Atlantic Ocean interesting facts. Message about the atlantic ocean

The Atlantic Ocean was formed quite a long time ago, about 200 million years ago. Until that time, America, Europe and Antarctica with Africa were almost a single entity, with little separation. Over the past 40 million years, there has been an active re-formation of the Atlantic Ocean, so the relief and the bottom are formed in a new way, changing every year. There are other interesting facts about this ocean.

Previously, the ocean was called completely differently; it became Atlantic only at the beginning of the 15th century on the map of Wald-Semüller. This was done rather by accident, but the name has stuck to this day. Until that time, the pool was called differently, each navigator chose what he liked more: the Atlantic, the Sea of Gloom, the Western Ocean, or even the Sea beyond the Pillars of Hercules. It is believed that the modern name was borrowed from Atlantis, which had sunk to the bottom. There was also an opinion about Atlanta, a giant titan holding the firmament somewhere in the basin area.

In size, the Atlantic Ocean occupies an honorable second place on our Earth. The approximate volume of water is 330 million cubic meters, and the area is 91.7 million square kilometers. The basin is really huge, it stretches from Antarctica itself to the subarctic latitude. The depth of the ocean is much higher than that of others, for comparison, the average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 3.3 km, and that of the Atlantic Ocean is 8.5 km. But in general, the depth of the considered ocean varies from 3 to 7.5 km.

The largest rivers on the planet flow into the ocean, these are the Congo, Mississippi, Niger, Amazon, etc., they are a natural way of communication between different countries. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge extends from south to north along the bottom of the basin, and it is this ridge that defines the bottom part. At the same time, the water in the ocean is one of the most saline, according to official data, the salinity exceeds other oceans by 30-40%.

Only in the Atlantic Ocean can you find a large sea current called the Gulf Stream. Thanks to this current, warm water rushes at a tremendous speed, in 1 second of time about 50 million cubic meters of water flows here, that is, much more than simultaneously in all the rivers of the world. Such energy would be enough to generate heat for 1 million nuclear power plants.

Do you know something interesting about the Atlantic Ocean? In this article, we have collected interesting information about the Atlantic Ocean that will expand your knowledge of geography.

Atlantic Ocean interesting facts

Why is the Atlantic Ocean called the Atlantic?

The modern name of the ocean comes from the name of the titan - Atlanta, the hero of Greek mythology, who held the sky on his shoulders. Previously, this ocean was called the Western. Columbus was the first navigator to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantis is a continent that, according to legend, existed in ancient times on the territory of the Atlantic Ocean. According to legend, as a result of changes on the planet, he went under water along with all the inhabitants. Officially, Atlantis is considered to be invented by Plato as an image of the depravity of people.

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest and deepest ocean in the world. The deepest place in the Atlantic is considered the South Sandwich Trench, the depth of which is 8500 meters.

But in terms of salinity, the Atlantic Ocean is in first place.

The warm current of the Gulf Stream passes through it, which gives a mild and warm climate to European states that have access to the open ocean. You can compare the numbers: the amount of heat that is carried by this current can only be generated by power plants taken together in the amount 1,000,000 stations.

The Atlantic Ocean crosses all earthly climatic zones. This is a kind of border that separates the Old and New Worlds.

In the Atlantic, on the territory of the Belize Natural Reef, there is an unusual object - blue hole. This is an underwater cave 120 meters deep. Here they have a strictly defined contour of the borders of dark and light waters. And the observer, who looks at the surface of the ocean from above, sees a big blue hole.

The Atlantic Ocean has Sargasso Sea, which has no coastal boundaries. Its boundaries are delineated only by ocean currents.

The Atlantic Ocean is full of mysteries. One of them - Bermuda Triangle, a zone located in the location of Bermuda, in which many ships and aircraft went missing.

giant island Greenland located in the north of the Atlantic, which has no equal in size on our planet.

Despite the difference in the area of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the number of fish caught annually in the Atlantic is no less. Herring, sardine, flounder and cod are especially popular with anglers. A variety of delicacies also live in the Atlantic Ocean: oysters, squids, mussels, cuttlefish, etc.

The most distant island on Earth is also located in the Atlantic Ocean. it Bouvet island, which is separated from the Cape of Good Hope by 1600 km.

04.03.2016

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on the planet. It accounts for 16% of the surface and 25% of the volume of all ocean waters. The average depth is 3736 m, and the lowest point of the bottom is the Puerto Rico Trench (8742 m). The process of divergence of tectonic plates, as a result of the split of which the ocean was formed, continues to the present. The banks diverge in opposite directions at a rate of about 2 cm per year. This information is public knowledge. In addition to the well-known, we have made a selection of the most interesting facts about the Atlantic Ocean, which many may not have even heard of.

