Which sea belongs to the Atlantic Ocean. Where is the Atlantic Ocean located? Ocean characteristics, North and South Atlantic Oceans
Atlantic ocean map
Ocean area - 91.6 million square kilometers;
Maximum depth - Puerto Rico trench, 8742 m;
Number of seas - 16;
The largest seas are the Sargasso Sea, the Caribbean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea;
The largest bay is the Gulf of Mexico;
The largest islands are Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland;
The strongest currents:
- warm - Gulf Stream, Brazilian, Northern Tradewind, Southern Tradewind;
- cold - Bengal, Labrador, Canary, West Winds.
The Atlantic Ocean occupies the entire space from subarctic latitudes to Antarctica. It borders the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, and the Arctic Ocean in the north. In the northern hemisphere, the coastline of the continents, which are washed by the waters of the Arctic Ocean, is heavily indented. There are many inland seas, especially in the east.
The Atlantic Ocean is considered a relatively young ocean. The mid-Atlantic ridge, which stretches almost strictly along the meridian, divides the ocean floor into two approximately identical parts. In the north, individual peaks of the ridge rise above the water in the form of volcanic islands, the largest of which is Iceland.
The shelf part of the Atlantic Ocean is not large - 7%. The greatest width of the shelf, 200 - 400 km, is in the area of the North and Baltic Seas.
The Atlantic Ocean is located in all climatic zones, but most of it is in tropical and temperate latitudes. Climatic conditions here are determined by trade winds and westerly winds. The wind force is strongest in the temperate latitudes of the southern Atlantic Ocean. In the area of the island of Iceland is the center of the origin of cyclones, which significantly affect the nature of the entire Northern Hemisphere.
Average surface water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are much lower than in the Pacific. This is due to the influence of cold waters and ice that come from the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. In high latitudes, there are many icebergs and drifting ice floes. In the north, icebergs slide off Greenland, and in the south, from Antarctica. Today, the movement of icebergs is monitored from space by piece satellites of the earth.
Currents in the Atlantic Ocean have a meridional direction and are characterized by a strong movement of water masses from one latitude to another.
The organic world of the Atlantic Ocean is poorer in species composition than that of the Pacific. This is explained by the geological youth and cooler climatic conditions. But, despite this, the stocks of fish and other marine animals and plants in the ocean are quite significant. The organic world is richer in temperate latitudes. More favorable conditions for the residence of many fish species have developed in the northern and northwestern parts of the ocean, where there are fewer flows of warm and cold currents. Here, cod, herring, sea bass, mackerel, capelin are of industrial importance.
The natural complexes of individual seas and the inflow of the Atlantic Ocean are distinguished by their originality. This is especially true for the inland seas: the Mediterranean, Black, North and Baltic. In the northern subtropical zone is located, unique in nature, the Sargas Sea. The giant Sargassum seaweed, which is abundant in the sea, has made it famous.
Important sea routes run across the Atlantic Ocean, which connect the New World with the countries of Europe and Africa. On the coast and islands of the Atlantic there are world-famous areas of recreation and tourism.
The Atlantic Ocean has been explored since ancient times. Since the 15th century, the Atlantic Ocean has become the main waterway of mankind and does not lose its significance today. The first period of ocean research lasted until the middle of the 18th century. He was characterized by the study of the distribution of ocean waters and the establishment of the boundaries of the ocean. A comprehensive study of the nature of the Atlantic began at the end of the 19th century.
The nature of the ocean in our time is being studied more with 40 scientific ships from around the world. Oceanologists carefully study the interaction of the ocean and the atmosphere, observe the Gulf Stream and other currents, and the movement of icebergs. The Atlantic Ocean is no longer able to independently restore its biological resources. Preservation of its nature today is an international matter.
Choose one of the unique places of the Atlantic Ocean and take an exciting journey with Google maps.
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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
Barents 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.
