There are several huge oceans on our planet that can accommodate entire continents in their waters. AND the largest ocean in the world is the Pacific Ocean, the area of which together with the seas is 178.6 million km² (and without them - 165.2 million km²).
This gigantic body of water can house all of the earth's continents and most of the other three largest oceans. It occupies 50% of the world's oceans and stretches from the Bering Strait in the north to Antarctica in the south, bordered by North and South America in the east, and Asia and Australia in the west. Numerous seas are an additional part of the Pacific Ocean. These include the Bering Sea, the Sea of Japan, and the Coral Sea.
However, the Pacific Ocean is shrinking by 1 km annually. This is due to the influence of tectonic plates in the area. But what's bad for the Pacific is good for the Atlantic, which is growing every year. This is the largest ocean on Earth after the Pacific.
And the Pacific Ocean also bears the title of "the deepest ocean". Highest peak in the world, Mount Everest, would disappear if it fell into the Philippine Trench, which is 10,540 meters deep. And this is not yet the deepest Pacific trench, the depth of the Mariana is 10,994 meters. For comparison: the average depth in the Pacific Ocean is 3984 meters.
How the Pacific got its name
On September 20, 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain, trying to find a western sea route to the spice-rich islands of Indonesia. Under his command were five ships and 270 sailors.
At the end of March 1520, the expedition organized a wintering in the Argentinean bay of San Julian. On the night of April 2, Spanish captains revolted against their Portuguese captain, trying to force him to turn back to Spain. But Magellan quelled the rebellion, ordering one of the captains to be killed and leaving another ashore when his ship left the bay in August.
On October 21, he finally discovered the strait he was looking for. The Strait of Magellan is now known to separate Tierra del Fuego and continental South America. It took 38 days to cross the long-awaited strait, and when the ocean was seen on the horizon, Magellan wept with joy. For many years he remained the only captain who did not lose a single ship during the passage through the Strait of Magellan.
His fleet made the western crossing of the Pacific Ocean in 99 days, and during that time the surface of the water was so calm that the largest ocean in the world was named "Pacific", from the Latin word "pacificus" which means "calm." And Magellan himself was the first of the Europeans who managed to proceed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.
Flora and fauna of the Pacific Ocean
While the coastal Pacific ecosystem can be divided into several subtypes - mangrove forests, rocky shores and sandy shores - it has similar flora and fauna.
- Crabs, sea anemones, green algae and other living organisms are drawn to the relatively light and warm waters of this zone.Marine mammals such as dolphins and whales are also often found relatively close to the shore.
- Many corals grow close to the coastline, but the reefs they form are considered their own unique type of ecosystem. Coral reefs are living organisms that are made up of thousands of tiny marine invertebrates (coral polyps).
- Coral reefs are home to countless animals and plants, including coral trout, coral algae, sea bass, sponges, whales, sea snakes and shellfish.
And the flora and fauna in the open ocean, also called the pelagic zone, is as diverse as any ecosystem on Earth. Algae and plankton thrive near surface waters and, in turn, become a food resource for baleen whales, tuna, sharks and other fish. Very little sunlight penetrates 200 meters, but this depth is where jellyfish, sea snakes and snakes live. Some of the most bizarre animals on the planet - such as squid, cattle planes, and hellish vampires - live in the Pacific depths below 1000 meters.
In the North Pacific, benthic fish species such as hake and pollock are predominant.
In the warm tropical zone, approximately between the North and South equatorial currents, the number of marine animals increases sharply.
A variety of oceanic animal life prevails in the western Pacific, where the warm monsoon climate and unusual landforms have contributed to the evolution of unique marine forms. The western Pacific is also home to the most scenic and most extensive coral reefs of any ocean.
In total, about 2000 species of fish live in the Pacific Ocean in particular and about 100 thousand living organisms in total.
Useful resources of the Pacific
Salt (sodium chloride) is the most important mineral obtained directly from seawater. Mexico is the leading country in the Pacific in the extraction of salt from the sea, mainly by solar evaporation.
Another important chemical element is bromine, which, like salt, is extracted from sea water. It is used in the food, pharmaceutical and photography industries.
Another essential mineral, magnesium, is extracted by an electrolytic process and then used in industrial metal alloys.
Sand and gravel extracted from the seabed are also important. Japan is one of their main producers.
