Ocean Facts

The oceans are saline water bodies which cover 71% of the total area of earth. There are a total of 5 oceans and 20 seas which together constitute the saline water reserves of earth. Names of the five oceans of world are as follows: Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Antarctic Ocean and Arctic Ocean. Depth of over 50% of the total ocean floor surface is more than 3000 meters. Oceans are an important part of the earth and the ocean biomes largest of all biomes; these huge water bodies play an important role in water cycle and fulfill the requirements/necessities of marine species and human beings. The estimated number of marine species (known to scientists) is 230,000. However, the total number could be far greater. Volume of all the oceans (water) together is 310 million cubic miles. The science of oceanography is used in studying oceans.

Facts and Information about Ocean

These ocean facts for preschoolers and kids in general given below some interesting information. A variety of topics ranging from depth, volume of water, ocean mountain ranges, deepest portion and related facts about the ocean are covered in the paragraphs below.

• The total seawater that is present on earth amounts to 328,000,000 cubic miles.
• The size of 'Antarctic Ice Sheet' is double to entire surface area of USA.
• The coastline of Canada accounts for 15% of the total of all the countries on earth. Length of Canada's coastline is 56,453 miles.
• It is in the oceans that 90% of earth's volcanic activities take place. The sea floor of the South Pacific region is known to have maximum number of occurrences of such activities.
• Bay of Fundy is the region where one can find highest tides in the world. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are the areas divided by this region.
• Oceans contribute to 0.022% of the total weight of the earth.
• The Longest mountain range on the earth is found in the oceans. This mountain range circles the region from Arctic to Atlantic ocean and touches the continents of Asia, Africa and Australia. The total length of this mountain range is 31,250 miles.
• The deepest ocean floor is 'Challenger Deep' situated in the Mariana Trench; this point is 10,911 m deep.
• The average temperatures of all the oceans together is 39 °F.
• The number of icebergs created in the Arctic ocean annually range from 10,000 - 50,000.
• The problem of wastes being dumped in the oceans is increasing day-by-day. The total wastes dumped in oceans on an annual basis weigh greater than that of fish being caught.

Pacific Ocean
The Pacific ocean is the largest and also the deepest of all oceans in the world. The total area covered by this ocean is 70,000,000 sq miles. To the north and south of this ocean lie the Arctic and Antarctic regions respectively. The continents of North and South America are on the eastern side of this ocean, while Australia and Asia to the west. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Guangzhou, Tokyo-Yokohama, Seattle, Manila, Shanghai and Sydney are the important ports situated on this ocean.

Atlantic Ocean
Second largest of all the five oceans, the Atlantic ocean lies between Africa, Southern ocean, Europe and the Western hemisphere. Oil, polymetallic nodules, gas fields, placer deposits, gravel aggregates, precious stones, etc., are the natural resources found in the Atlantic ocean. The important checkpoints of the Atlantic ocean are as follows: Dardanelles, Strait of Dover, Strait of Gibraltar, Mona Passage, Windward Passage, Straits of Florida and The Sound.

Indian Ocean
The Indian ocean is third largest of all the oceans and covers a total area of 28,350,000 sq m. All the major routes that connect East Asia, Africa and Middle East with the continents of America and Europe pass through the Indian ocean. Out of the total offshore oil being extracted, 40% comes from the Indian ocean. Hydrocarbon reserves on a large scale have been discovered in the offshore regions of Iran, Saudi Arabia, western Australia and India. Major checkpoints of the Indian ocean are the Bab el Mandeb, Lombok Strait, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Hormuz.

Antarctic Ocean
The Antarctic ocean is also known as Southern ocean. This ocean / region circles the south pole and its ice cover varies from 1 million sq m (March) to 7.2 million sq m (September). The average depth of this ocean ranges from 4000 m to 5000 m. The radiation of ultraviolet rays has raised concerns about the environmental balance of this region. These radiations have reduced the productivity of phytoplankton. Rothera Station, Villa Las Estrellas. Palmer Station, Mawson Station, Esperanza Base and McMurdo Stations are the operational ports of Southern ocean.

Arctic Ocean
The Arctic ocean is smallest ocean of all and spans across 400,000 sq m. Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia form the border of this ocean, which is almost entirely landlocked. The Alpha Ridge, Arctic Mid-Oceanic Ridge and Lomonosov Ridge are three submarine ridges which divide the area of this ocean. Until the Amundsen-Ellsworth flight which took place in 1926, the Arctic region remain unexplored to a great extent. The western and central parts of the Arctic ocean are covered by 6 m thick layers of ice for most of the time in the year.

The facts presented in this article should help understand these water masses in a better manner. Most of the ocean facts for kids enlisted in the paragraphs above provide interesting information about these large water bodies. The oceans being huge water masses, there is a lot that humans have yet to discover and find out about them. The article is therefore, a snapshot of the information about these water bodies.