The Atlantic Ocean, which occupies the second largest area among the oceans of the world, was the first to attract the attention of researchers and for a long time remained the most studied. Currently, specialists in the field of geotectonics tend to believe that the Atlantic Ocean is possibly the youngest.
There are subtle signs of the existence in this part of the globe of the meridional water space until the late Mesozoic, i.e., about 100 million years ago, and the connection of the South Atlantic with the Indian Ocean, as evidenced by the organic remains of the Upper Cretaceous. As a result of detailed and systematic studies of the northern and southern basins of the Atlantic Ocean carried out by the Meteor expedition, theories of the origin and structure of the Atlantic Ocean appeared. Cowber (1928) was the first to suggest the existence of a system of mountain ranges encircling the globe, which he considered as an orogenic belt (as opposed to a taphrogenic Hysen's hypothesis).
According to the data of Kossin (1921), which are usually referred to, the area of the Atlantic Ocean (the ocean proper) is approximately 8.2*10^7 km2, and including the marginal seas (Caribbean, Mediterranean, etc.) is about 10.6*10^7 km3. The average depth in the first case is 3920 m and in the second 3332 m.
The Atlantic Ocean is not as deep as the Pacific and Indian Oceans, mainly because of the extensive continental shoals extending to the north and a thick layer of sediments.
According to Murray (1888), the total area of runoff into the Atlantic Ocean is about 3.5 x 10^7 km2, and including the Arctic, about 5.0 x 10^7 km2, which is four times the area of runoff into the Indian Ocean and almost four times drainage area in the Pacific Ocean. At present, the water balance of the World Ocean can only be maintained with a constant flow from the Atlantic Ocean to other oceans.
In the Atlantic Ocean, unlike the Indian and Pacific Oceans, there are only a small number of seamounts and guyots and no coral atolls. Parts of the coast for a long distance are devoid of coastal reefs, even under favorable conditions. However, coral banks are known in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
The decrease in water temperature during the Pleistocene period and the isolation of the Atlantic Ocean from latitudinal currents as a result of tectonic movements of the earth's crust in the Middle and Late Tertiary periods determined a rather poor and "isolated" benthic fauna, which contrasts with the "universal" nature of benthos in the Cretaceous and Early Tertiary periods.
The main groups of islands are of continental origin, they are located off the coast (Greenland, the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Svalbard, Great Britain, the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, the Skosha arc, etc.). Several oceanic islands occupy only 5.0 * 106 km2 Assension, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, Bouvet Island, etc. These islands are mainly of volcanic origin.
Basins of the Atlantic Ocean
Western AtlanticLabrodor Basin located between the Labrador Peninsula, Greenland and Newfoundland. This basin extends well beyond the Labrador Sea and includes most of the Irminger Sea. Turbidity flows, carrying sedimentary material deposited on the bottom, flow down the mid-ocean canyon to the Som abyssal plain.
Newfoundland basin located between Newfoundland and the Azores. It is partially separated from the adjacent basins in the south. In the southwest, this basin is bounded by the Southeast Newfoundland Rise. Its northern boundary runs along a line from the Flemish Cap bank in the northeast to the western branch of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, at about 55°N. sh., which crosses the mid-ocean canyon from north to south, connecting the Labrador Basin with the abyssal plain of Catfish.
North American Basin is a very large depression which, strictly speaking, is not a true depression. It is located near the underwater Bermuda Upland, as well as several abyssal plains that limit the upland on three sides - Som from the northeast, Hatteras from the west and Nares (900 thousand km2) from the southeast. The last two plains at 24° N. latitude, 68° W e. divides the abyssal gorge Vema. The Black Bahama Outer Range separates the Hatteras Abyssal Plain from the narrow Black Bahama Basin and Abyssal Plains. this basin includes the Puerto Rico Trench, a typical deep-water trench of the Atlantic Ocean. Within the trench are two areas with maximum depths, one of which is sometimes called the Brownson Basin. the other was called the Milwaukee Trench (after the name of the ship that first discovered it), but even greater depths were later discovered.
