How many oceans are there how many oceans are there
How many oceans are there how many oceans are there
How many oceans are there?
One, four or five, depending on whom you ask
A NEW OCEAN has appeared on the maps of the National Geographic Society, an American research and conservation organisation. The Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica, will henceforth be given the same status, and typeface, as the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. But of course the Southern Ocean is not really new. Not only has the body of water been there for around 30m years, since Antarctica and South America moved apart, but what to call it has been mulled and contested by others before. So how many oceans are there? And how is that decided?
All of Earth’s oceans are part of one interconnected system. Mapmakers divide it into different zones, including oceans, which also contain smaller seas. Oceans are usually bordered by whole continents whereas seas are typically surrounded by smaller bits of land. But where two bodies of water converge scientists must look at the conditions in the water to decide their boundaries. Bodies of water often have multiple names. The Southern Ocean is sometimes called the Antarctic Ocean. Sometimes these names reflect competing political claims. For instance, the one between Japan and the Koreas is known as the Sea of Japan in Japan, the East Sea in South Korea and the Korean East Sea in North Korea. Most governments have departments given the task of surveying, mapping and naming oceanographic features but the arbiter of such issues is the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), to which 94 countries belong. (June 21st is also the IHO’s World Hydrography Day.)
The definition adopted by the National Geographic Society is that the Southern Ocean includes most of the waters that surround Antarctica to a latitude of 60° south, excluding the Drake Passage and Scotia Sea. Also called the “60th parallel south”, this cartographic line roughly corresponds with the path of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which swirls water clockwise from west to east and marks a boundary between the cold, northward-flowing waters of the Antarctic and the warmer subantarctic waters. The waters of the Southern Ocean are colder and less saline than those of the southern Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. This has allowed a distinct ecosystem to flourish, rich in plant and animal life including krill, penguins, seals, whales and albatrosses. Its icy nature makes it particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change.
The United States Board on Geographic Names already counts the Southern Ocean as distinct from other oceans, also using the 60th parallel definition. So do plenty of other governments, scientists and organisations. But the IHO’s position is trickier. The first edition of its marine mapping bible, “Limits of Oceans and Seas”, was published in 1928. This showed the Southern Ocean reaching Africa, Australia and South America. By the second edition, in 1937, the Southern Ocean’s northern limits were moved southward, no longer touching land. In the third edition, in 1953, the Southern Ocean was omitted entirely as its authors no longer saw a “justification” for applying the term ocean to this body of water, “the northern limits of which are difficult to lay down owing to their seasonal change.” Instead the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans were extended down to Antarctica. In 2000, when the fourth edition of “Limits of Oceans and Seas” was due to be published, IHO members voted to name the waters below the 60th parallel south the “Southern Ocean”. Argentina objected, as did Australia, which argues that it is the Southern, not the Indian Ocean which laps its southern shores. But other disputes between members, such as what to call the Sea of Japan, stopped the fourth edition from being formally ratified. Which leaves the IHO stuck in 1953, when the Southern Ocean didn’t exist at all.
How Many Oceans are There in the World?
While there is one global interconnected ocean, this massive body of water surrounding all land masses on Earth can be further subdivided based on historical, geographic, and cultural factors.
Oceans cover much of the Earth’s surface. About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans and 97% of all the water found on Earth is in the ocean. To put it in numbers, 321,003,271 cubic miles of water are found in the ocean, which according to NOAA, can fill about 352,670,000,000,000,000,000 gallon-sized milk containers.
Why are Oceans Important?
Aside from being a huge body of water, oceans are important to the health of the Earth for many reasons. Oceans produce half of the oxygen that reaches the atmosphere and are a carbon sink, absorbing massive amounts of carbon dioxide. In other words, the world’s oceans are a huge carbon reservoir, hold more than 50 times the carbon dioxide compared to the atmosphere.
Oceans also move heat around the world, helping to regulate the world’s climate. Warm ocean currents move towards the poles, cool, and then return back towards the equator. This constant mixing of temperatures affects global weather patterns. (Related: How Ocean Currents Move Pollution Around the World)
The Number of Oceans Depends on How You Count Them
The number of oceans in the world depends on the perspective. The designation of the world’s oceans has evolved over time.
