As the only known entrance from the Atlantic, the Strait of Magellan was at times patrolled by fleets sent to prevent entrance of non-Spanish ships. The western Pacific has many major marginal seas, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Philippine Sea, the Coral Sea, and the Tasman Sea. The Pacific Ocean has a slightly deeper average depth than the Atlantic Ocean, with an average depth of about 2.6 miles (about 4.2 km), compared with the Atlantic's average depth of 2.05 miles (about 3.3 km). The Southern Pacific Ocean harbors the Southeast Indian Ridge crossing from south of Australia turning into the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge (north of the South Pole) and merges with another ridge (south of South America) to form the East Pacific Rise which also connects with another ridge (south of North America) which overlooks the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The temperature of the Ocean varies greatly. Nearly half of the world's marine waters are over 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) deep. It covers more than one third of Earth’s surface and … Trade, and therefore knowledge, extended to the Indonesian islands but apparently not Australia. [26], In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain considered the Pacific Ocean a mare clausum—a sea closed to other naval powers. [32], In Oceania, France obtained a leading position as imperial power after making Tahiti and New Caledonia protectorates in 1842 and 1853, respectively. It has an average depth of 3,970 meters. As it approaches the Chilean coast, the South Equatorial Current divides; one branch flows around Cape Horn and the other turns north to form the Peru or Humboldt Current. Besides being the largest ocean, Pacific Ocean also become the deepest ocean with the mean depth until 4,280 m. [3] Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, located in the western north Pacific, is the deepest point in the world, reaching a depth of 10,928 meters (35,853 feet). asked Jul 4 '16 at 6:27. It is called the Pacific Antarctic Submarine Ridge. “Pacific-ing Asian Pacific American History,”, This page was last edited on 10 March 2021, at 23:37. Calculate the volume of water in the ocean in liters. Home » Sciences » Geography » What is The Average Depth of Pacific Ocean? Pacific hurricanes form south of Mexico, sometimes striking the western Mexican coast and occasionally the southwestern United States between June and October, while typhoons forming in the northwestern Pacific moving into southeast and east Asia from May to December. Long-distance trade developed all along the coast from Mozambique to Japan. [79] Overfishing has become a serious problem in some areas. One of the most dramatic is the Great Barrier Reef off northeastern Australia with chains of reef patches. The name Pacific, which means peaceful, was given to it by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer surveys an interesting geological feature during the final dive of the Windows to the Deep 2018 expedition. To determine the phase of ENSO, the most recent three-month sea surface temperature average for the area approximately 3,000 km (1,900 mi) to the southeast of Hawaii is computed, and if the region is more than 0.5 Â°C (0.9 Â°F) above or below normal for that period, then an El Niño or La Niña is considered in progress.[66]. At its deepest point, the Pacific is 10,920 meters, or 35,827 feet deep. Besides, it is estimated that almost half of the water area of our planet is provided by the Pacific Ocean. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. The extent of the Pacific Ocean is from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south. "North Pacific", "Pacific", and "Pacific region" redirect here. The littoral zone ranges from the ocean's surface to 0.2 km deep. The Challenger Deep is part of the Mariana Trench, a deep groove in the sea floor where one tectonic plate is being subducted under another tectonic plate. [84], Marine pollution is a generic term for the harmful entry into the ocean of chemicals or particles. The Pacific Ocean is not only the deepest ocean, with an average depth of 13,740 feet (4,188 meters), but it also contains the deepest point on the planet, at 36,070 feet (10,994 meters). This is more than 3,000 feet deeper than its closest rival (the Atlantic Ocean which has an average depth of 10,900 feet). Temperatures near the equator are around 86°F, while the waters at the poles are as low as 29.5°F. Figure 1. The Pacific Ocean’s average depth is the greatest of any ocean, and it also contains the deepest known oceanic trenches. [68] The Pacific hosts the two most active tropical cyclone basins, which are the northwestern Pacific and the eastern Pacific. Among these are Bougainville, Hawaii, and the Solomon Islands. A second island type formed of coral is the uplifted coral platform, which is usually slightly larger than the low coral islands. ocean oceanography. ", Routledge, David. [69] A climatological