Marine sulphide ores, containing iron, copper, cobalt, zinc and traces of other metallic elements, are deposited in large quantities as a result of the action of deep-sea hydrothermal vents off the Galapagos Islands, in the Juan de Fuca Strait and in the Manus Island basin near New Guinea.
However, the main wealth of the Pacific Ocean is oil and gas deposits. It is the most valuable and demanded fuel in the modern world economy.
- The main directions of oil and gas production in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean are in the South China Sea, near Vietnam, the Chinese island of Hainan and on the continental shelf northwest of Palawan Island in the Philippines.
- In the northwest Pacific, the main areas of oil and gas production are located in the northwest of Kyushu Island in Japan, in the southern part of the Yellow Sea and in the Bohai Basin, as well as near Sakhalin Island.
- Oil and gas wells have been drilled in the Bering Sea in the north and off the coast of Southern California in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
- In the South Pacific, hydrocarbon production and exploration is ongoing in the northwest and north of Australia and in the Gippsland Basin in Southeast Australia.
Pacific Tourism
When travelers think of visiting the islands, the imagination draws pictures of blue waters, sandy beaches and majestic palm trees. But the Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world, with many islands, including the second largest island on Earth.
And so that you do not have to choose between the good and the best for a long and painful time, we will show you which islands you should pay attention to first.
- Palau, Micronesia.
A tiny island surrounded by turquoise waters. Its main tourist attraction is diving. If you are planning to dive in Palau, you will be able to see wrecks and a fascinating and varied ocean life. - Tahiti, French Polynesia.
This is a Mecca for surfers. They flock to Tahiti year after year for the amazing waves and weather conditions. The preferred months for surfing are from May to August. And if you visit the island in July, you will be taken to the Heiva Festival, which showcases Tahitian crafts and folk dances. - Bora Bora, French Polynesia.
It is one of the most popular tourist islands in the South Pacific. It is home to many upscale resorts and hotels, with overwater bungalows being the most popular type of accommodation in Bora Bora. Ideal honeymoon destination. - Lord Howe in the Tasman Sea.
It was almost never touched by a human hand, as rare (and legally protected) plants and animals live on the island. It is an excellent destination for eco-tourists who want to escape crowded places and are willing to peacefully watch birds, diving and fishing. - Tanna, Vanuatu.
This island is home to the world's most accessible active volcano, Yasur. It is also the main local attraction. But apart from the volcano, the island land boasts hot springs, tropical forests and coffee plantations, as well as secluded beaches and a calm, measured life that is worth living for townspeople accustomed to the bustle of megacities. - Solomon islands.
A great place for history buffs, as the region was the scene of WWII during the Japanese occupation. Today, the Solomon Islands is a great destination for canoeing, scuba diving, diving with dolphins, and selfies with blooming orchids.
Garbage Island of the Pacific Ocean
In the center of the North Pacific Ocean is a huge "garbage island" (also called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch), mostly made of plastic waste. It is twice the size of Texas, which covers 695,662 km².
Garbage Island was formed due to ocean currents, which are also called the subtropical circulation. These currents move clockwise and carry all the debris and waste on their way to the site in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.
But while humans can successfully avoid encountering the Pacific garbage patch, marine animals are unable to do so and fall prey to the plastic landfill. After all, the makeshift island includes not only plastic, but also toxic substances and fishing nets, in which whales and dolphins die. And marine organisms consume plastic particles, confusing it with plankton, thereby adding plastic waste to the food chain. Scientific research by the American Scripps Institute of Oceanography has shown that the remains of 5 to 10% of Pacific fish contain small pieces of plastic.
The saddest thing is that the accumulated waste and debris is difficult to clean up from the surface of the largest ocean on Earth. According to some researchers working on the topic of the Garbage Island, the cleanup operation is so costly that it can bankrupt several countries at once.
The Pacific Ocean is one of the most important components of life on Earth. It provides people with food, valuable resources, major trade routes, jobs, and many other benefits. And the full study of all the riches and mysteries of this largest of all the oceans of the planet will take more than one decade.
And here is the list of the world's oceans, if you arrange them from the smallest ocean to the largest (after the Pacific, of course):
- The Arctic Ocean, with an area of 14.75 million km².
- Southern Ocean (unofficially) - 20.327 million km².
- Indian Ocean - 76.17 million km².
- Atlantic Ocean - 91.66 million km².