One Global Ocean
There is one global ocean. All ocean waters are connected. The world ocean covers 71% of the Earth’s surface.
The world ocean holds most of the water in the Earth’s systems. This part of the Earth’s systems is known as the hydrosphere. More: Water on Earth
Are There 3, 4, or 5 Oceans in the World?
On Earth, there are three major oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
Historically, there are four ocean basins that include the three major oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian) and the Arctic Ocean. There are five oceans if you also include the Southern Ocean as a separate ocean.
The Southern Ocean is a fairly recently named addition (2000) that is not universally recognized by all countries and organizations and has yet to be ratified by the international community.
For example, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names recognizes the Southern Ocean while National Geographic does not.
The video below explains the names and boundaries of the world’s oceans based on one global ocean, the three major oceans, the four historic oceans, and the five world oceans.
The Five World Oceans
Each of the five world oceans are described here including the size of each ocean as well as a map showing the location and boundaries for each ocean.
Facts About the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean. It spans from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south.
How Big is the Pacific Ocean?
The Pacific Ocean is 165,250,000 square km (63,800,000 sq. mi) in area and covers 46% of Earth’s water surface.
The Pacific Ocean covers 28% of the global surface which is roughly equivalent to all of the landmasses combined.
What is the Deepest Point in the Pacific Ocean?
The deepest point on Earth, the Mariana Trench, is located in the Pacific Ocean.
Seas and Gulfs of the Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean includes the Bali Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Tonkin, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies.
Where is the Pacific Ocean Located?
The Pacific Ocean is found along the western coast of the United States, along Southeast Asia, the eastern side of Australia, and along the western coast of South America.
Facts About the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the World. This body of water is located between Africa, Europe, the Arctic Ocean, the Americas, and the Southern Ocean.
How Big is the Atlantic Ocean?
The area of the Atlantic Ocean is about 106,460,000 square km (41,100,000 sq mi).
Deepest Point in the Atlantic Ocean
The lowest point in the Atlantic Ocean is the Milwaukee Deep in the Puerto Rico Trench with a depth of 8,376 m (27,480 ft).
Seas and Gulfs of the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean includes the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies.
Where is the Atlantic Ocean Located?
The Atlantic Ocean is found along the eastern coast of the United States, the eastern coast of South America, the western coast of Africa, and north and western Europe.
Facts About the Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean. This body of water stretches between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and Australia.
How Big is the Indian Ocean?
The area of the Indian Ocean is 70,560,000 sq km (27,240,000 sq mi) which represents 19.8% of the water on Earth’s surface.
The Deepest Spot in the Indian Ocean
The deepest spot in the Indian Ocean is in the Java Trench that is located south of Java in the eastern Indian Ocean and is 25,344 feet (7,725 meters) deep.
What Seas and Gulfs are included in the Indian Ocean?
The Indian Ocean includes includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies.
Where is the Indian Ocean Found?
The Indian Ocean is found along the eastern coast of Africa, the Middle East, the southern part of Asia, and the western coast of Australia.
Facts About the Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean in the world.
How Big is the Arctic Ocean?
The area of the Arctic Ocean is 14,056,000 sq km (5,427,000 sq mi) which makes it the only ocean smaller than Russia.
The Arctic Ocean is the Coldest Ocean
This ocean is also the coldest of the world’s oceans.
Where is the Arctic Ocean Located?
Found mostly north of the Arctic Circle, this ocean lies between Europe, Asia, and North America.
Seas and Gulfs of the Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies.
Facts About the Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean is a proposed ocean surrounding Antarctica with a northern limit of 60°S. The northern boundary abuts the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, making it the only ocean not to have a land mass as the border.
What makes some organizations designate the Southern Ocean as an ocean is the fact that its waters differ from other oceans due to fairly rapid circulation.
How Big is the Southern Ocean?
It is the second smallest of the five world oceans. It has an area of 20.327 million sq km (7.849 million sq mi).
Seas of the Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies.
How are the Ocean Borders and Names Determined?
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), which first convened in 1919 (and was originally referred to as the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB)), is the inter-governmental organization that creates the international agreement of ocean borders and names.
