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global ocean. This concept of a continuous
The Ocean body of water with relatively free
IS A WATER WORLD interchange among its parts is of
fundamental importance to oceanography.
An ocean is a major body of saline water, The major oceanic divisions are defined in
and a principal component of the part by the continents, various archipelagos,
hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the and other criteria. These divisions are (in
Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a descending order of size):
continuous body of water that is customarily
divided into several principal oceans and Pacific Ocean, which separates Asia and
smaller seas. Australia from the Americas
Atlantic Ocean, which separates the
More than half of this area is over 3,000 Americas from Eurasia and Africa
meters deep. Average oceanic salinity is Indian Ocean, which washes upon
around 35 parts per thousand, and nearly all southern Asia and separates Africa and
seawater has salinity in the range of 30 to 38 Australia
ppt. Scientists estimate that 230,000 marine Arctic Ocean, sometimes considered a sea
life forms of all types are currently known, of the Atlantic, which covers much of the
but the total could be up to 10 times that Arctic and washes upon northern North
number. America and Eurasia.
The Pacific and Atlantic may be further
Overview subdivided by the equator into northern and
Though generally described as several southern portions. Smaller regions of the
'separate' oceans, these waters comprise one oceans are called seas, gulfs, bays, straits
global, interconnected body of salt water and other names.
sometimes referred to as the World Ocean or
The Ocean
Description of the Water and the Life within
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Geologically, an ocean is an area of oceanic inland. Surface heat and freshwater fluxes
crust covered by water. Oceanic crust is the create global density gradients that drive the
thin layer of solidified volcanic basalt that thermohaline circulation part of large-scale
covers the Earth's mantle. Continental crust ocean circulation. It plays an important role
is thicker but less dense. From this in supplying heat to the polar regions, and
perspective, the earth has three oceans: the thus in sea ice regulation. Changes in the
World Ocean, the Caspian Sea, and Black thermohaline circulation are thought to have
Sea. The latter two were formed by the significant impacts on the Earth's radiation
collision of Cimmeria with Laurasia. The budget. Insofar as the thermohaline
Mediterranean Sea is at times a discrete circulation governs the rate at which deep
ocean, because tectonic plate movement has waters reach the surface, it may also
repeatedly broken its connection to the significantly influence atmospheric carbon
World Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar. dioxide concentrations.
The Black Sea is connected to the
Mediterranean through the Bosporus, but the
Bosporus is a natural canal cut through
continental rock some 7,000 years ago,
rather than a piece of oceanic sea floor like
the Strait of Gibraltar.
Despite their names, smaller landlocked
bodies of saltwater that are not connected
with the World Ocean, such as the Aral Sea,
For a discussion of the possibilities of
are actually salt lakes.
changes to the thermohaline circulation
under global warming, see shutdown of
Ocean and life thermohaline circulation.
The ocean has a significant effect on the
biosphere. Oceanic evaporation, as a phase
of the water cycle, is the source of most
rainfall, and ocean temperatures determine It is often stated that the thermohaline
climate and wind patterns that affect life on circulation is the primary reason that the
land. Life within the ocean evolved 3 billion climate of Western Europe is so temperate.
years prior to life on land. Both the depth An alternate hypothesis claims that this is
and distance from shore strongly influence largely incorrect, and that Europe is warm
the amount and kinds of plants and animals mostly because it lies downwind of an ocean
that live there. basin, and because atmospheric waves bring
warm air north from the subtropics.
Climate Effects
Ocean currents greatly affect the Earth's
climate by transferring heat from the tropics The Antarctic Circumpolar Current encircles
to the Polar Regions, and transferring warm that continent, influencing the area's climate
or cold air and precipitation to coastal and connecting currents in several oceans.
regions, where winds may carry them
The Ocean
Description of the Water and the Life within
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One of the most dramatic forms of weather
occurs over the oceans: tropical cyclones,
(also called "typhoons" and "hurricanes")
The Ocean
Description of the Water and the Life within