The ocean got its name by the name of the ancient Greek hero of myths - the titan Atlanta, who "held the vault of heaven on his shoulders at the extreme western point of the Mediterranean Sea."
In ancient times, the Pillars of Hercules were called rocks on the shores of the Strait of Gibraltar - the path leading to the Atlantic Ocean from the inner Mediterranean Sea. People believed that these pillars are at the end of the world, and Hercules put them in memory of his exploits.
The first European to cross the ocean from east to west is the Viking Leif Eriksson, who reached the shores of Vinland (North America) in the 10th century.
The ocean is stretched from north to south so that its area contains zones of all climatic zones of the planet.
Ice cover in the ocean is formed in the Greenland Sea, the Baffin Sea and near Antarctica. Icebergs float into the Atlantic: from the north - from the Greenland shelf and from the south - from the Wedell Sea. The famous Titanic stumbled upon one of these icebergs in 1912.
The Bermuda Triangle is a zone in the Atlantic Ocean where many ships and aircraft disappear. Navigation in the area is a difficult task due to the abundance of shoals, storms and cyclones, which may explain the disappearances and shipwrecks.
The island of Newfoundland has the world's largest number of foggy days per year - about 120. The reason for this is the collision of the warm Gulf Stream with the cold Labrador Current.
The Falkland Islands is a disputed territory between Britain and Argentina in the South Atlantic. Once they were British territory, but in 1774 the British left it, leaving, however, a sign indicating their rights. During their absence, the Argentines "attached" the islands to one of their provinces. The conflict lasted two centuries - from 1811 to 2013, when a referendum was held and the right of Great Britain to govern the territory was secured.
The Caribbean is the origin of the strongest hurricanes that bring destruction to the coast of North America. The hurricane season (and a storm becomes a hurricane if the speed reaches 119 km/h) begins in this region every year on June 1 and is considered average in intensity if 11 "name" storms are registered. A storm gets its own name if the accompanying wind “accelerates” to 62 km/h.
Whaling was active in the Atlantic for several centuries, so that by the end of the 19th century, after the improvement of hunting techniques, the whales were almost completely exterminated. There is currently a moratorium on catching them. And the largest prey is considered to be a whale with a length of 33 m and a weight of 177 tons, caught in 1926.
The volcanic island of Tristan da Cunha is the most secluded piece of land on the planet. The nearest settlement (Saint Helena) is more than 2000 km from here. Almost 300 people live on an area of about 100 km².
Atlantis is a semi-mythical land that supposedly existed in the ocean, but was subsequently flooded. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato wrote about it in his treatises, determining the time of the existence of Atlantis by the 10th millennium BC, that is, at the end of the Ice Age. Modern scientists also put forward hypotheses about the existence of this island or mainland.

The Atlantic Ocean has been known to European navigators since antiquity, and with the beginning of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, the intensity of movement of various ships along it increased significantly. Maritime transportation of valuable goods from America to Europe and back contributed to the flourishing of piracy, which in the modern world exists only off the coast of Africa.

The Atlantic Ocean did not appear on our planet immediately. Hundreds of millions of years ago, Europe, the Americas, Antarctica and Africa were a single landmass. Over the past 40 million years, such a process as the opening of the ocean basin took place on Earth and, accordingly, the land was divided into the continents that exist today. This trend continues today.

As soon as they did not call the Atlantic Ocean in the old days! The ancient Greeks called it "the sea behind the Pillars of Hercules." Later names such as the Atlantic, the Sea of Gloom and the Western Ocean appeared. The current name for the ocean was given only at the beginning of the 16th century by the cartographer Wald-Semüller.

About why the Atlantic Ocean is called the Atlantic, disputes are still ongoing. According to one version, the name was given to it by the ancient sunken continent - Atlantis. Some historians believe that the prototype of the ocean was the titan Atlant, who, according to the ancient Greeks, lived in the extreme west and held the vault of heaven on his shoulders.

Compared to the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic holds an honorable second place in many areas. This is the second largest ocean on the planet, and in depth too. The most "bottomless" place in the Atlantic is considered the South Sandwich Trench, the depth of which from the surface is almost 8500 km. But in terms of salinity, the Atlantic Ocean holds the unconditional palm.

The warm current of the Gulf Stream passes through it, giving a warm and mild climate to European states that have access to ocean expanses. For comparison, the amount of heat carried by this current can only be generated by 1,000,000 nuclear power plants combined.