The outcomes of each convention are published in the Limits of Oceans and Seas.
Watch: How many oceans are there?
References
IHO (International Hydrographic Organization), 2000. Report of the International Hydrographic Organisation. Working Paper No. 57 (WP 57). 20th Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, (New York), 17–28 January 2000.
How Many Oceans Are There?
How many oceans are there, exactly? You may receive different answers depending on the source. For many countries and oceanographers, the answer will be four, based solely on the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Indian.
Many countries and oceanography experts hesitate to recognize the Southern Ocean as an actual ocean.
The United States and numerous other countries conclude that there are five distinctly separate oceans on the planet.
However, there is only one body of water. The Global Ocean covers 71% of the entire surface of the world.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) acknowledges that there is only one Global Ocean.
Although it is considered one body of water, there are five distinct areas into which it is divided. These oceans each have their own unique names and environment.
According to the United States, there are five subdivided ocean basins, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian, and Southern, previously known as the Antarctic. These five oceans hold 97% of the water on the planet.
Various species of animals and plant life make their homes in our oceans. Each ocean has a unique ecosystem that determines the sea creatures that can live in each area.
Even with the extensive research focused on oceanic advancements, 80% of the Global Ocean remains unexplored.
The Arctic Ocean
The smallest of the five oceans, the Arctic Ocean covers over six million square miles, with a coastline reaching close to 30,000 miles. The Arctic Ocean has a maximum depth of 18,456 feet and is the shallowest of the five oceans.
The coldest of the five oceans, the Arctic faces freezing temperatures year-round, with most of the water covered in ice the entire year.
The area experiences extended periods of darkness during the winter. In contrast, the summer months result in extended periods of daylight.
The neighbors of this ocean include the Barrow and the Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. The Arctic Ocean also connects with Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, and Russia.
How Many Oceans Are There?
Mohendra Shiwnarain PRO INVESTOR
Historically there were 4 named oceans in the world, which include the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. However, today we recognize 5 oceans in the world, with the Southern Ocean added to the list.
The ocean is one of Earth’s most mysterious places and is crucial to our way of life. It supplies us with food and many other resources. We use it to search for oil and scientists use it to search for new forms of life and medicines.
The ocean comprises over 139,434,000 sq mi and has a total volume of 320,000,000 cubic miles. This represents about 71% of the Earth’s surface. We have only explored about 5%of the ocean so far while the remaining 95% have not been seen by humans. There are a lot of places we have not seen and a lot of species that have yet to be discovered.
As we continue to explore and learn about the ocean, it becomes important to understand how it is defined by the world and what features it has that are crucial to the stability of the world. It is also important to understand how humans have affected the health and welfare of the ocean. Ours is not the only ocean in the solar system and the more we understand our own, the better we will be able to approach studying those foreign places.
How many oceans are there? There are 5 oceans:
How Many Oceans Do We Have?
Historically, there are four oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Indian. These oceans are recognized by almost all oceanic organizations around the world. It is the standard classification that is held by National Geographic. Technically, there is only a single ocean: the world ocean. This is because the ocean is comprised of one global and interconnected body of saltwater. We break that single ocean into parts because the parts contain specific features and characteristics that are definitive to those regions.
| Earth’s Oceans | Interesting Facts |
| Area | 140 million square miles (71% of the Earth’s surface) |
| Average Depth | 12,200 feet (3,720 m) |
| Deepest point | 36,198 feet (11,033 m); the deepest point is the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific |
| Highest Mountain | Mauna Kea in Hawaii rises 33,474 feet (10,203 m) from its base on the ocean floor |
| Marine Species | 226408 (discovered) |
| Mountains | Massive mountain ranges that are 40,000 miles (64,000 km) long |
The different parts of the world’s oceans are defined by the continents, archipelago, and other features in the surrounding area. These defined areas are further broken down into smaller areas. The Atlantic Ocean resides between the Americas, Europe, and Africa. It is further broken down into the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean by the equator. Parts of these oceans are defined as gulfs, seas, straits, and other bodies of water within the oceans.
