Which sea is the Atlantic Ocean connected to?

Development home Atlantic Ocean occupies a huge area - 91 million square meters. km, and is the second largest after the Pacific Ocean. It contains 25% of all the water on our planet. Let's meet short list seas of the Atlantic Ocean, each of which has its own

character traits

and features.

Atlantic Ocean Basin

The Atlantic Ocean is the most important component of the World Ocean, the average depth of its waters is about 4 kilometers, and the salinity of the waters fluctuates within 35%.

The Atlantic Ocean is characterized by a highly indented coastline with a pronounced division into water areas. The Atlantic seas are of great scientific interest, since they occupy 16% of the total ocean area, that is, approximately 14.7 million square meters. km. Rice. 1. Atlantic Ocean. Many Atlantic seas are not directly connected to the ocean, and communication between the basins occurs through bays and seas located nearby. Peculiarities geographical location And climatic conditions have a great influence on the animal and

vegetable world seas of the Atlantic Ocean, which are very diverse. The Atlantic Ocean was named after a mythical hero

Ancient Greece

- Atlanta, who held the entire sky on his mighty shoulders.

Seas of the Atlantic OceanThe Atlantic basin includes 28 large and small seas, each of which has its own unique features.

• TOP 2 articles who are reading along with this Sea Labrador- the northernmost sea of ​​the Atlantic, the surface of which is almost completely covered with ice in winter. In the water expanses of this sea they are often found huge icebergs. Despite the extreme
• cold climate , the Labrador coast was inhabited by northern tribes as early as the 5th century BC. e.- a very unusual sea, which has no analogues anywhere in the world. This is the only sea that has no shores, since its borders are sea ​​currents. In addition, 90% of the Sargasso Sea area is occupied by sargassum - long

brown algae

• , a cluster of which is visible even from space. - a warm sea separating South and Central America. In ancient times it was called Antilles, but later it was renamed in honor of the Caribs - ancient Indian tribes. In the Middle Ages, the Caribbean Sea was given over to pirates.

The seas of the Atlantic basin washing Russia include the Baltic, Black and Sea of ​​Azov. All of them are located deep in the mainland, and their interaction with the ocean is carried out through straits and other seas. Such remoteness from oceanic waters determines their very unique hydrological regime.

• North Sea - has great transport significance, since its water area is the intersection of almost all the most important sea ​​routes on the planet.
• - an inland sea that divides Turkey into two parts: Asian and European. This is the oldest sea, formed several million years ago.

The Atlantic Ocean is considered one of the largest and most voluminous in size, namely the second in size after the Pacific Ocean. This ocean is the most studied and developed when compared with other water areas. Its location is as follows: in the east it is framed by the shores of North and South America, and in the west its borders end in Europe and Africa. In the South it passes into the Southern Ocean. And on the northern side it borders with 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 ​​the ocean, it occupies 91.66 million square meters. km. We can say that part of its territory is not the ocean itself, but existing seas and 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, the ocean is considered to have the greatest depth, which is 8742 m. There are two currents - Northern and Southern.

Atlantic Ocean from the north

The ocean boundary from the north is marked in some places by ridges located under water. In this hemisphere, the Atlantic is framed by an indented 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, the Denmark Strait is less wide than the Davis Strait. Between Norway and Iceland, closer to the northeast, is the Norwegian Sea.

In the southwest of the Northern Current of the ocean are the Gulf of Mexico, which is connected by the Strait of Florida. And also the Caribbean Sea. There are many bays to note 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, the Azores and Cape Verde. Closer to the west - Bahamas, Lesser Antilles.

South Atlantic Ocean

Some geographers believe that the southern part is the entire space up to Antarctica. Someone is defining the border at Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope between two continents. The coastline in the south of the Atlantic Ocean is not as indented as in the north, and there are no seas. There is one large bay near Africa - Guinea. The furthest point to the south is Tierra del Fuego, which is framed by small islands in large quantities. Also, you cannot find large islands here, but there are separate islands, like. Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha. In the far south you can find the Southern Islands, Bouvet, Falkland and others.

