"Map of rivers, lakes, seas of Russia" - Rivers of Russia. Conclusions. Many large industrial cities have been built on the Volga. Laptev sea. Yenisei. Bering Sea. Seas of Russia. Lena. Baltic Sea. Baikal. Caspian Sea. Seas of the Arctic Ocean. Ob. The banks of the Lena are very poorly populated. Seas, lakes and rivers of Russia. Large stretch of coastline. Japanese Sea. Ladoga lake. Fish - more than 100 species. Rivers. Lake. Kara Sea. White Sea. Sea of Azov.
"Provision of water resources in Russia" - Regulation of flow. Water consumption and water use. Protection of water resources. Agriculture. Reservoirs and canals. What is Water Resources. Water resources. Stocks. Self-esteem. Full-flowing rivers. Water resources of Russia. Location of water resources.
"What seas wash Russia" - the Atlantic Ocean. Which ocean basin does it belong to? Sturgeon. Pink salmon. Plan for comparing the seas. Only the southernmost one, the Sea of Japan, does not freeze. The Caspian Sea contains 80% of the world's sturgeon stocks. Richer in resources of the Pacific Ocean. Kislogubskaya tidal power plant (Barents Sea). biological resources. Mineral resources. Sochi. Arctic Ocean. Chukchi Sea.
"Reservoirs of Russia" - Watercourses. Pacific basin. Natural waters. Caspian Sea. Wetlands. Ground water. Origin of lakes. Reservoirs of Russia. Oceans. Classification of reservoirs. Seas. Firth lakes. Swamps of the forest zone. Rivers. Permafrost. River system. Sea of Azov. Lakes. Black Sea.
"Internal waters and rivers of Russia" - River regime. Swamps. Lakes. Water resources. Types of rivers. Rivers belong to the basins of three oceans. Moraine lakes. Volcanic lakes. Internal waters of Russia. Glaciers. Slope and fall of the river. Permafrost. The structure of the river. Types of inland waters. Reservoirs. Human impact on water resources. Types of river feeding. Rivers. The groundwater. Glacial tectonic lake. Tectonic lake. Thermokarst lakes.
"The seas of the Atlantic Ocean washing Russia" - Properties of the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. The organic world of the ocean. With numerous straits. Salinity. Seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Atlantic Ocean. Gulf of the Black Sea. Recreational resources. Black Sea. Coast. Geographical position. Economic activity of the seas. Russia. Properties of the waters of the Black Sea. Properties of the waters of the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Seas. salinity change. The area of the seas. Sea of Azov.
Many seas wash the shores of one or more countries. Some of these seas are huge, others are very small... Only the inland seas are not part of the ocean.
After the Earth formed from a bunch of gas and dust 4.5 billion years ago, the temperature on the planet dropped and the vapor contained in the atmosphere condensed (turned into liquid when cooled), settling on the surface in the form of rain. From this water, the world ocean was formed, subsequently divided by the continents into four oceans. These oceans include numerous coastal seas, often interconnected.
The largest seas of the Pacific Ocean
Philippine Sea
Area: 5.7 million km2, located between Taiwan in the north, the Marianne Islands in the east, the Caroline Islands in the southeast and the Philippines in the west.
coral sea
Area: 4 million km 2, bounded in the west by Australia, Papua New Guinea in the north, Vanuatu in the east and New Caledonia
South China Sea
Area: 3.5 million km 2, located between the Philippines in the east, Malaysia in the south, Vietnam in the west and China in the north
tasman sea
Area: 3.3 million km 2, washes Australia in the west and New Zealand in the east and separates the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Bering Sea
Area: 2.3 million km 2, located between Chukotka (Russia) in the west and Alaska (USA) in the east.
Japanese Sea
Area: 970,000 km2, located between the Russian Far East in the northwest, Korea in the west and Japan in the east.
Major seas of the Atlantic Ocean
Sargasso Sea
Area: 4 million km 2, located between Florida (USA) in the west and the northern Antilles in the south.
