home Audience 2 Where is the Atlantic Ocean located map. Geographical position of the Atlantic Ocean: description and features

Where is the Atlantic Ocean located map. Geographical position of the Atlantic Ocean: description and features

- the shallowest sea in the world. The average depth is only 7.4 m, the greatest is 13.5 m. The sea was formed approximately 5600 BC. after the spill of the neighboring Black Sea, which flooded the mouth of the Don, forming a new water area.

The Sea of Azov is probably the only one in the world that has had more than 100 names throughout its history! Here are just a few of them: Meotian, Karguluk, Balysyra, Samakush, Saksinsky, Frankish, Kaffian, Akdeniz. The modern name for the sea was given by the city of the same name, conquered for Russia by Peter I. And only from the middle of the 18th century on maps it began to be designated as Azov.

Despite its shallow depth, the Sea of Azov is considered one of the richest in terms of the number of individuals per 1 sq. km. According to this indicator, it is 40 times richer than the Mediterranean and 160 times richer than the Black Sea.

- a marginal sea in northwestern Europe. Area - 415 thousand sq. km, average depth - 51 m. Some scientists distinguish the part of the sea between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland as a separate water area - the Archipelago Sea.

In the Tale of Bygone Years this sea is called the Varangian Sea, the Swedes, Germans and Danes called it the Eastern Sea, and in Ancient Rome the sea was described as the Sarmatian Ocean. For a long time, the Baltic Sea was considered one of the main transport routes connecting Russia and Europe.
The Hebridean Sea is located between Scotland and the Hebrides. Area - 47 thousand sq. km, average depth - 64 m.

The sea is cold; winds and hurricanes often rage over its surface, which alternately give way to showers and fogs. The weather here is unpredictable, making navigation very difficult.

- a small sea (area 100 thousand sq. km) between Great Britain and Ireland. The ancient Greeks called it the Hibernian Ocean. In winter, storms rage here; in summer, the water warms up to 13-16 °C. And the height of tidal waves reaches 6 meters.

Over the past 100 years, the issue of building a bridge across the seas or an underwater tunnel has been widely discussed. And according to Greenpeace, the Irish Sea is considered the most radioactively polluted in the world.

It separates Central and South America and is connected to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal. Its area is 2.7 million sq. km, average depth is 2500 m.

The sea received its name in honor of the Caribs, a group of Indian tribes that settled the Antilles in the 15th century, that is, at the time when the Spanish conquerors appeared in these waters. However, very often this sea was called the Antilles.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, piracy flourished in the Caribbean Sea, which had a significant impact on the development of the region’s economy. The most famous pirates of the Caribbean: Henry Morgan, Edward Teach (nicknamed "Blackbeard") and Bartholomew Roberts ("Black Brother").

By the way, Tortuga is a real island in the Caribbean, which was once a stronghold of piracy.

It washes the southern parts of Ireland and Great Britain and the northwestern coast of France.

The name for the sea in 1921 was proposed by the English scientist E. Holt, who decided to perpetuate the memory of the most ancient people who lived in this region - the Celts. Until this time, the northern part of the sea was considered part of St. George's Channel, and the southern part was designated as the "south-west approaches" to Great Britain. After a series of studies at the beginning of the 20th century, it was decided to distinguish this water area as a separate sea and assign an official name to it.

It washes the southeastern coast of Greenland. This small area is famous for its harsh climate and cold waters, which are brought here by Arctic currents. The sea is named after the greatest Danish hydrographer of the 19th century, K.L. Irminger.

- the northernmost sea of the Atlantic with an area of 840 thousand sq. km, average depth - 1898 m. The proximity of the Arctic is clearly felt here. In the winter months, 2/3 of the Labrador Sea is covered with floating ice. And due to the melting of glaciers, icebergs are often found. One of the largest turbidite channels in the world lies in this water area.

Despite the harsh climate, the coasts of Labrador were inhabited as early as the 5th century BC. The coast of this sea became home to many ancient cultures of the Indians and Eskimos.

The sea is named after the island of the same name, which was discovered by the Portuguese G. Cortirial in 1500. Translated from port. "Terro do Lavrador" means "land of the ploughman."

- an inland sea separating the Asian and European parts of Turkey. Area - 11.4 thousand sq. km, average depth - 259 m.

The Sea of Marmara was formed several million years ago; its description is found in the historical works of the ancient Greeks and Arabs. But the first scientific research here was carried out by the Russians: in 1845 - the expedition of M. P. Manganari, in 1890 - a special scientific expedition of S. O. Makarov and I. B. Spindler.

- a unique sea, which differs in many ways from all the seas on earth.

Firstly, this is the only sea on the planet without shores. Its boundaries are made up of currents. That is why the area of the Sargasso Sea is determined to be approximately 6-7 million sq. km.

Secondly, the sea is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest stretch of calm water. Indeed, almost 90% of the sea is covered with sargassum - brown algae. Such a vast spot is visible even from space.

Thirdly, this is one of the safest seas in the world, since predatory sea animals do not come here for fear of getting entangled in the algae. Other fish (especially eels) take full advantage of this, choosing this sea to lay eggs.

Until recently, the waters of the Sargasso Sea were considered the most transparent - there is little plankton here, so you could look almost 60 meters deep. Unfortunately, currents bring a lot of garbage here, including plastic waste, which seriously threatens the ecology of the water area.

It washes the northern coast of Europe, located between the British Isles, Scandinavia and the mainland. Area - 755 thousand sq. km, average depth - 95 m.

The North Sea is of great transport importance. Almost all the main sea routes of our planet intersect here, and the cargo turnover in this sea is 20% of the world's.

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on Earth after the Pacific Ocean, located between Greenland and Iceland in the north, Europe and Africa in the east, North and South America in the west, and Antarctica in the south.

The area is 91.6 million km², of which about a quarter is inland seas. The area of coastal seas is small and does not exceed 1% of the total water area. The volume of water is 329.7 million km³, which is equal to 25% of the volume of the World Ocean. The average depth is 3736 m, the greatest is 8742 m (Puerto Rico Trench). The average annual salinity of ocean waters is about 35 ‰. The Atlantic Ocean has a highly indented coastline with a pronounced division into regional waters: seas and bays.

The name comes from the name of the Titan Atlas (Atlas) in Greek mythology.

Characteristics:

Area - 91.66 million km²
Volume - 329.66 million km³
Greatest depth - 8742 m
Average depth - 3736 m

Etymology

The name of the ocean first appears in the 5th century BC. e. in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who wrote that “the sea with the pillars of Hercules is called Atlantis (ancient Greek Ἀτλαντίς - Atlantis).” The name comes from the myth known in Ancient Greece about Atlas, the Titan holding the firmament on his shoulders at the westernmost point of the Mediterranean. The Roman scientist Pliny the Elder in the 1st century used the modern name Oceanus Atlanticus (lat. Oceanus Atlanticus) - “Atlantic Ocean”. At different times, individual parts of the ocean were called the Western Ocean, the North Sea, and the Outer Sea. Since the middle of the 17th century, the only name referring to the entire water area was the Atlantic Ocean.