Guiana Basin located near the Venezuelan, Guiana coasts and the Amazonian coast of Brazil. In the basin, the following stand out: in the west, the abyssal plain of Demerara (335,000 km2), on which sediments are accumulated carried by the Orinoco River, the Guiana rivers, and partly by the Amazon runoff; in the east - the abyssal plain of Keara, separated from the abyssal by the early Demerara by the huge Amazonian abyssal cone, which is also its main source of sedimentary material.
brazilian basin (Tizard Depression) is located off the east coast of Brazil. It is bounded in the north by the Para (now Belem) uplift, which extends beyond the basin into a partly volcanic ridge topped by the islets of Fernando de Noronha and Rocas. At the northern end of the ridge there is a vast lowering of the bottom - the abyssal plain of Recife), however, south of the volcanic uplift of Trindade, the area of the abyssal plain is small.
Argentine Basin. To the southwest of the underwater Rio Grande highland there is a long narrow Argentine abyssal plain (200 thousand km2), to the east of it there is a wide gently sloping Argentine uplift, an area of insignificant abyssal hills.
Atlantic-Antarctic catlovina (South Atlantic polar basin; African-Antarctic basin.) Stretching across the entire South Atlantic from the Weddell Sea to the Indian Ocean, it includes a long depression, the Weddell abyssal plain. The isolated depression between South Sandwich and Bouvet Islands is the abyssal Sandwich Plain. Another typical deep-sea trench of the Atlantic Ocean, the South Sandwich Trench (or Sandwich Trench), with the greatest depth of 8264 m, was found here. It is separated by several ridges from the Atlantic-Antarctic Basin. Within the Skosh Sea there are numerous small closed basins that do not have names.
East Atlantic
West European Basin
(North East Atlantic Basin). Two interconnected abyssal plains were found in the basin: Porcupine to the west of Great Britain and Biscay (80 thousand km2), which in turn in the south is connected with the Iberian abyssal plain. These abyssal plains are described by Lawton as part of a scarp-like system that gradually descends southward through a series of narrow gorges and channels.
Iberian Basin
(Spanish Basin) is located to the west of Spain (name
The "Iberian Basin" had another basin located in the western Mediterranean Sea, east of Spain; to avoid confusion, the latter was given the name "Balearic Basin") and is connected by the abyssal Theta Gorge with the Biscay abyssal plain. A smaller depression, the Tajo abyssal plain (15,000 km2), receives sediments from the Tajo River (Portugal) through an underwater canyon. In addition, to the south (to the west of the sources of sedimentary materials of Gibraltar, Guadiana and Guadalquivir) is the abyssal plain of Horseshoe (14 thousand km2).
canary basin (Monaco Basin) is located south of the Azores uplift (seamount belt), stretching in the direction of ESE. This basin is largely occupied by the Madeira abyssal plain, and it is now established that it includes a sector formerly belonging to the Canarian abyssal plain. A smaller depression, the Sein abyssal plain (39,000 km1), located east of the Senya bank, is separated from this basin and, apparently, is fed from it. Wüst distinguishes the North Canary and South Canary basins, but this distinction is not very clear. Most of the Canary Basin is made up of the wide continental foot of Morocco and the volcanic plateaus of the Canary Islands and the island of Madeira.
Cape Verde Basin (North African Trench, Chan Basin, Moseli Basin). The abyssal plain of Cape Verde is almost not separated from the abyssal plain of Madeyera (together 530 thousand km2, the border is the belt of abyssal hills), continues a vast belt of abyssal plains with a length of about 1000 km, following along the outer border of West Africa, turns approximately to the west and southwest from the Cape Verde Islands. South of these islands is the abyssal plain of the Gambia.
Basin of Sierra Leone
, The aforementioned belt of abyssal plains skirts the western coast of Africa, separated by an aseismic uplift and abyssal hills from the underwater highlands of Sierra Leone, which in turn is separated from the mainland foot by the abyssal plain of Sierra Leone. However, the width of the continental foot
decreases to about 500 km.