As for the current in the southern ocean, here all systems flow counterclockwise. Near eastern Brazil, the South Trade Wind Current branches. 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.

Attractions of the Atlantic Ocean

In Belize barrier reef there is a special underwater cave. It was called the Blue Hole. It is very deep, and inside it there is a whole series of caves that are connected to each other by tunnels. The depth of the cave reaches 120 m and is considered unique of its kind.

There is no person who does not know about Bermuda Triangle. But it is located in the Atlantic Ocean and excites the imagination of many superstitious travelers. Bermuda attracts with its mystery, but at the same time frightens 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 a 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, which ranks second in area among the world's oceans, was the first to attract the attention of researchers and for a long time remained the most studied. Currently, experts in the field of geotectonics tend to believe that the Atlantic Ocean may be the youngest.

There are faint signs of existence in this part globe 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 organic remains of Upper Cretaceous age. 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. Cober (1928) was the first to suggest the presence of a system of mountain ranges encircling the globe, which he considered as an orogenic belt (as opposed to taphrogenic Heesen's hypothesis).

According to the data of Kossin (1921), which is usually referred to, the area of ​​the Atlantic Ocean (the ocean itself) is approximately 8.2 * 10^7 km2, and including marginal seas(Caribbean, Mediterranean, etc.) - about 10.6*10^7 km3. Average depth in the first case it is equal to 3920 m and in the second 3332 m.

The Atlantic Ocean is not as deep as the Pacific and Indian Ocean s, mainly due to the extensive continental shoals extending to the north and a thick layer of sediment.

According to Murray (1888), total area The flow into the Atlantic Ocean is about 3.5 10^7 km2, and including the Arctic - about 5.0 * 10^7 km2, which is four times the area of ​​flow into the Indian Ocean and almost four times the area of ​​flow into the Pacific Ocean. Currently, the water balance of the World Ocean can only be maintained with constant flow from the Atlantic Ocean to other oceans.

The Atlantic Ocean, unlike the Indian and Pacific Oceans, has only a small number of seamounts and guyots and no coral atolls. Long stretches of coastline are devoid of coastal reefs, even under favorable conditions. However, coral banks are known in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Decrease in water temperature during the Pleistocene period and isolation of the Atlantic Ocean from latitudinal currents as a result of tectonic movements earth's crust in the middle and late Tertiary periods defined a rather poor and "isolated" benthic fauna, which contrasts with the "universal" character of the 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, Spitsbergen, Great Britain, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), the Scotia Arc, etc.). Several oceanic islands occupy only 5.0 * 106 km2 [Iceland (1.05.10^5 km2), Jan Mayen Island, Bermuda and Azores, Madeira Island, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Fernando de Noronha Island, island Ascension, St. Helena Island, Tristan da Cunha Island, Gough Island, Bouvet Island, etc. These islands are mainly of volcanic origin.

Atlantic basins

Western Atlantic

Labrador Basin located between the Labrador Peninsula, Greenland and the island of Newfoundland. This basin extends well beyond the Labrador Sea and includes most Irminger Sea. Turbidity currents carrying sedimentary material settling at the bottom flow down the mid-ocean canyon to the Som abyssal plain.

Newfoundland Basin located between the island of Newfoundland and the Azores. It is partially separated from adjacent basins to the south. In the southwest, this basin is bounded by the Southeastern Newfoundland Rise. Its northern border runs along the line from the Flemish Cap bank to northeast to the western branch of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, approximately 55° N. sh., which from north to south crosses the mid-ocean canyon connecting the Labrador Basin with the Som abyssal plain.

