How Many Oceans Are There In The World

There is only one global ocean. – While there is only one global ocean, the vast body of water that covers 71 percent of the Earth is geographically divided into distinct named regions. The boundaries between these regions have evolved over time for a variety of historical, cultural, geographical, and scientific reasons.

Historically, there are four named oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. However, most countries – including the United States – now recognize the Southern (Antarctic) as the fifth ocean. The Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian are the most commonly known. The Southern Ocean is the ‘newest’ named ocean.

It is recognized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as the body of water extending from the coast of Antarctica to the line of latitude at 60 degrees South. The boundaries of this ocean were proposed to the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000.

What are the 7 oceans of the world?

The Seven Seas include the Arctic, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian, and Southern oceans. – The exact origin of the phrase ‘Seven Seas’ is uncertain, although there are references in ancient literature that date back thousands of years. The origins of the phrase ‘Seven Seas’ can be traced to ancient times. In various cultures at different times in history, the Seven Seas has referred to bodies of water along trade routes, regional bodies of water, or exotic and far-away bodies of water.

In Greek literature (which is where the phrase entered Western literature), the Seven Seas were the Aegean, Adriatic, Mediterranean, Black, Red, and Caspian seas, with the Persian Gulf thrown in as a “sea.” In Medieval European literature, the phrase referred to the North Sea, Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black, Red, and Arabian seas.

As trade picked up across the Atlantic, the concept of the Seven Seas changed again. Mariners then referred to the Seven Seas as the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Pacific, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. Not many people use this phrase today, but you could say that the modern Seven Seas include the Arctic, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans.

Which ocean is the deepest?

Thousands have climbed Mount Everest, and a handful of people have walked on the moon. But reaching the lowest part of the ocean? Only three people have ever done that, and one was a U.S. Navy submariner. In the Pacific Ocean, somewhere between Guam and the Philippines, lies the Marianas Trench, also known as the Mariana Trench.

What is the warmest ocean?

Which ocean is warmest at its peak in the summer, the Pacific or the Atlantic? This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Dear Tom,Which ocean is warmest at its peak in the summer, the Pacific or the Atlantic?Jona Osaka, ChicagoDear Jona,The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are, respectively, the world’s largest and second-largest oceans.

The area of the Pacific Ocean, 63.8 million square miles, is about twice that of the Atlantic, at 31.8 million square miles. The waters of the Pacific Ocean comprise the world’s largest heat reservoir, by far, and it is the warmest ocean, overall, of the world’s five oceans. (The other oceans are the Arctic, Antarctic and Indian Oceans.) The Pacific Ocean has approximately four times the intense sun-heated surface area in the tropics compared with the Atlantic Ocean.

This is an important consideration because heat exchanges between air and ocean profoundly influence the world’s weather. : Which ocean is warmest at its peak in the summer, the Pacific or the Atlantic?

Why did they add a 5th ocean?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – There’s a new ocean in the world — at least according to National Geographic. The magazine and mapmaker announced Tuesday that it now officially recognizes five oceans, adding the Southern Ocean to the list that already included the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans.

1. The announcement was made as part of World Oceans Day,
2. The Southern Ocean encompasses the waters surrounding Antarctica, with boundaries “roughly centered around a latitude of 60 degrees south,” according to the outlet.
3. Nat Geo cartographers say the swift current circling Antarctica keeps the waters there distinct and worthy of their own name.

That current, known as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), flows from west to east, National Geographic explains. The ACC also pulls water from the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific to transport heat around the Earth, making it “crucial” component of the globe’s climate.

• The waters of the ACC are also colder and less salty than the oceans above it, National Geographic writes, citing the University of Miami,
• National Geographic decided to designate the Antarctic waters as its own ocean (instead of merely southern parts the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific) to bring awareness to, and promote conservation of the waters.

But also because of its unique attributes, which scientists and geographers have long recognized. “We’ve always labeled it, but we labeled it slightly differently,” said Alex Tait, a geographer for the National Geographic Society, in an article published Tuesday, June 8, aka World Oceans Day. The five oceans are connected and are actually one huge body of water, called the global ocean or just the ocean. (Maps of World) According to NOAA: The Southern Ocean is the ‘ newest ‘ named ocean. It is recognized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as the body of water extending from the coast of Antarctica to the line of latitude at 60 degrees South.

The boundaries of this ocean were proposed to the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000. However, not all countries agree on the proposed boundaries, so this has yet to be ratified by members of the IHO. The U.S. is a member of the IHO, represented by the NOS Office of Coast Survey. Copyright 2021 WMC.

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What is the new 5th ocean?

As of June 2021, the Southern Ocean—the body of water surrounding Antarctica—is recognized as the world’s fifth. Photo by Michael S. Nolan Pop quiz: How many oceans are there on the planet? Answer: It depends on whom you ask—but as of June 2021, most official organizations would say there are five oceans.

The Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans are all long-established fixtures in cartography, but there’s been some international debate over what some refer to as the Southern Ocean, the body of water that surrounds Antarctica. If you’ve heard of the Southern Ocean, it’s because scientific bodies like the U.S.

federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) have for decades recognized it as a separate and distinct body of water, yet it’s still not recognized by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) due to a lack of consensus among member countries.

In years past, the Southern Ocean was frequently left off of world maps, or when it did appear, it came with a qualification. But the Southern Ocean’s status is experiencing a sea change, following the National Geographic Society’s announcement on World Oceans Day in June that it would now recognize the body of water on its widely used maps, a move that intends to bring more attention—and conservation muscle—to the area’s fragile ecosystem, and perhaps even pave the way for the IHO to recognize it, too.

