Atlantic Ocean: interesting facts. Geographical position of the Atlantic Ocean: description and features

In the school course on studying the oceans, the Atlantic course is mandatory. This water area is quite interesting, which is why we will pay attention to it in our article. So, here is the characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean according to plan:

1. Hydronym.
2. Basic moments.
3. Temperature conditions.
4. Salinity of water.
5. Seas and islands of the Atlantic Ocean.
6. Flora and fauna.
7. Minerals.
8. Problems.

You will also find here a short comparative characteristics Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Hydronym

The Atlantic Ocean, whose characteristics are presented below, received its name thanks to the ancient Greeks, who believed that the mythical hero Atlas held the firmament at the edge of the Earth. The modern name was established in the 16th century, during the time of great navigators and discoveries.

Basic moments

The Atlantic Ocean stretches along globe from north to south from Antarctica to Antarctica, washing 5 continents: Antarctica, North and South America, Eurasia and Africa. Its area is 91.6 million square kilometers. The deepest point of the Atlantic is the Puerto Rican Trench (8742 m), and the average depth is about 3.7 thousand m.

A characteristic feature of the second largest ocean is its elongated shape. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs along the Atlantic, dividing the South American, Caribbean and North American continents in the west; in the east - African and Eurasian. The length of the ridge is 16 thousand km, and the width is about 1 km. Lava eruptions and earthquakes often occur here. The discovery of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is associated with the laying of a telegraph cable that connected America and Northern Europe in the middle of the 19th century.

Temperature

The Northern Trade Wind, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, Labrador, Canary and others are currents that shape not only the climate, but the entire Atlantic Ocean. Characteristic temperature regime shows the following dynamics: the average water temperature is about 16.9 °C. Conventionally, the ocean can be divided along the equator into 2 parts: northern and southern, each of which has its own climatic features, thanks to the Gulf Stream. The width of the water area near the equator is the smallest, so the influence of the continents is most noticeable here.

Despite the fact that the Atlantic Ocean is considered warm, its extreme southern and northern parts can reach temperatures of 0 °C and below. Therefore, you can often find drifting icebergs here. Today their movement is tracked by artificial Earth satellites.

Atlantic Ocean: water characteristics

The Atlantic Ocean is the saltiest. The average salt content is 34.5 ppm. Salinity largely depends on precipitation and the influx of fresh water from rivers. The saltiest is in tropical latitudes, because there is almost no precipitation here, strong evaporation of moisture due to high temperature, A fresh water almost never arrives.

Seas and islands of the Atlantic Ocean

Most of the islands are located near continents, which determines their continental origin: Great Britain, Ireland and others. There are also volcanic ones: the Canary Islands, Iceland. But Bermuda is of coral origin.

The rugged coastline, bays, and seas fully describe the Atlantic Ocean. The characteristics of these reservoirs are very interesting. First of all, let's start with the seas. They are divided into 2 types: internal - Azov, Black, Mediterranean, Baltic, and external - Caribbean and Northern, etc. Also here you can see bays that are not inferior in size to the seas, for example Mexican or Biscay. In the Atlantic Ocean there is an unusual sea that has no shores - the Sargasso. It got its name because of the way its bottom is covered. These algae are covered with air bubbles, which is why they are also called

Flora and fauna

The organic world of the Atlantic is characterized by a diversity of living organisms. Red, brown and green algae grow here, a large number of phytoplankton species (more than 200). Thousands of animal species live in cold zones, and tens of thousands in warm tropical zones. Whales, seals, fur seals, and a lot of fish swim in the Atlantic Ocean: cod, herring, flounder, sardine, etc. Penguins and frigates live in the northern latitudes. Large aquatic animals, manatees, live off the coast of Africa. They feed on plants, which is why they are also called
Historically, the Atlantic Ocean became a source of fish for Food Industry(2/5 of the world catch). Whales, walruses, seals and other animals are also hunted here. It satisfies our needs for lobsters, oysters, lobsters, and crabs.

