.
Today, with the help of such devices, scientists have received information not only about the maximum depth, but also about the average ocean depth. Thanks to the data obtained, scientists were able to absolutely say that the deepest of all is the Pacific Ocean.
Features of the deepest ocean
The ocean is surrounded on all sides by 5 continents. In addition to being the deepest, it is also the largest in area and the warmest. The relief of its bottom is quite complex. At the equator, the ocean is divided into 2 parts - north and south. Besides given ocean It is considered the most insular - in these places you can count about ten thousand islands.
Mariana Trench
In the west of the Pacific Ocean there is a trench that has the shape of a crescent. The Mariana Trench is also called the Mariana Trench. Its length is 2550 km, and its width is 69 km. Deep into the depression goes about 11,000 m.
Despite the wide popularity of this place, scientists have very little information about its features. However, there are some facts that are already one hundred percent. Here are some of them:
1) Hot water. Many will say that the deeper you go into the water, the colder it will be. But in this depression at a depth of 1600 m, the water temperature reaches 450 degrees. And everything can be explained by the presence of hydro thermal springs operating in this location. The water here is incredibly rich in minerals that support life. But the water does not boil here, since its pressure is 155 times greater than the surface pressure.
2) The presence of shellfish. It would seem that the highest water pressure does not give a single chance for habitation at the bottom of the depression. But in 2012 scientists have discovered mollusks here, which have even adapted to the release of hydrogen sulfide from thermal springs, converting it into the protein necessary for life.
3) Slime at the bottom. Again, due to the high water pressure, everything that falls to the bottom turns into mucus, which covers the entire bottom of the gutter.
4) The emergence of liquid sulfur. When lowering into the gutter, one can observe the Daikoku volcano, which is the source of the formation of a lake of pure sulfur. Such sulfur, in addition to these places, is found only on the satellite of Jupiter.
5) The presence of toxic amoebae of enormous size. The researchers managed to find 10-centimeter amoebas at the bottom of the gutter. Scientists suggest that these large sizes amoebas reached because of the habitat and the lack of light of the sun. Amoebas also have excellent resistance to many chemicals.
Exploring the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean
The Mariana Trench was discovered in 1875. Since then, only three people have dared to visit this deepest place in the ocean. The latest of these daredevils was the film director J. Cameron. He plunged in a bathyscaphe to the bottom of the chute in 2012. The director carefully observed everything that surrounds him, and what is happening. Being at the lowest point of the depression, Cameron noted that he was alone here. He did not see any scary monsters, and the bottom seemed so empty and lonely.
Most of The surface of our planet is covered by the waters of four oceans. The largest of them is . It contains 53% of the volume of water from the total. The Pacific Ocean is a leader in other indicators as well. Most living organisms live in its depths, the most a large number of islands.
He is also the most deep ocean on the planet. It has places where people, even with the help of the most innovative and high-tech equipment, do not yet have access. That is why the Pacific Ocean is the most big mystery our planet. Scientists say that even the Moon is much more studied than the expanses of the Pacific Ocean.
For the first time, serious studies of the depths of the Pacific Ocean were carried out in the middle of the last century. Using the most powerful echo sounder at that time, scientists from England, who conducted a scientific expedition, discovered a depression maximum depth which, according to the data obtained, was 10,863 m.
After 6 years to myself deep gutter In the Pacific Ocean, a research group of Russian scientists arrived under the command of A.D. Dobrovolsky on the research vessel Vityaz. They managed to get a depth indicator of 11,034 meters. After conducting additional research, scientists received more accurate data, according to which the depth of the depression was 11,023 m.
Exploration of the Mariana Trench was quite difficult. To determine its exact depth, scientists had to use various equipment:
- echo sounder;
- thermometers;
- barometers.
Sound waves pass through the water column in different ways, which the researchers had to take into account. Changes in the temperature and pressure of water masses affect the speed of sound, so before studying the depression, scientists conducted many different experiments. A more accurate value could not be obtained by numerous expeditions that conducted research on the "Challenger Abyss" over the following years.
The Mariana Trench is still one of the most little explored places planets. It is not yet possible to reach its bottom due to the huge pressure of the water. To understand how huge the depth of the depression is, it is enough to imagine that the most high mountain in the world, Everest will easily fit in it and will even be covered with a layer of water, the thickness of which exceeds 2 km. The Pacific Ocean also has the largest average depth, which is 3984 m.
Other information about the Pacific Ocean
As already noted, the Pacific Ocean is larger than other bodies of water on the planet. Its area is 178.684 million km2. It stretches from South to North for 16 thousand km, and from East to West for 19 thousand km. Most of the ocean is desalinated in the Southern Hemisphere. Its basin contains 710.36 million km 3 of water. Its waters wash the shores of all 5 continents.
About 10 thousand islands are scattered across the expanses of the Pacific Ocean. Many of them were formed after volcanic eruptions. largest islands of this body of water are New Guinea and Kalimantan. The largest group of islands in the world, called the Greater Sunda Islands, is located in the Pacific Ocean.
Climatic features
Despite its name, the Pacific Ocean is not a calm body of water. Only in its equatorial part, complete calm prevails throughout the year. This is due to the fact that the northern and southern trade winds do not converge, but have their own zones. Also for this reason, the equatorial zone is the most arid. The water of the Pacific Ocean in the equatorial part has the highest percentage of salinity. This is due to significant evaporation and low precipitation.
In tropical zones in the western and southern parts oceans, the most severe typhoons originate, which sweep along the continents, causing severe storms. These destructive winds die out near the Bering Sea.
Flora and fauna
The Pacific Ocean contains 50% of the biomass of the entire oceans. In tropical and subtropical areas, huge area the bottom of the reservoir is Coral reefs and mangroves. The ocean is teeming with microscopic algae. In the overwhelming majority, the most abundant vegetation is distributed in shallow water zones.
In the depths of the Pacific Ocean is found several times more various kinds living organisms than in any other ocean. More than 8.5 thousand species of fish were found in it. Some of them are very ancient and live only in this reservoir. In the Pacific Ocean, living organisms are often found that amaze with their huge size. In the northern region of the reservoir, giant mussels and oysters were found, and the equatorial part surprised by the presence of the largest tridactna mollusks, whose weight can reach 300 kg.
Ecology
The waters of the Pacific Ocean were heavily polluted due to economic activity people, which adversely affected the amount of biological wealth of the reservoir. Several species of marine life were completely exterminated, and some were on the verge of extinction. In the second half of the 20th century, due to the massive discharge of industrial waste into the waters of the Pacific Ocean, there was a threat of extinction not only of living organisms, but also of aquatic vegetation. Nuclear weapons tests caused great damage to the ecology of the reservoir.
Only in the 1980s did the world community become seriously concerned about the state of the water in the Pacific Ocean. There are strict restrictions on waste disposal. But this did not improve the situation. In the northern part of the reservoir formed whole island from plastic waste, with a length of 80 km, which is increasing every year. The flora and fauna of the Pacific Ocean also suffers due to disasters, as a result of which huge volumes of oil are poured into the reservoir.
