Deepest Point In The Ocean

Deepest Point In The Ocean
The deepest part of the ocean was first pinpointed in 1951 by HM Survey Ship Challenger in the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean. On January 23, 1960, the US Navy Trieste vessel descended to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and on March 24, 1995, the Japanese probe Kaiko recorded a depth of 10,911 m (35,797 ft), the most accurate measurement yet taken. Our highest mountain, Mount Everest in Nepal, at a little over 29,000 feet would be completely swallowed by the ocean at that point.

Largest Island
Discounting Australia, which has an area of 7,682,300 sq km. (2,966,200 sq miles) but is usually regarded as a continental landmass, the largest island in the world is Greenland, with an area of about 2,175,600 sq km (840,000 sq miles).

Largest Ocean
Excluding adjacent seas, the Pacific Ocean represents 45.9% of the world's oceans and covers 166,241,700 km² (64,186,000 miles²) in area. The average depth is 3,940 m (12,925 ft). The ocean was first given its name, which means "peaceful" in 1520 by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan. Across its greatest length it measures 17,700 km (10,998 miles). The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean and covers around 80 million sq km. It was named after the Atlas Mountains in North Africa.

Smallest Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, with an area of 9,485,000 sq km (3,662,000 sq miles), is the smallest ocean. It has a maximum depth of 5,450 m (17,880 ft). The Arctic Ocean is not completely enclosed by land, however, and so is sometimes refered to as an arm of the Atlantic. It is also connected to the waters of the Pacific Ocean by the Bering Strait.

Thickest Ice
The greatest recorded thickness of ice is 4.78 km. (2.97 miles), measured by radio echo soundings from a US Antarctic research aircraft. Antarctica is 97.6% covered in snow and ice. The huge continent has no indigenous inhabitants.

Highest Waterspout
The highest waterspout recorded was on May 16, 1898, off the coast of Eden, New South Wales, Australia. A theodolite reading from the shore gave its height as 1,528 m. (5,014 ft.).

What are The Seven Seas?

A phrase often used to emphasise extensive travel with its origins in the early history of global sea voyages. Some ancient civilizations used the phrase to describe the seven large bodies of water that were known to them at the time. Historians generally think that these were the Indian Ocean, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Adriatic Sea, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea. The modern world recognises more than 50 seas worldwide.

The Saltiest & Warmest Sea.

The Red Sea has 41 parts salt per 1,000 parts of water. The Red Sea is also the warmest sea where temperatures regularly range from 68 degrees to 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why is the Sea Salty?

Over billions of years fresh water flowing across the land has dissolved salt out of the rocks and has carried these mineral deposits out to sea. The salt remains in the sea as water doesn’t flow out of the ocean basins, and water evaporating from the sea to form rain leaves the heavier minerals behind. Seawater also picks up salt from the oceanic crust.

Undersea Riches

There are massive mineral reserves on the oceans’ floors. These range from sand and gravel, to manganese, nickel, copper, cobalt. Surveys have found that there are higher concentrations of diamonds in the oceans than on land, with deposits off the Skeleton Coast of Namibia being particularly plentiful. There are also huge untapped reserves of methane that could be used as fuel.