Mankind has always attracted the mysteries hidden from his sight.From the vast expanses of the universe to the deepest point of the oceans ... Modern technologies allow to partially learn some of the secrets of the earth, water and space.The more lifts the veil of secrecy, the more people want to know, because new knowledge give rise to questions.The largest, oldest and least studied Pacific is no exception.His influence on the processes taking place on the planet, is obvious: it is an opportunity for a deeper and more thorough study.The average depth of the Pacific Ocean bottom topography, the direction of currents, a message with the seas and other bodies of water - everything is set for optimal use of its human resources unlimited.
Oceans
all species on Earth depends on water, it is the basis of life, so the importance of studying the hydrosphere in all its forms is becoming a priority for humanity.During the formation of this knowledge a lot of attention is paid to how bland sources, and huge amounts of salt resources.Oceans is a major part of the hydrosphere, which occupies 94% of the earth's surface.Continents, islands and archipelagos share a body of water, which makes it possible to designate them geographically on the face of the planet.The modern map of the world in 1953 by the international community marked hydrogeographic four oceans: the Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Pacific.Each has a corresponding location and boundaries of which are conditional enough to move the water flows.More recently has been allocated a fifth - the Southern Ocean.All of them differ significantly in the occupied area, the volume of water depths and composition.More than 96% of the hydrosphere - it is salty ocean water, which moves in vertical and horizontal directions, and has its own global mechanism of metabolism, development and use of energy flows.In modern life the oceans plays an important role: it forms the climatic conditions on the continents, ensure the availability of essential transport infrastructure, gives people a lot of resources, including biological, and thus remains ecosystem whose possibilities have not yet fully understood.
Pacific
49,5% the area of the oceans, and 53% of its water resources takes the most ancient and mysterious part of it.Pacific Ocean with incoming seas has the greatest extent of the waters: from north to south - 16 thous. Km, from west to east - 19 thous. Km.Most of it is located in the southern latitudes.The most important are the quantitative expression and digital characteristics: volume of water mass - 710 million km3 footprint - nearly 180 million km 3.The average depth of the Pacific Ocean, according to various estimates, ranging from 3,900 to 4,200 meters.The only continent that is not washed its waters - Africa.More than 50 states located on its coast and islands, with all parts of the hydrosphere, he has a conditional border and permanent exchange flows.Number of cores, located in the Pacific Ocean, more than 10 thousand, they vary in size and structure formation.More than 30 sea outside its waters (including internal), their area occupies 18% of the entire surface, the largest part is located on the west coast and washes Eurasia.The greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the whole world - in the Mariana Trench.Her research is carried over for more than 100 years, and the more information about the deep career goes, the more interesting it is for scientists around the world.The most shallow Pacific observed in its coastal areas.They studied well enough, but, given their continuous use in human activities, the need for further scientific studies increases.
history of development
nationalities inhabiting the Pacific coast on different continents, many are aware of its individual parts, but did not represent all the power and size of the water area.The first European to see the small coastal bay, was a Spaniard - conquistador Vasco de Balboa, which is to overcome this high mountain ranges of the Isthmus of Panama.What he saw, he took to the sea and named it South.That is why the discovery of the Pacific Ocean and giving it the present name is a tribute to Magellan, which was very lucky with the conditions in which he crossed the southern part of it.This name does not correspond to the true nature of this water giant, but it caught on more than the rest, which were offered at least study it.Many expeditions have gone in the footsteps of Magellan, the Pacific Ocean attracted new researchers more questions.The Dutch, the British, the Spaniards were looking for ways of communication with the known lands and discovering new parallel.Of interest to researchers is the all: which is the great depth of the Pacific Ocean, the speed and direction of movement of the water masses, salinity, water flora and fauna and so on. D. More precise information managed to gather researchers in XIX-XX centuries, the period of formation of Oceanology as a science.But the first attempt to determine what is the depth of the Pacific Ocean, Magellan undertook with the help of hemp lin.It has failed - failed to get the bottom.Since then, much time has passed, and today the results of measurements of the ocean depths can be seen on any map.Modern scientists use advanced technology, and can be more likely to indicate where in the maximum depth of the Pacific Ocean, where there are places with a lower level, but where are the shallows.
bottom relief
More than 58% of the globe takes the ocean floor.It has a varied terrain - a large plain, high ridges and deep depressions.The percentage of the ocean floor can be divided as follows:
- continental shelf (depth from 0 to 200 meters) - 8%.
