Ocean basins

Major ocean basins of the world and their physio-chemical characteristics

1. Major basins

2. Major basins 1 2 3 4 5

3. Major basins – General Characteristics Pacific Ocean average depth 3,940 m extensive marginal seas, volcanic island systems, and trenches  considerable mountain building and earthquake activity along boundaries (Ring of Fire) little freshwater input Atlantic Ocean average depth 3,310 m large freshwater input (Amazon, Congo, Mississippi, Niger, Orinoco Rivers) Indian Ocean average depth 3,840 m large sediment input (Indus and Ganges River Deltas) Arctic Ocean average depth 1,038 m centered on the north pole shallow and land-locked covered by sea ice large sediment input from active glaciers Southern Ocean average depth 4,000 m continuous ring of water around Antarctica coldest of all oceans (near freezing) extensive winter sea ice coverage most biologically productive ocean

4. Marginal Seas Surrounding the Atlantic Ocean is the Sargasso Sea (1), Weddell Sea (2), the Caribbean Sea (3), the North Sea (4), and the Mediterranean Sea (5). Surrounding the Pacific Ocean is the Ross Sea (6), the Coral Sea (7), the South China Sea (8), the Sea of Japan (9), the Sea of Okhotsk (10), the Bering Sea (11), and the Sea of Cortez (12) (also called the Gulf of California). Surrounding the Indian Ocean is the Red Sea (13), the Arabian Sea (14), and the Bay of Bengal (15). Surrounding the Arctic Ocean is the Bering Sea (11), the Laptev Sea (16), the Barents Sea (17), and the Beaufort Sea (18).

5. Largest, smallest, deepest, saltiest Pacific Ocean = 1/3 globe (18 x US) 1/2 world ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest (area = 9,485,000 sq km, or < 1/10 Pacific)

6. Top 10 Deepest Trenches 1 Mariana 2 Tonga 3 Philippine 4 Kermadec 5 Bonin 6 New Britain 7 Kuril 8 Izu 9 Puerto Rico 10 Yap 1 2 3 4 5 7 6 8 10 9 Mariana Trench = 35,802 ft (10,912 m)

7. Puerto Rico Trench 8,400 m (5.2 miles)

8. Highest Salinity Red Sea salinity ranges between 36 and 38 psu Dead Sea salinity = 360 psu

9. Ocean basins

10. Ocean basins

11. Ocean basins To “sail the seven seas” (< 1400’s) = 1. Adriatic Sea 2. Black Sea 3. Caspian Sea 4. Mediterranean Sea 5. Red Sea 6. Persian Gulf 7. Indian Ocean

12. Ocean basin chemical signatures Salinity Temperature Density

13. Salinity Pacific Ocean

14. Salinity Atlantic/Indian Oceans

15. Meridional Salinity Atlantic

16. Annual Mean Surface Temperature Longitude

17. Annual Mean Temperature 1000 m Longitude

18. Density Pacific Ocean

19. Density Atlantic/Indian Oceans