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Southern Ocean Facts

Southern Ocean Facts
The Southern Ocean is located at the southernmost point of the world's oceans, encircling Antarctica. It is also known as the Austral or Antarctic Ocean. It is the fourth largest of the main five oceans of the world. It is larger than the Arctic Ocean but smaller than the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. The Southern Ocean is considered to be the youngest of the world's oceans.
Interesting Southern Ocean Facts:
Since 1770, when Captain James Cook determined that water encompassed the earth's southern latitudes, geographers have been debating the boundaries of the Southern Ocean.
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current transports water rapidly around Antarctica, which differentiates the water of the Southern Ocean from the water of the other oceans.
The deepest spot in the Southern Ocean is the South Sandwich Trench's southern end, which reaches 23,074 feet.
The typical depth of the Southern Ocean is between 13,000 and 16,000 feet.
There are many sub-divisions in the Southern Ocean, including seas, sounds, straits, and passages.
It is believed that there may be large deposits of oil and gas in the Southern Ocean, as well as manganese nodules.
Icebergs form on the Southern Ocean each year. These icebergs contain sufficient drinking water for every person on earth for many months.
The icebergs that form in the Southern Ocean can pose risks to ships as the drafts sometimes reach hundreds of meters.
Marine life in the Southern Ocean includes blue whales, orcas, fur seals, penguins, colossal squids, leopard seals, and albatrosses among several other species.


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