Physiographic characteristics

General information

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest. Its area is 91.66 million km², the volume of water is 329.66 million km³. It extends from subarctic latitudes all the way to Antarctica. The border with the Indian Ocean runs along the meridian of Cape Agulhas (20° E) to the coast of Antarctica (Donning Maud Land). The border with the Pacific Ocean is drawn from Cape Horn along the meridian 68°04’W. or along the shortest distance from South America to the Antarctic Peninsula through the Drake Passage, from Oste Island to Cape Sterneck. The border with the Arctic Ocean runs along the eastern entrance of the Hudson Strait, then through Davis Strait and along the coast of Greenland to Cape Brewster, through the Denmark Strait to Cape Reydinupur on the island of Iceland, along its coast to Cape Gerpir, then to the Faroe Islands, then to Shetland islands and along 61° north latitude to the coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Sometimes the southern part of the ocean, with the northern border from 35° south. w. (based on the circulation of water and atmosphere) up to 60° south. w. (by the nature of the bottom topography) are classified as the Southern Ocean, which is not officially distinguished.

Seas and bays

The area of the seas, bays and straits of the Atlantic Ocean is 14.69 million km² (16% of the total ocean area), the volume is 29.47 million km³ (8.9%). Seas and main bays (clockwise): Irish Sea, Bristol Bay, North Sea, Baltic Sea (Gulf of Bothnia, Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Riga), Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea (Alboran Sea, Balearic Sea, Ligurian Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, Aegean Sea), Marmara Sea, Black Sea, Azov Sea, Gulf of Guinea, Riiser-Larsen Sea, Lazarev Sea, Weddell Sea, Scotia Sea (the last four are sometimes referred to as the Southern Ocean), Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico , Sargasso Sea, Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Labrador Sea.

Islands

The largest islands and archipelagos of the Atlantic Ocean: British Isles (Great Britain, Ireland, Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland), Greater Antilles (Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Juventud), Newfoundland, Iceland, Tierra del Fuego archipelago (Terra del Fuego Land, Oste, Navarino), Maragio, Sicily, Sardinia, Lesser Antilles (Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Curacao, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, Tobago), Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (East Falkland (Soledad), West Falkland (Gran Malvina)), Bahamas (Andros, Grand Inagua, Grand Bahama), Cape Breton, Cyprus, Corsica, Crete, Anticosti, Canary Islands (Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria), Zealand, Prince Edward, Balearic Islands (Mallorca), South Georgia, Long Island, Moonsund Archipelago (Saaremaa, Hiiumaa), Cape Verde Islands, Euboea, Southern Sporades (Rhodes), Gotland, Funen, Cyclades Islands, Azores, Ionian Islands, South Shetland Islands, Bioko, Bijagos Islands, Lesbos, Åland Islands, Faroe Islands, Öland, Lolland, South Orkney Islands, Sao Tome, Madeira Islands, Malta, Principe, Saint Helena, Ascension, Bermuda.

History of ocean formation

The Atlantic Ocean was formed in the Mesozoic as a result of the split of the ancient supercontinent Pangea into the southern continent of Gondwana and northern Laurasia. As a result of the multidirectional movement of these continents at the very end of the Triassic, it led to the formation of the first oceanic lithosphere of the present North Atlantic. The resulting rift zone was a western extension of the Tethys Ocean rift. The Atlantic Trench, at an early stage of its development, was formed as a connection of two large ocean basins: the Tethys Ocean in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. Further expansion of the Atlantic Ocean depression will occur due to the reduction in the size of the Pacific Ocean. In Early Jurassic times, Gondwana began to split into Africa and South America and the oceanic lithosphere of the modern South Atlantic was formed. During the Cretaceous, Laurasia split, and the separation of North America from Europe began. At the same time, Greenland, moving to the north, broke away from Scandinavia and Canada. Over the past 40 million years and up to the present, the opening of the Atlantic Ocean basin has continued along a single rift axis located approximately in the middle of the ocean. Today, the movement of tectonic plates continues. In the South Atlantic, the African and South American plates continue to diverge at a rate of 2.9-4 cm per year. In the Central Atlantic, the African, South American and North American plates are diverging at a rate of 2.6-2.9 cm per year. In the North Atlantic, the spread of the Eurasian and North American plates continues at a rate of 1.7-2.3 cm per year. The North American and South American plates move to the west, the African plate to the northeast, and the Eurasian plate to the southeast, forming a compression belt in the Mediterranean Sea region.

Geological structure and bottom topography

Underwater continental margins

Significant areas of the shelf are confined to the northern hemisphere and are adjacent to the coasts of North America and Europe. In Quaternary times, most of the shelf was subject to continental glaciation, which formed relict glacial landforms. Another element of the relict relief of the shelf is flooded river valleys, found in almost all shelf areas of the Atlantic Ocean. Relict continental deposits are widespread. Off the coasts of Africa and South America, the shelf occupies smaller areas, but in the southern part of South America it expands significantly (Patagonian shelf). Tidal currents formed sand ridges, which are the most widespread of modern subaquatic landforms. They are very characteristic of the shelf North Sea, found in large numbers in the English Channel, as well as on the shelves of North and South America. In equatorial-tropical waters (especially in the Caribbean Sea, on the Bahamas, off the coast of South America), coral reefs are diverse and widely represented.

Continental slopes in most areas of the Atlantic Ocean are characterized by steep slopes, sometimes with a stepped profile, and are deeply dissected by submarine canyons. In some areas, the continental slopes are supplemented by marginal plateaus: Blake, Sao Paulo, Falkland on the American submarine margins; Podkupain and Goban on the underwater edge of Europe. The blocky structure is the Farrero-Icelandic Threshold, which extends from Iceland to the North Sea. In the same region is the Rokkol Rise, which is also a submerged part of the underwater part of the European subcontinent.

The continental foot, over most of its length, is an accumulation plain lying at a depth of 3-4 km and composed of a thick (several kilometers) layer of bottom sediments. Three rivers of the Atlantic Ocean are among the ten largest in the world - the Mississippi (solid flow 500 million tons per year), the Amazon (499 million tons) and the Orange (153 million tons). The total volume of sedimentary material carried annually into the Atlantic Ocean basin by only 22 of its main rivers is more than 1.8 billion tons. In certain areas of the continental foot there are large fans of turbidity currents, among them the most significant fans of the underwater canyons of the Hudson, Amazon, and Rhone (in the Mediterranean), Niger, Congo. Along the North American continental margin, due to the bottom runoff of cold Arctic waters along the continental foot in the southern direction, giant accumulative landforms are formed (for example, the “sedimentary ridges” of Newfoundland, Blake-Bahama and others).

Transition zone

Transition zones in the Atlantic Ocean are represented by the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Scotia or South Sandwich Sea regions.

The Caribbean region includes: the Caribbean Sea, the deep-sea Gulf of Mexico, island arcs and deep-sea trenches. The following island arcs can be distinguished in it: Cuban, Cayman-Sierra Maestra, Jamaica-South Haiti, and the outer and inner arcs of the Lesser Antilles. In addition, the underwater rise of Nicaragua, the Beata and Aves ridges are distinguished here. The Cuban arc has a complex structure and is Laramian age of folding. Its continuation is the northern cordillera of the island of Haiti. The Cayman Sierra Maestra fold structure, which is of Miocene age, begins with the Mayan Mountains in the Yucatan Peninsula, then continues as the Cayman submarine ridge and the Southern Cuba Sierra Maestra mountain range. The Lesser Antilles arc includes a number of volcanic formations (including three volcanoes, such as Montagne Pelee). Composition of eruption products: andesites, basalts, dacites. The outer ridge of the arc is limestone. From the south, the Caribbean Sea is bordered by two parallel young ridges: the arc of the Leeward Islands and the Caribbean Andes mountain range, passing to the east into the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Island arcs and submarine ridges divide the floor of the Caribbean Sea into several basins, which are lined by a thick layer of carbonate sediments. The deepest of them is Venezuela (5420 m). There are also two deep-sea trenches - Cayman and Puerto Rico (with the greatest depth of the Atlantic Ocean - 8742 m).