- continental slope (200 to 2,500 meters) - 12%.
- ocean floor (2500 to 6000 meters) - 77%.
- maximum depth (from 6,000 to 11,000 meters) - 3%.
enough approximate ratio, measurements of 2/3 of the ocean floor, and data from various research cruises may vary due to the constant movement of tectonic plates.The accuracy of measuring devices is increasing every year, information obtained earlier corrected.In any case, the maximum depth of the Pacific Ocean, its minimum value and the median depends on the topography of the ocean floor.The minimum depth is usually observed in the areas adjacent to the continent - it is part of the coastal oceans.It may have a length of 0 to 500 meters, the median ranges of 68 meters.
continental shelf is characterized by a slight slope, t. E. Is flat, with the exception of the coast, which are located on the mountain chain.In this case, the relief is quite diverse, crevices and bottom can reach a depth of 400-500 meters.The minimum depth of the Pacific is less than 100 meters.Great reef and lagoon with warm clear waters provide a unique opportunity to see everything that goes on at the bottom.The continental slope also vary in angle and length - it depends on the location of the coastal region.Typical of their structure has a smooth, gradually lowering the relief or the presence of a deep canyon.To explain this fact tried two versions: tectonic and flooding of river valleys.In favor of the latter assumption is soil samples from the bottom of which contains a river pebbles and silt.These canyons are deep enough, due to their average depth of the Pacific Ocean has a fairly impressive value.The bed is a flat part of the relief with a constant depth.Cracks, crevices and hollows in the bottom of the oceans - a frequent phenomenon, and the maximum value of their depths, as already mentioned, there is in the Mariana Trench.The relief of the bottom of each locality is different, it is fashionable to compare with land-.
Features relief Pacific
depth depths in the northern hemisphere and much of the South (more than 50% of the total area of the ocean floor) varies between 5,000 meters.In the north-western part of the ocean a large number of cavities and cracks, which are located on the edge of the coastal zone, in the area of the continental slope.Almost all of them coincide with the mountain ranges on land and have an elongated shape.This is typical of the coast of Chile, Mexico and Peru, as this group is North Aleutian Basin, Kuril and Kamchatka.In the southern hemisphere basin 300 meters long located along the islands of Tonga, Kermadec.To find out how much the depth of the Pacific Ocean on average, people have used various measuring instruments, the history of which is closely associated with the research work on water expanses of the planet.
depth gauge
Lot is the most primitive means of soundings.This rope with a weight at the end.For the measurement of sea and ocean depths, this tool is not suitable, since the weight of the lowered cable will exceed that of the goods.Sounding results using the lot gave a distorted picture or no dividends.Interesting fact: Lot Brook actually invented Peter 1. The idea is that the rope was attached to the load, which is at the bottom of the pop impact.This stops the process of lowering the lot and made it possible to determine the depth.An improved depth gauge works on the same principle.Its feature is the ability to capture part of the ground for further research.All these instruments have the drawback - while sounding.To fix the value is greater than the depth of the cable must be gradually lowered in a few hours, with the research vessel must be in one place.Over the last 25 years of measurements carried out with the help of sonar, which operates on the principle of signal reflections.Hours reduced to a few seconds, while on the sonogram, you can view the types of ground floor and locate sunken objects.To determine the average depth of the Pacific Ocean, it is necessary to make a large number of measurements, which are then added together, the result is calculated delta.
