This blog shares some important & mysterious facts related to the ocean, and we are sure that having known those facts about the ocean, you will definitely blow away, this blog mainly focuses on covering the top 10 amazing facts about the ocean.
- The Ocean Covers 71% Of The Earth’s Surface
- Oceans Are the World’s Largest Museums
- Only 5% of the Oceans Have Been Explored
- Our Oceans Are Full of Salt
- The Tallest Mountain on Earth Is Not Mount Everest
- The Ocean Is the Primary Source of Oxygen on Earth
- We Have Better Maps of Mars Than of the Ocean
- The Tallest ‘Waterfall’ Is Actually Underwater
- The Ocean Is the Earth’s Greatest Source of Oxygen
- The Ocean Floor Is Moving!
The Ocean Covers 71% Of The Earth’s Surface
Earth contains 96.5% of its water, with 320 million cubic miles of water. The blue spheres represent the relative amounts of water based on Earth’s size. The hydrologic cycle constantly changes the types and locations of Earth’s water resources.
Oceans Are the World’s Largest Museums
The Florida Keys coast boasts 1,000 shipwrecks, including the Christ of the Abyss statue and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. These underwater museums offer fascinating dives and snorkeling experiences, while the sanctuary protects marine life and coral reefs, making it a paradise for divers.
Only 5% of the Oceans Have Been Explored
Explore the deep ocean regions of Earth, which have more physical and chemical characteristics than Earth’s deep ocean regions. The ocean’s bottom is full of terrain features like canyons, plateaus, ridges, and trenches. USGS maps bathymetry to understand resources and dangers in these regions.
Our Oceans Are Full of Salt
If the salt in the ocean could be removed and spread evenly over the Earth’s land surface, it would form a layer more than 500 feet (166 meters) thick, about the height of a 40-story office building. Why is the ocean salty? The majority of this salt originates from land-based rocks, and it is transported to the sea by riverine inputs and runoff from the rainy season. Hydrothermal vents on the seafloor are another source of it being thrown into the water.
The Tallest Mountain on Earth Is Not Mount Everest
The Mid-Ocean Ridge, the longest mountain range on Earth, spans 65,000 km and is 90% underwater. It spans every continent with an average water depth of 2,500 meters. Despite being less explored than Venus or Mars, it is the largest mountain range on Earth.
The Ocean Is the Primary Source of Oxygen on Earth
Ocean phytoplankton, kelp, and algae produce 70% of the atmosphere’s oxygen, while the ocean absorbs a third of Earth’s carbon dioxide and holds 50 times more gas. This acidification makes marine life more difficult to breathe.
We Have Better Maps of Mars Than of the Ocean
The NOAA states that over 80% of the ocean’s depths are unmapped, unobserved, or unexplored. Exploring Mars’ surface is more familiar than our own oceans due to the challenging and expensive nature of deep ocean exploration.
The Tallest ‘Waterfall’ Is Actually Underwater
The highest waterfall on Earth is the Denmark Strait Cataract, which is situated between Greenland and Iceland. This natural phenomenon occurs when cold water from the Nordic Sea sinks below warmer water from the Irminger Sea at a rate of 5 million cubic meters per second, and it is 2,000 times faster than Niagara Falls. The strait’s water volume is comparable to 2000 famous waterfalls, and the colder, denser water sinks when the two glasses of water combine, creating a waterfall.
The Ocean Is the Earth’s Greatest Source of Oxygen
At Ocean Isle Beach, 70% of the atmosphere’s oxygen is produced by oceans, primarily from marine plants’ photosynthesis. One in every five breaths is attributed to a tiny phytoplankton called Prochlorococcus, which produces 70% of the oxygen. This makes breathing easier upon arrival.
The Ocean Floor Is Moving!
The oceanic crust, consisting of basalt and igneous rocks, is formed by tectonic plates spreading apart, causing molten magma to rise into the ocean floor. Hydrothermal fluids vent hot mineral material into these geologically active locations, supporting chemosynthesis and ecosystems. These regions are still the site of significant discoveries about our planet and its life forms.
Conclusion
In this blog, we discussed the Top 10 Amazing Facts About the Ocean, in which we covered some amazing facts like, how much the ocean covers the earth’s surface, and tallest underwater waterfall underwater, and more interesting facts related to it.