The areas of the Scotia Ridge and the South Sandwich Islands are borderlands - areas of the underwater continental margin, fragmented by tectonic movements of the earth's crust. The island arc of the South Sandwich Islands is complicated by a number of volcanoes. Adjacent to it from the east is the South Sandwich deep-sea trench with a maximum depth of 8228 m. The mountainous and hilly topography of the bottom of the Scotia Sea is associated with the axial zone of one of the branches of the mid-ocean ridge.

In the Mediterranean Sea there is a wide distribution of continental crust. The suboceanic crust is developed only in patches in the deepest basins: Balearic, Tyrrhenian, Central and Cretan. The shelf is significantly developed only within the Adriatic Sea and the Sicilian threshold. The mountainous folded structure connecting the Ionian Islands, Crete and the islands to the east of the latter represents an island arc, which is bounded on the south by the Hellenic Trench, in turn on the south, framed by the uplift of the East Mediterranean Wall. The bottom of the Mediterranean Sea in the geological section is composed of salt-bearing strata of the Messinian stage (Upper Miocene). The Mediterranean Sea is a seismic zone. Several active volcanoes remain here (Vesuvius, Etna, Santorini).

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The meridional Mid-Atlantic Ridge divides the Atlantic Ocean into eastern and western parts. It begins off the coast of Iceland under the name of the Reykjanes Ridge. Its axial structure is formed by a basalt ridge; rift valleys are poorly expressed in the relief, but active volcanoes are known on the flanks. At latitude 52-53° N. The mid-ocean ridge is crossed by the transverse zones of the Gibbs and Reykjanes faults. Behind them begins the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with a clearly defined rift zone and rift valleys with numerous transverse faults and deep grabens. At latitude 40° N. The mid-ocean ridge forms the Azores volcanic plateau, with numerous surface (forming islands) and underwater active volcanoes. To the south of the Azores Plateau, in the rift zone, basalts lie under calcareous silts 300 m thick, and under them a blocky mixture of ultramafic and mafic rocks. The area is currently experiencing vigorous volcanic and hydrothermal activity. In the equatorial part, the North Atlantic Ridge is divided by a large number of transverse faults into a number of segments experiencing significant (up to 300 km) lateral displacements relative to each other. Near the equator, the Romanche depression with depths of up to 7856 m is associated with deep-sea faults.

The South Atlantic Ridge has a meridional strike. Rift valleys are well defined here, the number of transverse faults is fewer, so this ridge looks more monolithic compared to the North Atlantic Ridge. In the southern and middle parts of the ridge there are the volcanic plateaus of the Ascension, the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Gough, and Bouvet. The plateau is confined to active and recently active volcanoes. From Bouvet Island, the South Atlantic Ridge turns east, circles Africa and, in the Indian Ocean, meets the West Indian Mid-Range.

ocean bed

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge divides the floor of the Atlantic Ocean into two almost equal parts. In the western part, mountain structures: the Newfoundland Ridge, the Baracuda Ridge, the Ceara and Rio Grande uplifts divide the ocean floor into basins: Labrador, Newfoundland, North American, Guiana, Brazil, Argentina. To the east of the mid-ocean ridge, the bed is divided by the underwater base of the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Islands, the Guinea Rise and the Whale Ridge into basins: Western European, Iberian, North African, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Angolan, Cape. In the basins, flat abyssal plains are widespread, composed mainly of calcareous biogenic as well as terrigenous material. Over most of the ocean floor area, the sediment thickness is more than 1 km. Under the sedimentary rocks a layer was discovered consisting of volcanic rocks and compacted sedimentary rocks.

In areas of basins remote from the underwater margins of continents, abyssal hills are common along the periphery of mid-ocean ridges. About 600 mountains are located within the ocean floor. A large group of seamounts is confined to the Bermuda Plateau (in the North American Basin). There are several large submarine valleys, of which the most significant are the Hazen and Maury valleys in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, stretching on either side of the Mid-Ocean Ridge.

Bottom sediments

The sediments of the shallow part of the Atlantic Ocean are mostly represented by terrigenous and biogenic sediments, and occupy 20% of the area of the ocean floor. Of the deep-sea sediments, the most common are calcareous foraminiferal silts (65% of the ocean floor area). In the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, in the southern zone of the South Atlantic Ridge, pteropod deposits became widespread. Deep-sea red clay occupies about 20% of the ocean floor and is confined to the deepest parts of ocean basins. In the Angola Basin, radilarium oozes are found. In the southern part of the Atlantic there are siliceous diatom deposits with authigenic silica content of 62-72%. In the zone of the Western Wind Current there is a continuous field of diatomaceous oozes, with the exception of the Drake Passage. In some basins of the ocean floor, terrigenous silts and pelites are significantly developed. Terrigenous deposits at abyssal depths are characteristic of the North Atlantic, Hawaiian, and Argentine basins.

Climate

The variety of climatic conditions on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean is determined by its large meridional extent and the circulation of air masses under the influence of four main atmospheric centers: the Greenland and Antarctic highs, the Icelandic and Antarctic lows. In addition, two anticyclones are constantly active in the subtropics: the Azores and the South Atlantic. They are separated by an equatorial region of low pressure. This distribution of pressure regions determines the system of prevailing winds in the Atlantic. The greatest influence on the temperature regime of the Atlantic Ocean is exerted not only by its large meridional extent, but also by water exchange with the Arctic Ocean, the Antarctic seas and the Mediterranean Sea. Surface waters are characterized by their gradual cooling as they move away from the equator to high latitudes, although the presence of powerful currents causes significant deviations from zonal temperature regimes.

In the vastness of the Atlantic, all climatic zones of the planet are represented. Tropical latitudes are characterized by slight seasonal temperature fluctuations (average 20 °C) and heavy precipitation. To the north and south of the tropics there are subtropical zones with more noticeable seasonal (from 10 °C in winter to 20 °C in summer) and daily temperature fluctuations; Precipitation here falls mainly in summer. Tropical hurricanes are a frequent occurrence in the subtropical zone. In these monstrous atmospheric vortices, wind speeds reach several hundred kilometers per hour. The most powerful tropical hurricanes rage in the Caribbean: for example, in the Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies. West Indian tropical hurricanes form in the western part of the ocean in the region of 10-15° N latitude. and move to the Azores and Ireland. Further to the north and south follow the subtropical zones, where in the coldest month the temperature drops to 10 °C, and in winter cold air masses from polar low pressure areas bring heavy precipitation. In temperate latitudes, the average temperature of the warmest month is between 10-15 °C, and the coldest month is −10 °C. There are also significant daily temperature changes here. The temperate zone is characterized by fairly uniform precipitation throughout the year (about 1,000 mm), reaching a maximum in the autumn-winter period, and frequent fierce storms, for which the southern temperate latitudes are nicknamed the “Roaring Forties.” The 10 °C isotherm defines the boundaries of the Northern and Southern polar zones. In the Northern Hemisphere, this boundary runs in a wide band between 50° N latitude. (Labrador) and 70°N. (coast of Northern Norway). In the Southern Hemisphere, the circumpolar zone begins closer to the equator - approximately 45-50° S. The lowest temperature (-34 °C) was recorded in the Weddell Sea.