Recently in 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) defined a new 5th ocean: The Southern Ocean. This ocean extends from the shores of Antarctica to the line of latitude at 60 degrees South. This new ocean is recognized by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, but have not been ratified because not all members of the IHO and other countries have accepted this new ocean, which is made up of pieces from the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Indian Ocean. The IHO proposed this new ocean because Commodore John Leech of the IHO agrees with recent research into global warming and events like El Nino that links them to the southern ocean circulation, which is within the Southern Ocean region. The unique ecology and features of this region are sufficient enough, by IHO standards, to give it its own classification.
Number Of Oceans In The World (Historically Standard): 4
Number Of Oceans In The World (New IHO Standard): 5
Image from NOAA
Features Of The Ocean(s)
“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch, we are going back from whence we came.” — John F. Kennedy
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific ocean is probably best known for having the ring of fire as its big feature. The Pacific is the largest and oldest of the oceans. Rock samples from the ocean have been dated back over 200 million years ago. This region is also the home of the ring of fire, which is characterized by immense earthquakes and volcanic activity. This is because tectonic plates below the ocean are colliding with the continental plates along the ridges of the Pacific ocean. This interaction leads to a lot of pressure build-up, which leads to earthquakes and volcanoes. The Pacific Ocean is also home to the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest part of the ocean. Unfortunately, the Pacific ocean is home to the largest gathering of plastics that humans have released into the environments. These plastics affect the ecosystems of numerous species and even make their way back to humans, inside of fishes.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic ocean is the second largest of the oceans and it is the saltiest of the oceans. The saltiness comes from evaporation, precipitation, and water flows from numerous rivers belonging to the four continents it is surrounded by. The Atlantic ocean is home to the largest island in the world, Greenland, and is also home to the Bermuda Triangle, infamous for its ability to drown ships and planes that cross over it. The Atlantic is also the most active ocean for travel because of its connection to four different continents.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean and is home to many climate variabilities. The climate variability is due to monsoon wind systems that divide the ocean and causes conflicting weather and temperatures in those regions. Overall, the Indian ocean is the warmest of the oceans and this results in it having a limited marine life. Despite this, it is home to breeding humpback whales and the second largest population of tuna.
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the oceans and also the shallowest. One of the most different features from all the other oceans is that the arctic ocean is covered in mountains of ice throughout most of the year. Despite the ice and cold, humans have managed to live there and even explore. The Arctic is home to the geographic north pole, which has been sought after by many explorers. The Arctic is also home to many fish and animals, including polar bears. It is estimated that by 2040, the majority of the ice (if not all) will be melted because of global warming. This results in the release of natural gases, organisms, and nutrients that were all trapped in the ice. The melting would also result in the death of numerous species, including polar bears because they would lose their habitats.
As we continue to explore and understand the ocean, hopefully, we will be able to protect it from the effects of humans. We may one day be able to clean up the messes we have caused from plastics to oil spills. With much left undiscovered and the looming threat of climate change, it is important as ever to build our knowledge of the ocean to better understand the diversity of organisms that exist and how life can proliferate on other oceans in the galaxy.
About Mohendra Shiwnarain PRO INVESTOR
Mohendra has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Masters in Biotechnology. Growing up, he enjoyed learning as much as he could from any and all topics. He has gone on many Wikipedia rabbit holes, scouring to find more interesting facts than the last. He writes to both learn and lead others into their own search of scientific knowledge, both mundane and interesting.
How Many Oceans are There?
Since the beginning of time, the Earth’s ocean has been an enigma of sorts — sometimes revered, other times feared or looked at as an obstacle to overcome. The ocean is responsible for global weather patterns and is widely considered the origin of all life on Earth.
In an effort to quell the mystery of the Earth’s ocean, it has been studied and subsequently divided throughout history. And that’s where things get a little tricky — the number of oceans on Earth isn’t a uniform number.
Instead, the number has varied widely across time periods. Even today, geologists can’t seem to agree on the number of oceans: Is it one, four, five, or even more?
The complex answer is “all of the above.”
What is an Ocean, Anyway?
The simple definition of an ocean is a body of salt water that’s located on and/or under the surface of a planet. An ocean is typically distinct from a planet’s surface in regards to geologic composition.
