The southernmost sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean. Where is the Atlantic Ocean? Ocean characteristics, North and South Atlantic Oceans

The part of the World Ocean bounded by Europe and Africa to the east and North and South America to 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, significantly more 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, Cote d'Ivoire, 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 with the Baffin Sea, which belongs to the North Sea. 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. Coast North America 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 into the 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 archipelagos of the Greater and Lesser Antilles form an island arc surrounding eastern part Caribbean Sea. In the Pacific Ocean, such island arcs are characteristic of deformation areas earth's crust. Deep-sea trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.

Atlantic Ocean It 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: from the east it is framed by the banks of the Northern and South America, and in the west its borders end with 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 South part, this is all the 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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Location: Between Balkan Peninsula, peninsula Asia Minor and the island of Crete.

Area: 191 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 377 m.

Greatest depth: 2,529 m.

Salinity: 38-38.5 ‰.

Currents: predominantly counterclockwise at a speed of 0.5-1 km/h.

Inhabitants: sardines, mackerel, sponges, octopuses.

Additional Information: The Aegean Sea was formed about 20 thousand years ago as a result of the submergence of land (Aegenides), from which now numerous islands remain on the surface, the largest of them are Euboea, Crete, Lesvos, Rhodes.

Area: 422 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 1,240 m.

Greatest depth: 2210 m.

Bottom topography: The Black Sea is a depression divided in the middle by a rise, which is a continuation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Salinity: 17-18 ‰.

Inhabitants: mullet, anchovies, mackerel, horse mackerel, pike perch, bream, sturgeon, herring, haddock, sea ​​ruffe, red mullet and others, dolphins, mussels, oysters, crabs, shrimp, sea anemones, sponges; about 270 species of green, brown and red algae.

Currents: circular circulations in an anticyclonic direction.

Additional information: The Black Sea was formed approximately 7,500 years ago as a result of rising sea levels; before that, the sea was a huge freshwater lake; The waters of the Black Sea at a depth of over 200 m are saturated with hydrogen sulfide, so only anaerobic bacteria live there.

Location: off the coast of Antarctica between the Antarctic Peninsula and Coats Land.

Area: 2,796 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 3,000 m.

Greatest depth: 6,820 m.

Average temperatures: all year round the sea is covered with ice.

Inhabitants: whales, seals.

Additional Information: most the sea is covered with drifting ice and numerous icebergs; the sea was discovered in 1823 by the English explorer J. Weddell, and renamed in his honor in 1900.

Location: part Mediterranean Sea, located between the Apennine Peninsula and the islands of Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica.

Area: 214 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 1,519 m.

Greatest depth: 3,830 m.

Bottom topography: the sea is a basin surrounded by a chain of underwater mountain peaks and active volcanoes (Vesuvius, Stromboli).

Salinity: 37.7-38 ‰.

The currents form a general cyclonic circulation.

Inhabitants: sardines, tuna, swordfish, eel and others.

Additional information: the sea is named after the ancient tribe of Tirov, who lived during the times Ancient Greece on the Apennine Peninsula.

Location: between Europe and Africa.

Area: 2,500 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 1,541 m.

Greatest depth: 5,121 m.

Bottom topography: Algerian-Provencal basin with depths of over 2,800 m, Central basin with depths of about 5,100 m, Levantine basin (4,380 m); depressions of the Alboran, Balearic, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean and Marmara seas, Central Basin.

Salinity: 36-39.5 ‰.

Currents: Canary, Levantine.

Inhabitants: white-bellied seal, sea ​​turtles, 550 species of fish (sharks, mackerel, herring, anchovies, mullet, koryphanov, tuna, bonito, mackerel), 70 species of endemic fish, including stingrays, anchovy species, gobies, blennies, wrasse and needlefish; oyster, Mediterranean-Black Sea mussel, sea date; octopus, squid, sepia, crab, lobster; numerous species of jellyfish and siphonophores; sponges and red coral.

