The water element, which occupies 70% of the planet's surface, attracts, delights and at the same time frightens. The bottomless oceans amaze with their majesty and power. What is the deepest among the four oceans of our planet and are there analogues in the Universe that are superior to it?

The largest ocean on Earth

The longest and deepest body of water on our planet is the Pacific Ocean. If the entire surface of the earth is taken as 100%, then a fraction Pacific Ocean worth allocating 46%. The average depth of the reservoir reaches 3984 meters. The average depth of the silver medalist of the rating, the Atlantic Ocean, is only a thousand meters less.

Titan is superior to other oceans in two ways:

  • Length. The surface of the reservoir occupies 180 million km, the main part of which lies in the southern latitudes.
  • Volume. It occupies more than half of the total volume of water in the World Ocean.

Famous for the Pacific Ocean and the deepest Mariana Trench, which is shaped like a crescent. The lower mark of the hollow reaches 11 km. For comparison, the depth of the Mariana Trench, known as the Challenger Deep, is longer than the revered Mount Chomolungma.


Other points, the depth of which reaches 10 km, look no less terrifying:

  • The Tonga Trench is second in depth after the Mariana Trench. Formed under the influence of seismic activity in the zone. The deepest point reaches 10,882 meters.
  • The Philippine Trench is a bronze medalist, resulting from the collision of two lithospheric plates. The most deep point The Galatea depth trench reaches 10,540 meters.

The Pacific Ocean is considered the most ancient. From space it resembles a triangle, which gradually narrows from the Arctic south to the Arctic north.

The Pacific Ocean is beyond competition in terms of the number of islands located on it, the number of which reaches over 25 thousand. The longest among them is the Malay Archipelago.


The reservoir is unusually rich in flora and fauna. Its waters are home to over 100 thousand species of animals. This figure is three times the “population” of the Atlantic Ocean.

Atolls or coral islands of titanium formed on top of submerged volcanoes. The Barrier Reef, which runs along the coast of Australia in the ocean waters, tops the ranking of the longest ridges. coral islands peace.

Number one in the solar system

On the scale of the Solar System, the most deep ocean discovered on Europa. This is the name given to the smallest satellite of Jupiter, completely covered with ice. Its size is slightly smaller than its other satellite, the Moon. The ice surface is the smoothest in the solar system.


Astronomers have come to the conclusion that an oxygen-rich reservoir with a liquid medium is hidden under a thickness of relatively pure ice. A similar picture on our planet is the ice fields of the North Pole.

The depth of the ocean covering Europe reaches 110-160 km. The surface temperature of the ice covering it is very cold by earthly standards and ranges from 160-190°C below zero. The thickness of the ice crust is more than 3 km.


If there was life in the waters of the vast expanse, then the oxygen contained in it would be more than enough to create conditions for the life of millions of tons of fish. Only the frozen shell serves as an obstacle to the emergence of complex life forms. The closedness of the vast expanse does not allow organic compounds that fall on the satellite as part of meteorites and asteroids to penetrate through the thickness of the ice and become the soil for the emergence of new life in its depths.

Recent studies show that already at a depth of 10 meters, ice density decreases and oxygen concentration increases. This creates the preconditions for the development of life in the depths of the ocean at shallow depths.

In fact, it is not that cold in the depths of the European ocean. Located on the bottom active volcanoes gradually warm up the water.

According to scientists, within 12 million years, under the influence of dynamic processes on the satellite, the temperature of the waters of the vast expanse and the level of their oxygen saturation will become the same as on planet Earth. This will create conditions for supporting the multifaceted marine life that exists on our planet.

Giant of nearby space

The largest and most distant giant in outer space, whose reserves are 140 trillion times greater than the capacity of the oceans of our planet, surrounds the supermassive and most powerful black hole - the quasar APM 08279+5255.


The most powerful source of energy in space is located 12 billion light years from Earth. The energy it emits is 70 thousand times greater than the energy created by all galactic stars.

This quasar is surrounded by an envelope, which is a ring of gas and dust, the main component of which is water vapor. The extent of the extending border is a hundred light years. Due to this, a titanic mass of water is retained in the area of ​​the astronomical object. But it is in a state of extremely rarefied gas. So it is unlikely that you will be able to drink the life-giving moisture from this pool.