North American Basin - this is a very large depression, which, strictly speaking, is not a true depression. It is located near the underwater Bermuda Rise, as well as several abyssal plains that border the rise on three sides—Soma from the northeast, Hatteras from the west and Nares (900 thousand km2) from the southeast. The last two plains are at 24° N. latitude, 68°w. It is divided by the Vema abyssal gorge. The Black Bahamas Outer Ridge separates the Hatteras Abyssal Plain from the narrow Black Bahamas Basin and abyssal plains. this basin includes the Puerto Rico Trench, a typical deep-sea trench of the Atlantic Ocean. Within the trench there are two areas with maximum depths, one of which is sometimes called the Brownson Trench. 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 and Amazonian coasts of Brazil. In the basin there are: in the west - the abyssal plain of Demerara (335 thousand km2), on which sediments carried by the Orinoco River, the rivers of Guiana and partly the runoff of the Amazon accumulate; in the east is the abyssal plain of Keara, separated from the abyssal plain by early Demerara by the huge Amazonian abyssal cone, which is also its main source of sedimentary material.

Brazilian Basin (Tizard Depression) is located near the eastern coast of Brazil. It is bounded on the north by the Pará rise (now Belem), the continuation of which beyond the basin is a partially volcanic ridge topped by the islets of Fernando de Noronha and Rocas. At the northern end of the ridge there is an extensive depression of the bottom - the Recife abyssal plain), but south of the Trindade volcanic uplift the area of ​​the abyssal plain is small.

Argentine Basin. To the southwest of the underwater rise of the Rio Grande there is a long, narrow Argentine abyssal plain (200 thousand km2), to the east of it there is a wide, flat Argentine rise, 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, includes a long depression, the Weddell Abyssal Plain. The isolated depression between South Sandwich and Bouvet Islands is the Sandwich Abyssal Plain. Another typical deep-sea trench of the Atlantic Ocean was discovered here - the South Sandwich Trench (or Sandwich Trench) with a greatest depth of 8264 m. It is separated by several ridges from the Atlantic-Antarctic Basin. Within the Scotia Sea there are numerous small closed basins that do not have names.

Eastern Atlantic

Western European Basin (Northeast Atlantic Basin). Two interconnecting abyssal plains were discovered in the basin: Porcupine to the west of Great Britain and Biscay (80 thousand km2), which in turn is connected to the Iberian Plain in the south by the abyssal gorge Theta (43 N, 12° W). abyssal plain. These abyssal plains are described by Lawton as part of a scarp-like system, gradually descending southward along a series of narrow gorges and channels.

Iberian Basin (Spanish Basin) is located west of Spain (name
The “Iberian Basin” had another basin located in the western part Mediterranean Sea, east of Spain; to avoid confusion, the latter was given the name “Balearic Basin”) and is connected by the Teta abyssal gorge with the Biscay abyssal plain. A smaller depression, the Tagus abyssal plain (15 thousand km2), receives sediment carried by the Tagus River (Portugal) through an underwater canyon. In addition, to the south (west of the sources of sedimentary materials of Gibraltar, Guadiana and Guadalquivir) there is the Horseshoe Abyssal Plain (14 thousand km2).

Canary Basin (Monaca Basin) is located south of the Azores Rise (belt of seamounts), stretching in the direction ESE. This basin is largely occupied by the Madeira Abyssal Plain and is now established to include the sector formerly referred to as the Canary Abyssal Plain. A smaller depression, the Sein abyssal plain (39 thousand km1), located east of the Senya Bank, is separated from this basin and, apparently, feeds 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 broad continental foothills of Morocco and the volcanic plateaus of the Canary Islands and Madeira Islands.

Cape Verde Basin (North African Trench, Chan Depression, Moselle Depression). The Cape Verde abyssal plain is almost not separated from the Madeira abyssal plain (together 530 thousand km2, the border is the belt of abyssal hills), continues the extensive belt of abyssal plains with a length of about 1000 km, following along external border West Africa, turns approximately west and southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. To the south of these islands is the Gambia Abyssal Plain.