Hydrological regime

Surface water circulation

Powerful carriers of thermal energy are circular surface currents located on both sides of the equator: such, for example, are the North Trade Wind and South Trade Wind currents, crossing the ocean from east to west. The Northern Trade Wind Current near the Lesser Antilles is divided: into a northern branch, continuing northwest along the coast of the Greater Antilles (Antilles Current) and into a southern branch, leaving through the straits of the Lesser Antilles into the Caribbean Sea, and then flowing through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico, and leaves it through the Strait of Florida, forming the Florida Current. The latter has a speed of 10 km/h and gives rise to the famous Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream, following along the American coast, at 40°N. as a result of the influence of westerly winds and the Coriolis force, it acquires an eastern and then a northeastern direction and is called the North Atlantic Current. The main flow of water from the North Atlantic Current passes between Iceland and the Scandinavian Peninsula and flows into the Arctic Ocean, softening the climate in the European sector of the Arctic. Two powerful streams of cold, desalinated water flow from the Arctic Ocean - the East Greenland Current, which runs along the eastern coast of Greenland, and the Labrador Current, which goes around Labrador, Newfoundland and penetrates south to Cape Hatteras, pushing the Gulf Stream away from the coast of North America.

The Southern Trade Wind Current partially enters the northern hemisphere, and at Cape San Roque it divides into two parts: one of them goes to the south, forming the Brazil Current, the other turns to the north, forming the Guiana Current, which goes into the Caribbean Sea. The Brazilian Current in the La Plata region meets the cold Falkland Current (a branch of the West Wind Current). Near the southern end of Africa, the cold Benguela Current branches off from the West Wind Current and, moving along the coast of South-West Africa, gradually deviates to the west. In the southern part of the Gulf of Guinea, this current closes the anticyclonic circulation of the Southern Trade Wind Current.

There are several tiers of deep-sea currents in the Atlantic Ocean. A powerful countercurrent passes under the Gulf Stream, the main core of which lies at a depth of up to 3500 m, with a speed of 20 cm/s. The countercurrent flows as a narrow stream in the lower part of the continental slope; the formation of this current is associated with the bottom runoff of cold waters from the Norwegian and Greenland seas. The subsurface Lomonosov Current has been discovered in the equatorial zone of the ocean. It starts from the Antilo-Guiana countercurrent and reaches the Gulf of Guinea. The powerful deep Louisiana Current is observed in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, formed by the bottom runoff of saltier and warmer Mediterranean waters through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The highest tide values are confined to the Atlantic Ocean, which are observed in the fiord bays of Canada (in Ungava Bay - 12.4 m, in Frobisher Bay - 16.6 m) and Great Britain (up to 14.4 m in Bristol Bay). The highest tide in the world is recorded in the Bay of Fundy, on the east coast of Canada, where the maximum tide reaches 15.6-18 m.

Temperature, salinity, ice formation

Temperature fluctuations in Atlantic waters throughout the year are not large: in the equatorial-tropical zone - no more than 1-3°, in the subtropics and temperate latitudes - within 5-8°, in subpolar latitudes - about 4° in the north and no more than 1° on South. The warmest waters are in equatorial and tropical latitudes. For example, in the Gulf of Guinea the temperature in the surface layer does not drop below 26 °C. In the northern hemisphere, north of the tropics, the temperature of the surface layer decreases (at 60°N it is 10°C in summer). In the southern hemisphere, temperatures increase much faster and at 60°S. fluctuate around 0 °C. In general, the ocean in the southern hemisphere is colder than in the northern hemisphere. In the northern hemisphere, the western part of the ocean is colder than the eastern, in the southern hemisphere it is vice versa.

The highest salinity of surface waters in the open ocean is observed in the subtropical zone (up to 37.25 ‰), and the maximum in the Mediterranean Sea is 39 ‰. In the equatorial zone, where the maximum amount of precipitation is recorded, salinity decreases to 34 ‰. A sharp desalination of water occurs in the estuary areas (for example, at the mouth of La Plata 18-19 ‰).

Ice formation in the Atlantic Ocean occurs in the Greenland and Baffin seas and Antarctic waters. The main source of icebergs in the South Atlantic is the Filchner Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea. On the Greenland coast, icebergs are produced by outlet glaciers, such as the Jakobshavn glacier in the area of Disko Island. Floating ice in the northern hemisphere reaches 40°N in July. In the southern hemisphere, floating ice is present throughout the year up to 55°S, reaching its maximum extent in September-October. The total removal from the Arctic Ocean is estimated at an average of 900,000 km³/year, and from the surface of Antarctica - 1630 km³/year.

Water masses

Under the influence of wind and convective processes, vertical mixing of water in the Atlantic Ocean occurs, covering a surface thickness of 100 m in the southern hemisphere and up to 300 m in the tropics and equatorial latitudes. Below the layer of surface waters, outside the subantarctic zone, in the Atlantic there is the Antarctic intermediate water, which is almost universally identified with the intermediate minimum of salinity and is characterized by a higher content of nutrients in relation to the overlying waters, and extends north to the region of 20° N. at depths of 0.7-1.2 km.

A feature of the hydrological structure of the eastern part of the North Atlantic is the presence of an intermediate Mediterranean water mass, which gradually descends to a depth of 1000 to 1250 m, turning into a deep water mass. In the southern hemisphere, this water mass drops to levels of 2500-2750 m and wedges south of 45°S. The main feature of these waters is their high salinity and temperature relative to the surrounding waters. In the bottom layer of the Strait of Gibraltar, a salinity of up to 38 ‰ and a temperature of up to 14 °C are noted, but already in the Gulf of Cadiz, where Mediterranean waters reach the depths of their existence in the Atlantic Ocean, their salinity and temperature as a result of mixing with background waters drop to 36 ‰ and 12-13°C respectively. At the periphery of the distribution area, its salinity and temperature are, respectively, 35 ‰ and about 5°C. Under the Mediterranean water mass in the northern hemisphere, North Atlantic deep water is formed, which descends as a result of winter cooling of relatively salty waters in the North European Basin and the Labrador Sea to a depth of 2500-3000 m in the northern hemisphere and to 3500-4000 m in the southern hemisphere, reaching to approximately 50°S. The North Atlantic deep water differs from the overlying and underlying Antarctic waters in its increased salinity, temperature and oxygen content, as well as a reduced content of nutrients.

The Antarctic bottom water mass is formed on the Antarctic slope as a result of the mixing of cold and heavy Antarctic shelf water with lighter, warmer and more saline Circumpolar deep waters. These waters, spreading from the Weddell Sea, passing through all orographic obstacles up to 40°N, have a temperature of less than minus 0.8ºC in the north of this sea, 0.6ºC at the equator and 1.8ºC near the Bermuda Islands. The Arctic bottom water mass has lower salinity values compared to the overlying waters and in the South Atlantic is characterized by an increased content of nutrients.