Of the 5 existing oceans in the world, only the Pacific can boast of its size and depth. Its area extends from the Arctic to the Southern oceans and amounts to 169.2 million km².

It owns almost half (46%) of the world's water space. If we take the entire globe as 100%, then the Pacific Ocean accounts for 30% of the entire surface on the planet.

Which ocean is the deepest? Still the same Quiet! And only thanks to the Mariana Trench, which, according to scientists, was formed as a result of the collision of two oceanic plates. The depth of the Mariana Trench is impressive - 11035 meters!

It is noteworthy that the deepest point of the ocean is further away from sea level than highest point on the planet - Mount Everest above it.

5 water deserts of the world

There is much more water on Earth than land. People have discovered continents and islands, but most of the globe is hidden under water.

All Earth covered by the waters of five oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern. United water element The world's oceans change their properties as latitude changes.

As we can see from the table, the Pacific Ocean is rightfully considered the largest and deepest. The Challenger Deep is the deepest point of the Mariana Trench, its depth is 11,035 meters.

The oceanic trench is named Mariana because of the islands of the same name located around it.

And the smallest ocean is the Arctic Ocean, whose area is 11 times smaller than the Pacific. But it ranks second after Quiet in terms of the number of islands on it, one of which, Greenland, is the largest in the world.

Great and varied

Previously, the deepest ocean in the world was called “Great”, since it accounts for 50% of the surface of the world’s oceans. It is located north and south of the equator, and it is at the equator that its width is maximum. That's why it's the warmest.

The Pacific Ocean affects almost all climatic zones, so here we present different types flora and fauna.

The ocean does not live up to its name; it is far from quiet. But this is not surprising; at one time they could call Greenland a green country, and Iceland an icy one.

Different winds blow in different parts of it, called trade winds, monsoons, hurricanes constantly sweep over its surface, and storms very often rage in the temperate part of the ocean. Waves reach 30 meters in height, and raging typhoons can raise huge pillars of water.

The temperature regime of the water surface varies greatly; in the north it can drop to -1˚С, and at the equator it can reach +29˚С.

In addition, more precipitation falls over the surface of the giant than moisture evaporates, so the water in the ocean is less salty than usual.

Due to the fact that it is located in many climatic zones, the world of flora and fauna here is very rich and diverse.

The diversity of nature gives rise to incredible fertility of water masses: in different places, researchers have discovered large schools of fish - from salmon to herring. The Pacific fleets are famous for the industrial fishing of horse mackerel, mackerel, butterfish, flounder, pollock and other species.

An abundance of fish is essential for seabirds. Therefore, penguins, pelicans, cormorants and seagulls will always find something to eat. There are also famous whales here, which can be recognized from afar by the huge fountains of water on the sea surface. There are a lot of seals and sea beavers.

A wide variety of shellfish, crabs, squid, and urchins. The largest mollusk that lives only in the Pacific Ocean, the tridacna, weighs about a quarter of a ton. There are many sharks, huge tuna and sailfish living in it.

The ocean also boasts its own mountain range. It was created over millions of years by living organisms and has such a height, only under water, as Ural ridge. This is the largest on earth natural complex, called Big barrier reef.

The variety of colors, different shades in which coral colonies are painted create for diving Magic world, ready to captivate anyone. These include quaint castles, colorful floral arrangements, and mysterious mushrooms. The diversity of echinoderms, different breeds of crayfish, mollusks, and exotic fish is amazing.

There are fifty countries located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, representing half the world's population.

Despite centuries of research, the Earth is still full of mysteries and secrets. Even on the continents they remained unexplored places, however, the first place in the number of mysterious mysteries is, of course, occupied by the oceans. Scientists have not even established the exact age of the earth's oceans, but what is on the bottom deepest depressions, we have a very vague idea. Both the deepest ocean and all the others will give us many more amazing discoveries.

The Arctic Ocean is considered the shallowest of the four oceans on Earth. This mass of icy water washes the Arctic, as well as the northern parts of Eurasia, Canada and the United States. Despite the cold, this ocean is rich in fish and krill. This is where whales come to feed short summer. The third place in this ranking is taken by Atlantic Ocean- his average depth equal to 3926 meters. “Silver” was awarded with 3963 meters of average depth. It’s not hard to guess which ocean is the deepest: the Pacific Ocean, of course. Its average depth reaches 4281 meters. But the deepest place on Earth is not in the Pacific Ocean, but in the Atlantic, near the Guam Islands, and has 10,790 meters. The depth of the oceans is determined using a device that catches reflections from the bottom.