Minerals

The ocean floor is very rich in various species and Canada mines coal here. The Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Guinea have large reserves of oil and natural gas.

Problems

The increase in anthropogenic influence on the Atlantic Ocean has a negative impact on its inhabitants, and it is no longer able to restore its biological resources on its own. A dangerous situation is observed in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, and the Baltic Sea is considered one of the dirtiest in the world.

Comparative characteristics of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans (briefly)

In order to make a brief description of the two oceans, you need to use a clear plan:

• Dimensions of water areas. Atlantic covers an area of ​​more than 91 million square meters. km, Quiet - 178.684 million sq. km. Based on this, certain conclusions can be drawn. The Pacific Ocean is the largest, the Atlantic is the second largest in area.
• Depth. If we compare the depth indicator, then in the Pacific Ocean average level stops at 3976 m, in the Atlantic - 3736 m. As for the maximum depth, in the first case - 11022 m, in the second - 8742 m.
• Water volume. According to this criterion, the Atlantic Ocean also remains in second place. His figure is 329.66 million cubic meters. km, when in the Quiet - 710.36 million cubic meters. m.
• Location. The coordinates of the Atlantic Ocean are 0° N. w. 30° W d., washes the following continents and islands: Greenland, Iceland (north), Eurasia, Africa (east), America (west), Antarctica (south). Coordinates Pacific Ocean- 009° N. w. 157° W d, located between Antarctica (south), North and South America (east), Australia and Eurasia (west).

Let's sum it up

This article presents a brief description of Atlantic Ocean, having become familiar with it, you can already have a sufficient idea of ​​this water area.

Hello, dear readers! Today it's time to pay attention to the waters on Earth. We will specifically mention the Atlantic Ocean. We will learn all the main features of the Atlantic Ocean, its characteristics...

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean (after). Its area with seas is 91.6 million km 2, the average depth is 3600 m, and the volume of water is 329.7 million km, the maximum depth is 8742 m (Puerto Rico Trench). In the Northern Hemisphere there are almost all the large bays (Guinea, Biscay) and seas (Northern, Caribbean, Baltic, Black, Mediterranean).

In the Southern Hemisphere there are the following seas: the Lazarev Sea, about, the Scotia Sea, the Weddell Sea. The main groups of islands in the Atlantic Ocean: Newfoundland, Great Britain, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, Ireland, the Cape Verde Islands, the Canary Islands, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

General characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean.

The meridional Mid-Atlantic Ridge divides the Atlantic Ocean into the Western and Eastern parts (the depth above it in the west is 5000-6000 m, and in the east about 3000 m). The water temperature on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean near the equator is up to 28°C; in high latitudes the water freezes. Water salinity is 34-37.3‰.

Surface currents form a cyclonic gyre in the southern high and northern temperate latitudes, and an anticyclonic gyre in subtropical latitudes. The northern subtropical gyre consists of the warm Northern Trade Wind Current and the Gulf Stream and the cold Canary Current, the Southern - from the warm Southern Front and Brazilian and cold Western Winds and the Bengal Current.

From the Arctic Ocean, the cold Labrador Current heads south along the coast of North America. In the north, the continuation of the Gulf Stream is the warm North Atlantic Current. The highest tides in the Bay of Fundy are 18 m.

Fisheries are developed (cod, hake, herring, sea bass, tuna) - 2/5 of the world catch. Oil in the Atlantic Ocean is produced on the shelves of the North Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Coastal marine deposits of diamonds (southwest Africa), zircon, ilmenite, rutile (USA, Brazil), sulfur (Gulf of Mexico), manganese iron ore (Canada, USA, Finland).

The Atlantic Ocean also occupies a leading place in world shipping. The most important ports: New York, Rotterdam, Houston, Boston, Hamburg, Marseille, London, Genoa, Havana, Dakar, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Odessa, St. Petersburg.