low in the Gulf of Alaska keeps the southern coast wet and mild during the winter months. Its mean depth is 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Which Country Has The Longest Border in The World. [54], Islands in the Pacific Ocean are of four basic types: continental islands, high islands, coral reefs and uplifted coral platforms. Its average depth is about 3,688 meters (12,100 ft), and its maximum depth is 10,994 meters (6.831 mi) at the Mariana Trench. [58] Surface water temperatures in the Pacific can vary from −1.4 Â°C (29.5 Â°F), the freezing point of sea water, in the poleward areas to about 30 Â°C (86 Â°F) near the equator. The arrows represent Improve this question. [47], The Pacific Ocean has most of the islands in the world. The Pacific Ocean extends for about 15,800 km from north to south and for about 19,500 km from east to west. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. The Pacific Ocean is Shrinking. The Pacific Ocean extends for about 15,800 km from north to south and for about 19,500 km from east to west. Nearly 20,000 islands dot this vast ocean. The average depth of the ocean is about 12,100 feet. [17] Although Magellan himself died in the Philippines in 1521, Spanish navigator Juan Sebastián Elcano led the remains of the expedition back to Spain across the Indian Ocean and round the Cape of Good Hope, completing the first world circumnavigation in 1522. [59] Salinity also varies latitudinally, reaching a maximum of 37 parts per thousand in the southeastern area. The surface area and average depth of the Pacific Ocean are 1.8 x 108 km2 and 3.9 x 103 m, respectively. ", "GEOL 102 The Proterozoic Eon II: Rodinia and Pannotia", "Pacific Ocean Threats & Impacts: Overfishing and Exploitation", Plastic waste in the North Pacific is an ongoing concern, "Photos: Giant Ocean-Trash Vortex Documented – A First", "Marshall Islands marks 71 years since start of US nuclear tests on Bikini", "Bikinians evacuated 'for good of mankind' endure lengthy nuclear fallout", "How many nuclear weapons are at the bottom of the sea. Pacific’s coastal shelf extends around 180-200 m of depth. November is the only month in which all the tropical cyclone basins are active. The Atlantic ocean only comes in at third place (after the Indian ocean) at a 700 meters (2,300 ft) less average depth . [65], In the tropical and subtropical Pacific, the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affects weather conditions. [22], In 1564, five Spanish ships carrying 379 explorers crossed the ocean from Mexico led by Miguel López de Legazpi, and sailed to the Philippines and Mariana Islands. [63] The South Equatorial Current, flowing west along the equator, swings southward east of New Guinea, turns east at about 50°S, and joins the main westerly circulation of the South Pacific, which includes the Earth-circling Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The average depth of the Pacific is about 3700 metres. [41], As the Pacific straddles the 180th meridian, the West Pacific (or western Pacific, near Asia) is in the Eastern Hemisphere, while the East Pacific (or eastern Pacific, near the Americas) is in the Western Hemisphere.[42]. At its greatest width, the ocean extends some 12,000 miles (19,300 kilometers). It occupies 46.6% of total ocean area. There are four divisions of the deep sea ocean: the littoral, bathyal, abyssal, and hadal zones. "By clicking OK or by using this Website, you consent to the use of cookies. Pacific ocean is the most deepest ocean in the world. Depths beyond 6 km are referred to as the hadal zone. [1] The Pacific Ocean encompasses approximately one-third of the Earth's surface, having an area of 165,200,000 km2 (63,800,000 sq mi)— larger than Earth's entire landmass combined, 150,000,000 km2 (58,000,000 sq mi). The excess of oxygen-depleting chemicals in the water leads to hypoxia and the creation of a dead zone. Oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and coastlines, frequently washing aground where it is known as beach litter. They were part of a Spanish expedition to the Spice Islands that would eventually result in the first world circumnavigation. The eastern side of the ocean was discovered by Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa in 1513 after his expedition crossed the Isthmus of Panama and reached a new ocean. The Pacific Ocean is the only ocean which is mostly bounded by subduction zones. Examples include Banaba (formerly Ocean Island) and Makatea in the Tuamotu group of French Polynesia. [36] Since the end of World War II, many former colonies in the Pacific have become independent states. The Pacific separates Asia and Australia from the Americas. "Pacific/Oceanic History" in, Stillman, Amy Ku‘uleialoha. [80], The quantity of small plastic fragments floating in the north-east Pacific Ocean increased a hundredfold between 1972 and 2012. Your personal data will be governed by Mapsofworld. The Pacific’s greatest dimension stretches from east to west, with nearly half the length of the Equator lying across its surface. This ocean is also the largest ocean in the world. 