Guinea Basin (West African Trench). This basin is a continuation of the same belt of abyssal plains in the Gulf of Guinea, but contains an elongated depression, the Guinea abyssal plain, which is abundantly fed by the largest river in West Africa, the Niger, and the Niger abyssal fan.
Angolan Basin (Buchanan depression). South of the Guinean volcanic ridge (Fernando Po Islands, etc.), there is an extensive depression of the Angolan abyssal plain (140 thousand km4), fed at the northern end of the Congo River, the abyssal cone of the Congo River and the Congo Canyon, the largest underwater canyon in Eastern Atlantic.
Cape Basin (Valvis basin). The Whale Ridge, which runs northeast-southwest parallel to the Guinean Ridge but, in contrast, is currently aseismic and non-volcanic, is followed by the Cape Abyssal Plain, fed by the Orange River.
Basin Agulhas . In the complex area of the continental borderland (Agulyas Bank) and the normal quasi-cratonic crust, the main depression is the Agulhas abyssal plain (to the east of latitude 20° located in the Indian Ocean).
Raised and ridges
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the main topographic feature on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean and divides the main part of the ocean into two large basins. Secondary ridges or uplifts divide these basins into basins. However, the ridges rarely form a continuous chain, so bottom water from Antarctica can move north along the western borders of the Atlantic Ocean into the North American Basin and east and then south into the eastern basin through the Romanche Trench (or Romanche Gorge). The Romansh trench corresponds to a large latitudinal fault zone. Another significant fault zone located to the north of the above is known as the Guinean fault zone. Another fault zone occurs at about 50-53°N. sh. This area, surveyed during the laying of the transatlantic cable, is called the Telegraph Plateau. The transverse ridges were mostly discovered and named by the Meteor expedition. The Atlantic Ocean has the following uplifts and ridges.Western Atlantic
Greenland-Icelandic uplift
- a distinct threshold with a depth of less than 1000 m, separates the Greenland Sea from the Irminger Sea.
Labrador uplift is not clearly expressed and extends from the Flemish Bank towards the northeast. It is cut through by a mid-ocean canyon. It is believed that continental rocks are not found outside the bank.
Southeast Newfoundland Rise extends southeast from the Great Newfoundland Bank. Like the previous uplift, it is indistinct and is also cut through by a mid-ocean canyon.
Antilles, or Caribbean arc (ridge) - a typical double island arc. Barbados is an outer non-volcanic ridge. Numerous Windward Islands are of volcanic origin.
Rise Steam located between the northeastern part of Brazil and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and is not a barrier to deep currents. It is partly a "mound" of sedimentary material from underwater fans of the Amazon and others. To the southeast is a small volcanic ridge with mature, deeply dissected volcanic formations of Fernando de Noronha and Rocas.
Rise of Trindade
- a distinctly expressed volcanic ridge, stretching east from the Brazilian province of Espiritu Saito for 1200 km. It reaches its highest height on the island of Trindade and the reefs of Martin-Vas. It partially forms the boundary between the North Brazilian and South Brazilian basins, but east of
the island of Trindade has no barriers at all.
Rio Grande Underwater Rise (sometimes called the Bromley Plateau) is a massive aseismic ridge stretching east from the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul for 1500 km. It is slightly short of the edge of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. On the mainland side, it is partly separated from the broad plateau (the mainland borderland) located southeast of São Paulo, and consists of continental rocks, probably broken off from the shelf as a result of stock tectonics.
Falkland Plateau stretched for 1800 km east of the Argentine shelf. Stille called it a structural spur of the borderland, composed of typical mainland rocks (demon and others exposed in the Falkland Islands). The plateau is partially split by faults going to the Malvinskaya Basin, south of the Falkland Islands.
Uplift of South Georgia - short, stretching to the northeast from the island of South Georgia.