North Atlantic Ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean is divided into northern and southern parts, the border is conventionally drawn along the equator. But, if you look from an oceanographic point of view, then the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5-8° north latitude, must be attributed to the southern part. For the most part, the northern border follows the Arctic Circle. This boundary is marked in places by underwater ridges. The coastline of the Atlantic Ocean in the Northern Hemisphere is very cut up. Its relatively narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow channels.

Davis Strait, 360 km wide, in the northeast connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Baffin Sea, which belong to Arctic Ocean. The Denmark Strait (at its narrowest point, its width is 287 km) is located in the central part between Iceland and Greenland. The Norwegian Sea is located in the northeast between Norway and Iceland, its width is about 1220 km.

In the east, 2 deep water areas are separated from the Atlantic Ocean and enter the land. The more northern of these waters begins with the Northern Sea, which in the east passes into the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Bothnich and the Gulf of Finland. To the south there is a system of inland seas - the Mediterranean and the Black - with a total length of about 4000 km. The ocean is connected to the Mediterranean Sea by the Strait of Gibraltar, in which there are two oppositely directed currents. The lower position is occupied by the current that goes from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, since Mediterranean waters are characterized by greater salinity, and therefore greater density. In the tropical zone in the southeast in the North Atlantic are the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, which is connected to the ocean by the Strait of Florida.

The coast of North America is cut by small bays (Barnegat, Palmico, Delaware, Chesapeake Bay, and Long Island Sound). In the northwest are the Gulfs of St. Lawrence and Fundy, the Strait of Belle Isle, Hudson Bay and the Hudson Strait.

Western part of the Atlantic The ocean is surrounded by a shelf, the width of which varies. The shelf is cut through by deep gorges, so-called submarine canyons. Their origin still causes scientific debate. According to one theory, the canyons were cut by rivers when the sea level was lower than today. Another theory connects their formation with the activity of kalamut currents. It has been suggested that these currents are responsible for the deposition of sediment on the ocean floor and carve underwater canyons.

The bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean has a complex topography formed by a combination of underwater ridges, elevated basins and gorges. Much of the ocean floor, with depths of approximately 60 m and up to several kilometers, is covered by a thin sea, a dark blue or bluish-green sediment. Relatively small area occupy rocky outcrops and areas of gravel-pebble and sandy deposits, as well as deep-sea red clays on the shelf. Telephone and telegraph cables were laid in the North Atlantic Ocean to connect North America with northwestern Europe. Here, the area of ​​the North Atlantic shelf is home to industrial fishing areas that are among the most productive in the world. In the central part of the Atlantic Ocean there is a huge underwater mountain range about 16 thousand kilometers long, known as .

This ridge divides the ocean into two approximately equal parts. A significant part of the peaks of this underwater ridge does not reach the surface of the ocean and is located at a depth of at least 1.5 km. Some of the highest peaks rise above sea level and form the islands of the Azores in the North Atlantic and Tristan da Cunha in the South. In the south, the ridge overtakes the coast of Africa and continues further north into the Indian Ocean. The rift zone extends along the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Surface currents in the North Atlantic Ocean move clockwise. The main elements of this large system are the northward warm Gulf Stream, as well as North Atlantic, Canary and Northern trade wind currents. The Gulf Stream flows from the Straits of Florida and the island of Cuba northward along the coast of the United States and deviates to the northeast at about forty degrees north latitude, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current is divided into two branches, one of which goes northeast along the coast of Norway and further into the Arctic Ocean. It is thanks to it that the climate of Norway and all of northwestern Europe is much warmer than would be expected in northern latitudes. The second branch turns south and further southwest along the coast of Africa, forming the cold Canary Current. This current moves southwest and joins the North Trade Wind Current, which heads west towards the West Indies, where it merges with the Gulf Stream. To the north of the North Trade Wind Current there is an area of ​​stagnant waters rich in algae and known as the Sargasso Sea.

Cold weather passes along the North Atlantic coast of North America from north to south. Labrador Current, which emerges from Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cools the shores of New England. (There is the Labrador Current in the picture, it is not in the top picture with the currents of the North Atlantic Ocean. All the currents of the Atlantic Ocean are here).