The Atlantic passes through all the earth's climatic zones. In addition, this is a kind of border that separates the two worlds - the Old and the New.

Atlantis, at one time considered a mythological land, actually existed. And she really went under water in a very short period of time. The cause of the tragedy, which claimed the lives of many people, was a natural disaster. The philosopher Plato believed that the death of Atlantis was sent to her by the gods as punishment for a too vicious lifestyle.

On the territory of the Belize Reef in the Atlantic there is an unusual natural object - a blue hole. It is an underwater cave 120 meters deep. In this place, the boundaries of dark and light waters have a strictly defined contour. And an observer looking at the surface of the ocean from above actually sees a large blue hole.

Today you will not surprise anyone with direct non-stop flights across the Atlantic. And at the dawn of aviation, such a flight was associated with great risk and was equated almost to a feat. The American Charles Lindbergh was the first to dare to do it in 1927.

Columbus was the first navigator to venture across the Atlantic Ocean.

In the north of the Atlantic there is the giant island of Greenland, which has no equal in size on the planet.

The most distant island on Earth is also located in the Atlantic Ocean. This is Bouvet Island, which is separated from the Cape of Good Hope by 1600 km.

The amount of ocean water in the Atlantic is equal to the amount of ice in Antarctica if that ice is melted.

In the Atlantic Ocean there is a sea that has no coastal boundaries - Sargasso. Its borders are delineated only by ocean currents.

There are many mysteries associated with the Atlantic Ocean. One of them is generated by the so-called Bermuda Triangle - a zone in the Bermuda region, where many planes and ships went missing.

The oceans occupy about 72% of the surface of planet Earth and contain 97% of all water. They are the main sources of salt water and the main components of the hydrosphere. There are five oceans in total: the Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Antarctic.

Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean

Arctic Ocean

1. The area of the Arctic Ocean reaches 14.75 million square kilometers.

2. The air temperature near the shores of the Arctic Ocean reaches -20, -40 degrees Celsius in winter, and 0 in summer.

3. The flora of this ocean is modest. This is all due to the small amount of sun that falls on its bottom.

4. The inhabitants of the Arctic Ocean are whales, polar bears, fish and seals.

5. The largest seals live off the coast of the ocean.

6. The Arctic Ocean has many glaciers and icebergs.

7. This ocean has a large number of minerals.

8. A quarter of all oil on the planet is stored in the depths of the Arctic Ocean.

9. Some birds survive the winter in the Arctic Ocean.

10. This ocean has the most non-salty water in comparison with other oceans.

11. During the year, the salinity of this ocean can change.

12. On the surface and in its depths, the ocean stores a lot of garbage.

13. The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 3400 meters.

14. Flights on ships across the Arctic Ocean are very dangerous because of underwater waves.

15. Even warm currents from the Atlantic are not able to warm the water in such a cold ocean.

16. If all the glaciers of the Arctic Ocean melt, then the level of the world ocean will rise by 10 meters.

17. The Arctic Ocean is considered the most unexplored of all the oceans.

18. The volume of water in this ocean exceeds 17 million cubic kilometers.

19. The deepest place in this ocean is a depression in the Greenland Sea. Its depth is 5527 meters.

20.According to forecasts of oceanologists, the entire ice cover of the Arctic Ocean will melt by the end of the 21st century.

21. All the waters and resources of the Arctic Ocean belong to a number of countries: USA, Russia, Norway, Canada and Denmark.

22. The thickness of ice in some parts of the ocean reaches five meters.

23. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of all the oceans in the world.

24. Polar bears move across the ocean with the help of drifting ice floes.

25. In 2007, the bottom of the Arctic Ocean was reached for the first time.

Atlantic Ocean

1. The name of the ocean originates from the ancient Greek language.

2. The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest after the Pacific Ocean.

3. According to legend, the underwater city of Atlantis is located at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

4. The main attraction of this ocean is the so-called underwater hole.

5. The most distant island in the world, Bouvet, is located in the Atlantic Ocean.

6. In the Atlantic Ocean there is a sea without borders. This is the Sargasso Sea.

7. The mysterious Bermuda Triangle is located in the Atlantic Ocean.

8. Previously, the Atlantic Ocean was called the "Western Ocean."

9. Cartographer Wald-Semüller in the 16th century gave the name to this ocean.

10. In terms of depth, the Atlantic Ocean also ranks second.

11. The deepest place in this ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench, and its depth is 8742 kilometers.