Arc, or ridge, Scotia (South Antilles arc, South Sandwich Range) - a typical island arc of non-volcanic origin, located in the area of South Georgia Island and the South Orkney Islands, in a zone of volcanic activity near the angle of maximum bend of the South Shetland Islands. It is assumed that latitudinal horizontal faults run along the northern and southern edges of the arc, as in the Antilles arc in the Caribbean Sea. Thus, these two arcs are almost identical in structure.
East Atlantic
Faroese Icelandic threshold
an aseismic ridge that forms a massive barrier in the North Atlantic. The Faroe Islands are composed of mature accumulations of volcanic origin. Volcanoes in this area have long lost their activity.
Wyville Thomson Threshold (Faroe - Shetland Range) - an aseismic barrier similar to the Icelandic-Faroe Range. Overlaps the Icelandic-Faroe Range in the south and adjoins it to the west of the Faroe Islands. In the south, the sill is divided by the fault basin of the Faroe-Shetland Strait.
Banka, or Plateau, Rockall
extends southwest from the Wyville Thomson Sill and is topped by the isolated Rockall igneous stock. It also belongs to aseismic
ridges.
Bank Porcupine located near the mainland to the south-west of Ireland and is a fragment of the mainland borderland.
Biscay uplift extends west from Galicia (Spain) and essentially joins the eastern edge of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; it is crossed by a number of deep-water channels, along which turbidity currents move in a southerly direction.
Azores uplift extends east from the Azores Plateau, which is an unusual domed section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and resembles the young Icelandic Plateau. The uplift is a volcanic ridge formed by a continuous chain of seamounts. continuing to the Seine Bank and almost to the Strait of Gibraltar
Madeira Range is a short volcanic range located southwest of Portugal.
Rise of the Canary Islands - a wide volcanic plateau, the geological structure of the basement of which is unknown, located parallel to the coast of North Africa and more similar to the mainland borderland.
Cape Verde Plateau is a similar to the previous, but wider plateau (or uplift), classified by Heezen as an aseismic ridge, stretching west from the Senegalese coast of Africa for about 800 km. It is characterized by mature volcanoes as well as rocks of Tertiary age and is, at least in part, a mainland borderland.
Upland Sierra Leone - a weakly pronounced uplift of the abyssal hills, stretching southwest from Freetown and reaching the Mid-Atlantic Ridge northeast of the island of São Paulo. It is crossed by several significant latitudinal fault zones, in particular the Guinean fault zone.
Liberia uplift - a small but peculiar uplift of a mid-ocean character, apparently dissected in the north and south by latitudinal faults. It partially separates the Sierra Leone Basin from the Guinea Basin.
Guinea Ridge - a significant volcanic ridge, which is a continuation of the Cameroon volcanic belt. The Guinean Ridge passes through the island of Fernando Po and other volcanic islands in the Gulf of Guinea Somewhat south of the equator, it approaches the northeastern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
whale range
(Walvis) - the most significant transverse ridge in the South Atlantic, connecting Southwest Africa with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has ledges of more than 1000 m, but at the southwestern end it drops significantly in the direction
Tristan da Cunha Islands of the Gough Islands.
Cape uplift - the southernmost transverse landform, partly a volcanic ridge, stretching from the Cape of Good Hope to the southwest in the direction of Bouvet Island. It has a smooth relief with separate seamounts.
