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Is the Southern Ocean the 5th ocean?
Historically, there are four named oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. However, most countries – including the United States – now recognize the Southern (Antarctic) as the fifth ocean.
Why is the Southern Ocean Special?
As described in National Geographic by NOAA marine scientist Seth Sykora-Bodie, the Southern Ocean is unique in that “the glaciers are bluer, the air colder, the mountains more intimidating and the landscapes more captivating than anywhere else you can go.”
What is happening to the Southern Ocean?
Water cooled by cold air, outgoing radiation, and katabatic winds off of the Antarctic continent sinks and flows northward along the ocean bottom and is replaced at the surface by an equal volume of warmer water flowing south from the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans.
Who approved the Southern Ocean as the world’s 5th ocean?
Soon after, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recognized the body of water as the fifth ocean in 1999 after the Board of Geographic Names approved the title, “Southern Ocean,” reports Paulina Firozi for the Washington Post.
Why is the Southern Ocean an ocean?
One reason for considering it as a separate ocean stems from the fact that much of the water of the Southern Ocean differs from the water in the other oceans. Water gets transported around the Southern Ocean fairly rapidly because of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current which circulates around Antarctica.
What are 5 interesting facts about the Southern Ocean?
20 Southern Ocean Facts for Kids The total volume of the Southern Ocean is 17.2 million mi3 of water. The Southern Ocean contains 5.4\% of all the world’s ocean water. The Southern Ocean is the second smallest of all five oceans. The total surface area of the Southern Ocean is 8.4 million mi2.
Is the Southern Ocean a new thing?
There’s a new ocean now—can you name all 5? The Gerlache Strait lies off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, in the large band of ocean around Antarctica that has been reclassified as the Southern Ocean by National Geographic cartographers. The strait would once have been considered part of the Pacific.
Why is the Southern Ocean warming?
Recent Southern Ocean warming and freshening driven by greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion. Nat. Geosci. 11, 836–841 (2018).
What makes the Southern Ocean an ocean?
Inside the ACC, the waters are colder and slightly less salty than ocean waters to the north. Ocean circulation defines the Southern Ocean. Extending from the surface to the ocean floor, the ACC transports more water than any other ocean current.
After decades of debate, National Geographic announced on June 8, 2021, that it will officially recognize the Southern Ocean as the Earth’s fifth ocean. The proclamation coincided with the 2021 World Oceans Day, and as part of the initiative, the exploratory institution said that it would be updating its maps.
Why did National Geographic name a fifth ocean?
Part of the motivation behind National Geographic’s decision to name a fifth ocean, which was announced on World Oceans Day (June 8), was that giving a place a name can also give it status. Ocean conservation is a huge project, and it’s easier to raise awareness about the Southern Ocean than it is to do the same about “that one area of water.”
How many oceans are there in the world?
Since National Geographic began making maps in 1915, it has recognized four oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans. Starting on June 8, World Oceans Day, it will recognize the Southern Ocean as the world’s fifth ocean.
How many oceans are in the Southern Ocean?
The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world’s five oceans. Are There Really Five Oceans? For some time, those in geographic circles have debated whether there are four or five oceans on Earth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WyWTOstxOQ