Composition of sea water
Sea water is approximately 96% water and 4% salt. Apart from the Dead Sea, the saltiest sea in the world is the Red Sea: it contains 44 grams of salt per liter of water (against 35 grams on average for most seas). Such a high salt content is due to the fact that in this hot region, water evaporates faster.
gulf of guinea
Area: 1.5 million km 2, located at the latitude of the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Mediterranean Sea
Area: 2.5 million km 2, surrounded by Europe in the north, Western Asia in the east and North Africa in the south.
Antilles Sea
Area: 2.5 million km 2, located between the Antilles in the east, the coast of South America in the South and Central America in the West.
Gulf of Mexico
Area: 1.5 million km 2, it is adjacent to the southern coast of the United States from the north and Mexico from the west.
Baltic Sea
Area: 372,730 km 2 , washes Russia and Finland in the north, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the east, Poland and Germany in the south and Denmark with Sweden in the west.
North Sea
Area: 570,000 km2, bordered by Scandinavia to the east, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France to the south, and Great Britain to the west.
Major seas of the Indian Ocean
Arabian Sea
Area: 3.5 million km 2, washes the Arabian Peninsula in the west, Pakistan in the north and India in the east.
bay of bengal
Area: 2.1 million km 2, located between the coasts of India in the west, Bangladesh in the north, Myanmar (Burma) in the northeast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the southeast and Sri Lanka in the southwest.
Great Australian Bight (Australian Bight)
Area: 1.3 million km 2, extends along the southern coast of Australia.
Arafura Sea
Area: 1 million km 2, located between Papua New Guinea in the northwest, Indonesia in the west and Australia in the south.
mozambique channel
Area: 1.4 million km 2, located near Africa, between the coasts of Mozambique in the west and Madagascar in the east.
The largest seas of the Arctic Ocean
Barencevo sea
Area: 1.4 million km 2, washes the coast of Norway in the west and Russia in the east.
Greenland Sea
Area: 1.2 million km 2, bounded by Greenland in the west and the island of Svalbard (Norway) in the east.
East-Siberian Sea
Area: 900,000 km 2, washes the coast of Siberia.
The largest seas of Antarctica
inland seas
Inland, or closed, seas are completely surrounded by land. The Black and Caspian Seas are the largest of them.
Black Sea
Area: 461,000 km2. It is surrounded by Romania and Bulgaria to the west, Russia and Ukraine to the north, Georgia to the east and Turkey to the south. It communicates with the Mediterranean Sea through the Sea of Marmara.
Bellingshausen Sea
Area: 1.2 million km 2, located near Antarctica.
Caspian Sea
Area: 376,000 km2, located between Azerbaijan in the west, Russia in the northwest, Kazakhstan in the north and east, Turkmenistan in the southeast and Iran in the south.
Ross Sea
Area: 960,000 km2, located north of Antarctica.
Weddell Sea
Area: 1.9 million km 2, located between the South Orkney Islands (UK) and the South Shetland Islands (UK) in the north and Antarctica in the south.
The Dead Sea is so salty that there are no living organisms in it.
Sea of Aki- the open sea connecting the east and west of the Sea of Japan. It is small in size - only 35 * 45 km. In Japan, this sea is called "Aki Nada" (in honor of the historical province of Aki), and its eastern part has its own name - Itsuki.
The Sea of Aki is located in the monsoon zone at temperate latitudes - a rare phenomenon that has endowed the sea with an unusual climate: in summer there is more rainfall than in winter. The Aki Sea is considered a seismically hazardous area. During the monsoon period, powerful typhoons are born here, and the waves grow up to 12 meters. But the Japanese really appreciate the Aki Sea for its richest underwater world and abundance of fish. The sea is especially famous for mackerel and crucian carp.