South Atlantic Ocean.

Some experts refer to the Atlantic Ocean in the south all the water space up to the Antarctic ice sheet; others take the imaginary line connecting Cape Horn in South America to the Cape of Good Hope in Africa as the southern border of the Atlantic. The coastline in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean is less indented than in the northern part. There are also no inland seas here.

The only large bay on the African coast is the Gulf of Guinea. On the coast South America large bays are also few in number. The southernmost edge of this continent, Tierra del Fuego, has an indented coastline surrounded by numerous small islands.

In addition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, there are two main submarine mountain ranges in the South Atlantic.

The Whale Ridge extends from the southwestern edge of Angola to the island of Tristan da Cunha, where it joins the Mid-Atlantic. The Rio de Janeiro Strand stretches from the Tristan da Cunha Islands to the city of Rio de Janeiro and consists of groups of individual seamounts.

The major current systems in the South Atlantic Ocean move counterclockwise. The South Trade Wind Current is directed to the west. Near the protrusion of the eastern coast of Brazil, it divides into two branches: the northern one carries water along the northern coast of South America to the Caribbean, and the southern warm Brazilian Current, moves along the coast of Brazil and joins the current Western Winds or Antarctic o which heads east and then northeast. Part of this cold current separates and carries its waters north along the African coast, forming the cold Benguela Current; the latter eventually joins the Northern Trade Wind Current. The warm Guinea Current heads south along the coast of Northwest Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.

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World Ocean, area with seas 91.6 million km 2; average depth 3926 m; water volume 337 million m3. Includes: Mediterranean seas (Baltic, North, Mediterranean, Black, Azov, Caribbean with the Gulf of Mexico), less isolated seas (in the North - Baffin, Labrador; near Antarctica - Scotia, Weddell, Lazarev, Rieser-Larsen), large bays (Guinea , Biscay, Hudson, Above Lawrence). Islands of the Atlantic Ocean: Greenland (2176 thousand km 2), Iceland (103 thousand km 2), (230 thousand km 2), Greater and Lesser Antilles (220 thousand km 2), Ireland (84 thousand km 2), Cape Verde (4 thousand km 2), Faroes (1.4 thousand km 2), Shetland (1.4 thousand km 2), Azores (2.3 thousand km 2), Madeira (797 km 2), Bermuda (53.3 km 2) and others (See map).

Historical sketch. The Atlantic Ocean has been an object of navigation since the 2nd millennium BC. In the 6th century BC. Phoenician ships sailed around Africa. Ancient Greek navigator Pytheas in the 4th century BC. sailed to the North Atlantic. In the 10th century AD. Norman navigator Eric the Red explored the coast of Greenland. In the era of the Great geographical discoveries(15-16 centuries) the Portuguese master the route to Indian Ocean along the coast of Africa (Vasco da Gama, 1497-98). The islands were discovered by the Genoese H. Columbus (1492, 1493-96, 1498-1500, 1502-1504) Caribbean Sea And . In these and subsequent voyages, the outlines and nature of the coasts were established for the first time, coastal depths, directions and speeds of currents, and climatic characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean were determined. The first soil samples were obtained by the English scientist J. Ross in the Baffin Sea (1817-1818, etc.). Determinations of temperature, transparency and other measurements were carried out by expeditions of Russian navigators Yu. F. Lisyansky and I. F. Krusenstern (1803-06), O. E. Kotzebue (1817-18). In 1820, Antarctica was discovered by the Russian expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev. Interest in studying the relief and soils of the Atlantic Ocean increased in the mid-19th century due to the need to lay transoceanic telegraph cables. Dozens of vessels measured depths and took soil samples (American vessels "Arctic", "Cyclops"; English - "Lighting", "Porcupine"; German - "Gazelle", "Valdivia", "Gauss"; French - "Travaeur", " Talisman", etc.).