3790 meters or 12430 feet. When is Father’s Day Celebrated Around the World? The average depth of the Indian Ocean is 272 ft less than four-fifths of the average depth of the Atlantic Ocean. Contour plot of annual average thermocline (18øC isotherm) depth (in meters) in the tropical Pacific. To Magellan, it seemed much more calm (pacific) than the Atlantic. Many tropical storms batter the islands of the Pacific. The other main Melanesian groups from north to south are the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz, Vanuatu, Fiji and New Caledonia. What is the average depth of pacific ocean? Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on earth. It may be further subdivided by the equator into northern (North Pacific) and southern (South Pacific) portions. In 219 BC Xu Fu sailed out into the Pacific searching for the elixir of immortality. [64], The climate patterns of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres generally mirror each other. By at least 878 when there was a significant Islamic settlement in Canton much of this trade was controlled by Arabs or Muslims. [86], Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created waste that has ended up floating in a lake, sea, ocean, or waterway. The Westerlies and associated jet stream within the Mid-Latitudes can be particularly strong, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, due to the temperature difference between the tropics and Antarctica,[70] which records the coldest temperature readings on the planet. Its area is about 161.8 million km². The depth estimate of 2.3 miles is about 69 to 167 feet (21 to 51 meters) less than previous estimates. Gulliver, Katrina. [71], The ocean was first mapped by Abraham Ortelius; he called it Maris Pacifici following Ferdinand Magellan's description of it as "a pacific sea" during his circumnavigation from 1519 to 1522. [1], Due to the effects of plate tectonics, the Pacific Ocean is currently shrinking by roughly 2.5 cm (1 in) per year on three sides, roughly averaging 0.52 km2 (0.20 sq mi) a year. The North Equatorial Current, driven westward along latitude 15°N by the trade winds, turns north near the Philippines to become the warm Japan or Kuroshio Current. The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's oceanic divisions. The surface area of the Pacific Ocean is 169,479,000 square km, or 65,436,200 square miles. These include the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain and the Louisville Ridge. Dinidu Hewage Dinidu Hewage. Don't get fooled though. Though the peoples of Asia and Oceania have traveled the Pacific Ocean since prehistoric times, the eastern Pacific was first sighted by Europeans in the early 16th century when Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1513 and discovered the great "Southern Sea" which he named Mar del Sur (in Spanish). North and Central Pacific. Significant contributions to oceanographic knowledge were made by the voyages of HMS Beagle in the 1830s, with Charles Darwin aboard;[29] HMS Challenger during the 1870s;[30] the USS Tuscarora (1873–76);[31] and the German Gazelle (1874–76). An (almost certainly incomplete) census of broken arrows over water", "U.S. discloses accidents involving nuclear weapons", EPIC Pacific Ocean Data Collection Viewable, NOAA PMEL Argo profiling floats Realtime Pacific Ocean data, List of countries where Arabic is an official language, Lower Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests, Northwestern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pacific_Ocean&oldid=1011451252, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles using infobox body of water without pushpin map, Articles using infobox body of water without image bathymetry, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2021, Articles to be expanded from December 2020, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎, Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The Pacific Ocean is home to around 25,000 islands, which are divided into three main groups; Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. [46] Later, the Diogo Ribeiro map of 1529 was the first to show the Pacific at about its proper size. The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is $14,040 \mathrm{ft}$, and its depth is $8890 \mathrm{ft}$ less than the sum of the average depths of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. km which is greater than the total land area on earth. Tropical cyclones also form in the South Pacific basin, where they occasionally impact island nations. Dutch explorers, sailing around southern Africa, also engaged in discovery and trade; Willem Janszoon, made the first completely documented European landing in Australia (1606), in Cape York Peninsula,[25] and Abel Janszoon Tasman circumnavigated and landed on parts of the Australian continental coast and discovered Tasmania and New Zealand in 1642. [34](p53) By 1900 nearly all Pacific islands were in control of Britain, France, United States, Germany, Japan, and Chile.