Sea Bali
Sea Bali. The Bali Sea stretches between the islands of Bali, Lombok, Subawa, Java and Madura. Its area is 40 thousand km. The subequatorial zone provides a mild and humid climate. Storms are rare here, and the water temperature rarely drops below 28°C. It is for this that divers love the Bali Sea. The underwater world is almost as beautiful as the Indian Ocean. In the sea there are such unusual fish as barracudas, crocodile fish, angelfish, hammerhead sharks and giant tortoises. But swimming here is not very convenient, since coral thickets begin almost at the edge of the sea.
- one of the deepest in the world (average depth - 2744 m), located within the Malay Archipelago. Great depth, low tides (up to 2 m) and warm water (average temperature 26-28°C) have made the Banda Sea one of the favorite meeting places for divers.
The underwater world here is exceptionally diverse. One of the most interesting species of fish is the talking umbrine fish. They make a sound like grunting, and very loud. Local fishermen simply listen to the water and easily determine the places where fish gather. And the catch of umbrine brought to the deck rolls up a deafening concert.
The sea got its name in honor of the Banda archipelago. Until the middle of the 19th century, these islands were the only place in the world where nutmeg was grown - the most valuable spice that Arab merchants sold at exorbitant prices. And the location of the islands was kept in the strictest confidence.
- the largest (area 2304 sq. km) and the deepest sea in Russia. Its average depth is 1640m, the greatest is 4151m. This sea is also the most northerly, ice is formed here already in September, and disappears only by the end of June. In winter, more than half of the sea is under ice, and in the Gulf of Laurentia, for example, the ice crust stays for years.
The Bering Sea is often called the "sea of abundance", because. it is one of the richest ecoregions in the world. It is home to over 450 species of fish, about 50 species of seabirds and more than 20 species of marine animals.
- an inland sea located between the islands of the Philippine archipelago. Transparent waters, white sand beaches, cozy coves and excellent weather conditions have made the sea a popular tourist destination. The sea is shallow (average depth is only 80 m), but very warm, as it is located near the equator. The underwater world of the sea is, first of all, coral thickets, which attract numerous species of fish and shellfish. Pearls are mined in shallow waters.
(Seto-Nankai Sea) is located between the Japanese islands and connects through the Shimonoseki Strait with the Sea of Japan, which washes these islands. The sea is shallow - the average depth is 22 meters. But in this water area there are over 1000 islands. The largest islands are connected by bridges.
Since ancient times, this sea has served as the most important transport artery. In the Middle Ages, the power of the sea was seized by pirates who had a huge fleet and completely controlled maritime trade in this region. The most influential were the pirates from the Murakami family clan, who received the status of samurai for their activities.
The unique natural conditions became the reason that it was the water area of the Inland Sea of Japan that became the world's first marine reserve (since 1934).
Located between the coast of China and the Japanese islands. Its area is 836 thousand sq. km, the average depth is 309 m, the greatest is 2718 m. This sea is very dangerous for sailors, since there are still huge unexplored areas of the water area, and navigation equipment is installed only near the most important ports. The uneven topography of the seabed is the result of numerous earthquakes, as a result of which powerful tsunamis are formed.
Washes the east coast of China and Korea. The area is 416 thousand square kilometers, the average depth is 40 m. It was called yellow because of the color of the water. The fact is that several of the largest Chinese rivers flow into this sea, which form deposits of sand and silt. And in spring, dust storms often rage over the sea, which are so strong that ships have to be stopped.
The first European to visit the Yellow Sea was Marco Polo, although the ancient peoples of China and Korea have traveled this sea since time immemorial and were active in maritime trade.
One of the most amazing natural phenomena occurs in the southwestern part of the sea. Here, between the Korean islands of Jindo and Modo, at low tide, the sea parted, exposing the bottom. For almost an hour, the “sea road” opens, along which you can get from one island to another on foot, practically without getting your feet wet. This happens 1-3 times a year. People call this phenomenon "the miracle of Moses".
- an inland sea located between the islands of the Philippine archipelago. It got its name in honor of the Camotes group of islands, which rise almost in the very center of the water area.
