What are 5 interesting facts about the Southern Ocean?
Here are some fun (and sometimes shocking) Southern Ocean facts for kids.
- The Southern Ocean’s largest resident, the blue whale, can eat up to eight tons of its favorite food every day.
- The Southern Ocean covers roughly 6% of the earth’s surface.
- On average, the Southern Ocean is approximately 11,000 feet deep.
What is special about the Southern Ocean?
The Southern Ocean is the world’s fourth-largest ocean. Surrounding the South Pole and Antarctica, it is the only ocean that goes all the way around the globe. Parts of the ocean freeze in winter, forming huge sheets of ice. Very high winds mean that the Southern Ocean is choppy, with huge waves.
Why is it called the Southern Ocean?
“Southern Ocean” is an obsolete name for the Pacific Ocean or South Pacific, coined by Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the first European to discover it, who approached it from the north. The “South Seas” is a less archaic synonym.
How deep is the Southern Ocean?
23,740′Southern Ocean / Max depth
What are 3 interesting facts about the Pacific Ocean?
10 Interesting Facts about the Pacific Ocean
- #1 The Pacific Ocean was named by Ferdinand Magellan.
- #2 The Pacific Ocean is shrinking.
- #3 The first European to discover the Pacific Ocean was Vasco Núñez de Balboa.
- #4 The deepest point in the Pacific Ocean is in the Mariana Trench.
How cold is the Southern Ocean?
The temperature in the Southern Ocean is anywhere from -2 to 10°C or 28 to 50°F. The difference in temperature between the ice and the ocean often results in intense storms that make their way eastward around Antarctica. The strongest winds on Earth are found from the latitude of 40° S to the Antarctic Circle.
How old is the Southern Ocean?
This current, estimated to be approximately 34 million years old, is what makes the ecology of the Southern Ocean so distinct, providing a unique habitat for thousands of species, National Geographic said in its magazine. The ocean also serves as a vital component of Earth’s changing climate.
What was the Southern Ocean called?
Antarctic
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.
What is the other name of Southern Ocean?
Antarctic Ocean
Southern Ocean, also called Antarctic Ocean, body of salt water covering approximately one-sixteenth of Earth’s total ocean area. The Southern Ocean is made up of the portions of the world ocean south of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans and their tributary seas surrounding Antarctica below 60° S.
Was the Southern Ocean renamed?
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.
How big is the Southern Ocean?
7.849 million mi²Southern Ocean / Area
What are 5 interesting facts about the Atlantic ocean?
Atlantic Ocean Facts for Kids
- Ocean Name: Atlantic Ocean.
- Location: Between the Americas and Europe, Africa.
- Average Depth: 11,961 feet.
- Total Surface Area: 32.8 million mi2
- Total Coastline: 69,510 miles.
- Total Volume of Water: 74.4 million mi3
What is south to the Atlantic ocean?
As one component of the interconnected World Ocean, it is connected in the north to the Arctic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, and the Southern Ocean in the south (other definitions describe the Atlantic as extending southward to Antarctica).
Why is the Southern Ocean called the Southern Ocean?
However, according to Commodore John Leech of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), recent oceanographic research has discovered the importance of Southern Circulation, and the term Southern Ocean has been used to define the body of water which lies south of the northern limit of that circulation.
What is one fact about the Atlantic Ocean?
The second-largest ocean on Earth, the Atlantic drives our weather patterns, including hurricanes, and is home to many species from sea turtles to dolphins. For centuries the Atlantic Ocean has been a key avenue of trade and travel.
What is the Atlantic ocean for kids?
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on Earth, after the Pacific Ocean. However, the Atlantic drains more of the Earth’s land area than any other ocean. This means that much of the world’s river water flows into the Atlantic. The ancient Greeks named the ocean after Atlas, a character in Greek mythology.
What are 5 animals that live in the Atlantic ocean?
Manatees, ghost crabs, sea lions, humpback whales, catfish, starfish, gray Atlantic seals, green sea turtles, shrimps, octopi, penguins, and different animals are found in this ocean. The coral reefs present here are also home to an array of fish and other marine animals, as well as plants.
How did the Atlantic Ocean get its name?
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the Earth’s surface. The ocean’s name, derived from Greek mythology, means the “Sea of Atlas.” The oldest known mention of this name is contained in The Histories of Herodotus around 450 BC (I 202).
Why is the Atlantic Ocean important?
When did the Southern Ocean get its name?
1999
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials said the federal agency recognized the body as the fifth ocean in 1999, when the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the name “Southern Ocean.”
What are the key facts of the Southern Ocean?
The Southern Ocean contains 5.4% of all the world’s ocean water. The Southern Ocean is the second smallest of all five oceans. The total surface area of the Southern Ocean is 8.4 million mi 2. The average depth of the Southern Ocean is 10,872 feet. The deepest part of the Southern Ocean is 24,390 feet in the Factorian Deep (proposed name).
What are 5 interesting facts about the Atlantic Ocean?
The total surface area of the Atlantic Ocean is 32.8 million mi 2. The Atlantic Ocean covers about 21% of our planet’s surface. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 11,961 feet. The deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean is 24,470 feet in the Puerto Rico Trench. The Atlantic Ocean is the second shallowest ocean in the world.
What is the average depth of the Southern Ocean?
The Southern Ocean is the second smallest of all five oceans. The total surface area of the Southern Ocean is 8.4 million mi 2. The average depth of the Southern Ocean is 10,872 feet.
Where is the Atlantic Ocean located?
The Atlantic Ocean is one of the world’s five oceans. The Atlantic Ocean is divided into two parts, the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean borders four continents, Africa, Europe, North America and South America. The Atlantic Ocean is located between the Americas, Europe and Africa.