[33]. It is quite narrow throughout the South and North America. [82] The ever-growing Great Pacific garbage patch between California and Japan is three times the size of France. In the arctic, icing from October to May can present a hazard for shipping while persistent fog occurs from June to December. The mean depth of the Pacific (excluding adjacent seas) is 14,040 feet (4,280 metres), and its greatest known depth is 36,201 feet (11,034 metres)—in the Mariana Trench—also the greatest depth found in any ocean. The surface area and average depth of the Pacific Ocean are 1.8 \times 10^{8} \mathrm{~km}^{2} and 3.9 \times 10^{3} \mathrm{~m}, respectively. For example, catches in the rich fishing grounds of the Okhotsk Sea off the Russian coast have been reduced by at least half since the 1990s as a result of overfishing. [43] The lands around the Pacific Rim are full of volcanoes and often affected by earthquakes. For most of Magellan's voyage from the Strait of Magellan to the Philippines, the explorer indeed found the ocean peaceful; however, the Pacific is not always peaceful. The floor of the Pacific in the eastern part rises to form a submarine plateau, called Albatross Plateau. There is a large number of trenches in the Pacific ocean. The depth of the deepest seas can exceed 11,000 meters. Including its seas, the Pacific has an area of 179,679,000 sq km, an average depth of 3,984 m, and a water volume of 723,699,000 cu km. The average depth of the Pacific is 14,000 feet. More facts about oceans: The shallowest ocean is the Arctic Ocean, with an average depth of about 0.65 miles (about 1 km). The Galápagos and Gilbert Islands, while straddling the equator, are deemed wholly within the South Pacific.[2]. The trade winds in the southern and eastern Pacific are remarkably steady while conditions in the North Pacific are far more varied with, for example, cold winter temperatures on the east coast of Russia contrasting with the milder weather off British Columbia during the winter months due to the preferred flow of ocean currents. [76] The oldest Pacific Ocean floor is only around 180 Ma old, with older crust subducted by now.[77]. In 1520, navigator Ferdinand Magellan and his crew were the first to cross the Pacific in recorded history. To the north, the Bering Strait connects the Pacific with the Arctic Ocean. ", Dirlik, Arif. Pacific Ocean led the list of the deepest ocean on earth with an average depth of 3939 meters.Some interesting facts about the deepest ocean, the Pacific Ocean include: a.Pacific Ocean Marine World is the largest division with an area of 169.2 million square kilometers. The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is 3,800 meters, or 12,467 feet. Ocean Depth. The Pacific Ocean has a surface area of roughly 64,000,000 square miles. On the western side of the Pacific Ocean the Dutch threatened the Spanish Philippines. It’s coastline is 135,662 kilometers long. Outside the andesite line, volcanism is of the explosive type, and the Pacific Ring of Fire is the world's foremost belt of explosive volcanism. This number is just the average depth. [55], The coral reefs of the South Pacific are low-lying structures that have built up on basaltic lava flows under the ocean's surface. [85], From 1946 to 1958, Marshall Islands served as the Pacific Proving Grounds for the United States and was the site of 67 nuclear tests on various atolls. It is situated in the Coral Sea, off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland. Ocean circulation (caused by the Coriolis effect) subdivides it[citation needed] into two largely independent volumes of water, which meet at the equator: the North(ern) Pacific Ocean and South(ern) Pacific Ocean. What are the Key Facts of The United Kingdom? The deepest point in the Pacific Ocean is Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench (which is located north of New Guinea and west of the Philippines). It extends from the Antarctic region in the South to the Arctic in the north. Average depth is generally around 7,300 metres. "Pacific history as seen from the Pacific Islands. [23] For the remainder of the 16th century, Spanish influence was paramount, with ships sailing from Mexico and Peru across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippines via Guam, and establishing the Spanish East Indies. The ocean's current name was coined by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during the Spanish circumnavigation of the world in 1521, as he encountered favorable winds on reaching the ocean. The main culprits are those using the rivers for disposing of their waste. Its shape is roughly triangular with its apex in the north at the Bering Strait. It sailed vast areas of the Pacific, from Cape Horn to Alaska, Guam and the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia, and the South Pacific. The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. One of the biggest