12. The Atlantic Ocean has the most salty water of all the oceans.

13. The well-known warm undercurrent of the Gulf Stream flows through the Atlantic Ocean.

14. The area of this ocean passes through all the climatic zones of the world.

15. The number of fish caught from the Atlantic Ocean is not less than that of the Pacific, regardless of the different sizes.

16. Sea delicacies such as oysters, mussels and squids live in this ocean.

17. Columbus was the first navigator who dared to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

18. The largest island in the world, Greenland, is located in the Atlantic Ocean.

19. The Atlantic Ocean accounts for 40% of the world's fisheries.

20. There are many oil platforms on the waters of this ocean.

21. The diamond mining industry has also affected the Atlantic Ocean.

22. The total area of this ocean is almost 10,000 square kilometers.

23. The largest number of rivers flow into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

24. The Atlantic Ocean has icebergs.

25. The famous ship Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

Indian Ocean

1. In terms of area, the Indian Ocean ranks third, after the Pacific and Atlantic.

2. The average depth of the Indian Ocean is 3890 meters.

3. In ancient times, this ocean was called the "Eastern Ocean".

4. Swims in the Indian Ocean were made as early as the fifth millennium BC.

5. All climatic zones in the Southern Hemisphere pass through the Indian Ocean.

6. Near Antarctica, the Indian Ocean has ice.

7. The bowels of this ocean have huge reserves of oil and natural gas.

8. The Indian Ocean has such a phenomenal phenomenon as “glowing circles”, the appearance of which even scientists cannot explain.

9. In this ocean, the second largest salt sea is located - the Red Sea.

10. The largest coral complexes have been discovered in the Indian Ocean.

11. The blue-ringed octopus is one of the most dangerous creatures for humans, and it lives in the Indian Ocean.

12. The Indian Ocean was officially opened by the European navigator Vasco da Gama.

13. A huge number of creatures that are deadly to humans live in the waters of this ocean.

14. The average water temperature in the ocean reaches 20 degrees Celsius.

15.57 groups of islands are washed by the Indian Ocean.

16. This ocean is considered the youngest and warmest in the world.

17.In the 15th century, the Indian Ocean was one of the world's main transport routes.

18. It is the Indian Ocean that connects all the most significant ports on the planet.

19. This ocean is incredibly popular with surfers.

20. The current of the ocean changes depending on the season, and the reason for this is the monsoon winds.

21. The Sunda Trench, located near the island of Java, is the deepest place in the Indian Ocean. Its depth is 7727 meters.

22. Pearls and mother-of-pearl are mined on the territory of this ocean.

23. The great white and tiger sharks live in the waters of the Indian Ocean.

24. The largest earthquake in the Indian Ocean was in 2004 and reached 9.3 points.

25. The oldest fish that lived in the era of dinosaurs was found in the Indian Ocean in 1939.

Pacific Ocean

1. The Pacific Ocean is the most majestic and largest ocean in the world.

2. The area of this ocean is 178.6 million square meters.

3. The Pacific Ocean is considered the oldest in the world.

4. The average depth of this ocean reaches 4000 meters.

5. The Spanish sailor Vasco Nunez de Balboa is the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean, and this discovery took place in 1513.

6. The Pacific Ocean provides the world with half of all seafood consumed.

7. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest concentration of corals in the Pacific Ocean.

8. The deepest place not only in this ocean, but also in the world, is the Mariana Trench. Its depth is about 11 kilometers.

9. There are about 25 thousand islands in the Pacific Ocean. This is more than in any other oceans.

10. In this ocean, you can find chains of underwater volcanoes.

11. If you look at the Pacific Ocean from space, it looks like a triangle.

12. On the territory of this ocean, more often than anywhere else on the planet, volcanoes erupt and earthquakes occur.

13. More than 100,000 different animals call the Pacific Ocean their home.

14. The speed of the Pacific tsunami exceeds 750 kilometers per hour.

15. The Pacific Ocean boasts the highest tides.

16. The island of New Guinea is the largest piece of land in the Pacific Ocean.

17. An unusual type of crab, which is covered with fur, was found in the Pacific Ocean.

18. The bottom of the Mariana Trench is covered with viscous mucus, not sand.

19. The largest volcano in the world was discovered in the Pacific Ocean.

20. The most poisonous jellyfish in the world lives in this ocean.

21. In the polar regions of the Pacific Ocean, the water temperature reaches -0.5 degrees Celsius, and near the equator +30 degrees.

22. Rivers flowing into the ocean bring about 30,000 cubic meters of fresh water per year.