Pacific Ocean - the largest on the planet.The area that it occupies, exceeds the area of all the continents and islands combined.It is about 180 million square meters.km against 149 million occupied land.Therefore, the second of its name - the Great.
So why called the Pacific Ocean?Who did it?Where did it the wrong name for the sea, famous for its storms, tropical cyclones - typhoons, giant waves?And the coast it is not characterized by tranquility, here goes the famous "ring of fire" of hundreds of active and extinct volcanoes.So the one who called the Pacific quiet, great wrong.Let's try to understand this.
Why was named the Pacific Ocean?
Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the first European who saw the Pacific Ocean, called it "South Sea."After all, it is located south of the Isthmus of Panama, who crossed the Spaniards, led by him.And that is a huge ocean, surpassing all other dimensions, it became known much later.
Magellan's first expedition crossed the Pacific Ocean.And that we owe the fact that the ocean has received this title.
There is some irony in the fact that the first travelers through an unknown ocean is not seen any stormy waves or severe storms.On the contrary, they first lucky.Fresh tailwind blew up the sail, the ships quickly moved to the west.
But gradually, the wind died down, until finally it was replaced almost completely calm.Sail hung motionless, invisible waves were only slight ripples sometimes rolled on the surface of the water ... That's why Magellan named the Pacific Ocean.
dangerous silence
named Pacific Ocean, because the ships of Magellan "stuck" in the middle of it.Reserves of food have long ended, drinking water spoiled.Mariners not only suffered from hunger and thirst, but of scurvy.The main occupation of the sailors had been hunting for rats, she helped restock food.The boiler went even hard pieces of skin from the masts, which in a few days soaked in sea water and then chewed ...
sailors were among those who called Pacific "silent killer."After all, this calm water was more dangerous than the stormy Atlantic.
long-awaited rescue or ...
By the time the wind blew again, two dozen sailors were dying of hunger and scurvy.First got in the way of the island, too, did not bring relief, some were surrounded by sharp reefs, others were simply lifeless rocks sticking out of the water ... And on the islands, called "thieves", sailboats Magellan were simply robbed locals snapped up everything that wason deck.A weakened sailors could not provide them with any serious resistance, and just thank God that the population of the islands was not bloodthirsty.
And only after more than three months from the outlet to the Pacific Ocean, they were able to restock food and water.And then we went to the Philippine Islands.On one of them, Magellan was killed in a skirmish with the locals, getting involved in the war on the side of one of the leaders.Satellites had to complete their journey without him.
Results Travel
result we know: of the 260 people who went with Magellan, back to back only 18. He was really open ocean, seen Balboa.For the first time it crossed from east to west, and in the middle of nowhere, where the island is very small.This could have resulted in the death of the whole expedition.
Swimming severely hampered windless weather.In the days of sailing ships, it was a very serious problem.This is the reason why the ocean called the Pacific.
But the main result - the first time people have seen the spherical shape of the Earth, because the Magellan expedition became the first world tour.
so quiet if the Pacific Ocean?
ocean is great not only in size.He owns and depth record.Everyone knows the Mariana Trench with its 11 km depth, but deeper than 10 000m and troughs Tonga, Kermadec, Philippines.
account in the ocean wind wave height of 30 m. To appear such swinger necessary wind speeds of over 120 km / h.But in some parts of the Pacific recorded the wind speed up to 49 m / s, which is nearly 180 km / h!
These strong winds are marked in the south of the ocean, in the interval from New Zealand to Antarctica.But a little inferior to them in strength typhoons happening in the north-eastern part of the coast of Japan, the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka.Here, the wind reaches 47-48 m / s.
Also dangerous are the strongest storms and giant waves - a tsunami resulting from seismic processes (earthquakes and undersea volcanic eruptions).Still not forgotten the devastating earthquake and tsunami that occurred in Japan in March 2011 and claimed the lives of more than 25 thousand.And these waves are not so rare.
It is in the Pacific and marked the highest wave-tsunami reaches a height of 600 m. It happened in 1958 in Alaska.
The Russian coast of the tsunami also happened repeatedly.In 1952, a wave wiped out the town of Severo-Kuril'sk.And in 1737 the island was marked Paramushiro tsunami height of 30 yards (60 m)!Fortunately, when the area was no permanent population.
Here's a he, the Great Ocean!Colossal, violent, menacing, dangerous ... It was only a coincidence was the reason why the ocean called the Pacific.Magellan and his companions were very lucky with the calm weather.Otherwise, the world would have known about this great natural object much later.
