depth of oceans

The average depth of the oceans is about 4 km. More precisely the average depth is 3,688 meters (12,100 ft). Nearly half of the world’s marine waters are over 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) deep.[19] “Deep ocean,” which is anything below 200 meters (660 ft.), covers about 66% of Earth’s surface. This figure does not include seas not connected to the World Ocean, such as the Caspian Sea.

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World Oceans

Scientists now recognize five bodies of water as oceans today: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern (also called the Antarctic). Depending on the authority, seven oceans may be identified, with the Pacific divided into the North and South Pacific and the Atlantic into the North and South Atlantic. Table 1.1 summarizes some major properties of the five oceans.

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About the Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest ocean in the world. It is also almost completely landlocked— surrounded by North America, Europe, and northern Asia.

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About the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean surrounds the continent of Antarctica. Th e Southern Ocean wasn’t an “official” ocean until 2000. Until then, it was usually called the Antarctic Ocean, and was considered a polar region of the other three major oceans. But scientists realized that the winds that blow around the continent of Antarctica are so strong that the surface currents of the Southern Ocean qualify it as its own ocean. Th e Southern Ocean’s official boundaries are all the waters that lie south of 60 degrees south latitude.

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THE WORLD OCEAN

Only 30% of Earth’s surface is exposed land. the rest is covered by a huge body of salt water with a volume of more than 1 billion cubic kilometers: the world ocean. Twice a day, the oceans of the globe rise and fall by several meters. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon , and to a certain extent of the Sun , on our planet. the seas and oceans also move in waves —undulations of the surface of the water generated by the wind. Ocean currents , on the other hand, are movements of huge masses of ocean water along very precise routes.

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