Camotes is located in the tropics, so in May there is calm, and from June to October typhoons dominate here.
Near the island of Cebu in the Camotes Sea is one of the most unusual places on our planet - Magnoles Bay. Huge reserves of beryllium have been discovered at the bottom of the bay. By dissolving in sea water, beryllium makes this water taste sweet. Therefore, Camotes is popularly called the "sweet sea".
Spread between Australia and the islands of New Guinea and New Caledonia. Total area - 4791 sq. km, the average depth is 2194 m (the greatest is 9140 m).
The sea got its name in honor of the corals, whose thickets form huge reefs and islands. It is here that the longest coral reef in the world is located - the Great Barrier Reef. The entire water area has belonged to Australia since 1964.
There is also a tragic page in the history of the sea. In May 1942, one of the largest naval battles of World War II between the fleets of Japan and the allies (Great Britain, the USA and Australia) took place in the Coral Sea. It was the first battle of aircraft carriers in the world, and the ships themselves did not fire a single shot, and the battle was fought exclusively in the air.
Magellan discovered the Pacific Ocean in the autumn of 1520 and called the ocean the Pacific Ocean, “because, according to one of the participants, during the transition from Tierra del Fuego to the Philippine Islands, more than three months, we never experienced the slightest storm.” By the number (about 10 thousand) and the total area of the islands (about 3.6 million km²), the Pacific Ocean ranks first among the oceans. In the northern part - the Aleutian; in the western - Kuril, Sakhalin, Japanese, Philippine, Greater and Lesser Sunda, New Guinea, New Zealand, Tasmania; in the central and southern - numerous small islands. The bottom relief is varied. In the east - the East Pacific Rise, in the central part there are many basins (North-Eastern, North-Western, Central, Eastern, Southern, etc.), deep-water trenches: in the north - Aleutian, Kuril-Kamchatsky, Izu-Boninsky; in the west - Mariana (with a maximum depth of the World Ocean - 11,022 m), Philippine, etc.; in the east - Central American, Peruvian, etc.
The main surface currents: in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean - warm Kuroshio, North Pacific and Alaska and cold California and Kuril; in the southern part - warm South Trade Winds and East Australian and cold West Winds and Peruvian. The water temperature on the surface near the equator is from 26 to 29 ° C, in the subpolar regions up to −0.5 ° C. Salinity 30-36.5 ‰. The Pacific Ocean accounts for about half of the world's fish catch (pollock, herring, salmon, cod, sea bass, etc.). Extraction of crabs, shrimps, oysters.
Important sea and air communications between the countries of the Pacific basin and transit routes between the countries of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans run through the Pacific Ocean. Major ports: Vladivostok, Nakhodka (Russia), Shanghai (China), Singapore (Singapore), Sydney (Australia), Vancouver (Canada), Los Angeles, Long Beach (USA), Huasco (Chile). The International Date Line runs along the 180th meridian across the Pacific Ocean.
Plant life (except bacteria and lower fungi) is concentrated in the upper 200th layer, in the so-called euphotic zone. Animals and bacteria inhabit the entire water column and the ocean floor. Life develops most abundantly in the shelf zone, and especially near the coast at shallow depths, where the flora of brown algae and a rich fauna of mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, and other organisms are diversely represented in the temperate zones of the ocean. In tropical latitudes, the shallow water zone is characterized by the widespread and strong development of coral reefs, and mangroves near the shore. With the advancement from cold zones to tropical zones, the number of species increases sharply, and the density of their distribution decreases. About 50 species of coastal algae - macrophytes are known in the Bering Strait, over 200 off the Japanese Islands, over 800 in the waters of the Malay Archipelago. There are about 4000 known species of animals in the Soviet Far Eastern seas, and at least 40-50 thousand in the waters of the Malay Archipelago . In the cold and temperate zones of the ocean, with a relatively small number of plant and animal species, due to the mass development of some species, the total biomass greatly increases; in the tropical zones, individual forms do not receive such a sharp predominance, although the number of species is very large.
