Oceans & Seas of the World

The Oceans

The oceans are the some of the most mysterious places on the planet. Although there is much we have not yet discovered,
Water covers more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, with the largest body of water, the Pacific Ocean, taking up more than one-third of the planet’s surface. Here are the top  biggest seas and oceans in the world, as measured by surface area in square miles (square kilometers).

S. NO	Name	Area		Average depth		Greatest known depth		Place of greatest known depth
		sq. mi.	sq. km	ft.	m	ft.	m
1	Pacific Ocean	63,800,0000	15,55,57,000	13,215	4,028	35,827	10,920	Mariana Trench
2	Atlantic Ocean	41,100,000	106,460,000	12,880	3,926	30,246	9,219	Puerto Rico Trench
3	Indian Ocean	27,240,000	70,560,000	13,002	3,963	24,460	7,455	Java Trench Sunda Trench
4	Southern Ocean	78,48,300	2,03,27,000	13,100–16,400	4,000–5,000	23,736	7,235	South Sandwich Trench
5	Arctic Ocean	54,27,000	1,40,56,000	3,953	1,205	18,456	5,625	Arctic Basin 77°45’N; 175°W

Some Facts about ocean

• The Southern Ocean (Sometimes called the Antarctic Ocean) was approved in 2000 by the International Hydrographic Organization It is now the fourth largest ocean. Official depths for the Southern Ocean are still not available at this time.
• Some scientists have said that the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in the summer in as little as 30 years.
• The Indian Ocean’s calm surface allows for its trade routes to open up earlier in the year than the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, with many Indian Ocean states exporting raw materials such as silk, rice and sugar, according to the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC).
• Despite its relative calm, the Indian Ocean was the site of one of the most devastating tsunamis in history. An underwater earthquake on December 26, 2004 created goliath waves that hit the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean, resulting in the deaths of more than 226,000 people and leaving more than one million people homeless
• the Pacific basin is where about 81 percent of the world’s largest earthquakes occur, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Major Seas

 

Seas are smaller than oceans. They usually most often be found in areas where oceans and land meet.

• The Caspian Sea is called “sea” because the Romans, finding it salty, named it Mare Caspium. Many geographers, however, consider it a lake because it is land-locked.
• Varies with the rainfall of the wet season It has been reported to dry up almost completely on occasion
• A recent study has also found that the Mediterranean is feeling the effects of global warming, having become both warmer and saltier in recent decades.

Major Seas

Seas are smaller than oceans. They usually most often be found in areas where oceans and land meet.

• The Caspian Sea is called “sea” because the Romans, finding it salty, named it Mare Caspium. Many geographers, however, consider it a lake because it is land-locked.
• Varies with the rainfall of the wet season It has been reported to dry up almost completely on occasion
• A recent study has also found that the Mediterranean is feeling the effects of global warming, having become both warmer and saltier in recent decades.

S. NO	Name	Area		Average depth		Greatest known depth		Place of greatest known depth
		sq. mi.	sq. km	ft.	m	ft.	m
1	Mediterranean Sea	11,44,800	29,65,800	4,688	1,429	15,197	4,632	Off Cape Matapan, Greece
2	Caribbean Sea	10,49,500	27,18,200	8,685	2,647	22,788	6,946	Off Cayman Islands
3	South China Sea	8,95,400	23,19,000	5,419	1,652	16,456	5,016	West of Luzon
4	Bering Sea	8,84,900	22,91,900	5,075	1,547	15,659	4,773	Off Buldir Island
5	Gulf of Mexico	6,15,000	15,92,800	4,874	1,486	12,425	3,787	Sigsbee Deep
6	Okhotsk Sea	6,13,800	15,89,700	2,749	838	12,001	3,658	146°10’E; 46°50’N
7	East China Sea	4,82,300	12,49,200	617	188	9,126	2,782	25°16’N; 125°E
8	Hudson Bay	4,75,800	12,32,300	420	128	600	183	Near entrance
9	Japan Sea (East Sea)	3,89,100	10,07,800	4,429	1,350	12,276	3,742	Central Basin
10	Andaman Sea	3,08,000	7,97,700	2,854	870	12,392	3,777	Off Car Nicobar Island
11	North Sea	2,22,100	5,75,200	308	94	2,165	660	Skagerrak
12	Red Sea	1,69,100	4,38,000	1,611	491	7,254	2,211	Off Port Sudan
13	Baltic Sea	1,63,000	4,22,200	180	55	1,380	421	Off Gotland
14	Arabian Sea	1,491,000	3,862,000	15,262	4,652
15	Black	168,500	436,402