Additional information: in the Mediterranean Sea there are the Alboran, Balearic, Ligurian, Tyrrhenian, Adriatic, Ionian, Cretan, Aegean seas; In addition, the Mediterranean Sea basin includes the Sea of ​​Marmara, Black Sea and Azov Sea. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the warmest and saltiest seas in the world's oceans.

Location: north-east Atlantic Ocean, between the islands of Great Britain, Orkney and Shetland, the Scandinavian and Jutland peninsulas and the coast of Europe.

Area: 544 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 96 m.

Bottom topography: predominantly flat with many small banks, depressions (Northern, Severodatskaya, English), in the southwest there are often small sand and gravel ridges.

Salinity: 31-35 ‰.

Currents: warm, coming from the Atlantic Ocean between the Shetland Islands and the island of Great Britain, through the Pas de Calais Strait.

Inhabitants: herring, mackerel, cod, flounder, haddock, pollock, mackerel, sprats, rays, sharks, mussels, scallops, oysters.

Additional information: There are approximately 300 plant species and over 1,500 animal species in the North Sea.

Sargasso Sea

Location: part of the Atlantic Ocean, between the Canary, North Trade Wind, North Atlantic Currents and the Gulf Stream.

Area: 6-7 million sq. km (depending on the seasonal boundaries of currents).

Average depth: 6,000 m.

Greatest depth: 6,995 m.

Average water temperatures: 18-23 °C in February, 26-28 °C in August.

Salinity: 36.5-37 ‰.

Currents: Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, Canary, North Trade Wind Currents.

Inhabitants: mackerel, flying fish, pipefish, crabs, sea turtles and others.

Additional information: the name of the sea comes from the Portuguese word Sargaso, which means “bunch of grapes”, in addition, large accumulations of floating brown algae “sargassum” are found in the sea; the sea surface is almost 1 m above ocean level.

Location: between Europe and Asia Minor.

Area: 11,472 sq. km.

Average depth: 259 m.

Greatest depth: 1,389 m.

Bottom topography: there are many underwater reefs off the coast.

Salinity: 16.8-27.8 ‰.

Inhabitants: fish (mackerel, herring, anchovies, mullet, tuna, mackerel, bonito, stingrays, gobies and others), oysters, mussels, squid, crabs, lobsters and others.

Additional information: the sea received its name due to the island on which there were rich developments of white marble, in ancient times called Propontis.

Location: West Side Atlantic Ocean, between Central and South America.

Area: 2,754 thousand sq. km.

Average depth: 2,491 m.

Greatest depth: 7,680 m (Cayman Trench).

Bottom topography: deep-sea ridges (Cayman, Aves, Beata, Marcelino threshold), basins (Grenadian, Venezuelan, Colombian, Bartlett, Yucatan).

Salinity: 35.5-36 ‰.

Currents move from east to west, and when leaving the Gulf of Mexico they give rise to the Gulf Stream.

Inhabitants: sharks, flying fish, sea turtles and other types of tropical fauna; There are sperm whales, humpback whales, seals and manatees.

Additional information: The Caribbean Sea borders the Gulf of Mexico and is crossed by the shortest sea ​​route, connecting ports of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Panama Canal.

Physiography Russia and USSR
European part: Arctic, Russian Plain, Caucasus, Ural

INTRODUCTORY PART

Introductory chapters:

• Seas washing the territory of Russia
  • Seas of the Atlantic Ocean
• From the history of geographical study of Russian territory
  • The initial period of scientific research on the territory of Russia
  • The period of major expeditionary research, including industry research
  • Soviet period of industrial and comprehensive research

Seas of the Atlantic Ocean

Three inland seas of the Atlantic Ocean - the Baltic, Black and Azov - wash small areas of Russian territory. All of them protrude deeply into the mainland, and their connection with the ocean is through other seas and shallow straits. Weak connection with the ocean determines their rather unique hydrological regime. The climate of the seas is decisively influenced by the westerly transport of air masses.