A major role in the study of the Atlantic Ocean was played by the British expedition on the ship "Challenger" (1872-76), based on the materials of which, using other data, the first relief and soils of the World Ocean were compiled. The most important expeditions of the 1st half of the 20th century: German on the Meteor (1925-38), American on the Atlantis (30s), Swedish on the Albatross (1947-48). In the early 50s, a number of countries, primarily and, launched extensive research and geological structure the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean using precision echo sounders, the latest geophysical methods, automatic and controlled underwater vehicles. Extensive work has been carried out by modern expeditions on the ships “Mikhail Lomonosov”, “Vityaz”, “Zarya”, “Sedov”, “Ekvator”, “Ob”, “Akademik Kurchatov”, “Akademik Vernadsky”, “Dmitry Mendeleev”, etc. 1968 Deep-sea drilling began on board the American vessel Glomar Challenger.

Hydrological regime. In the upper thickness of the Atlantic Ocean, 4 large-scale gyres are distinguished: the Northern Cyclonic Gyre (north of 45° north latitude), the anticyclonic gyre of the Northern Hemisphere (45° north latitude - 5° south latitude), anticyclonic gyre of the Southern Hemisphere (5°S latitude - 45°S latitude), Antarctic circumpolar current of cyclonic rotation (45°S latitude - Antarctica). On the western periphery of the gyres there are narrow but powerful currents (2-6 km/h): Labrador - Northern Cyclonic Gyre; Gulf Stream (the most powerful current in the Atlantic Ocean), Guiana Current - Northern Anticyclonic Gyre; Brazilian - Southern Anticyclonic Gyre. In the central and eastern regions of the ocean, currents are relatively weak, with the exception of the equatorial zone.

Bottom waters are formed when surface waters sink in polar latitudes (their average temperature is 1.6°C). In some places they move at high speeds (up to 1.6 km/h) and are capable of eroding sediments and transporting suspended material, creating underwater valleys and large bottom accumulative landforms. Cold and low-salinity bottom Antarctic waters penetrate along the bottoms of basins in the western regions of the Atlantic Ocean to 42° north latitude. The average surface temperature of the Atlantic Ocean is 16.53°C (the South Atlantic is 6°C colder than the North). Most warm waters with an average temperature of 26.7°C are observed at 5-10° northern latitude (thermal equator). Toward Greenland and Antarctica, the water temperature drops to 0°C. The salinity of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean is 34.0-37.3 0/00, the highest water density is over 1027 kg/m 3 in the northeast and south, decreasing to 1022.5 kg/m 3 towards the equator. Tides are predominantly semidiurnal (maximum 18 m in the Bay of Fundy); in some areas mixed and daily tides of 0.5-2.2 m are observed.

Ice. In the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, ice forms only in the inland seas of temperate latitudes (Baltic, Northern and Sea of ​​Azov, Gulf of St. Lawrence); a large amount of ice and icebergs are carried out from the Arctic Ocean (Greenland and Baffin seas). In the South Atlantic Ocean, ice and icebergs form off the coast of Antarctica and in the Weddell Sea.

Relief and geological structure. Within the Atlantic Ocean, there is a powerful mountain system stretching from north to south - the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which is an element of the global system of Mid-Ocean Ridges, as well as deep-sea basins and (map). The Mid-Atlantic Ridge extends over 17 thousand km at a latitude of up to 1000 km. Its ridge in many areas is dissected by longitudinal gorges - rift valleys, as well as transverse depressions - transform faults, which break it into separate blocks with a latitudinal displacement relative to the ridge axis. The relief of the ridge, highly dissected in the axial zone, levels out towards the periphery due to the burial of sediments. Shallow-focus epicenters are localized in the axial zone along the ridge crest and in areas. Along the outskirts of the ridge there are deep-sea basins: in the west - Labrador, Newfoundland, North American, Brazilian, Argentine; in the east - European (including Icelandic, Iberian and Irish Trench), North African (including Canary and Cape Verde), Sierra Leone, Guinea, Angolan and Cape. Within the ocean floor, abyssal plains, hill zones, uplifts and seamounts are distinguished (map). Abyssal plains stretch in two intermittent stripes in the continental parts of deep-sea basins. These are the flattest areas of the earth's surface, the primary relief of which is leveled by sediments with a thickness of 3-3.5 km. Closer to the axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, at a depth of 5.5-6 km, there are zones of abyssal hills. Oceanic rises are located between the continents and the mid-ocean ridge and separate the basins. The largest uplifts: Bermuda, Rio Grande, Rockall, Sierra Leone, Whale Ridge, Canary, Madeira, Cape Verde, etc.

