Southern Ocean

The up to 5805 meters deep Southern Ocean, also known as the Southern Ocean, Southern Arctic Ocean, Antarctic Ocean or Antarctica, with 20.327 million km ² according to the Arctic Ocean ( Arctic Ocean ) is the second smallest ocean in the world. Together with the land mass of Antarctica, it forms the world region of Antarctica.

Geography

The Southern Ocean comprises the sea area south of the 60th parallel and south of the Antarctic Convergence. Thus, the marine areas are summarized surrounding the Antarctic continent (the actual land mass of Antarctica ). To the north it goes over each into the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

The term Southern Ocean was officially decided in the spring of 2000 by the International Hydrographic Organization ( IHO ). Until then, the Antarctic marine areas have been designated as Southern Arctic Ocean, consisting of the respective areas of the southern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. These sea areas are now referred to as the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific sectors of the Southern Ocean. The definition follows the legal definition of the Antarctic Treaty. The natural boundary formed by the Antarctic Convergence. That is the zone in which to meet the cold waters of the Southern Ocean to the warm waters of the North. It runs between the 40th and 60th degree of latitude, and is both the course and seasonally variable.

In the Southern Ocean is an amazing ecosystem has developed, is the key figure in the krill. In the winter freeze large parts. These areas are then called pack ice. Typical of the Southern Ocean are tabular icebergs that arise from fragments of the ice shelf. It is regarded by sailors as the stormiest of all the world's oceans.

In the Southern Ocean there is a complex flow system, which is essentially composed of three main streams: The Antarctic surface water, the Antarctic bottom water and the Circumpolar Deep Water. The Antarctic bottom water is formed especially in the coastal area of Antarctica is the coldest and densest water mass in the world, the cold water transported away from the area of ​​Antarctica, where it could be proven even more north of the Equator in the Atlantic. The Antarctic surface water is formed as a result of thawing of ice sheets in Antarctica and has a very low salt content and a correspondingly low density. Between the severe Antarctic bottom water and the light Antarctic surface water, the abtransporieren both cold water from Antarctica, is the layer of warmer Circumpolar Deep Water, which is pressed with increasing proximity to the Antarctic continent by the topography of the seabed and the sinking Antarctic bottom water to the top. This creates a zone of strong buoyancy, the Antarctic divergence.

Data

The Southern Ocean has an area of ​​approximately 20,327,000 km ². In the Atlantic- Indian - Südpolarbecken he is deeply to 5805 m; This deep stop is located at 61 ° 0 ' 0 " S, 44 ° 0' 0" E - 6144-5805. A maximum depth of 7235 meters is reached in the southernmost foothills of the South Sandwich trough at 61 ° 0 ' 0 " S, 24 ° 0' 0 " W -61- 24-7235, about 180 km south-east of the Southern Thule Islands - the greater part of these deep-sea channel and its deepest point, however, are north of 60 ° south latitude, and are thus part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Seabed

Within the Southern Ocean and on the seabed there are thresholds, deepwater basin and a deep groove.

In the Southern Ocean are both the offshoots of these thresholds or back, which will go toward the north to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific: the southeastern foothills of the Kerguelen Gaussberg - back and the southwest part of the South Pacific back. The three major ocean basins, of which extend at least the southern areas in the Southern Ocean, are to 5,872 m deep Atlantic- Indian - Südpolarbecken which to 5,455 m deep and the Indian Südpolarbecken to 5,399 m deep Pacific Südpolarbecken; these pass into the north in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. This includes even the Südantillenbecken, which merges with the Atlantic Ocean to the north. The deep-water channel is the outermost southern foothills of the South Sandwich channel, which passes to the north in the Atlantic Ocean and is there to 8264 m deep.

Besides seas

The Southern Ocean has, just like the rest of the oceans also have a whole range of important bordering seas. Because include ( clockwise order ) would list:

Islands

In the Southern Ocean and off the coast of Antarctica are, for example, these islands and island groups include Alexander I Island, Balleny Islands, Berkner Island, Ross Island, Scott Island, South Orkney Islands and South Shetland Islands.