Atlantic Ocean: geographical position, history and currents

The Atlantic Ocean, whose geographical position is described below, is a component of the World Ocean. This is one of the four major reservoirs of the planet. In size, it takes second place, after the Pacific. The area is smooth - 92 million km square, it accounts for 25% of all the world's waters. From the east, the ocean is bounded by Eurasia and Africa, from the north - by South and North America, in the south the surface of the Atlantic reaches to Antarctica. The average depth of the ocean is 3,500 km, and the maximum depth is 8,742 m (it is a question of the Puerto Rico trench).

Atlantic Ocean - geographical location

The water area stretches from the northern part of the Earth to the southern region, crossing the subarctic and Antarctic latitudes. At extreme points the ocean is wide enough and deep, while reaching the equator, its extent is reduced to 2,900 km. Cape Agulhas is the boundary between the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and Cape Gornyi shares the territory described and the water area of the Pacific Ocean.

Origin of the name and formation of the ocean

The description of the Atlantic Ocean should begin with its origin. It was formed as a result of the split of the ancient continent of Pangea, from the broken parts of which modern continents arose. The name of the ocean is most often associated with Atlantis - an ancient mythical island, which, a millennium ago, went underwater, presumably in this ocean. Another version of the name resembles the Atlas Mountains (Africa).

Ocean floor

The coastline of the Atlantic is very indented, and the total number of rivers flowing into the ocean or the sea is much larger than that of other large bodies of water. This is a feature that distinguishes this ocean from others. A unique bottom, which is very complex by morphological factors, is inherent in such an aquatorium as the Atlantic Ocean. Geographical position easily explains this fact. Over the entire length of the ocean, at 16 000 km, stretches the Mid-Atlantic ridge. This is a seismically active zone with an unstable earth crust. Sometimes underwater volcanoes of the ridge come to the surface. An example of such formations is the island of Iceland. A common phenomenon for the bottom is the basin, whose average depth is about 5-7 thousand meters. The deepest similar form of relief is the North American, its height is 8,742 m. However, uplifts, ridges and uplands are also not uncommon for the Atlantic Ocean. The bottom is covered with silt, mostly foraminiferal. Closer to the continents, the silty surface gives way to terrigenous deposits: pebbles, gravel and sand. In the deepest basins the bottom is represented by red clays.

Climate

The diversity of climatic conditions of the ocean determines its extent from the south to the east. It captures all climatic zones - from cold Antarctic to hot equatorial. The temperature of the Atlantic Ocean lends itself to strong influence from the North-Arctic water area. Near the coast of North America, not far from Florida, the largest warm current is emerging - the Gulf Stream. Its width is 75 km, the depth of the stream is 700 m. The Gulf Stream carries warm waters, the average temperature is 26 degrees above zero.

Currents

Depending on the territory, the flow velocity varies. In the central regions of the ocean, it is 6 m / s. The maximum speed of the current is 30 m / s. In the northeast, the Gulf Stream enters the North Atlantic Current, which in turn is divided into two streams. One of them reaches the coast of Norway, stipulating in these territories a warm, uncharacteristic climate, and the second - "turns off" and passes through southern Africa by the cold Canarian Current. In the south, it flows into the Northern trade winds, and the latter, in turn, adjoins the Gulf Stream. They all enter the Atlantic Ocean basin. Thus, it turns out that the currents in the described water area move clockwise, the cold one is replaced by a warm one and vice versa.

Along the Atlantic coast of North America is the cold Labrador Current, causing the severe and cold climate of Canada and Greenland. In the place where it encounters the Gulf Stream, the Newfoundland Barrel is formed, in the upper course of which there is an ideal place for the reproduction of microorganisms. There is also a fishing industry for the production of herring, salmon and cod.

The Islands

It does not have a large number of islands such a water area as the Atlantic Ocean. Geographical position, again, explains everything. They are mostly single and have a small territory. The only exception is Greenland, which is located on the border between the Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean, as well as Iceland. Large Atlantic Islands - about. St. Helena, about. Sao Paulo, about. Bouvet, about. Ascension, Falkland Islands, etc. In the southern part of the ocean there is a fairly common phenomenon - atolls (coral territories).

Fauna and flora

The fauna is represented by poor species composition, especially in the outskirts of the reservoir. The Atlantic Ocean basin can boast of a large number of proteinaceous pikes. Of the large mammals in the waters live whales, seals and fur seals. Flora is represented by a large number of various algae - Sargassos. They even form the Sargasso Sea off the coast of North America, its outlines can be seen from outer space.