natural attraction in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, is also situated in the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese-ruled Northern Mariana Islands came under the control of the United States. In the Southern hemisphere, because of the stormy and cloudy conditions associated with extratropical cyclones riding the jet stream, it is usual to refer to the Westerlies as the Roaring Forties, Furious Fifties and Shrieking Sixties according to the varying degrees of latitude. If we consider as a whole, what is the average depth of the ocean? Its southern arm becomes the chilled slow, south-flowing California Current. Magellan called the ocean Pacífico (or "Pacific" meaning, "peaceful") because, after sailing through the stormy seas off Cape Horn, the expedition found calm waters. (Some areas of the ocean, such as the Mariana Trench (at nearly 7 … But on average the ocean is a lot shallower. Subdivided by the Equator into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean, it covers around one-third of the total surface area of the earth, and approximately 46 percent of the water surface. Enjoy the Video! The Americas are located to the east of the Pacific Ocean, while Australia and Asia are to its south. [24], Growing imperialism during the 19th century resulted in the occupation of much of Oceania by European powers, and later Japan and the United States. By contrast, the Atlantic Ocean is increasing in size. It separates Oceania and Asia with the Americas. High islands are of volcanic origin, and many contain active volcanoes. "Finding the Pacific world. The average depth of Pacific Ocean is 15,213 feet. ", Samson, Jane. It occupies an area of 168,723,000 square kilometers. [87][88] Several nuclear weapons were lost in the Pacific Ocean,[89] including one-megaton bomb lost during the 1965 Philippine Sea A-4 incident.[90]. [33] After navy visits to Easter Island in 1875 and 1887, Chilean navy officer Policarpo Toro negotiated the incorporation of the island into Chile with native Rapanui in 1888. Coordinates: 32.925239149423, -119.37738778389. It is also estimated that nearly 75 percent of the volcanoes on earth are located in the Pacific Ocean. Although the United States gained control of Guam and the Philippines from Spain in 1898,[35] Japan controlled most of the western Pacific by 1914 and occupied many other islands during the Pacific War; however, by the end of that war, Japan was defeated and the U.S. Pacific Fleet was the virtual master of the ocean. [72], The andesite line is the most significant regional distinction in the Pacific. 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) is the average depth of the Pacific Ocean. The ocean was often called the Sea of Magellan in his honor until the eighteenth century. Continental islands lie outside the andesite line and include New Guinea, the islands of New Zealand, and the Philippines. The Pacific is the oldest of the existing ocean basins, its oldest rocks having been dated at 200 million years. Which US State has Produced The Most Presidents? Share. In the tropical western Pacific, the monsoon and the related wet season during the summer months contrast with dry winds in the winter which blow over the ocean from the Asian landmass. # Deepest ocean depth is in the Marianas Trench, measured at 10,911 meters. [37], Extending approximately 15,500 km (9,600 mi) from the Bering Sea in the Arctic to the northern extent of the circumpolar Southern Ocean at 60°S (older definitions extend it to Antarctica's Ross Sea), the Pacific reaches its greatest east–west width at about 5°N latitude, where it stretches approximately 19,800 km (12,300 mi) from Indonesia to the coast of Colombia—halfway around the world, and more than five times the diameter of the Moon. "The Pacific Age in World History,", "Recent Literature in Discovery History. In addition, the Pacific Ocean has served as the crash site of satellites, including Mars 96, Fobos-Grunt, and Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. Download image (jpg, 36 KB). [18] Sailing around and east of the Moluccas, between 1525 and 1527, Portuguese expeditions discovered the Caroline Islands,[19] the Aru Islands,[20] and Papua New Guinea. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Spanish expeditions also discovered Tuvalu, the Marquesas, the Cook Islands, the Solomon Islands, and the Admiralty Islands in the South Pacific. See also: Types of Ocean Trout; Unique Characteristics of Atlantic Ocean; 1. [5] The third deepest point on Earth, the Sirena Deep, is also located in the Mariana Trench. [28] One of the earliest voyages of scientific exploration was organized by Spain in the Malaspina Expedition of 1789–1794. The Indonesian Seaway (including the Strait of Malacca and Torres Strait) joins the Pacific and the Indian Ocean to the west, and Drake Passage and the Strait of Magellan link the Pacific with the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).. Its maximum depth is estimated to be 10,971 meters (6.8 miles) in the Pacific Ocean, contrasting with the shallow waters of the Arctic Ocean. The bathyal zone ranges from 0.2 km to 3km deep, while the abyssal zone ranges from 3 km to 6 km deep. The Pacific Ocean contains several long seamount chains, formed by hotspot volcanism. Flynn, Dennis O., Arturo Giráldez, and James Sobredo, eds. In 1768, Pierre-Antoine Véron, a young astronomer accompanying Louis Antoine de Bougainville on his voyage of exploration, established the width of the Pacific with precision for the first time in history. You might also like Top 5 Tallest Mountains in the World! The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean basin on Earth, covering more than 155 million square kilometers (60 million square miles) and averaging a depth of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). Mark Tipple/Taxi/Getty Images. [78], Fish are an important economic asset in the Pacific. [61], Turning eastward at about 45°N, the Kuroshio forks and some water moves northward as the Aleutian Current, while the rest turns southward to rejoin the North Equatorial Current. [16] Magellan stopped at one uninhabited Pacific island before stopping at Guam in March 1521. Besides, the Pacific Ocean is also the deepest ocean on earth, with the average depth of about 3,800 meters or 12,500 feet. Spain also sent expeditions to the Pacific Northwest, reaching Vancouver Island in southern Canada, and Alaska. [53], The largest area, Polynesia, stretching from Hawaii in the north to New Zealand in the south, also encompasses Tuvalu, Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga and the Kermadec Islands to the west, the Cook Islands, Society Islands and Austral Islands in the center, and the Marquesas Islands, Tuamotu, Mangareva Islands, and Easter Island to the east. Within the closed loop of the andesite line are most of the deep troughs, submerged volcanic mountains, and oceanic volcanic islands that characterize the Pacific basin. Among these, the largest is Polynesia, which extends from Hawaii to New Zealand. [15] He named it Mar del Sur (literally, "Sea of the South" or "South Sea") because the ocean was to the south of the coast of the isthmus where he first observed the Pacific. [51] The Ring of Fire is named after the several hundred active volcanoes that sit above the various subduction zones. Pacific ocean is located in the USA (state: California, county: San Bernardino). By occupying Easter Island, Chile joined the imperial nations. What was the Confederate States of America? In the Pacific Tropical Convergence, which coincides with the Equatorial Countercurrent, water sinks to a depth of about 300 feet (90 metres) before it spreads laterally. The average depth of the ocean is 3,682 meters, or 12,080 feet. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south and is bounded by the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east. However, it is relatively wide in Australia and Asia.The East Pacific is a mid-ocean ridge extending in the longitudinal direction, some 8,700 km from the Gulf of California to a located about 3,600 km west of the southern tip of South America point, and rises with an average height about 2,130 m above the ocean floor. Follow edited Jul 4 '16 at 6:57. The dissimilarity continues northeastward along the western edge of the Andes Cordillera along South America to Mexico, returning then to the islands off California. The first contact of European navigators with the western edge of the Pacific Ocean was made by the Portuguese expeditions of António de Abreu and Francisco Serrão, via the Lesser Sunda Islands, to the Maluku Islands, in 1512,[12][13] and with Jorge Álvares's expedition to southern China in 1513,[14] both ordered by Afonso de Albuquerque from Malacca. The Mariana Trench, which is located in western Pacific is the deepest point in the world at 35,797 feet (10,911 meters). What is the name of the Sea between Japan and Korea? About 3000 BC, the Austronesian peoples on the island of Taiwan mastered the art of long-distance canoe travel and spread themselves and their languages south to the Philippines, Indonesia, and maritime Southeast Asia; west towards Madagascar; southeast towards New Guinea and Melanesia (intermarrying with native Papuans); and east to the islands of Micronesia, Oceania and Polynesia.[11]. You're signed out. (Without the seas, the figures are 165,246,200 sq km, 4,282 m, and 707,555,000 cu km, respectively.) At 165,250,000 square kilometers (63,800,000 square miles) in the area (as defined with a southern Antarctic border), this largest division of the World Ocean—and, in turn, the hydrosphere—covers about 46% of Earth's water surface and about 32% of its total surface area, making it larger than all of Earth's land area combined (148,000,000 square kilometers). From 1404 to 1433 Zheng He led expeditions into the Indian Ocean. Here basaltic lavas gently flow out of rifts to build huge dome-shaped volcanic mountains whose eroded summits form island arcs, chains, and clusters.