Flora and fauna

The bottom flora of the northern part of the Atlantic is represented by brown (mainly fucoids, and in the sublittoral zone - kelp and alaria) and red algae. In the tropical zone, green algae (caulerpa), red algae (calcareous lithothamnia) and brown algae (sargassum) predominate. In the southern hemisphere, bottom vegetation is mainly represented by kelp forests. There are 245 species of phytoplankton in the Atlantic Ocean: peridinea, coccolithophores, and diatoms. The latter have a clearly defined zonal distribution; their maximum number lives in the temperate latitudes of the northern and southern hemispheres. The population of diatoms is most dense in the zone of the Western Wind Current.

The distribution of the fauna of the Atlantic Ocean has a pronounced zonal character. In subantarctic and Antarctic waters, notothenia, whiting and others are of commercial importance. Benthos and plankton in the Atlantic are poor in both species and biomass. In the subantarctic zone and in the adjacent temperate zone, biomass reaches its maximum. The zooplankton is dominated by copepods and pteropods; the nekton is dominated by mammals such as whales (blue whale), pinnipeds, and their fish - nototheniids. In the tropical zone, zooplankton is represented by numerous species of foraminifera and pteropods, several species of radiolarians, copepods, larvae of mollusks and fish, as well as siphonophores, various jellyfish, large cephalopods (squid), and, among benthic forms, octopuses. Commercial fish are represented by mackerel, tuna, sardines, and in areas of cold currents - anchovies. Corals are confined to tropical and subtropical zones. The temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere are characterized by abundant life with a relatively small diversity of species. Of the commercial fish, the most important are herring, cod, haddock, halibut, and sea bass. Foraminifera and copepods are the most characteristic of zooplankton. The greatest abundance of plankton is in the area of the Newfoundland Bank and the Norwegian Sea. The deep-sea fauna is represented by crustaceans, echinoderms, specific species of fish, sponges, and hydroids. Several species of endemic polychaetes, isopods, and holothurians have been found in the Puerto Rico Trench.

Ecological problems

Since time immemorial, the Atlantic Ocean has been a place of intense marine fishing and hunting. The sharp increase in capacity and the revolution in fishing technology have led to alarming proportions. With the invention of the harpoon cannon, whales were largely exterminated in the North Atlantic at the end of the 19th century. Due to the massive development of pelagic whaling in Antarctic waters in the mid-20th century, whales here were also close to complete extermination. Since the 1985-1986 season, the International Whale Commission has imposed a complete moratorium on commercial whaling of any species. In June 2010, at the 62nd meeting of the International Whaling Commission, under pressure from Japan, Iceland and Denmark, the moratorium was suspended.

The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, owned by the British company BP, which occurred on April 20, 2010, is considered the largest environmental disaster that has ever occurred at sea. The accident spilled about 5 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and polluted 1,100 miles of coastline. The authorities have introduced a fishing ban; more than a third of the entire water area of the Gulf of Mexico is closed to fishing. As of November 2, 2010, 6,814 dead animals had been collected, including 6,104 birds, 609 sea turtles, 100 dolphins and other mammals, and 1 other reptile. According to the Office of Specially Protected Resources of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in 2010-2011, the mortality rate of cetaceans in the northern Gulf of Mexico increased several times compared to previous years (2002-2009).

A large garbage patch of plastic and other waste has formed in the Sargasso Sea, formed by ocean currents that gradually concentrate trash thrown into the ocean in one area.

There is radioactive contamination in some areas of the Atlantic Ocean. Waste from nuclear power plants and research centers is discharged into rivers and coastal seas, and sometimes into the deep ocean. Areas of the Atlantic Ocean heavily contaminated with radioactive waste include the North, Irish, Mediterranean Seas, the Bay of Mexico, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic coast of the United States. In 1977 alone, 7,180 containers containing 5,650 tons of radioactive waste were dumped into the Atlantic. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported seabed contamination 120 miles east of the Maryland-Delaware border. There, 14,300 cemented containers containing plutonium and cesium were buried there for 30 years; radioactive contamination exceeded “expected” by 3-70 times. In 1970, the United States sank the Russell Brigge, 500 km off the coast of Florida, carrying 68 tons of nerve gas (sarin) placed in 418 concrete containers. In 1972, in the ocean waters north of the Azores, Germany sank 2,500 metal barrels containing industrial waste containing potent cyanide poisons. There are cases of rapid destruction of containers in the relatively shallow waters of the North and Irish Seas and the English Channel with the most detrimental consequences for the fauna and flora of water areas. 4 nuclear submarines sank in the waters of the North Atlantic: 2 Soviet (in the Bay of Biscay and the open ocean) and 2 American (off the coast of the United States and in the open ocean).

Atlantic coast states

On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and its constituent seas there are states and dependent territories:

History of European exploration of the Atlantic Ocean

Long before the era of great geographical discoveries, numerous ships plied the expanses of the Atlantic. As early as 4000 BC, the peoples of Phoenicia conducted maritime trade with the inhabitants of the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. At a later time, from the 6th century BC, the Phoenicians, according to the testimony of the Greek historian Herodotus, made voyages around Africa, and through the Strait of Gibraltar and around the Iberian Peninsula they reached the British Isles. By the 6th century BC, Ancient Greece, having a huge military merchant fleet at that time, sailed to the shores of England and Scandinavia, in the Baltic Sea and to the western coast of Africa. In the X-XI centuries. The Vikings wrote a new page in the study of the North Atlantic Ocean. According to most researchers of pre-Columbian discoveries, the Scandinavian Vikings were the first to cross the ocean more than once, reaching the shores of the American continent (they called it Vinland) and discovering Greenland and Labrador.

In the 15th century, Spanish and Portuguese sailors began to make long voyages in search of routes to India and China. In 1488, the Portuguese expedition of Bartolomeu Dias reached the Cape of Good Hope and circumnavigated Africa from the south. In 1492, Christopher Columbus's expedition mapped many of the Caribbean islands and the vast continent later called America. In 1497, Vasco da Gama walked from Europe to India, circumnavigating Africa from the south. In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan, during his first circumnavigation of the world, passed the Strait of Magellan from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the 15th century, the rivalry between Spain and Portugal for supremacy in the Atlantic became so intense that the Vatican was forced to intervene in the conflict. In 1494, an agreement was signed, which established the so-called along 48-49° west longitude. "Papal Meridian" All lands to the west of it were given to Spain, and to the east - to Portugal. In the 16th century, as colonial wealth was being developed, the waves of the Atlantic began to regularly ply ships carrying gold, silver, precious stones, pepper, cocoa and sugar to Europe. Weapons, fabrics, alcohol, food and slaves for cotton and sugar cane plantations were delivered to America along the same route. It is not surprising that in the XVI-XVII centuries. Piracy and privateering flourished in these parts, and many famous pirates, such as John Hawkins, Francis Drake and Henry Morgan, wrote their names in history. The southern border of the Atlantic Ocean (the continent of Antarctica) was discovered in 1819-1821 by the first Russian Antarctic expedition of F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev.