We know little about the bottom of the oceans. Oceanographers have found that the oceans, including the deepest, up to 3600-meter depths, are covered with silt - soft deposits from the remains of small sea ​​creatures. Muddy sediments at depths of six kilometers and below turn red. Oceanographers call them “red clay” because they contain volcanic ash mixed with biological sediments.

Surrounded by all five continents. The western border of the Pacific Ocean is marked by Australia, Eurasia and the Malay Archipelago located between them. Its eastern border runs along the shores of both Americas, and in the south, “quiet” waters wash the icy shores of Antarctica. The border between the Pacific and Arctic oceans is marked and lies between the Seward and Chukotka peninsulas. The deepest ocean is separated from the Atlantic by an imaginary line connecting Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula. The most conventional is the border of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Starting on the Hindustan Peninsula, it passes through Sumatra and New Guinea, and ends on the northern coast of Australia.

The leader is not only in depth. Of all the earth's oceans, the Pacific occupies the largest area, equal to almost 180 thousand square kilometers. At least ten thousand islands are scattered across this considerable area, and in the depths of the ocean there is the largest underwater ridge on the planet, dividing it into two unequal parts. Its western part is warmed by warm currents, while the eastern part is “frozen” by the Peruvian Current. The western part is much larger than the eastern part, so the Pacific Ocean is also considered the warmest on Earth. In this vast space, covering several natural areas- the richest flora, and many representatives of fauna live.

The Pacific Ocean is the deepest on Earth, but oceans are not only on our planet. The deepest ocean in the solar system is on the planet Europa. This small planet orbits the gas giant Jupiter. Europa is slightly smaller than the Moon. Its center is an iron core, and the surface is covered with an ice shell many kilometers thick. According to a recently confirmed hypothesis, under the ice layer there is an ocean a hundred kilometers deep, occupying the entire planet. Scientists suggest that the Europian Ocean consists of water that does not freeze thanks to powerful tides generated by Jupiter's gravity. They do not exclude the existence of biological life in this ocean.

Which ocean is the deepest and why is its water salty? short description this question. The oceans still remain a mystery to us. We don't even know their exact age. Perhaps the Earth's oceans did not originally exist. Modern man is actively studying the ocean floor.

It is already reliably known that up to 3600 m ocean floor lined with soft muddy deposits - calcareous skeletons of the smallest marine animals. Below 6 km, the bottom is covered with fine red silt, also called “red clay”. It contains tiny particles of dead animals and small sea plants, and volcanic ash.

The depth of the oceans is determined by sending sound waves into the depths and picking up the reflected signal. At the same time, the time it takes for the sound to reach the bottom and back is recorded; then the resulting value is divided in half.

These measurements give us a pretty good idea of ​​the average depth of the oceans and where the depth is greatest.

Which ocean is the deepest - the deepest ocean on Earth is the Pacific

(the average depth of which is 4,281 m).

The Indian Ocean ranks second

(its average depth is 3,963 m).

The Atlantic Ocean is in third place

(average depth is 3,926 m).

By the way, for comparison: depth Baltic Sea equal to only 55 m!

And the average depth of Hudson Bay, which is larger in area than some seas, is only 183 m.

The deepest place in the ocean is near the Guam Islands (Atlantic Ocean) - 10,790 m.

Why is the ocean water salty?

Sometimes we encounter questions related to our planet Earth that do not yet have answers. For example, the presence of salt in the oceans. How did she end up there?

We don't know where the salt in the ocean comes from! Of course, it is known that salt dissolved in rainwater ends up in the oceans. It's a continuous process.

But this does not explain the enormous amount of salt in the oceans. If it were possible to drain all the oceans, the resulting salt could be used to build a wall 2 km thick, at an altitude of 230 km. This wall would stretch along the equator across the entire Earth. There is one more comparison. The volume of salt dissolved in all oceans exceeds the volume of the European continent by 15 times!

The salt that ends up on our table is obtained from salt springs, sea ​​water or developing rock salt deposits. Sea water contains 3-3.5% salt. But the inland seas - for example, the Black and Red - contain much more salt than the open ones. The Dead Sea (area 728 sq. km) contains 10,523 million tons of salt.