Sierra Leone Basin The above-mentioned belt of abyssal plains skirts the western coast of Africa, separated by an aseismic uplift and abyssal hills from the Sierra Leone submarine rise, which in turn is separated from the continental foot by the Sierra Leone abyssal plain. At the same time, the width of the continental base
decreases to approximately 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, abundantly fed by the largest river in West Africa - the Niger, and the Niger abyssal fan.

Angola Basin (Buchanan depression). To the south of the Guinea volcanic ridge (Fernando Po Islands, etc.) there is a vast depression of the Angolan abyssal plain (140 thousand km4), feeding at the northern end of the Congo River, the abyssal fan of the Congo River and the Congo Canyon, the largest submarine canyon in the East Atlantic.

Cape Basin (Valvis basin). Following the Whale Ridge, running northeast to southwest parallel to the Guinea Ridge but, in contrast, currently aseismic and non-volcanic, is the Cape Abyssal Plain, fed by the Orange River.

Agulhas Basin . In a complex area of ​​continental borderland (Agullhas Bank) and normal fault quasi-cratonic crust, the main depression is the Agulhas Abyssal Plain (east of latitude 20° located in the Indian Ocean).

Raised and ridges

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the main topographic feature of the Atlantic Ocean floor and divides the main ocean into two large basins. Secondary ridges or uplifts divide these basins into basins. However, the ridges rarely form a continuous chain, so bottom waters from Antarctica can move north along the western boundaries of the Atlantic Ocean into the North American Basin and east and then south into the eastern basin through the Romanche Trench (or Romanche Gap). The Romanche Trench corresponds to a large latitudinal fault zone. Another significant fault zone located north of the above is known as the Guinea Fracture Zone. Another fault zone occurs around 50-53° N. w. This area, surveyed during the laying of the transatlantic cable, is called the Telegraph Plateau. The transverse ridges were mainly discovered and named by the Meteor expedition. The Atlantic Ocean has the following rises and ridges.

Western Atlantic

Greenland-Iceland uplift - a distinct threshold with a depth of less than 1000 m, separates the Greenland Sea from the Irminger Sea.

Labrador uplift 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.

Southeastern Newfoundland Rise extends southeast from the Great Bank of Newfoundland. Like the previous rise, it is not clearly defined and is also cut through by a mid-ocean canyon.

Antillean or Caribbean Arc (ridge) - a typical double island arc. The island of Barbados is an outer non-volcanic ridge. Numerous Windward Islands are of volcanic origin.

Raising Steam located between northeastern part Brazil and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and is not a barrier to deep currents. It is partly a "mound" of sedimentary materials coming from submarine fans of the Amazon, etc. To the southeast there is a small volcanic ridge with mature, deeply dissected volcanic formations of Fernando de Noronha and Rocas.

Rise of Trindade - a distinct volcanic ridge stretching east from the Brazilian province of Espirito Saito for 1200 km. Reaches greatest 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 to the east of
Trindade Island has no barriers at all.

Rio Grande Seamount (sometimes called the Bromley Plateau) is a massive aseismic ridge that stretches 1,500 km east of the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul. It falls just short of the edge of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. On the mainland side, it is partially separated from a wide plateau (continental borderland) located southeast of São Paulo, and consists of continental rocks that probably broke away from the shelf as a result of catalytic tectonics.

Falkland Plateau stretches 1800 km east of the Argentine shelf. Stille called it a structural spur of the Borderland, composed of typical continental rocks (demon and others exposed on the Falkland Islands). The plateau is partially split by faults running towards the Malvinas Basin, south of the Falkland Islands.

South Georgia Rise - short, stretching northeast from the island of South Georgia.

Arc, or ridge, Scotia (South Antilles Arc, South Sandwich Ridge) is 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 curvature of the South Shetland Islands. It is assumed that latitudinal normal faults run along the northern and southern edges of the arc, like the Antilles arc in the Caribbean Sea. Thus, these two arcs are almost identical in structure.

Eastern 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. The volcanoes in this area have long since lost activity.

