Geography of Pacific Ocean

The largest and deepest of the planet's five oceanic regions is the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by the continents of Asia and Oceania in the west and the Americas in the east, and stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south.

Physical Features

Pacific Ocean is largest division of the World Ocean and the hydrosphere, measuring 165,250,000 square kilometers (63,800,000 square miles) in size (as defined with a southern Antarctic border), covers about 46% of Earth's water surface and about 32% of its total surface area, making it larger than all of the planet's land combined, which is 148,000,000 square kilometers (57,000,000 square miles). Asia and Australia are divided from the Americas by the Pacific.

Equator-based divisions into northern (North Pacific) and southern (South Pacific) sections are also possible. It reaches all the way up to the Arctic from the Antarctic region in the south. The Pacific Ocean contains the centres of the Western and Water Hemispheres, as well as the oceanic pole of inaccessibility. The North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean (or, more informally, the South Seas) are two largely separate bodies of water that converge at the equator due to ocean circulation.

The Pacific Ocean can also be arbitrarily divided into the East and West Pacifics by the International Date Line, resulting in four additional quadrants: the Northeast Pacific off the coasts of North America, the Southeast Pacific off the coasts of South America, the Northwest Pacific off the coasts of Far Eastern Asia, and the Southwest Pacific surrounding Oceania. The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).

Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, which is situated in the northwest Pacific and has a depth of 10,928 meters (35,853 feet), is the deepest point known to exist. The Tonga Trench's Horizon Deep, which is 10,823 meters (35,509 ft) deep, is the deepest point in the Southern Hemisphere. The Mariana Trench is also home to the Sirena Deep, the third-deepest point on Earth. The Philippine Sea, South China Sea, East China Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Mar de Grau, Tasman Sea, and the Coral Sea are only a few of the significant marginal seas in the western Pacific.

Division

The eastern, western, and central Pacific areas make up the three main physiographic divisions of the Pacific basin.

Eastern Region

The eastern Pacific region, which stretches from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, is relatively small and is surrounded by a system of nearly continuous mountain ranges known as the American Cordilleran, whose coastal ranges rise sharply from the western shores of North and South America. While the nearby continental slope is fairly steep, the continental shelf that runs parallel to it is very small. The Middle America Trench in the North Pacific and the Peru-Chile Trench in the South Pacific are both significant oceanic trenches in this area.

Western Region

The Aleutian Trench in the north, the Kuril and Japan trenches in the south, the Tonga and Kermadec trenches in the north, and a break in the line towards the northeast of North Island, New Zealand, mark the seaward boundary of the western Pacific region. It has a more intricate structure than the eastern section. Festoons of peninsulas, islands, or both are a distinctive feature of the western region's ocean trenches. The islands, which comprise many smaller islands and those of Japan, are the higher portions of mountain ranges that abruptly rise from the deep ocean floor. The western Pacific Island groups serve as the borders of a number of large, deep continental waters.

Central Region

Located halfway between the eastern and western regions is the center Pacific region. The largest and most stable structural province of the Earth's crust, it is distinguished by wide expanses of low relief and is generally located at a depth of roughly 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) below the surface.

Climate

The planetary system—the patterns of air pressure and ensuing wind patterns that occur in the Earth's atmosphere as a result of its rotation (Coriolis force) and tilt of its axis (ecliptic) toward the Sun—is closely resembled by the wind and pressure systems of the Pacific. The systems in the Northern and Southern hemispheres mirror each other on the opposite sides of the Equator, forming what is essentially a three-celled latitudinal structure of the atmospheric circulation.

The immense expanse of open ocean in the Pacific influences wind and pressure patterns over it, and the southern and eastern Pacific, where the trade winds and westerlies are remarkably steady, has the most uniform climate on earth.

However, circumstances in the North Pacific are not as consistent, especially given the significant climate variations between the eastern and western regions at the same latitude. For instance, the relatively mild winters in the British Columbia region stand in stark contrast to the harsh winters off the east coast of Russia.

Islands

The majority of the world's islands are found in the Pacific Ocean. About 25,000 islands can be found in the Pacific Ocean. There are three major groups of islands that are wholly within the Pacific Ocean: Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. The Mariana Islands are located in the northwest, the Caroline Islands are in the center, the Marshall Islands are to the east, and the Kiribati Islands are to the southeast of Micronesia, which is located north of the equator and west of the International Date Line.

The four main types of islands in the Pacific Ocean are coral reefs, raised coral platforms, high islands, and continental islands. New Guinea, the islands of New Zealand, and the Philippines are among the continental islands that are located outside the andesite line. These islands include several that structurally relate to surrounding continents. The majority of high islands have active volcanoes and are volcanic in origin. These include Hawaii, the Solomon Islands, and Bougainville.

Conclusion

The Pacific Ocean makes up around 46% of the planet's water surface and 32% of its total land area. It is the largest and deepest of the Earth's five oceanic zones. From the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or Antarctica) in the south, it is bounded by Asia and Oceania to the west and the Americas to the east. The International Date Line can be used to split the Pacific into the East and West Pacific, and it comprises of three major physiographic divisions: the Eastern, Western, and Central Pacific.

The enormous open ocean that makes up the Pacific has an impact on the region's climate patterns, causing various wind and pressure systems to develop. Numerous islands can be found in the Pacific.

FAQs

1. What is the size of the Pacific Ocean?

The Pacific Ocean measures approximately 165,250,000 square kilometers (63,800,000 square miles), making it the largest division of the World Ocean.

2. How much of Earth's water surface does the Pacific Ocean cover?

The Pacific Ocean covers around 46% of Earth's water surface, making it the largest ocean on the planet.

3. What are the three main physiographic divisions of the Pacific basin?

The three main physiographic divisions of the Pacific basin are Eastern, Western, and Central Pacific.

4. How does the Pacific Ocean influence climate patterns?

The Pacific's vast expanse of open ocean influences wind and pressure patterns, resulting in a three-celled latitudinal structure of atmospheric circulation, especially in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

5. How many islands are found in the Pacific Ocean?

Approximately 25,000 islands are found in the Pacific Ocean, with three major island groups being Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.