With distance from the coasts to the central parts of the ocean and with increasing depth, life becomes less diverse and less abundant. In general, the fauna of T. o. includes about 100 thousand species, but only 4-5% of them are found deeper than 2000 m. At depths of more than 5000 m, about 800 species of animals are known, more than 6000 m - about 500, deeper than 7000 m - slightly more than 200, and deeper than 10 thousand m - only about 20 species.
Among coastal algae - macrophytes - in temperate zones, fucus and kelp are especially distinguished by their abundance. In tropical latitudes, they are replaced by brown algae - Sargasso, green - Caulerpa and Galimeda and a number of red algae. The surface zone of the pelagial is characterized by the massive development of unicellular algae (phytoplankton), mainly diatoms, peridiniums and coccolithophorids. In zooplankton, the most important are various crustaceans and their larvae, mainly copepods (at least 1000 species) and euphausids; a significant admixture of radiolarians (several hundred species), coelenterates (siphonophores, jellyfish, ctenophores), eggs and larvae of fish and benthic invertebrates. In T. o. one can distinguish, in addition to the littoral and sublittoral zones, a transitional zone (up to 500-1000 m), bathyal, abyssal and ultraabyssal, or a zone of deep-water trenches (from 6-7 to 11 thousand m).
Planktonic and benthic animals serve as abundant food for fish and marine mammals (nekton). The fish fauna is exceptionally rich, including at least 2,000 species in tropical latitudes and about 800 in the Soviet Far Eastern seas, where, in addition, there are 35 species of marine mammals. The most commercially important fish are: anchovies, Far Eastern salmon, herring, mackerel, sardine, saury, sea bass, tuna, flounder, cod and pollock; from mammals - sperm whale, several species of minke whales, fur seal, sea otter, walrus, sea lion; from invertebrates - crabs (including Kamchatka), shrimps, oysters, scallops, cephalopods and many others; from plants - kelp (seaweed), agaronos-anfeltia, sea grass zoster and phyllospadix. Many representatives of the fauna of the Pacific Ocean are endemic (pelagic cephalopod nautilus, most Pacific salmon, saury, greenling fish, northern fur seal, sea lion, sea otter, and many others).
The large extent of the Pacific Ocean from North to South determines the diversity of its climates - from equatorial to subarctic in the North and Antarctic in the South. Most of the ocean surface, approximately between 40 ° north latitude and 42 ° south latitude, is located in the zones of equatorial, tropical and subtropical climates. The circulation of the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean is determined by the main areas of atmospheric pressure: the Aleutian Low, the North Pacific, South Pacific and Antarctic Highs. The indicated centers of action of the atmosphere in their interaction determine the great constancy of northeast winds in the North and southeast winds of moderate strength - trade winds - in the tropical and subtropical parts of the Pacific Ocean and strong westerly winds in temperate latitudes. Especially strong winds are observed in the southern temperate latitudes, where the frequency of storms is 25-35%, in the northern temperate latitudes in winter - 30%, in summer - 5%. In the West of the tropical zone, from June to November, tropical hurricanes - typhoons are frequent. The monsoon circulation of the atmosphere is typical for the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. The average air temperature in February decreases from 26-27°C near the equator to -20°C in the Bering Strait and -10°C off the coast of Antarctica. In August, the average temperature varies from 26-28°C near the equator to 6-8°C in the Bering Strait and to -25°C off the coast of Antarctica. Throughout the Pacific Ocean, located north of 40 ° south latitude, there are significant differences in air temperature between the eastern and western parts of the ocean, caused by the corresponding dominance of warm or cold currents and the nature of the winds. In tropical and subtropical latitudes, the air temperature in the East is 4–8 °C lower than in the West. In the northern temperate latitudes, the opposite is true: in the East, the temperature is 8–12 °C higher than in the West. The average annual cloudiness in areas of low atmospheric pressure is 60-90%. high pressure - 10-30%. The average annual precipitation at the equator is more than 3000 mm, in temperate latitudes - 1000 mm in the West. and 2000-3000 mm to the east. The least amount of precipitation (100-200 mm) falls on the eastern outskirts of the subtropical regions of high atmospheric pressure; in the western parts, the amount of precipitation increases to 1500-2000 mm. Fogs are typical for temperate latitudes, they are especially frequent in the area of the Kuril Islands.