There are thousands of seamounts known in the Atlantic Ocean; almost all of them are probably volcanic structures. The Atlantic Ocean is characterized by unconformable cutting of the geological structures of the continents by the coastline. The depth of the edge is 100-200 m, in the subpolar regions 200-350 m, the width is from several kilometers to several hundred kilometers. The most extensive shelf areas are off the island of Newfoundland, in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Argentina. The shelf topography is characterized by longitudinal grooves along the outer edge. The continental slope of the Atlantic Ocean has a slope of several degrees, a height of 2-4 km, and is characterized by terrace-like ledges and transverse canyons. Within the sloping plain (continental foot), the “granite” layer of the continental earth's crust. The transition zone with a special crustal structure includes the marginal deep-sea trenches: Puerto Rico (maximum depth 8742 m), South Sandwich (8325 m), Cayman (7090 m), Oriente (up to 6795 m), within which they are observed as shallow-focus, and deep-focus earthquakes (map).

The similarity of the contours and geological structure of the continents surrounding the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the increase in the age of the basalt bed, the thickness and age of sediments with distance from the axis of the mid-ocean ridge, served as the basis for explaining the origin of the ocean within the framework of the concept of Mobilism. It is assumed that the North Atlantic formed in the Triassic (200 million years ago) during the separation of North America from North-West Africa, the South - 120-105 million years ago during the separation of Africa and South America. The connection of the basins occurred about 90 million years ago (the youngest age of the bottom - about 60 million years - was found in the Northeast of the southern tip of Greenland). Subsequently, the Atlantic Ocean expanded with constant new formation of the crust due to outpourings and intrusions of basalts in the axial zone of the mid-ocean ridge and its partial subsidence into the mantle in the marginal trenches.

Mineral resources. Among mineral resources Gas is also of great importance in the Atlantic Ocean (map to the station World Ocean). North America has oil and gas reserves in the Labrador Sea, the bays of St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia, and Georges Bank. Oil reserves on the eastern shelf of Canada are estimated at 2.5 billion tons, gas reserves at 3.3 trillion. m 3, on the eastern shelf and continental slope of the USA - up to 0.54 billion tons of oil and 0.39 trillion. m 3 gas. More than 280 fields have been discovered on the southern shelf of the United States, and more than 20 fields off the coast (see). More than 60% of Venezuela's oil is produced in the Maracaibo Lagoon (see). The deposits of the Gulf of Paria (Trinidad Island) are actively exploited. The total reserves of the Caribbean Sea shelves amount to 13 billion tons of oil and 8.5 trillion. m 3 gas. Oil and gas bearing areas have been identified on the shelves (Toduz-yc-Santos Bay) and (San Xopxe Bay). Oil fields have been discovered in the North (114 fields) and Irish Seas, the Gulf of Guinea (50 on the Nigerian shelf, 37 off Gabon, 3 off Congo, etc.).

