Pacific Ocean is considered the largest and deepest body of water in the world.Its area is estimated at 179 million square meters.km.It is 30 square kilometers, more than all the world's land.The maximum width of the basin is about 17,200 km, and the length - 15.5 thousand km.The waters of the ocean stretches from the shores of the Americas to Australia.The pool consists of dozens of large seas and bays.As
formed Pacific
The waters of this pool began to emerge back in the Mesozoic era.The first stage was the collapse of the continent Pangea and Gondwana to Laurasia.As a result, the pond Panthalassa began to decrease.The sea and the bays of the Pacific Ocean began to form between Laurasia and Gondwana fault.The Jurassic reservoir formed by multiple tectonic plates.At the end of the Cretaceous era, Arctic mainland began to crack.At the same time Australian plate took a course at the equator, and the Pacific - to the west.The Miocene strata active tectonic movement ceased.
Today, offset plates at a minimum level, but it continues.The movement is carried out along the axis of the mid-submarine rift zones.Because of this, the sea and inlets of the Pacific are reduced or expanded.Offset biggest plates occurs at a speed of 10 cm / year.This applies mainly to the Australian and Eurasian plates.Smaller plates can reach a speed of displacement up to 12-14 cm / year.Slowest - 3 cm per year.Thanks to this continuous movement formed the largest bays of the Pacific Ocean.In recent years, the water area of the pool changed by a few meters.
Location Pacific
water area can be divided into two parts, north and south.The border regions serves the equator.The biggest bays of the Pacific Ocean are located in the northern part, as well as the largest sea straits.However, many experts believe such a division in the field inaccurate as it does not take into account the direction of flow.Therefore, there is an alternative classification of areas of the waters of the southern, central and northern.The largest of the sea, bays, straits of the Pacific Ocean are within close proximity to the American continent.This is particularly the case in countries such as USA, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and others. In the southern region there are many small water area between the islands of the seas: Tasman, Arafura, Coral, Flores, Java and others.They are adjacent bays and straits of the Pacific Ocean as of Carpentaria, Siam, Beibu, Makassar.
special place occupies the northern part of the basin the Sulu Sea.It is within the Philippine archipelago.It includes about a dozen small coves and bays.Next to Asia, the most significant is the Japanese Sea, Yellow, China, Okhotsk.
Gulf of Alaska
boundary of the basin advocates the coastline from the Alexander Archipelago of the peninsula to Alaska.It is the largest bay of the Pacific Ocean.Its depth in some places exceed the mark of 5.5 thousand meters.The main port is the Prince Rupert and Seward.The coastal waters of the boundary is uneven, rugged.She represented not only azure sands and high mountains, forests, waterfalls, and even glaciers like Hubbard.The structure includes a number of Gulf estuaries and bays.
Today the waters of Alaska is considered the main source of large storms move towards the entire US coastline, including the states of Oregon and Washington.In addition, the bay is rich in natural hydrocarbons.The rainy season in the waters do not stop even for a week.Some islands pools assigned to the national reserve.
Panama
Located off the coast of Central America.It shares borders with Panama isthmus 140 km.Its minimum width is about 185 km and a maximum reach 250. The deepest point of the pool basin is 100 m. This Pacific Bay a total area reaches 2400 square meters.km.The largest bays are considered floating and San Miguel.Straits are semidiurnal and their average height is 6.4 meters.In the east, the waters are located famous Pearl Islands.
In the northern part of the Gulf originates Panama Canal.At the entrance to it it is based the largest port of Balboa pool.Channel itself combines Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Panama and the Atlantic Ocean.Also in the waters of the river flows Tuira.
largest bays California
This pool is also known as the Sea of Cortez.This gulf separates the Mexican Pacific coast from California Peninsula.In the Sea of Cortez is one of the oldest water areas.Her age is 5.3 million years old.Due to the Gulf of Colorado River gained direct access to the pool okean.Ploschad is 177 thousand square.km.The deepest point reaches 3,400 meters, and the average mark - 820 meters. Broad Bay uneven.Today, California is the most deep-water area of the Pacific Ocean.Maximum point - in the estuary near the city of Yuma.
major islands of the Gulf are Tiburon and Angel de la Guarda.From small ports can be isolated Isla Partida and Espíritu Santo.
Gulf of Fonseca
washes the shores of Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.It is the easternmost bay of the Pacific Ocean.It was opened in the early 16th century by the Spaniards and is named after the archbishop called Juan Fonseca.Water area of about 3.2 thousand square meters.km.The width of the basin is in the range of 35 km, and the length - up to 74 km.It is worth noting that this is the neglubinny Bay in the Pacific Ocean (peak - 27 meters).The semidiurnal Fonseca flow passages, the height of which varies from 2 to 4.5 m. The length of coastline - 261 km.Most of it is in Honduras (70%).The rest of the percentage share of Nicaragua and El Salvador.
The largest islands are pools of El Tigre, Meanguera, Isla Zacate Grande and Conchagüita.The waters Fonseca is located in a seismically active zone, so it regularly occurs within a minor earthquake and tsunami.At the beginning of the Gulf are two active volcanoes and Cosigüina Konchagua.
Interestingly, for the sole supremacy Fonseca has long fought El Salvador and Honduras.It only managed to reach a compromise in 1992.
