Oceans & Seas of the World

Oceans & Seas of the World

Oceans

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. Below there are the top  biggest seas and oceans in the world, as measured by surface area in square miles (square kilometers).

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.