Ocean Worksheets

There are five major divisions (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern) of the ocean. Oceans cover just over seventy percent of the surface of Earth. The Pacific Ocean is home to the deepest water in the world. The Mariana Trench has a maximum depth of thirty-five thousand, eight hundred-fourty feet. That's just under seven miles deep. This set of worksheets works on helping students under vocabulary and concepts related to Oceans.

Ocean Related Teacher Resources

Ocean Writing Paper

Ocean Bulletin Board Characters

Oceans of the World

Oceans all over the world are interconnected. Essentially, they make up one massive "ocean of the world" that accounts for about 71% of Earth's surface area. Oceans make up 97% of the earth's water composition. .

Oceanographers have divided the world's oceans into five parts: the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and Antarctic Oceans. They have also identified many smaller saltwater bodies, such as bays, estuaries, and seas.

Let's take a deep dive into the five oceans of the world and learn some important facts about them.

The Arctic

In terms of surface area, the Arctic Ocean occupies the smallest part of the Earth as compared to other oceans. It is surrounded by Europe, Asia, North America, and Greenland. It is almost entirely frozen in the winter, and just 50% of its surface thaws in the summer.The Arctic Ocean receives lots of freshwater through the enormous Siberian Rivers as well as warm saltwater from both the Pacific (20%) and Atlantic Oceans (80%). The chunks of ice (icebergs) that break off from Greenland account for 2% of the water entering the Arctic Ocean.

There are numerous surface tides and breezes in the region. The Northwest Passage, a treacherous sailing path, connects the Atlantic and the Arctic oceans.

The Atlantic

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean on Earth. The majority of storms,such as hurricanes and tornadoes, form across the Atlantic.It occupies nearly 20% of the planet's surface and has an area of around 106 million kilometers squared. It holds around 29% of the world's water. t forms an “S” like shape since it is bounded on the west by North and South Americas and in the east by Africa and Europe.

Its name is taken from the Greek language and translates to "the Sea of Atlas." It has a mass of around 310 million kilometers cubed and an average depth of approximately 12,000 feet (3.66 km). It extends across both the Southern and Northern hemispheres. Every year, it grows in size because of the melting icebergs and also because the continents are constantly in motion and drifting apart.

The Indian

The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean out of the five and covers 19.8% of the earth's water surface. With an area of almost 70 million km2, it roughly covers the same area as the Atlantic Ocean. c. It is found in the Southern Hemisphere, with a some parts of it touching the north of the Equator.

It witnesses some of the most erratic wind systems across the globe. It is because of this incredibly high frequency of these violent winds that that ocean is nicknamed as "Roaring Forties."

In July and August, the peak mean wavesare recorded as high as 15 feet or sometimes above that. The part of the Indian Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere might have aggressive and unsteady wind systems, however, the seasonal shift in the Northern Hemisphere is minor.

The Pacific

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. It was first named by a Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, after he sailed around the globe in 1521 and came upon this ocean that he named Mar Pacifico, which translates to "Peaceful Sea."

Several land masses surround the Pacific Ocean, such as the western coasts of North, South, and Central America, as well as the eastern coasts of Australia and Asia. As a result, it covers both the Southern and Northern hemispheres of the Earth. It also has up to 30,000 islands spread across three regions of the ocean.

It is now reducing in size by roughly 1 inch (2.54 cm) every year because of plate tectonic activity on 3 of its 4 sides. The Pacific covers almost one-third of the Planet's surface and has a surface area of up to 165 million kilometers squared, which is bigger than the entire land area of the world.

The Antarctic

The Antarctic Ocean is Earth's fourth-largest and newest ocean. The International Hydrographic Organization agreed to define the fifth ocean in 2000. Borders were then drawn from the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

It stretches from the Antarctic coastline and is everything south of the 60° south latitude. It occupies a land area of 7,848,300 sq miles (20,327,000 sq. km) and has an average depth of 10,700 ft (5 km).

The Antarctic Ocean's lowest point remains unidentified. It is located at the southern extremity of the South Sandwich Trench, which has a depth of -23,737 ft (7.24 km). The Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which is the world's largest ocean current, travels east and is 21,000.33 kilometers long.

How Were the Oceans Formed?

It is important we understand how these massive water bodies were formed that take up so much of the earth's surface. Because the world we inhabit today and the world that existed a thousand years ago is not the same, it's always interesting to know the origin story of various elements that are found across the planet.

The oceans emerged a long time ago as a result of the continuous 'degassing' of the Earth's crust. Water was present as gas until the earth's temperature started decreasing.

There was no liquid water on Earth approximately 4.5 billion years ago. The rocks were in the form of liquid because the Earth was extremely hot. Then, when the volcanoes erupted, one of the gases was released as water vapor.

As the Earth cooled, the water vapors accumulated and showered down eventually onto the Earth's surface for thousands of years. Some experts believe that is how liquid water got to the surface of the planet.

Wrapping Up

The oceans of the world are one of the nine life support system of our planet. It absorbs 50% of the world's carbon dioxide and is integral to climate regulation. It houses massive ecosystems and provides transportation and trade channels across the globe. The basic facts about the five oceans of the world and how they came into being will help you better understand this body of water and how it flows around the world.