The first attempts to study the seabed were made in 1779 near the coast of Denmark, and serious scientific research began in 1803-1806 with the first Russian round-the-world expedition under the command of naval officer Ivan Krusenstern. Temperature measurements at various depths were carried out by J. Cook (1772), O. Saussure (1780), and others. Participants in subsequent trips measured the temperature and specific gravity of water at different depths, took samples of water transparency and determined the presence of underwater currents. The collected material made it possible to compile a map of the Gulf Stream (B. Franklin, 1770), a map of the depths of the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean (M. F. Morey, 1854), as well as maps of winds and ocean currents (M. F. Morey, 1849-1860) and conduct other studies.

From 1872 to 1876, the first scientific oceanic expedition took place on the English sailing-steam corvette Challenger, new data were obtained on the composition of ocean waters, flora and fauna, bottom topography and soils, the first map of ocean depths was compiled and the first collection was collected deep-sea animals, as a result of which extensive material was collected, published in 50 volumes. It was followed by expeditions on the Russian sail-screw corvette Vityaz (1886-1889), on the German ships Valdivia (1898-1899) and Gauss (1901-1903) and others. The largest work was carried out on the English ship Discovery II (since 1931), thanks to which oceanographic and hydrobiological studies were carried out in the open part of the South Atlantic at great depths. As part of the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), international forces (especially the USA and the USSR) carried out research, which resulted in the compilation of new bathymetric and marine navigation maps of the Atlantic Ocean. In 1963-1964, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission conducted a large expedition to study the equatorial and tropical zones of the ocean, in which the USSR took part (on the ships “Vityaz”, “Mikhail Lomonosov”, “Akademik Kurchatov” and others), the USA, Brazil and others countries.

In recent decades, numerous ocean measurements have been made from space satellites. The result was a bathymetric atlas of the oceans released in 1994 by the American National Geophysical Data Center with a map resolution of 3-4 km and a depth accuracy of ±100 m.

Economic significance

Fisheries and marine industries

The Atlantic Ocean provides 2/5 of the world's catch and its share has been decreasing over the years. In subantarctic and Antarctic waters, notothenia, whiting and others are of commercial importance, in the tropical zone - mackerel, tuna, sardine, in areas of cold currents - anchovies, in temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere - herring, cod, haddock, halibut, sea bass. In the 1970s, due to overfishing of some fish species, fishing volumes declined sharply, but after the introduction of strict limits, fish stocks are gradually recovering. There are several international fisheries conventions in force in the Atlantic Ocean basin, which aim at the effective and rational use of biological resources, based on the application of scientifically based measures to regulate fishing.

Transport routes

The Atlantic Ocean occupies a leading place in world shipping. Most of the routes lead from Europe to North America. The main navigable straits of the Atlantic Ocean: Bosphorus and Dardanelles, Gibraltar, English Channel, Pas de Calais, Baltic straits (Skagerrak, Kattegat, Oresund, Great and Little Belt), Danish, Florida. The Atlantic Ocean is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the artificial Panama Canal, dug between North and South America along the Isthmus of Panama, and also to the Indian Ocean by the artificial Suez Canal through the Mediterranean Sea. Largest ports: St. Petersburg (general cargo, petroleum products, metals, timber cargo, containers, coal, ore, chemical cargo, scrap metal), Hamburg (machinery and equipment, chemical products, raw materials for metallurgy, oil, wool, timber, food) , Bremen, Rotterdam (oil, natural gas, ores, fertilizers, equipment, food), Antwerp, Le Havre (oil, equipment), Felixstowe, Valencia, Algeciras, Barcelona, Marseille (oil, ore, grain, metals, chemical cargo, sugar , fruits and vegetables, wine), Gioia Tauro, Marsaxlokk, Istanbul, Odessa (raw sugar, containers), Mariupol (coal, ore, grain, containers, oil products, metals, timber, food), Novorossiysk (oil, ore, cement, grain, metals, equipment, food), Batumi (oil, general and bulk cargo, food), Beirut (export: phosphorites, fruits, vegetables, wool, timber, cement, import: cars, fertilizers, cast iron, building materials, food), Port Said, Alexandria (export: cotton, rice, ores, import: equipment, metals, petroleum products, fertilizers), Casablanca (export: phosphorites, ores, citrus fruits, cork, food, import: equipment, fabrics, petroleum products) , Dakar (groundnuts, dates, cotton, livestock, fish, ores, import: equipment, petroleum products, food), Cape Town, Buenos Aires (export: wool, meat, grain, leather, vegetable oil, flaxseed, cotton, import : equipment, iron ore, coal, oil, industrial goods), Santos, Rio de Janeiro (export: iron ore, pig iron, coffee, cotton, sugar, cocoa beans, lumber, meat, wool, leather, import: petroleum products , equipment, coal, grain, cement, food), Houston (oil, grain, sulfur, equipment), New Orleans (ores, coal, construction materials, cars, grain, rental, equipment, coffee, fruit, food), Savannah, New York (general cargo, oil, chemical cargo, equipment, pulp, paper, coffee, sugar, metals), Montreal (grain, oil, cement, coal, timber, metals, paper, asbestos, weapons, fish, wheat, equipment , cotton, wool).

Air traffic plays a leading role in passenger traffic between Europe and North America across the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the transatlantic lines run in the North Atlantic through Iceland and Newfoundland. Another connection goes through Lisbon, the Azores and Bermuda. The air route from Europe to South America passes through Lisbon, Dakar and then across the narrowest part of the Atlantic Ocean to Rio de Janeiro. Airlines from the United States to Africa pass through the Bahamas, Dakar and Robertsport. On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean there are spaceports: Cape Canaveral (USA), Kourou (French Guiana), Alcantara (Brazil).

Minerals

Mineral extraction, primarily oil and gas, is carried out on continental shelves. Oil is produced on the shelves of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the North Sea, the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Gulf of Guinea. Natural gas is also produced on the North Sea shelf. There is industrial mining of sulfur in the Gulf of Mexico, and iron ore off the island of Newfoundland. Diamonds are mined from sea deposits on the South African continental shelf. The next most important group of mineral resources is formed by coastal deposits of titanium, zirconium, tin, phosphorites, monazite and amber. Coal, barite, sand, pebbles and limestone are also mined from the seabed.

Tidal power stations have been built on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean: La Rance on the Rance River in France, Annapolis in the Bay of Fundy in Canada, and Hammerfest in Norway.

Recreational resources

The recreational resources of the Atlantic Ocean are characterized by significant diversity. The main countries of formation of outbound tourism in this region are formed in Europe (Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, the Russian Federation, Switzerland and Spain), North (USA and Canada) and South America. Main recreational areas: the Mediterranean coast of Southern Europe and North Africa, the coasts of the Baltic and Black Seas, the Florida Peninsula, the islands of Cuba, Haiti, the Bahamas, areas of cities and urban agglomerations of the Atlantic coast of North and South America.