Wyville Thomson's Threshold (Faroe-Shetland ridge) - an aseismic barrier similar to the Iceland-Faroe ridge. It overlaps the Icelandic-Faroe ridge in the south and adjoins it to the west of the Faroe Islands. In the south, the threshold is divided by the fault depression of the Faroe-Shetland Strait

Bank, or plateau, Rockall extends southwest from the Wyville Thomson Sill and is capped by the isolated Rockall igneous stock. It also applies to aseismic
ridges.

Porcupine Bank located near the mainland shelf southwest of Ireland and is a fragment of the mainland borderland.

Biscay uplift extends west from Galicia (Spain) and essentially connects to 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 dome-shaped 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. extending to the Sein Bank and almost to the Strait of Gibraltar

Madeira Ridge is a short volcanic ridge located southwest of Portugal.

Rising of the Canary Islands - wide volcanic plateau, geological structure the foundation of which is unknown, located parallel to the shores North Africa and more like mainland borderland.

Cape Verde Plateau is a similar but wider plateau (or uplift), classified by Heesen 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, according to at least partly, is mainland borderland.

Highlands of Sierra Leone - a faint uplift of abyssal hills extending southwest from Freetown and reaching the Mid-Atlantic Ridge northeast of Sao Paulo Island. It is crossed by several significant latitudinal fault zones, in particular the Guinea Fracture Zone.

Rise of Liberia - a small but peculiar uplift of a mid-oceanic nature, 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 Guinea Ridge passes through Fernando Po Island 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 Ridge (Walvis) is the most significant transverse ridge in the South Atlantic, connecting South-West Africa with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Has ledges of more than 1000 m, but at the southwestern end it decreases significantly in the direction
Tristan da Cunha Islands Gough Islands.

Cape Rise - the southernmost transverse landform, partly a volcanic ridge, stretching from the Cape of Good Hope southwest towards Bouvet Island. It has a smooth topography with individual seamounts.

Hydrological regime temperature and salinity

From all the oceans of the globe greatest number data is available for the Atlantic Ocean. Compiled detailed maps temperature and salinity of Atlantic Ocean waters.
Chemical and biological characteristics in the Atlantic Ocean also more than in other oceans. It is also possible to calculate water and heat budgets, such as evaporation and heat exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere.

Temperature and salinity. The Atlantic Ocean is the warmest and most saline of all oceans. It receives by far the largest portion of the river flow. The average potential temperature and salinity are 3.73°C and 34.90 perm, respectively. The temperature amplitude of the surface layer depends mainly on latitude and the current system, 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 atmospheric precipitation, the amount of fresh water flow from the continents and the presence of currents. Its average value is 34.87 prom (between 90° N and 80° S). Below the surface layer, the controlling factors for both parameters are advection and turbulent diffusion. Exist seasonal changes temperature and salinity of the surface layer, extending to a depth of approximately 200 m. These changes are most clearly expressed near coasts with a continental climate.

The largest annual amplitude of surface layer temperature in the open ocean is 7° C (between 40-50° N and 30-40° S). (This is a zonal average; fluctuations in the Northwest Atlantic can reach 15° C.) The amplitude of the surface layer temperature in the equatorial and polar regions is less than 2° C. In coastal areas, the surface temperature can vary by 25° C during the year. annual fluctuations in the salinity of the surface layer affect various factors: melting and formation sea ​​ice(polar regions), seasonal changes in evaporation rates and precipitation (Caribbean Sea). In coastal areas exposed to large spring runoff, such as off the northeast coast of the United States, salinity fluctuations can reach 3 ppm; however, in the open ocean, the salinity of the surface layer changes to a much lesser extent, rarely by more than 1 ppm.

Atlantic Ocean second largest in the oceanic division. In total, its area is about 106,400,000 sq. km (41,100 thousand sq. miles), it covers about 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of the area of ​​the World Ocean. The greatest width of the ocean is between Brazil and Sierra Leone: 2848 km or 1770 miles.