Table 1. Seas washing the territory of Russia

The ancient Slavs called the Baltic Sea Varyazhsky. This is the westernmost of the seas washing the shores of Russia. It is connected to the ocean through the shallow Danish Straits and the North Sea. The Baltic Sea was formed in Quaternary times in a tectonic trough that arose at the junction of the Baltic shield with the Russian plate. During periods of glaciation, its basin was covered by continental ice. In the Holocene, the sea went through several lacustrine and marine stages in its development and, apparently, at a certain period of time connected with the White Sea.

The depths of the Baltic Sea are shallow. The maximum depth is located south of Stockholm (470 m). In the Gulf of Finland near the coast of Russia the depth is less than 50 m, near the Kaliningrad coast - somewhat more.

The main features of the climate of the Baltic Sea are formed under the influence of the steady transport of temperate air from the Atlantic. Cyclones often pass through the sea, accompanied by western, southwestern and northwestern winds, cloudy weather and heavy rainfall. Their annual number reaches 800 mm or more. In summer, cyclones carry moist, cool air, so average temperature July 16-18°C, and water temperature 15-17°C. In winter, Atlantic air causes thaws, as its average temperature in January is about 0°C. The cold arctic air that sometimes breaks through here can lower the temperature to -30...-35°C. The Gulf of Finland, located near the borders of Russia, is covered with ice in winter, off the coast Kaliningrad region there are only floating ice. However, in exceptionally severe winters the entire sea froze (1710, 1809, 1923, 1941, 1955, etc.).

About 250 rivers flow into the Baltic Sea, but about 20% of the annual river flow is brought into the sea by the river. Neva (79.8 km 2). Its flow exceeds the flow of the other three largest rivers: the Vistula, the Neman and the Daugava, combined. The flow of the Neva is regulated by lakes, so it is characterized by one spring-summer maximum. Strong, long-lasting westerly winds raise the water level in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, which caused catastrophic floods in St. Petersburg, located at the mouth of the Neva (1824, 1924). Limited water exchange with the ocean and significant river runoff determine the low salinity of sea water (2-14‰, off the coast of Russia - 2-8‰).

The fauna of the Baltic Sea is depleted in species due to high desalination, low mixing of waters and poverty of plankton. Fishes of commercial importance are: herring, Baltic sprat, cod, whitefish, duck, lamprey, smelt, salmon. The sea is home to seals, whose numbers are declining due to pollution sea ​​waters.

The Black Sea is the warmest among the seas washing the shores of our Motherland. In ancient Greece it was called Pont Euxine, which means “hospitable sea.” It is almost equal in area to the Baltic, but differs sharply in volume and depth (see Table 1). The connection between the Black Sea and the ocean is carried out through a system of internal seas (Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean) and straits (Bosporus, Dardanelles, Gibraltar). The greatest length of the Black Sea water area from west to east reaches 1130 km, the maximum width (from north to south) is 611 km, the minimum is only 263 km.

The Black Sea lies in a deep tectonic basin with oceanic-type crust and Cenozoic sedimentary cover. The maximum depth of the sea reaches 2210 m. The depression is outlined by a continental slope, which in a number of places (especially off the Caucasian coast) is strongly dissected by underwater canyons. The shelf is most developed in the northwestern part of the sea, off the coast of Ukraine. The coastline of the sea is weakly dissected.

The geographical position of the sea and the relatively small area of ​​the water surface determine throughout its entire water area a uniform climate, close to the Mediterranean, with warm, wet winters and relatively dry summers. However, the orography of coastal areas causes some differences in the climate of individual parts of the sea, in particular an increase in precipitation over the eastern part due to the influence of the Caucasus mountain barrier.

In winter, the synoptic situation determines the predominance of northeastern winds with an average speed of 7-8 m/s over almost the entire sea area. The development of strong (more than 10 m/s) and especially stormy winds is associated with the passage of cyclones over the sea. The average air temperature in winter decreases from the open sea to the coast. In the northeastern part, near the coast of Russia, it approaches 0°C, in the northwest it is -2"C, and in the southeast + 4...+ 5°C.

In summer, northwest winds prevail over the sea. Their average speed is 3-5 m/s, decreasing from west to east. Strong, especially stormy, winds are rarely observed in summer and are also associated with the passage of cyclones. The average air temperature in August varies from + 22°C in the northwest to 24-25°C in the east of the sea.