Under the influence of the atmospheric circulation developing over the Pacific Ocean, surface currents form anticyclonic gyres in subtropical and tropical latitudes and cyclonic gyres in northern temperate and southern high latitudes. In the northern part of the ocean, circulation is formed by warm currents: the Northern Trade Wind - Kuroshio and the North Pacific and cold California currents. In the northern temperate latitudes, the cold Kuril Current dominates in the West, and the warm Alaska Current dominates in the East. In the southern part of the ocean, the anticyclonic circulation is formed by warm currents: the South Equatorial, East Australian, zonal South Pacific and cold Peruvian. To the north of the equator, between 2-4° and 8-12° north latitude, the northern and southern circulations are separated during the year by the Intertrade (Equatorial) countercurrent.
The average temperature of the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean (19.37 ° C) is 2 ° C higher than the temperature of the waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, which is the result of the relatively large size of that part of the Pacific Ocean area, which is located in well-heated latitudes (over 20 kcal / cm2 per year). ), and limited communication with the Arctic Ocean. The average water temperature in February varies from 26-28 °С near the equator to -0.5, -1 °С north of 58° north latitude, near the Kuril Islands and south of 67° south latitude. In August, the temperature is 25-29 °С near the equator, 5-8 °С in the Bering Strait and -0.5, -1 °С south of 60-62 ° south latitude. Between 40 ° south latitude and 40 ° north latitude, the temperature in the eastern part of the T. o. 3-5 °C lower than in the western part. To the north of 40 ° north latitude - on the contrary: in the East, the temperature is 4-7 ° C higher than in the West. To the south of 40 ° south latitude, where zonal transport of surface waters prevails, there is no difference between water temperatures in the East and in the West. In the Pacific Ocean, there is more rainfall than evaporating water. Taking into account the river runoff, more than 30 thousand km3 of fresh water comes here annually. Therefore, the salinity of the surface waters of the T. o. lower than in other oceans (average salinity is 34.58‰). The lowest salinity (30.0-31.0‰ and less) is observed in the West and East of the northern temperate latitudes and in the coastal regions of the eastern part of the ocean, the highest (35.5‰ and 36.5‰) - respectively in the northern and southern subtropical latitudes. At the equator, water salinity decreases from 34.5‰ or less, in high latitudes - to 32.0‰ or less in the North, to 33.5‰ or less in the South.
The density of water on the surface of the Pacific Ocean increases fairly evenly from the equator to high latitudes in accordance with the general nature of the distribution of temperature and salinity: near the equator 1.0215-1.0225 g/cm3, in the North - 1.0265 g/cm3 and more, in the South - 1.0275 g/cm3 and more. The color of the water in the subtropical and tropical latitudes is blue, the transparency in some places is more than 50 m. In the northern temperate latitudes, the dark blue color of the water prevails, off the coast it is greenish, the transparency is 15-25 m. In the Antarctic latitudes, the color of the water is greenish, the transparency is up to 25 m .
Tides in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean are dominated by irregular semidiurnal (height up to 5.4 m in the Gulf of Alaska) and semidiurnal (up to 12.9 m in the Penzhina Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk). Near the Solomon Islands and off part of the coast of New Guinea, daily tides, up to 2.5 m. 40° north latitude. The maximum height of wind waves in the Pacific Ocean is 15 m or more, the length is over 300 m. Tsunami waves are characteristic, especially often observed in the northern, southwestern and southeastern parts of the Pacific Ocean.