Hydrological regime temperature and salinity
Of all the world's oceans, the Atlantic Ocean has the most data. Detailed maps of the temperature and salinity of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean have been compiled.There is also more data on chemical and biological characteristics in the Atlantic Ocean than in other oceans. It is also possible to calculate water and heat budgets, such as evaporation and heat transfer between the ocean and the atmosphere.
temperature and salinity. The Atlantic Ocean is the warmest and most saline of all oceans. It receives, undoubtedly, the largest part of the river flow. The average potential temperature and salinity are 3.73°C and 34.90 ppm, respectively. The temperature amplitude of the surface layer depends mainly on the latitude and the system of currents, its average value is 16 9 ° C (between 90 ° N and 80 ° S). The salinity of the surface layer is affected by the amount of precipitation, the amount of fresh water runoff from the continents and the presence of currents. Its average value is 34.87 ppm (between 90°N and 80°S). Below the surface layer, the governing factors for both parameters are advection and turbulent diffusion. There are seasonal changes in temperature and salinity of the surface layer, extending to a depth of approximately 200 m. These changes are most pronounced near the coasts with a continental climate.
The largest annual temperature range of the surface layer in the open ocean is 7°C (between 40-50°N and 30-40°S). (This is an average zonal value; fluctuations in the Northwest Atlantic can reach 15 ° C.) The temperature amplitude of the surface layer in the equatorial and polar regions is less than 2 ° C. In coastal regions, the temperature of the surface layer during the year can vary by 25 ° C. On The annual fluctuation of the salinity of the surface layer is influenced by various factors: melting and formation of sea ice (polar regions), seasonal changes in the rate of evaporation and precipitation (Caribbean Sea). In coastal areas affected by high spring runoff, such as off the northeast coast of the United States, salinity fluctuations can be as high as 3 ppm; however, in the open ocean, the salinity of the surface layer changes to a much lesser extent, rarely by more than 1 ind.
The Atlantic Ocean is considered one of the largest and most voluminous in size, namely the second largest after the Pacific Ocean. This ocean, the most studied and developed, when compared with other areas. Its location is as follows: from the east it is framed by the shores of North and South America, and in the west its borders end with Europe and Africa. In the South, it passes into the Southern Ocean. And on the north side it borders on Greenland. The ocean is distinguished by the fact that there are very few islands in it, and the topography of its bottom is all dotted and has a complex structure. The coastline is broken.
Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean
If we talk about the area of \u200b\u200bthe ocean, then it occupies 91.66 million square meters. km. We can say that part of its territory is not the ocean itself, but the existing seas, bays. The volume of the ocean is 329.66 million square meters. km, and its average depth is 3736 m. Where the Puerto Rico trench is located, it is considered the greatest depth of the ocean, which is 8742 m. There are two currents - North and South.
Atlantic Ocean from the north side
The border of the ocean from the north is marked in some places by ridges located under water. In this hemisphere, the Atlantic is framed by a rugged coastline. Its small northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by several narrow straits. Davis Strait is located in the northeast and connects the ocean with the Baffin Sea, which is also considered to belong to the Arctic Ocean. Closer to the center is the Danish Strait, which is less wide than Davis. Between Norway and Iceland towards the northeast lies the Norwegian Sea.
The Gulf of Mexico is located in the southwest of the North Ocean, which is connected by the Strait of Florida. Also the Caribbean. Many bays can be noted here, such as Barnegat, Delaware, Hudson Bay and others. It is in the northern side of the ocean that you can see the largest and largest islands, which are famous for their fame. These are Puerto Rico, the world famous Cuba and Haiti, as well as the British Isles and Newfoundland. Closer to the east you can find small groups of islands. These are the Canary Islands, Azores and Cape Verde. Closer to the west - the Bahamas, Lesser Antilles.
South Atlantic Ocean
Some of the geographers believe that the southern part is the entire space to the Antarctic. Someone defines the border at Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope of the two continents. The coast in the south of the Atlantic Ocean is not as indented as in the north, and there are no seas here. There is one large gulf near Africa - Guinea. The farthest point in the south is Tierra del Fuego, which is framed by small islands in large numbers. Also, you cannot find large islands here, but there are separate islands, like about. Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha. In the extreme south you can find the South Islands, Bouvet, Falkland and others.