Numerous rivers flowing into the Black Sea annually bring 346 km 2 of fresh water into it. The Danube gives the greatest flow (201 km 2 / year). All rivers in the northwestern part discharge 270 km 2 /year of fresh water into the sea, i.e. almost 80% of the total flow, while the rivers of the Caucasian coast bring only 43 km 2. The greatest flow occurs in spring, the lowest is observed in autumn.

There is a cyclonic current on the sea surface along the coast. In the central part of the sea, two rings of cyclonic currents can be traced: one in the western part, the other in the eastern part of the sea. Along the Russian coast, the current carries water from the south. Through the straits, water exchange occurs with neighboring seas. Through the Bosphorus, the surface current carries Black Sea water, and the deep current supplies saltier and heavier water from the Sea of ​​Marmara to the Black Sea. The salinity of the Black Sea waters in the central part is 17-18‰, and with depth it increases to 22.5‰. Near the mouths of large rivers it drops to 5-10‰.

The Black Sea is very unique in the distribution of dissolved gases in the water column. Only the upper layer to depths of 170-180 m is saturated with oxygen and therefore favorable for life. Below, oxygen is quickly replaced by poisonous hydrogen sulfide, distributed throughout the entire water column from the lower boundary of the oxygen layer to the bottom, so the deep layers of the Black Sea are devoid of life.

There are 166 species of fish in the sea. Among them there are Pontic relics (beluga, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, herring), Mediterranean forms (mullet, mackerel, horse mackerel, red mullet, sprat, anchovy, tuna, stingray, etc.) and freshwater (ram, pike perch, bream). Of the mammals in the Black Sea, endemics have been preserved - the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin (dolphin) and the white-bellied seal, or monk seal, listed in the Red Books.

The Sea of ​​Azov is the smallest and shallowest on the planet. Its area is 39.1 thousand km 2, the volume of water is 290 km 2, the greatest depth is 13 m, the average is about 7.4 m. The narrow and shallow Kerch Strait connects it with the Black Sea. The Sea of ​​Azov is shelf. The topography of its bottom is quite simple: the shallow coast turns into a smooth and flat bottom. Depths slowly and smoothly increase with distance from the coast.

The sea is deeply cut into the land, its water area and volume of water are small and do not have a significant impact on the climate; therefore, its climate has continental features, more pronounced in the northern part of the sea, which is characterized by cold winters and hot, dry summers. In the southern regions, which are more influenced by the Black Sea, the climate is milder and wetter. The average temperature in January is -2...-5°С, but with stormy winds from the eastern and north-eastern directions, temperatures can drop to -25...-27°С. In summer, the air over the sea warms up to 23-25°C.

Two rivers flow into the Sea of ​​Azov large rivers- Don and Kuban and about 20 small rivers. The Don and Kuban bring over 90% of the annual river flow to the sea, so almost all fresh waters flow into the eastern part of the sea. The vast majority of runoff occurs in the spring and summer. Water exchange with the Black Sea occurs through the Kerch Strait. About 49 km 2 of water flows out of the Sea of ​​Azov per year, and about 34 km 2 of Black Sea water flows in, i.e. outflow to the Black Sea predominates. The salinity of sea waters in the Sea of ​​Azov in the first half of the century was about 11‰. Then, due to a reduction in the influx of river water used for irrigation and an increase in the influx of Black Sea water, salinity began to increase and by the beginning of the 80s it reached 13.8‰.

The shallow Azov Sea warms up well in summer. In July-August, the average sea water temperature is 24-25°C. Maximum warming (up to 32°C) occurs near the coast. In the open sea the temperature does not exceed 28-28.5°C. Perennial average annual temperature water on the sea surface is 11°C.

Ice forms on the Sea of ​​Azov every year, but due to frequent and rapid changes in weather conditions, ice can appear and disappear repeatedly during the winter, turning from stationary to drifting and back again. Ice formation begins at the end of November in the Taganrog Bay. The final clearing of the sea from ice occurs in March - April.