The first mention of him refers to Greek mythology, later the Atlantic Maritime Atlas was compiled. The oldest known reference to "Atlantica" is in Herodotus's History, 450 BC. Atlantis Thalassa.

Term Ethiopian Ocean was applied to the South Atlantic Ocean in the late 19th century.

Before Europeans discovered other oceans, the term "ocean" itself was synonymous with the waters beyond the Strait of Gibraltar.

The ancient Greeks believed that the ocean was a giant river surrounding the world.

The Atlantic Ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin with a longitudinal extension between Europe and Africa in the east, and America in the west.

Did you know that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the longest mountain range on Earth? It stretches under the Atlantic, from Iceland (Iceland itself is the above-water part of the ridge) to Antarctica.

As one of the constituent parts of the world's oceans, the Atlantic extends north to the Arctic Ocean (sometimes considered the Atlantic Ocean), borders the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, and is bordered to the southeast by the Southern Ocean to the south.

Other definitions describe the Atlantic Ocean as expanding south toward Antarctica. The equator divides it into two parts: the North Atlantic Ocean and the South Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic Ocean in photographs

All seas of the Atlantic Ocean:

• Icarian Sea
• Cilician Sea
• Cyprus Sea
• Myrtoian Sea

Most famous islands in the Atlantic Ocean:

• Bahamas
• Canary Islands (Spain)
• Azores (Portugal)
• Cap Verde
• Greenland, which is not only the largest island in the Atlantic Ocean, but also on earth.

In the zone Caribbean Islands, in the waters of the Atlantic, the largest manatees live.

A strange species of fish has been found in the Atlantic Ocean - the broad-nosed chimera.

Bays in the Atlantic Ocean:

Straits in the Atlantic Ocean:

What does "Atlantic" mean?
The word "Atlantic" comes from Greek mythology, meaning "sea of ​​Atlas". Atlas was a titan who had to stand at the edge of the earth and carry the heavens (celestial spheres) on his shoulders, as a punishment from Zeus, who fought against Atlas and was one of olympian gods to control the skies.

How big is the Atlantic Ocean?
The size of the Atlantic Ocean is comparable to an area approximately 6.5 times larger than the United States.

How deep is the Atlantic Ocean?
Greatest depth - Milwaukee, Puerto Rico: 8,605 meters. The average depth is about 3,339 meters (10,955 ft). The Mid-Atlantic mountain range, which runs from Iceland to the islands of southern Argentina, divides the sea into two main basins, each more than 3,000 meters deep. In a satellite image, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge can be seen as a light blue line in the deep blue sea.

How warm is the waters of the Atlantic Ocean?
Atlantic Ocean temperatures vary by location and ocean currents. The closer to the equator, the warmer the water. Temperatures can be as high as 28 degrees Celsius / 82 degrees Fahrenheit in coastal areas near the equator. A minimum temperatures are about -2 degrees Celsius / 28 degrees Fahrenheit, in polar regions.

The most famous waterways Atlantic Ocean

• Strait of Gibraltar, between Spain and Morocco
• Bosphorus strait in Turkey

List of major major Atlantic seaports:

• Rotterdam (Netherlands), Europe's largest container port
• Hamburg, Germany)
• New York, USA)
• Buenos Aires, Argentina)
• Colon (Panama), largest port Latin America

Some big cities on the Atlantic Ocean:

• Miami (USA)
• Sao Paulo (Brazil)
• Cape Town (South Africa)
• Lagos (Nigeria)
• Casablanca (Morocco)
• Lisbon (Portugal)
• London, Great Britain)
• Reykjavik (Iceland)

Did you know? Some interesting facts about the Atlantic Ocean

Leif Eriksson (970-1020) is mentioned as the first "European" to reach North America, 500 years before Columbus! The Icelander was the first person from Europe to cross the Atlantic Ocean. He named the east coast of Canada "Vinland" (now Newfoundland).