As for the current in the south of the ocean, here all systems flow counterclockwise. Near the east of Brazil, the South Equatorial Current forks. One branch goes north, flows near the northern coast of South America, filling the Caribbean. And the second is considered southern, very warm, moves near Brazil and soon connects with the Antarctic current, then heads to the east. Partially separates and turns into the Benguela Current, which is distinguished by its cold waters.
Landmarks of the Atlantic Ocean
There is a special underwater cave in the Belize Barrier Reef. They called it the Blue Hole. It is very deep, and inside it there is a whole series of caves, which are interconnected by tunnels. Deep into the cave reaches 120 m and is considered unique in its kind.
There is no person who does not know about the Bermuda Triangle. But it is located in the Atlantic Ocean and excites the imagination of many superstitious travelers. Bermudas beckon with their mystery, but at the same time they frighten with the unknown.
It is in the Atlantic that you can see an unusual sea that has no shores. And all because it is located in the middle of the body of water, and its boundaries cannot be framed by land, only currents show the boundaries of this sea. This is the only sea in the world that has such unique data and is called the Sargasso Sea.
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The Atlantic Ocean, or the Atlantic, is the second largest (after the Pacific) and the most developed among other water areas. From the east it is limited by the coast of South and North America, from the west - by Africa and Europe, in the north - by Greenland, in the south it merges with the Southern Ocean.
Distinctive features of the Atlantic: a small number of islands, a complex bottom topography and a heavily indented coastline.
Ocean characteristics
Area: 91.66 million sq. km, with 16% of the territory falling on the seas and bays.
Volume: 329.66 million sq. km
Salinity: 35‰.
Depth: average - 3736 m, maximum - 8742 m (Puerto Rico Trench).
Temperature: in the very south and north - about 0 ° C, at the equator - 26-28 ° C.
Currents: conventionally, 2 circulations are distinguished - the Northern (currents move clockwise) and the Southern (counterclockwise). The gyres are separated by the Equatorial inter-trade countercurrent.
Main currents of the Atlantic Ocean
Warm:
Northern trade wind - begins off the western coast of Africa, crosses the ocean from east to west and meets the Gulf Stream near Cuba.
Gulfstream- the most powerful current in the world, which carries 140 million cubic meters of water per second (for comparison: all the rivers of the world carry only 1 million cubic meters of water per second). It originates near the coast of the Bahamas, where the Florida and Antilles currents meet. Together, they give rise to the Gulf Stream, which, through the strait between Cuba and the Florida Peninsula, enters the Atlantic Ocean with a powerful stream. The current then moves north along the US coast. Approximately off the coast of North Carolina, the Gulf Stream turns east and out into the open ocean. After about 1500 km, it meets the cold Labrador Current, which slightly changes the course of the Gulf Stream and carries it to the northeast. Closer to Europe, the current is divided into two branches: Azores and North Atlantic.
It has only recently become known that a reverse current flows 2 km below the Gulf Stream, heading from Greenland to the Sargasso Sea. This stream of icy water was called the Antigulf Stream.
north atlantic- a continuation of the Gulf Stream, which washes the western coast of Europe and brings the warmth of the southern latitudes, providing a mild and warm climate.
Antillean- begins east of the island of Puerto Rico, flows north and joins the Gulf Stream near the Bahamas. Speed — 1-1.9 km/h, water temperature 25-28°C.
Intertrade countercurrent - current around the globe at the equator. In the Atlantic, it separates the North Equatorial and South Equatorial currents.
South trade wind (or South Equatorial) - passes through the southern tropics. The average water temperature is 30°C. When the South Equatorial Current reaches the shores of South America, it divides into two branches: caribbean, or Guiana (flows north to the coast of Mexico) and brazilian- moves south along the coast of Brazil.
Guinean located in the Gulf of Guinea. It flows from west to east and then turns south. Together with the Angolan and South Equatorial forms a cyclic course of the Gulf of Guinea.
Cold:
Lomonosov countercurrent - discovered by a Soviet expedition in 1959. It originates off the coast of Brazil and moves north. A stream 200 km wide crosses the equator and flows into the Gulf of Guinea.
