Fun Fact 1: What is an ocean? The ocean is a large area of water that covers the majority of the hydrosphere. The hydrosphere is a geographical term used to describe the mass of water above the surface crust of a planet
Fun Fact 2: How many oceans are there on Earth? The answer is five; the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean
Fun Fact 3: Which is the biggest ocean on earth? The Pacific is the biggest ocean; it covers 30% of the world and measures around 180 million Km2
Fun Fact 4: Over 50% of the area covered by oceans is more than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) deep
Fun Fact 5: The oceans fastest creature is a sailfish. A sailfish looks similar to a swordfish they can swim an incredible 100 meters in just 4.8 seconds!
Fun Fact 6: The area where a land and ocean meet is usually called a sea; a sea is part of an ocean that is partially enclosed by areas of land
Fun Fact 7: All seas and oceans have salty waters, on average one bucket full of water contains two large spoonfuls of salt. The saltiest water on earth is the Dead Sea in Asia. The Dead Sea is also known as the Salt Sea
Fun Fact 8: Why is the ocean salty? When water evaporates into the oceans atmosphere salt is left behind, underwater volcanos add to the salt content of the sea by releasing salty minerals from the earths crust
Fun Fact 9: Did you know that the oceans make the weather? The water current transfers heat around the planet, and the air temperature above the ocean creates winds and clouds
Fun Fact 10: Sunlight cannot reach deeper than around 500 metres below water; this means that any greater depth would be very cold and very dark. Many creatures live in the dark depths of the ocean including fish, jellyfish, squid and shell fish, many are blind as it is so dark eyes are of no use
Fun Fact 11: Ocean tides rise and fall twice a day, they are controlled by the moon's gravitational pull
Fun Fact 12: What causes a wave? Waves are created by the winds that blow across the ocean surface and the stronger the wind the bigger the wave. Tsunamis are often known as tidal waves; however they are not caused by winds but by geological disturbances underwater such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions
Fun Fact 13: Oceans contain mountains, volcanoes, and deep trenches. Underwater geological disturbances such as an earthquake, landslide or a volcanic eruption can cause a tsunami
Fun Fact 14: Our oceans, seas and rivers are at risk due to pollution! Rubbish and chemicals are being dumped everyday causing water pollution. Water pollution is considered to be the biggest cause of deaths and diseases worldwide. Examples of pollution causes include; chemicals, detergents, food waste, insecticides, gasoline, oil, fertilisers, garbage and sewage
Fun Fact 15: Global warming and the rise in earth's temperature are causing catastrophic effects globally. Seas and oceans are being affected, water is expanding, glaciers and Arctic regions are melting. This will lead to changes in weather conditions cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis and severe floods |