The calmest place in the Atlantic Ocean (absolutely absent) - South tropical zone. This is also where the richest underwater life is found. Interestingly, the activity of marine flora and fauna manifests itself in cold currents, and not in warm ones.

There are no corals in the equatorial part of the Atlantic Ocean; there is fresher water compared to southern part. Desalination ocean water occurs due to flowing fresh water the Amazon River, which is considered the largest river.

The most troubled part of the Atlantic (hurricanes) is considered to be the northern tropical zone, along the Antilles. In the east there is the cold Canary Current, so there are no corals here. These places are characterized by constant fog, due to the proximity of the Sahara Desert. However, the Canary Islands region is rich in fish.

The warmest current in the world, the Gulf Stream, is located in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. And in the delta of this current the weather is the most inclement.

The part of the World Ocean bounded by Europe and Africa from the east and northern and South America from the west. The name comes from the name of the Titan Atlas (Atlas) in Greek mythology.

Second in size only to Quiet; its area is approximately 91.56 million km2. It is distinguished from other oceans by its highly rugged coastline, forming numerous seas and bays, especially in the northern part. In addition, the total area of ​​river basins flowing into this ocean or its marginal seas is significantly larger than that of rivers flowing into any other ocean. Another difference Atlantic Ocean is a relatively small number of islands and a complex bottom topography, which, thanks to underwater ridges and uplifts, forms many separate basins.

Atlantic coast states - 49 countries:

Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, Great Britain, Venezuela, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Democratic Republic Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.

NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

It is divided into northern and southern parts, the border between which is conventionally drawn along the equator. From an oceanographic point of view, however, the southern part of the ocean should include the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5–8° N latitude. The northern border is usually drawn along the Arctic Circle. In some places this boundary is marked by underwater ridges.

Borders and coastline

In the Northern Hemisphere has a heavily indented coastline. Its narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow straits. In the northeast, the 360 ​​km wide Davis Strait connects it to the Baffin Sea, which belongs to the Arctic Ocean. In the central part, between Greenland and Iceland, there is the Denmark Strait, at its narrowest point only 287 km wide. Finally, in the northeast, between Iceland and Norway, there is the Norwegian Sea, approx. 1220 km. East of Atlantic Ocean two water areas protruding deeply into the land are separated. The more northern one begins North Sea, which to the east passes into the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Bothnia 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 approx. 4000 km.

IN tropical zone in the southwest of the North Atlantic are the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, connected to the ocean by the Strait of Florida. The coast of North America is indented by small bays (Pamlico, Barnegat, Chesapeake, Delaware and Long Island Sound); to the northwest are the Bays of Fundy and St. Lawrence, the Strait of Belle Isle, Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay.

CURRENTS

Surface currents in the northern part Atlantic Ocean moving clockwise. The main elements of this large system are the northward warm Gulf Stream, as well as the North Atlantic, Canary and North Trade Wind (Equatorial) Currents. The Gulf Stream follows from the Strait of Florida and Cuba in a northerly direction along the coast of the United States and approximately 40° N latitude. deviates to the northeast, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current is divided into two branches, one of which follows northeast along the coast of Norway and further to the North Arctic Ocean. 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, teeming with algae, known as the Sargasso Sea. The cold Labrador Current runs along the North Atlantic coast of North America from north to south, coming from Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cooling the shores of New England.

ISLANDS of the Atlantic Ocean

The most large islands concentrated in the northern part of the ocean; these are the British Isles, Iceland, Newfoundland, Cuba, Haiti (Hispaniola) and Puerto Rico. On the eastern edge Atlantic Ocean There are several groups of small islands - the Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. Similar groups exist in the western part of the ocean. Examples include the Bahamas, Florida Keys and Lesser Antilles. The Greater and Lesser Antilles archipelagos form an island arc surrounding the eastern Caribbean Sea. In the Pacific Ocean, such island arcs are characteristic of areas of crustal deformation. Deep-sea trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.