The forecast oil reserves on the Mediterranean shelf are estimated at 110-120 billion tons. There are known deposits in the Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian seas, off the coast of Tunisia, Egypt, Spain, etc. Sulfur is mined in the salt dome structures of the Gulf of Mexico. With the help of horizontal underground workings, coal is extracted from coastal mines in the offshore extensions of continental basins - in the UK (up to 10% of national production) and Canada. Off the eastern coast of the island of Newfoundland is the largest iron ore deposit of Waubana (total reserves of about 2 billion tons). Tin deposits are being developed off the coast of Great Britain (Cornwall peninsula). Heavy minerals (,) are mined off the coast of Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico. off the coast of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the Scandinavian and Iberian Peninsulas, Senegal, South Africa. South West African Shelf - area industrial production diamonds (reserves 12 million). Gold placers have been discovered off the Nova Scotia Peninsula. found on the US shelves, on the Agulhas Bank. The largest fields of ferromanganese nodules in the Atlantic Ocean are located in the North American Basin and on the Blake Plateau near Florida; their extraction is not yet profitable. The main sea routes in the Atlantic Ocean, along which mineral raw materials are transported, mainly developed in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 1960s, the Atlantic Ocean accounted for 69% of all maritime traffic, except for floating vessels; pipelines are used to transport oil and gas from offshore fields to the shore. Atlantic Ocean in everything to a greater extent polluted by petroleum products, wastewater industrial substances enterprises containing toxic chemicals, radioactive and other substances that harm marine flora and fauna, are concentrated in marine food products, posing a great danger to humanity, which requires taking effective measures to prevent further pollution of the ocean environment.

Atlantic Ocean is a “plot” of the water area of ​​the World Ocean, which is south side borders Europe and Africa, with western South and North America. A huge mass of salt water, beautiful views, rich flora and fauna, hundreds of beautiful islands - this is all called the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean is considered the second largest component of our planet (in first place is ). The coastline is clearly divided into water areas: seas, bays. Total area of ​​the Atlantic Ocean, the river basins that flow into it are about 329.7 million km³ (this is 25% of the waters of the World Ocean).

The name of the ocean - Atlantis - was first found in the works of Herodotus (5th century BC). Then the prototype modern name recorded in the works of Pliny the Elder (1st century AD). It sounds like Oceanus Atlanticus, translated from ancient Greek language- Atlantic Ocean.

There are several versions of the etymology of the name of the ocean:

- in honor of the mythological titan Atlas (Atlas, which holds the entire vault of heaven);

- from the name of the Atlas Mountains (they are located in northern Africa);

- in honor of the mysterious and legendary continent of Atlantis. I immediately suggest you most interesting video- film “Battle of Civilizations - Find Atlantis”

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These are the versions and assumptions put forward about Atlantis and the mysterious Atlantean race.

As for the history of the formation of the ocean, scientists are sure that it arose due to the breakup of the missing supercontinent Pangea. It included 90% of the continental crust of our planet.

Atlantic Ocean on the world map

Every 600 million years, continental blocks unite, only to split apart again over time. It was as a result of this process that 160 thousand years ago arose Atlantic Ocean. Map currents shows that ocean waters move under the influence of cold and warm currents.

These are all the main currents of the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic Ocean Islands

The largest islands in the Atlantic Ocean are Ireland, Great Britain, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Newfoundland. They are located in the northern sector of the ocean. Their total area equals 700 t.km 2. Several groups of smaller islands are located in the eastern part of the ocean: the Canary Islands, . On the western side are the groups of the Lesser Antilles. Their archipelago creates a unique arc of land that surrounds the eastern sector of the waters.

One cannot fail to mention one of the most beautiful islands of the Atlantic -.

Atlantic Ocean water temperature

The waters of the Atlantic Ocean are colder than the Pacific Ocean (due to the large extent of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge). The average surface water temperature is +16.9, but it varies depending on the season. In February in the northern part of the water area and in August in the southern part the highest low temperature, and the highest is observed in other months.

Atlantic ocean depth

What is the depth of the Atlantic Ocean? The maximum depth of the Atlantic Ocean reaches 8742 m (recorded in the Puerto Rico Trench at 8742 m), and average depth is 3736 m. The Puerto Rico Trench is located on the border of the ocean waters and the Caribbean Sea. Its length along the slopes of the Antilles range is 1200 km.

The area of ​​the Atlantic Ocean is 91.66 million km². And a quarter of this territory falls on its seas. Here .

Atlantic Ocean: sharks and more

The underwater world of the Atlantic Ocean will amaze the imagination of any person with its richness and diversity. It is a unique ecosystem that unites many species of plants and animals.

