Atlantic Ocean: a characteristic of the plan. School geography course

In the school course of the study of the oceans must pass the Atlantic. This water area is quite interesting, which is why we will pay attention to it in our article. So, here is the characteristic of the Atlantic Ocean according to plan:

1. Hydronym.
2. Basic moments.
3. Temperature regime.
4. Salinity of water.
5. Seas and islands of the Atlantic Ocean.
6. Flora and fauna.
7. Minerals.
8. Problems.

Also you will find here a brief comparative description of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Hydronym

Its name is the Atlantic Ocean, which is described below, thanks to the ancient Greeks, who believed that the hero of Atlas myths keeps the firmament on the edge of the Earth. The modern name was established in the 16th century, at the time of the great seafarers and discoveries.

Basic moments

The Atlantic Ocean stretched along the globe from north to south from Antarctica to Antarctica, washing 5 continents: Antarctica, North and South America, Eurasia and Africa. Its area is 91.6 million square kilometers. The deepest point of the Atlantic is the Puerto Rican Trench (8742 m), and the average depth is about 3.7 thousand m.

A characteristic feature of the second largest ocean is its elongated shape. Along the Atlantic passes the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the lithospheric plates: in the west - South American, Caribbean and North American; In the east - African and Eurasian. The length of the ridge is 16 thousand km, and the width is about 1 km. There is often a lava and earthquake eruption. The opening of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is associated with the laying of a telegraph cable that connected America and Northern Europe in the middle of the 19th century.

Temperature conditions

North Passat, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, Labrador, Canary and others - currents that form not only the climate, but the entire Atlantic Ocean. The characteristic of the temperature regime shows the following dynamics: the average water temperature is about 16.9 ° C. Conventionally, the ocean can be divided along the equator into two parts: northern and southern, each of which has its own climatic features, thanks to the Gulf Stream. The width of the water area near the equator is the smallest, so the influence of the continents is palpably the most.

Despite the fact that the Atlantic Ocean is considered warm, the extreme southern and northern parts of it can reach temperatures of 0 ° C or lower. Therefore, here you can often find drifting icebergs. Today, their movement is tracked by artificial satellites of the Earth.

Atlantic Ocean: water characteristics

The Atlantic Ocean is the most salty. The average salt content is 34.5 ppm. Salinity is largely dependent on rainfall, the flow of fresh water from rivers. The most salty - in the tropical latitudes, because there is almost no precipitation, a strong evaporation of moisture due to high temperatures, and fresh water almost does not arrive.

Seas and islands of the Atlantic Ocean

Most of the islands are near the continents, which determines their continental origin: Great Britain, Ireland and others. Also here there are volcanic: Canary, Iceland. But Bermuda has a coral origin.

The ruggedness of the coastline, the gulfs, the seas in full describe the Atlantic Ocean. The characteristics of these reservoirs are very interesting. First of all, let's start with the seas. They are divided into 2 types: internal - Azov, Black, Mediterranean, Baltic, and external - Caribbean and Northern, etc. Also here you can see the bays, which in size are not inferior to the seas, for example, Mexican or Biscay. In the Atlantic Ocean there is an unusual sea that has no coasts - Sargassovo. Its name was received because of the sargasso algae with which its bottom is lined. These algae are covered with air bubbles, so they are also called sea grapes.

Flora and fauna

The organic world of the Atlantic is characterized by a variety of living organisms. Here grow red, brown, green algae, a large number of species of phytoplankton (more than 200). In cold belts, thousands of species of animals live, and in warm tropical - tens of thousands. In the Atlantic Ocean, whales, seals, seals, many fish float: cod, herring, flounder, sardine, etc. In the northern latitudes there live penguins, frigates. Along the coast of Africa, large aquatic animals of manatee dwell. They feed on plants, so they are also called sea cows.
Historically, the Atlantic Ocean has become a source of fish for the food industry (2/5 of the world catch). They also hunt whales, walruses, seals and other animals. It meets our needs in lobsters, oysters, lobsters, crabs.

Minerals

The ocean bottom is very rich in various minerals. The UK and Canada here mine coal. The Mexican and Gulf of Guinea have large reserves of oil and natural gas.

Problems

The increase in anthropogenic influence on the Atlantic Ocean is negatively reflected on its inhabitants, and it is no longer able to restore its biological resources on its own. A dangerous situation is observed in the Black and Mediterranean seas, and the Baltic Sea is considered one of the dirtiest in the world.

Comparative characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific (briefly)

In order to compile a brief description of the two oceans, a clear plan should be used:

• Dimensions of water areas. The Atlantic covers an area of more than 91 million square meters. Km, Quiet - 178.684 million square meters. Km. Proceeding from this, it is possible to draw certain conclusions. Pacific Ocean - the largest, the Atlantic - in second place in terms of area.
• Depth. If we compare the depth index, then in the Pacific, the average level stops at 3976 m, in the Atlantic - at 3736 m. As for the maximum depth, in the first case - 11022 m, in the second - 8742 m.
• Water volume. By this criterion, the Atlantic Ocean also remains in second place. He has this figure is 329.66 million cubic meters. Km, when in the Pacific - 710.36 million cubic meters. M.
• Location. Coordinates of the Atlantic Ocean - 0 ° N. W. 30 ° W Etc., is washed by the following continents and islands: Greenland, Iceland (north), Eurasia, Africa (east), America (west), Antarctica (South). The coordinates of the Pacific Ocean are 009 ° N. W. 157 ° W Is located between Antarctica (south), North and South America (east), Australia and Eurasia (west).

Let's sum up the results

This article presents a brief description of the Atlantic Ocean, having familiarized with which, you can already have a good idea of this water area.