Canarian- flows from north to south, towards the equator along the coast of Africa. This wide stream (up to 1 thousand km) near Madeira and the Canary Islands meets the Azores and Portuguese currents. Approximately in the region of 15°N. joins with the Equatorial Countercurrent.
Labrador - begins in the strait between Canada and Greenland. It flows south to the Newfoundland bank, where it meets the Gulf Stream. The waters of the current carry cold from the Arctic Ocean, and along with the stream, huge icebergs are carried south. In particular, the iceberg that destroyed the famous Titanic was brought by the Labrador Current.
Benguela- is born near the Cape of Good Hope and moves along the coast of Africa to the north.
Falkland (or Malvinas) branches off from the West Wind Current and flows north along the east coast of South America to La Plata Bay. Temperature: 4-15°C.
The course of the westerly winds encircles the globe in the region of 40-50 °S. The stream moves from west to east. In the Atlantic it branches off South Atlantic flow.
Underwater world of the Atlantic Ocean
The underwater world of the Atlantic is poorer in diversity than in the Pacific Ocean. This is due to the fact that the Atlantic Ocean was more frozen during the ice age. But the Atlantic is richer in the number of individuals of each species.
The flora and fauna of the underwater world is clearly distributed across climatic zones.
The flora is represented mainly by algae and flowering plants (Zostera, Posidonia, Fucus). In the northern latitudes, kelp predominates, in temperate latitudes - red algae. Phytoplankton flourishes throughout the ocean at depths of up to 100 m.
The fauna is rich in species. Almost all species and classes of marine animals live in the Atlantic. Of the commercial fish, herring, sardine, and flounder are especially valued. There is an active catch of crustaceans and mollusks, whaling is limited.
The tropical belt of the Atlantic is striking in its abundance. There are many corals and many amazing species of animals: turtles, flying fish, several dozen species of sharks.
For the first time the name of the ocean is found in the writings of Herodotus (5th century BC), who calls it the sea of Atlantis. And in the 1st century AD. Roman scientist Pliny the Elder writes about the vast expanse of water, which he calls Oceanus Atlantikus. But the official name "Atlantic Ocean" was fixed only by the 17th century.
There are 4 stages in the history of Atlantic exploration:
1. From antiquity to the 15th century. The first documents that talk about the ocean date back to the 1st millennium BC. The ancient Phoenicians, Egyptians, Cretans and Greeks knew the coastal zones of the water area well. Preserved maps of those times with detailed measurements of depths, indications of currents.
2. Time of the Great geographical discoveries (XV-XVII centuries). The development of the Atlantic continues, the ocean becomes one of the main trade routes. In 1498, Vasco de Gama, rounding Africa, paved the way to India. 1493-1501 Three voyages of Columbus to America. The Bermuda anomaly has been identified, many currents have been discovered, detailed maps of depths, coastal zones, temperatures, and bottom topography have been compiled.
Expeditions of Franklin in 1770, I. Kruzenshtern and Yu. Lisyansky in 1804-06.
3. XIX-first half of the XX century - the beginning of scientific oceanographic research. Chemistry, physics, biology, geology of the ocean are being studied. A map of currents has been drawn up, and research is being carried out to lay a submarine cable between Europe and America.
4. 1950s - our days. A comprehensive study of all components of oceanography is being carried out. In priority: studying the climate of different zones, identifying global atmospheric problems, ecology, mining, ensuring the movement of ships, seafood.
In the center of the Belize Barrier Reef is a unique underwater cave - the Great Blue Hole. Its depth is 120 meters, and at the very bottom there is a whole gallery of smaller caves connected by tunnels.
The only sea in the world without shores, the Sargasso, is located in the Atlantic. Its borders are formed by ocean currents.
One of the most mysterious places on the planet is located here: the Bermuda Triangle. The Atlantic Ocean is also the birthplace of another myth (or reality?) - the mainland of Atlantis.