Recently, the popularity of Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Croatia, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco has been growing. Among the countries of the Atlantic Ocean with the largest flow of tourists (according to 2010 data from the World Tourism Organization), the following stand out: France (77 million visits per year), USA (60 million), Spain (53 million), Italy (44 million), Great Britain (28 million), Turkey (27 million), Mexico (22 million), Ukraine (21 million), Russian Federation (20 million), Canada (16 million), Greece (15 million), Egypt (14 million), Poland (12 million ), Netherlands (11 million), Morocco (9 million), Denmark (9 million), South Africa (8 million), Syria (8 million), Tunisia (7 million), Belgium (7 million), Portugal (7 million) , Bulgaria (6 million), Argentina (5 million), Brazil (5 million).

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The Atlantic Ocean is the most studied and developed by people of all the oceans. According to one hypothesis, it got its name from the Titan Atlas (according to Greek mythology, holding the vault of heaven on his shoulders). At different times it was called differently: “The Sea beyond the Pillars of Hercules”, “Atlantic”, “Western Ocean”, “Sea of Darkness”, etc. The name "Atlantic Ocean" first appeared in 1507 on the Wald-Semüller map, and since then the name has been established in geography.

Geographical position of the ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on the planet. It covers an area of 92 million km. The Atlantic Ocean washes the shores of five continents.

The boundaries of the Atlantic Ocean are North America and Eurasia in the northern part, and South America, Africa and Antarctica in the southern part.

The Atlantic separates the Old World from the New.

The Atlantic Ocean is crossed by the equator and the prime meridian (see Fig. 1). Its length is 13 thousand km. The ocean is wide (maximum width - 6700 km) in the northern and southern parts, narrowing in equatorial latitudes to 2900 km. In the north it communicates with the Arctic Ocean, and in the south it is widely connected with the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Rice. 1. Physical map of the Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest among the planet's oceans. The ocean coastline in the northern hemisphere is heavily dissected by numerous peninsulas and bays. There are many islands, internal and marginal seas near the continents. The Atlantic includes 13 seas, which occupy 11% of its area (see Fig. 2).

Remember the names of the largest ones.

Caribbean Sea – 1

Gulf of Mexico –2

Sargasso Sea – 3

Baltic Sea – 4

Bay of Biscay – 5

Mediterranean Sea – 6

Black Sea – 7

Gulf of Guinea – 8

Weddell Sea – 9

Rice. 2. Seas of the Atlantic Ocean

Relief of the Atlantic Ocean floor

The Atlantic Ocean is younger than the Pacific Ocean; it was formed in the Mesozoic era, after the collapse of the Gondwana continent. Its bottom is made up of areas of several lithospheric plates. In the center of the Atlantic Ocean, the huge Mid-Atlantic Ridge stretches from north to south, broken by many transverse faults.

The relative height of the ridge is about 2 km. Transverse faults divide it into separate segments. In the axial part of the ridge there is a giant rift valley ranging from 6 to 30 km wide and up to 2 km deep. Both underwater active volcanoes and the volcanoes of Iceland and the Azores are confined to the rift and faults of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. On both sides of the ridge there are basins with a relatively flat bottom, separated by elevated rises. The shelf area in the Atlantic Ocean is larger than in the Pacific.

It is here, in the central parts of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, that young earth's crust emerges from the depths of the mantle and gradually diverges to the east and west, slowly expanding the ocean. On the protrusion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the island of Iceland - one of the most beautiful places on Earth (see Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Iceland

In the eastern and western parts of the ocean there are vast oceanic trenches, and off the western coast there are two small deep-sea trenches - the deepest parts of the ocean (see Fig. 4).

Rice. 4. Relief of the Atlantic Ocean bottom

Atlantic climate

The Atlantic Ocean is located in almost all climatic zones, except one (identify its name on the map). That's right, this is the Arctic climate zone.

The zoning of water masses in the ocean is complicated by the influence of land and sea currents. This is manifested primarily in the temperature distribution of surface waters. In many areas of the ocean, isotherms off the coast deviate sharply from the latitudinal direction.

The northern half of the ocean is warmer than the southern half, the temperature difference reaches 6°C. The average surface water temperature (16.5°C) is slightly lower than in the Pacific Ocean.

The cooling effect is exerted by the waters and ice of the Arctic and Antarctic. The salinity of surface waters in the Atlantic Ocean is high. One of the reasons for increased salinity is that a significant part of the moisture evaporating from the water area does not return to the ocean, but is transferred to neighboring continents (due to the relative narrowness of the ocean).

Many large rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean and its seas: the Amazon, Congo, Mississippi, Nile, Danube, La Plata, etc. They carry huge masses of fresh water, suspended material and pollutants into the ocean. Ice forms in the desalinated bays and seas of subpolar and temperate latitudes in winter off the western shores of the ocean. Numerous icebergs and floating sea ice are disrupting shipping in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Trade winds blow in subtropical and tropical latitudes, but the Western Transport winds have much greater strength and fury in the Atlantic. They are especially strong in the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere.

In the western part of the Atlantic, severe storms and hurricanes regularly arise, unleashing their fury on the coast. There are 10-20 of them per season. Weather news reports sometimes resemble military reports.

Atlantic Ocean Currents

Prevailing winds shape the main currents in the oceans. But the Atlantic Ocean is strongly elongated from north to south, and therefore its main currents extend along the ocean - in the meridional direction (see Fig. 5).

In the Atlantic, as in the Pacific, two rings of surface currents form.

Follow the atlas maps and learn to easily find the following Atlantic Ocean currents.

In the northern hemisphere, the Northern Trade Wind Current, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic and Canary Currents form a clockwise movement of water.

In the southern hemisphere, the South Trade Wind, the Brazilian Current, the West Wind Current and the Benguela Current form the movement of water counterclockwise.

Due to the considerable extent of the Atlantic Ocean from north to south, meridional water flows are more developed in it than latitudinal ones.

Rice. 5. Map of Atlantic Ocean currents

Organic World of the Atlantic

The Atlantic Ocean is poorer in flora and fauna species than the Pacific Ocean. One of the reasons for this is its relative geological youth and noticeable cooling in the Quaternary period during the glaciation of the northern hemisphere.

However, in quantitative terms, the ocean is rich in organisms - it is the most productive per unit area.

This is primarily due to the widespread development of shelves and shallow banks, which are home to many bottom and bottom fish (cod, flounder, perch, etc.).

Development of the Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean has been explored by people since ancient times. And now it plays a huge role in the life of mankind: a dense network of the most important transport routes connecting Europe with America and the countries of the Persian Gulf stretches through it.

Oil is extracted on the shelf of the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and reserves of iron-manganese nodules have been discovered in the southern part of the ocean.

The Atlantic Ocean is home to the world's main fishing grounds and most popular resorts.

The biological resources of the ocean have been intensively used for a long time. However, due to overfishing of a number of valuable commercial fish species, in recent years the Atlantic is inferior to the Pacific Ocean in the production of fish and seafood.

Intensive human economic activity in the Atlantic Ocean and its seas causes a noticeable deterioration of the natural environment - both in the ocean (water and air pollution, reduction in stocks of commercial fish species) and on the coasts.

In order to prevent further and reduce existing pollution of the natural environment of the Atlantic Ocean, scientific recommendations are being developed and international agreements are being concluded on the rational use of ocean resources.

Bibliography

MainI

1. Geography. Land and people. 7th grade: Textbook for general education. uch. / A.P. Kuznetsov, L.E. Savelyeva, V.P. Dronov, series “Spheres”. – M.: Education, 2011.

