Deepest Ocean

There are five oceans in the world: the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. Out of all these five bodies of water, the Pacific Ocean is considered to be the deepest ocean in the world.

The Pacific Ocean is also the largest one in the world. It has a surface area of 65.3 million square miles. It is said that this ocean contributes at least forty-six percent of the planet’s water surface or about thirty percent of the planet’s total surface area.

The average depth is pegged at thirteen thousand two hundred and fifteen feet deep. After the Pacific Ocean, the second deepest ocean is the Atlantic Ocean.

Ocean Facts

With Pacific Ocean being the deepest one in the world, it comes as no surprise that the deepest trench is also found in the same ocean. The Mariana Trench found in the western part of the Pacific Ocean is said to have the deepest point at 35,797 feet.

The Mariana Trench was first explored by the Challenger II, a British naval vessel, back in the mid-1950s and by 1960; a Swiss-designed deep boat reached the deeper end of the trench. This deep boat is known as the Trieste.

The second deepest point is found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Puerto Rico Trench at 28,374 feet. Other trenches are the South Sandwich Trench found in the Southern Ocean, Java Trench in the Indian Ocean and the Eurasia Basin found in the Arctic Ocean.

More Ocean Tidbits

Ocean is a large body of salt or sea water that plays a major role in the earth’s hydrosphere. It is estimated that there are over two hundred thirty thousand known marine species while scientists assume that this number could increase up to ten times more if the remaining unknown species will be explored, discovered and finally included.

The ocean covers seventy-one percent of the earth’s total surface area.

The five major oceans separate continents and archipelagos with Pacific Ocean separating Asia and Australasia from the Americas; Atlantic Ocean separating the Americas from Eurasia and Africa; Indian Ocean separating Africa and Australia; Southern Ocean, also known as Antarctic Ocean, covering the surrounding body of water in the Antarctica and Arctic Ocean covering the waters of the Arctic reaching North America and Eurasia.

The ocean actually plays a big part in the cycle of the earth’s waters determining rainfall, climate and wind patterns. It is believed that ocean life was ahead of earth life by at least three billion years.