A liter of sea water contains 30 g of salt. Rock salt reserves were formed millions of years ago as a result of the evaporation of sea water. A necessary condition for the formation of salt must be the evaporation of nine-tenths of the volume of water. There is an assumption that in places where salt deposits are found, the waters of inland seas once roared. Water evaporated much faster than its reserves were replenished. This is how modern rock salt deposits appeared.

The lion's share of table salt is obtained from rock salt.

Which ocean is the deepest - and maybe not the Pacific Ocean, it is likely that researchers have not yet found deep places in other oceans, instruments may also provide erroneous data!

Today there are 5 oceans on our planet, each of which has its own characteristics, sizes and unique forms of life. The largest is the Pacific Ocean, which is also the deepest ocean in the world.

How big is the Pacific Ocean?

It occupies an area equal to 178600000 km2. The volume of ocean water is 710,000,000 km3. Looking at the map, you will see that the ocean extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Southern Ocean. Approximately forty-six percent of all surface water on our planet falls on this ocean, where the average depth is approximately 4000 m. The greatest depth in the ocean is approximately 11,000 m. Such a place in the Pacific Ocean is the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest place in the world ocean.

How did scientists determine the greatest ocean depth?


Scientists were able to discover the deepest place in the ocean using special instruments - echo sounders. This device operates as follows. The echo sounder, which is located on research vessel, sends a special signal to the bottom. The sent sound wave, having reached the ocean floor, is reflected and upon return is recorded by an echo sounder. Thus, the time taken by the sound signal to reach the ocean floor and return back to the device is measured. The resulting time is divided in half, and then the distance is calculated depending on the speed of sound propagation in water.

Today, with the help of such devices, scientists have obtained information not only about maximum depth, but also about the average ocean depths. Thanks to the data obtained, scientists were able to say with absolute certainty that the deepest of all is the Pacific Ocean.

Features of the deepest ocean


The ocean is surrounded on all sides by 5 continents. In addition to being the deepest, it is also the largest in area and the warmest. The topography of its bottom is quite complex. Along the equator, the ocean is divided into 2 parts - north and south. In addition, this ocean is considered the most island - in these places you can count about ten thousand islands.

Mariana Trench


In the western Pacific Ocean there is a trench that has the shape of a crescent. The Mariana Trench is also called the Mariana Trench. Its length is 2550 km, and its width is 69 km. The depression goes approximately 11,000 m deep.

Despite the wide popularity of this place, scientists have very little information about its features. However, there are some facts that are already one hundred percent. Here are some of them:

1) Hot water. Many will say that the deeper you go into the water, the colder it will be. But in this depression at a depth of 1600 m, the water temperature reaches 450 degrees. And everything can be explained by the presence of hydro thermal springs operating in this place. The water here is incredibly rich in mineral components that can support life. But the water here does not boil, since its pressure is 155 times greater than the surface pressure.


2) Presence of shellfish. It would seem that the highest water pressure does not give a single chance for habitation at the bottom of the depression. But in 2012 Scientists have discovered mollusks here that have even adapted to releasing hydrogen sulfide from thermal springs, converting it into protein necessary for life.

3) Slime at the bottom. Again, due to the high water pressure, everything that falls to the bottom turns into mucus, which covers the entire bottom of the gutter.

4) The appearance of liquid sulfur. When descending into the trench, you can observe the Daikoku volcano, which is the source of the formation of a lake of pure sulfur. Apart from these places, such sulfur is found only on the satellite of Jupiter.

5) Presence of toxic amoebas huge size. Researchers were able to find 10-centimeter amoebae at the bottom of the gutter. Scientists suggest that amoebas reached such large sizes due to their habitat and lack of sunlight. Amoebas also have excellent resistance to many chemicals.

Exploring the deepest place in the Pacific Ocean


The Mariana Trench was discovered in 1875. Since then, only three people have dared to visit this deepest place in the ocean. The latest of these daredevils was film director J. Cameron. He sank in a submersible to the bottom of the trench in 2012. The director carefully observed everything around him and what was happening. Being at the lowest point of the depression, Cameron noted that he was here alone. He didn't see any scary monsters, and the bottom seemed so empty and lonely.