FAQs about Oceans

1. What are the earth’s oceans and what is their importance?

The oceans cover almost three-quarters of the Earth’s surface, with the Pacific being the largest of all. The depth of the ocean is variable, but thin compared to its surface. Experts estimate the average ocean depth to be approximately 3,900 meters.

Due to the enormous surface they cover, the oceans are the main component of the Earth, the origin of life on the planet and an essential part of existence itself. The oceans have a very important role in regulating temperature, as they are the largest carbon sinks on Earth, which is why they are the most powerful influencers of climate and weather patterns on the planet.

Earth’s oceans, in order of area            Ocean Surface (Km2)                                 Average depth

Pacific                                                 155 560 000                                                   4280

Atlantic                                              106 500 000                                                   3646

Indian                                                 68 560 000                                                     3741

Antarctic                                            20 327 000                                                     3270

Arctic                                                  14,056,000                                                     1,205

The three deepest trenches in the world are located in the Pacific Ocean: the Mariana Trenches with a depth of 11,034 meters. The Tonga Trench, near New Zealand, with 10,822 meters; the Japan Trench, with 10,554 meters. The deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean is that of Puerto Rico, with 8,800 meters.

Other Secctions of the Oceans

Articles

Revitalization: collective action for the ocean. World Oceans Day 2022

On June 8 we celebrate World Oceans Day 2022, this year framed in the UN Decade of Ocean Sciences and within which the Conference of the Oceans. The theme of 2022 Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean wants this year to emphasize the greatness of the ocean as a source of life for all human beings and for all other organisms that inhabit the Earth.

The purpose of World Oceans Day is to inform about the impact of humans on the ocean, to develop a global movement of citizens for the ocean, and to mobilize and unite the world’s population in a project for the sustainable management of the oceans.

Our planet Earth is also known as the blue planet because more than 70% of its surface is covered by the waters of oceans and seas, which gives it its distinctive color. These huge bodies of water are essential for life as they provide us with food, as well as being important regulators of climate change and generators of most of the oxygen we breathe.

World Oceans Day was proposed during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, 1992, although it was only implemented in 2008. Since then, World Oceans Day is celebrated on June 8 of each year, by resolution of the General Assembly of the UN. Its objective is to raise awareness about the importance of the oceans and how to preserve them. This year the UN has chosen two reasons to celebrate World Oceans Day.

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