2. Geography. Land and people. 7th grade: atlas, “Spheres” series.

Additional

1. N.A. Maksimov. Behind the pages of a geography textbook. – M.: Enlightenment.

2. Russian Geographical Society ().

3. Textbook on geography ().

4. Gazetteer ().

The part of the World Ocean bounded by Europe and Africa to the east and North and South America to the west. The name comes from the name of the Titan Atlas (Atlas) in Greek mythology.

Second in size only to Quiet; its area is approximately 91.56 million km2. It is distinguished from other oceans by its highly rugged coastline, forming numerous seas and bays, especially in the northern part. In addition, the total area of river basins flowing into this ocean or its marginal seas is significantly larger than that of rivers flowing into any other ocean. Another difference Atlantic Ocean is a relatively small number of islands and a complex bottom topography, which, thanks to underwater ridges and uplifts, forms many separate basins.

Atlantic coast states - 49 countries:

Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Benin, Brazil, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Iceland , Spain, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint -Lucia, Suriname, USA, Sierra Leone, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, France, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa.

NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

It is divided into northern and southern parts, the border between which is conventionally drawn along the equator. From an oceanographic point of view, however, the southern part of the ocean should include the equatorial countercurrent, located at 5–8° N latitude. The northern border is usually drawn along the Arctic Circle. In some places this boundary is marked by underwater ridges.

Borders and coastline

In the Northern Hemisphere has a heavily indented coastline. Its narrow northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by three narrow straits. In the northeast, the 360 km wide Davis Strait connects it to the Baffin Sea, which belongs to the Arctic Ocean. In the central part, between Greenland and Iceland, there is the Denmark Strait, at its narrowest point only 287 km wide. Finally, in the northeast, between Iceland and Norway, there is the Norwegian Sea, approx. 1220 km. East of Atlantic Ocean two water areas protruding deeply into the land are separated. The more northern of them begins with the North Sea, which to the east passes into the Baltic Sea with the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. To the south there is a system of inland seas - the Mediterranean and the Black - with a total length of approx. 4000 km.

In the tropical zone in the southwest of the North Atlantic are the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, connected to the ocean by the Strait of Florida. The coast of North America is indented by small bays (Pamlico, Barnegat, Chesapeake, Delaware and Long Island Sound); to the northwest are the Bays of Fundy and St. Lawrence, the Strait of Belle Isle, Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay.

CURRENTS

Surface currents in the northern part Atlantic Ocean moving clockwise. The main elements of this large system are the northward warm Gulf Stream, as well as the North Atlantic, Canary and North Trade Wind (Equatorial) Currents. The Gulf Stream follows from the Strait of Florida and Cuba in a northerly direction along the coast of the United States and approximately 40° N latitude. deviates to the northeast, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. This current is divided into two branches, one of which follows northeast along the coast of Norway and further into the Arctic Ocean. The second branch turns south and further southwest along the coast of Africa, forming the cold Canary Current. This current moves southwest and joins the North Trade Wind Current, which heads west towards the West Indies, where it merges with the Gulf Stream. To the north of the North Trade Wind Current there is an area of stagnant waters, teeming with algae, known as the Sargasso Sea. The cold Labrador Current runs along the North Atlantic coast of North America from north to south, coming from Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea and cooling the shores of New England.

ISLANDS of the Atlantic Ocean

The largest islands are concentrated in the northern part of the ocean; these are the British Isles, Iceland, Newfoundland, Cuba, Haiti (Hispaniola) and Puerto Rico. On the eastern edge Atlantic Ocean There are several groups of small islands - the Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. Similar groups exist in the western part of the ocean. Examples include the Bahamas, Florida Keys and Lesser Antilles. The Greater and Lesser Antilles archipelagos form an island arc surrounding the eastern Caribbean Sea. In the Pacific Ocean, such island arcs are characteristic of areas of crustal deformation. Deep-sea trenches are located along the convex side of the arc.

The Atlantic Ocean is considered one of the largest and most voluminous in size, namely the second in size after the Pacific Ocean. This ocean is the most studied and developed when compared with other water areas. Its location is as follows: in the east it is framed by the shores of North and South America, and in the west its borders end in Europe and Africa. In the South it passes into the Southern Ocean. And on the northern side it borders with Greenland. The ocean is distinguished by the fact that there are very few islands in it, and the topography of its bottom is all dotted and has a complex structure. The coastline is broken.

Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean

If we talk about the area of the ocean, it occupies 91.66 million square meters. km. We can say that part of its territory is not the ocean itself, but existing seas and bays. The volume of the ocean is 329.66 million square meters. km, and its average depth is 3736 m. Where the Puerto Rico Trench is located, the ocean is considered to have the greatest depth, which is 8742 m. There are two currents - Northern and Southern.

Atlantic Ocean from the north

The ocean boundary from the north is marked in some places by ridges located under water. In this hemisphere, the Atlantic is framed by an indented coastline. Its small northern part is connected to the Arctic Ocean by several narrow straits. Davis Strait is located in the northeast and connects the ocean with the Baffin Sea, which is also considered to belong to the Arctic Ocean. Closer to the center, the Denmark Strait is less wide than the Davis Strait. Between Norway and Iceland, closer to the northeast, is the Norwegian Sea.

In the southwest of the Northern Current of the ocean are the Gulf of Mexico, which is connected by the Strait of Florida. And also the Caribbean Sea. There are many bays to note here, such as Barnegat, Delaware, Hudson Bay and others. It is in the northern side of the ocean that you can see the largest and largest islands, which are famous for their fame. These are Puerto Rico, the world famous Cuba and Haiti, as well as the British Isles and Newfoundland. Closer to the east you can find small groups of islands. These are the Canary Islands, the Azores and Cape Verde. Closer to the west are the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles.

South Atlantic Ocean

Some geographers believe that the southern part is the entire space up to Antarctica. Someone is defining the border at Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope between two continents. The coastline in the south of the Atlantic Ocean is not as indented as in the north, and there are no seas. There is one large bay near Africa - Guinea. The farthest point in the south is Tierra del Fuego, which is framed by small islands in large numbers. Also, you cannot find large islands here, but there are separate islands, like. Ascension, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha. In the far south you can find the Southern Islands, Bouvet, Falkland and others.

As for the current in the southern ocean, here all systems flow counterclockwise. Near eastern Brazil, the South Trade Wind Current branches. One branch goes north, flows near the northern coast of South America, filling the Caribbean. And the second is considered southern, very warm, moves near Brazil and soon connects with the Antarctic Current, then heads to the east. Partially separates and turns into the Benguela Current, which is distinguished by its cold waters.

Attractions of the Atlantic Ocean

There is a special underwater cave in the Belize Barrier Reef. It was called the Blue Hole. It is very deep, and inside it there is a whole series of caves that are connected to each other by tunnels. The depth of the cave reaches 120 m and is considered unique of its kind.

There is no person who does not know about the Bermuda Triangle. But it is located in the Atlantic Ocean and excites the imagination of many superstitious travelers. Bermuda attracts with its mystery, but at the same time frightens with the unknown.

It is in the Atlantic that you can see an unusual sea that has no shores. And all because it is located in the middle of a body of water, and its boundaries cannot be framed by land, only currents show the boundaries of this sea. This is the only sea in the world that has such unique data and is called the Sargasso Sea.

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