This new designation bodes well for both science and conservation, according to Dr. Verena Meraldi, a biologist and chief scientist of Hurtigruten, a Norway-based cruise company whose offerings include expeditions into Antarctica. “Recognizing the Southern Ocean as an independent entity, and understanding the role it plays in global circulation, is one huge step towards the increased development of scientific research projects and conservation of all species that call this ocean home,” Meraldi says.

The Southern Ocean ecosystem is unique for several reasons. First, the ocean is divided by a current rather than a continent, called the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the planet’s strongest current. It also connects the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, allowing for the crucial interocean exchange of carbon dioxide, heat, and other chemicals that help to regulate each body of water.

And when the ACC is squeezed through the Drake Passage, a portion of the Southern Ocean’s cold waters flows north as far as the equator and Galápagos islands, and they play a crucial role in balancing out the environments of these faraway habitats. In addition, the Southern Ocean is one of the most productive feeding grounds in the world: During winter, 50 percent of the ocean is covered with ice, and when that ice thaws in the spring, it creates a unique surface layer of less salty water that causes phytoplankton to thrive in so much abundance that it resembles a milky substance that can be seen from space.

Phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like organisms that are not only the base of every food web in the ocean, but they also produce half of the oxygen we breathe,” Meraldi says. “This extremely abundant explosion of life attracts many other organisms to the Southern Ocean.” Wildlife that depend on phytoplankton include such iconic polar species as penguins, especially during their breeding season and annual molting, while whales depend on the krill that feed on the phytoplankton as they replenish their fat reserves before returning to their breeding grounds.

Thanks to the remoteness of the Southern Ocean and the need for scientific study, tourism and science often cross paths in Antarctica. According to Meraldi, cruise companies like Hurtigruten, which began operating in Antarctica in 2002, have witnessed environmental changes in the region—including penguin population numbers and higher recorded temperatures—and these observations have led to increased collaborations with scientists with each passing year.

Today, it’s common to see researchers working aboard tourism cruises, where they often share their findings with guests. It’s not unheard of for guests to be privy to groundbreaking discoveries: Meraldi cites a 2019 Antarctica trip in partnership with the Norwegian Polar Institute where a Hurtigruten vessel brought supplies to scientists in the Shetland Islands, and picked them and their equipment up at the end of their months-long stint in the region.

“They presented their preliminary results to our guests and staff during the trip to Ushuaia,” Meraldi recalls, referring to the capital of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, and the country’s southernmost city. “They were the first to hear about the striking differences in foraging patterns during the breeding phases of the chinstrap penguins that this study revealed.”

Are all 5 oceans connected?

by Beth Rowen – Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth’s surface. About 97% of Earth’s water is contained in oceans and seas. The five oceans—the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic—are all connected and form an enormous mass of water. Seas are smaller bodies of salty water within the oceans.

• The oceans are salty, which makes them unsuitable for drinking.
• Most of the salt comes from minerals from rocks and soil that have been washed from the land and carried into the oceans by rivers.
• The minerals are mostly chloride and sodium, which combine to make salt.
• Most of our table salt comes from the oceans.

The salinity, the amount of salt, varies in the oceans. Oceans in warm, dry areas are more salty than the oceans in cold climates, such as near the North and South Poles. That’s because ocean water in warmer areas evaporates quicker, leaving more salt behind.

What are the 9 major oceans of the world?

Oceans and Seas: A Bird’s Eye View – In the absolute broadest terms, the earth’s surface is mostly covered by a continuous body of saltwater known as the global ocean. But, do to variations in climate, weather, and wildlife, (and for the sake of being able to describe the locations of things) people have found it useful to divide the ocean into many constituent parts.

Name	Area	Average depth	Greatest known depth	Place of greatest known depth
sq. mi.	sq. km	ft.	m	ft.	m
Pacific Ocean	60,060,700	155,557,000	13,215	4,028	36,198	11,033	Mariana Trench
Atlantic Ocean	29,637,900	76,762,000	12,880	3,926	30,246	9,219	Puerto Rico Trench
Indian Ocean	26,469,500	68,556,000	13,002	3,963	24,460	7,455	Sunda Trench
Southern Ocean 1	7,848,300	20,327,000	13,100–16,400	4,000–5,000	23,736	7,235	South Sandwich Trench
Arctic Ocean	5,427,000	14,056,000	3,953	1,205	18,456	5,625	77°45’N; 175°W
Mediterranean Sea 2	1,144,800	2,965,800	4,688	1,429	15,197	4,632	Off Cape Matapan, Greece
Caribbean Sea	1,049,500	2,718,200	8,685	2,647	22,788	6,946	Off Cayman Islands
South China Sea	895,400	2,319,000	5,419	1,652	16,456	5,016	West of Luzon
Bering Sea	884,900	2,291,900	5,075	1,547	15,659	4,773	Off Buldir Island
Gulf of Mexico	615,000	1,592,800	4,874	1,486	12,425	3,787	Sigsbee Deep
Okhotsk Sea	613,800	1,589,700	2,749	838	12,001	3,658	146°10’E; 46°50’N
East China Sea	482,300	1,249,200	617	188	9,126	2,782	25°16’N; 125°E
Hudson Bay	475,800	1,232,300	420	128	600	183	Near entrance
Japan Sea	389,100	1,007,800	4,429	1,350	12,276	3,742	Central Basin
Andaman Sea	308,000	797,700	2,854	870	12,392	3,777	Off Car Nicobar Island
North Sea	222,100	575,200	308	94	2,165	660	Skagerrak
Red Sea	169,100	438,000	1,611	491	7,254	2,211	Off Port Sudan
Baltic Sea	163,000	422,200	180	55	1,380	421	Off Gotland

1. A decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in spring 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean.2. Includes Black Sea and Sea of Azov.