history measurements
XIX century is the "gold" for oceanography in general and the Pacific in particular.The first expedition Krusenstern and Lisiansky made it our goal not only to measure the depth, but also to a certain temperature, pressure, density and salinity.1823-1826 gg .: taking part in research OE Kotzebue, a physicist E. Lenz used the water bottle he created.1820 was marked by the discovery of Antarctica, the expedition navigators Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev studied the northern seas of the Pacific Ocean.At the end of the XX century (1972-1976 gg.), The British ship "Challenger" conduct a comprehensive oceanographic research, which provided most of the use to date information.Since 1873, the US Navy using Gaugeable fixed depth and bottom topography of the Pacific Ocean for laying telephone cable.XX century was marked by the technological breakthrough of all mankind, which greatly affected the work of the researchers of the Pacific Ocean, which were set weight issues.Swedish, British and Danish expedition set off round the world to study the largest body of water on our planet.What is the depth of the Pacific Ocean in the maximum and minimum values?Where are these points?What are underwater or surface currents affect them?The result is that they were formed?The study was conducted on the bottom for a long time.From 1949 to 1957 the crew of the research ship "Vityaz" mapped the Pacific floor a plurality of terrain, track its course.Watch continued to other vessels that are constantly cruised in the waters to obtain the most accurate and timely information.In 1957, researchers of the vessel "Vityaz" determine the point at which there is the greatest depth of the Pacific Ocean - Mariana Trench.To date, its minerals are scrutinized not only oceanographers, and biologists, which also found a lot of interesting things.
Mariana Trench
trough stretches for 1,500 meters along the same island in the western Pacific coast.It looks like a wedge and having a different depth over the entire area.The history of tectonic activity associated with this part of the Pacific Ocean.In this segment of the Pacific plate goes under the Philippine gradually moving to 2-3 cm per year.At this point, the maximum depth of the Pacific Ocean, and both the World too.The measurements are carried out over hundreds of years, and each time their values are adjusted.2011 study gives the most amazing result which might not be final.The deepest point of the Mariana Trench - "Challenger Abyss": the bottom is at a distance of 10 994 meters below sea level.For her study used a bathyscaphe, equipped with cameras and devices for soil sampling.
What depth from the Pacific Ocean?
unequivocal answer to this question is no: bottom topography is so complex and not fully understood, that each called number can be corrected in the near future.The average depth of the Pacific Ocean is 4000 meters, the lowest - less than 100 meters, the famous "Abyss Challenger" is characterized by impressive figures - almost 11, 000 meters!Along the mainland has a number of depressions, which also hit its depths, such as depression, "Knight 3" (Tonga Trench, 10,882 meters);"Argo" (9165, North Novogebridsky trough);Cape Johnson (Philippine Trench, 10,497), and so on. D. In the Pacific, the largest number of the deepest point of the oceans.Modern oceanographers expect a lot of interesting work and amazing discoveries.
Flora and fauna
notable for researchers is the fact that even at a maximum depth of 11 000 meters of biological activity has been found: a tiny microbes survive without light, while being exposed to enormous pressure of tons of water.Vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean are the perfect habitat for many species of animals and plants.What is supported by the facts and specific numbers.More than 50% of the biomass of the oceans is home to the Pacific, the diversity of species due to the fact that large bodies of water are found in all zones of the planet.Tropical and subtropical latitudes populated more densely, and the northern border is not empty.A characteristic feature of the fauna of the Pacific Ocean is endemism.Here are the habitats of the most ancient animal planet, endangered species (sea lions, sea otters).Coral reefs are one of the wonders of nature and a wealth of flora and fauna not only attracts a lot of tourists, but also a large number of researchers.Pacific Ocean - the great and mighty.The problem is the people in his study and understanding of all its processes, which will help to reduce the degree of harm caused by man of this unique ecosystem.