Here on Earth, the crust is mainly comprised of granite, while the rocks that cover the ocean floor are basalt. Data indicates that the ocean floor first formed about 200 million years ago. Further, some ocean floor rock has magnetic properties.
Boasting an average depth of just over 12,000 feet, the Earth’s ocean is made up of about 3.5 percent salt. Traces of every chemical element found on Earth are present in the ocean. At its deepest, the ocean floor is located more than 36,000 feet below its surface, in the Pacific Ocean’s Marina Trench.
But where does one ocean end and another begin? That can depend on a number of factors, including changes to plate tectonics and overall sea level, and even the world’s geopolitical climate.
How Many Oceans Are There? 1 For a Few.
Celebrated on June 8, World Oceans Day was officially recognized by the U.N. in 2008. The designation was the brainchild of The Ocean Project, a wide-reaching organization that touts the existence of a single global ocean, one that’s divided into several distinct regions. The so-called “World Ocean” comprises more than 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, a whopping 320 million cubic miles of water.
The concept of a single, global ocean dates back at least to Ancient Greece, embodied by the god Oceanus, one of the Titans. The world was somewhat small to early Greeks, so a single ocean makes sense within their limited worldview. Later explorers and scientists would divide the World Ocean into several regions.
How Many Oceans Are There? 4 For Others.
For elementary and primary students throughout the 20th century, learning about the oceans was one of the earliest concepts in geography. Until the year 2000, it was generally accepted that there are four oceans on Earth: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans.
Today, the historic “four-ocean” mindset is virtually obsolete, but the National Ocean Service (NOAA) still recognizes four oceanic basins within the Earth’s single Global Ocean.
How Many Oceans Are on Earth? 5 For Some.
The International Hydrographic Organization publicly announced their endorsement of a fifth ocean region in 2000, which they named the Southern Ocean. Its boundaries remain in dispute, but most countries accept that the Southern Ocean stretches from a latitude of 60 degrees South to the edge of Antarctica.
List of Oceans
The Global Development Research Center, among many other organizations, recognizes five global oceans, each distinct in regards to size, depth, and current direction.
Atlantic Ocean
On traditional world maps, the Atlantic Ocean sits almost dead center. The massive body of water covers 32 million square miles and forms the coastal borders of North and South America, Africa, and Europe.
The Atlantic Ocean also encompasses the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Labrador Sea, and Iceland. Just off the coast of Puerto Rico, the Atlantic sinks to its deepest point of about 28,000 feet.
On some maps, the Atlantic is further divided into the “North Atlantic” and “South Atlantic.” The Atlantic meets the Pacific at Cape Hatteras, on the tip of South America, and collides with the Indian Ocean just south of the African continent.
Pacific Ocean
The world’s largest ocean, the Pacific covers more than one-third of the Earth’s surface, a total of more than 64 million square miles. It is home to the Marina Trench, the ocean’s deepest point, as well as the volcanic system known as the “Ring of Fire.”
There are an estimated 25,000 islands within the Pacific Ocean, some of which are small and uninhabited. Others are home to millions of people, such as Honshu, the biggest island of the Japanese archipelago. Honshu boasts a population of more than 127 million.
Other notable Pacific Ocean landmarks include:
• Easter Island
• Hawaii
• Micronesia
• Marshall Islands
Indian Ocean
Bordering the western coast of Australia as well as parts of Africa and South Asia, including the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Ocean covers roughly 28 million square miles. With an average depth of 12,762 feet, it meets the Pacific near Australia. The Indian Ocean’s deepest point is the Java Trench.
Arctic Ocean
The Bering Strait connects the relatively tiny Arctic Ocean to its massive neighbor, the Pacific. Comprised of both salt water and chunks of ice, the Arctic Ocean spans about 5 million square miles. The frigid ocean borders the northernmost parts of North America, Europe, and Russia.
Southern Ocean
The newest addition to the list of Earth’s oceanic regions, the Southern Ocean is the smallest of the five. It’s also the most uniformly shaped, forming a concentric circle around the entirety of Antarctica. Like its northernmost arctic neighbor, the Southern Ocean contains a large amount of sea ice.