Ice in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean is formed in seas with severe winter climatic conditions (Bering, Okhotsk, Japanese, Yellow) and in bays off the coast of Hokkaido, the Kamchatka and Alaska peninsulas. In winter and spring, ice is carried by the Kuril current to the extreme northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Small icebergs are found in the Gulf of Alaska. In the South Pacific, ice and icebergs form off the coast of Antarctica and are carried by currents and winds into the open ocean. The northern limit of floating ice in winter passes at 61-64 ° S, in summer it shifts to 70 ° S, icebergs at the end of summer are carried up to 46-48 ° S. Icebergs form mainly in the Ross Sea.
Ocean area - 178.7 million square kilometers;
Maximum depth - Mariana Trench, 11022 m;
Number of seas - 25;
The largest seas are the Philippine Sea, the Coral Sea, the Tasman Sea, the Bering Sea;
The largest bay is Alaska;
The largest islands are New Zealand, New Guinea;
The strongest currents:
- warm - Northern Equatorial, Southern Equatorial, Kuroshio, East Australian;
- cold - West Winds, Peruvian, Californian.
The Pacific Ocean occupies a third of the entire earth's surface and half of the area of the World Ocean. Almost in the middle it crosses the equator. The Pacific Ocean washes the shores of five continents:
- Eurasia from the northwest;
- Australia from the southwest;
- Antarctica from the south;
- South and North America from the west.
In the north, through the Bering Strait, it connects to the Arctic Ocean. In the southern part, the conditional boundaries between the three oceans - the Pacific and Indian, Pacific and Atlantic - are drawn along the meridians, from the extreme southern continental or island point to the Antarctic coast.
The Pacific Ocean is the only one that is located almost entirely within the boundaries of one lithospheric plate - the Pacific. In places where it interacts with other plates, seismically active zones arise, which create the Pacific seismic belt, known as the Ring of Fire. Along the edges of the ocean, at the boundaries of the lithospheric plates, there are its deepest parts - oceanic trenches. One of the main features of the Pacific Ocean are tsunami waves that result from underwater eruptions and earthquakes.
The climate of the Pacific Ocean is due to its location in all climatic zones, except for the polar one. Most precipitation occurs in the equatorial zone - up to 2000 mm. Due to the fact that the Pacific Ocean is protected by land from the influence of the Arctic Ocean, its northern part is warmer than the southern.
Trade winds reign in the central part of the ocean. Devastating tropical hurricanes - typhoons, which are characteristic of monsoonal air circulation, are characteristic of the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Storms are frequent in the north and south.
There is almost no floating ice in the North Pacific, as the narrow Bering Channel limits communication with the Arctic Ocean. And only the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea are covered with ice in winter.
The flora and fauna of the Pacific Ocean is characterized by richness and diversity. One of the richest organisms in terms of species composition is the Sea of Japan. The coral reefs of tropical and equatorial latitudes are particularly rich in life forms. The largest coral structure is the Great Barrier Reef (Great Coral Reef) off the east coast of Australia, where tropical fish species, sea urchins, stars, squids, octopuses live ... Many types of fish are of commercial importance: salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, tuna, herring, anchovies...
In the Pacific Ocean, there are also ssavtsy: whales, dolphins, fur seals, sea beavers (found only in the Pacific Ocean). One of the features of the Pacific Ocean is the presence of animal giants: blue whale, whale shark, king crab, tridacna mollusk ...
The territories of more than 50 countries, in which almost half of the world's population lives, go to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
The beginning of the development of the Pacific Ocean by Europeans was laid by Ferdinand Magellan (1519 - 1521), James Cook, A. Tasman, V. Bering. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the expeditions of the English ship Challenger and the Russian ship Vityaz had particularly important results. In the second half of the 20th century, the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl and the Frenchman Jacques-Yves Cousteau carried out interesting and versatile studies of the Pacific Ocean. At the present stage, specially created international organizations are engaged in the study of the nature of the Pacific Ocean.