The flora of the Atlantic Ocean is represented mainly by bottom vegetation (phytobenthos): green, red, brown algae, kelp, flowering plants such as poseidonia, philospadix.

Without exaggeration, the Sargasso Sea, located in the Atlantic Ocean between 20° and 40° north latitude and 60° west longitude, can be called a unique natural miracle. On the surface of 70% of its water surface there are always brown algae - sargassum.

And here most of The surface of the Atlantic Ocean is covered with phytoplankton (single-celled algae). Its mass, depending on the area, varies from 1 to 100 mg/m3.

Inhabitants of the Atlantic Ocean beautiful and mysterious, because many of their species have not been fully studied. Cold and temperate waters are home to a large number of different representatives of underwater fauna. For example, pinnipeds, whales, perch, flounder, cod, herring, shrimp, crustaceans, mollusks. Many animals are bipolar, that is, they have adapted to a comfortable existence in both cold and temperate zones (turtles, crabs, jellyfish, fur seals, whales, seals, mussels).

A special class consists of the inhabitants of the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Corals, sponges, and echinoderm fish species amaze and impress the human eye.

What sharks are in the Atlantic Ocean Can they pay a visit to an unwary tourist? The number of species that live in the Atlantic exceeds a dozen. The most common are white, soup, blue, reef, basking, and sand sharks. But cases of attacks on people do not happen very often, and if they do happen, it is more often due to the provocations of the people themselves.

The first officially recorded shark attack on a human occurred on July 1, 1916, to Charles Van Sant on a New Jersey beach. But even then, residents of the resort town perceived this incident as an accident. Such tragedies began to be recorded only in 1935. But shark scientists Nichols, Murphy and Lucas did not take the attacks lightly and began to intensively search for them specific reasons. As a result, they created their “Year of the Shark” theory. She claimed that the attacks were motivated by a large migration of sharks. Since the beginning of 2013, according to the International Register of Shark Attacks, 55 cases of predator attacks on humans have been recorded in the world, 10 of which were fatal.

Bermuda Triangle

A message about the Atlantic Ocean for children can be used in preparation for the lesson. A story about the Atlantic Ocean for children can be supplemented with interesting facts.

Report on the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean second by size ocean on our planet. The name probably originated from the legendary lost continent of Atlantis.

In the west it is limited by the shores of North and South America, in the east by the shores of Europe and Africa to Cape Agulhas.

The area of ​​the Atlantic Ocean with its seas is 91.6 million km2, the average depth is 3332 m.

Maximum depth - 8742 m in the trench Puerto Rico.

The Atlantic Ocean is located in almost all climatic zones, except for the Arctic, but its largest part lies in the areas of equatorial, subequatorial, tropical and subtropical climate.

A distinctive feature of the Atlantic Ocean is a small number of islands, as well as the complex bottom topography, which forms many pits and gutters.

Well expressed in the Atlantic Ocean currents, directed almost in the meridional direction. This is due to the large elongation of the ocean from north to south and the contours of its coastline. Best known warm current Gulf Stream and its continuation - North Atlantic flow.

Salinity of Atlantic Ocean waters generally higher than the average salinity of the waters of the World Ocean, and the organic world is poorer in terms of biodiversity compared to the Pacific Ocean.

Important sea routes connect Europe with the Atlantic. North America. The shelves of the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico are places of oil production.

Plants include a wide range of green, brown and red algae.

The total number of fish species exceeds 15 thousand, the most common families being nanothenia and white-blooded pike. Large mammals are most widely represented: cetaceans, seals, fur seals, etc. The amount of plankton is insignificant, which causes migration of whales to feeding fields to the north or to temperate latitudes, where there is more of it.

Almost half of the world's fish catch is caught in the seas of the Atlantic Ocean. Today, unfortunately, stocks of Atlantic herring and cod, sea bass and other fish species have sharply decreased. Today the problem of preserving biological and mineral resources is particularly acute.

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