Knowra Pacific Ocean Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean, stretching between Asia and Australia and the Americas. It contains the Mariana Trench and much of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Ocean : A vast, continuous body of salt water covering a major part of Earth’s surface. The Pacific is Earth’s largest example of this global marine environment.
Trade winds : Persistent tropical easterly winds that blow toward the equator from subtropical high-pressure regions. They push surface waters westward across the tropical Pacific.
Pacific Rim : The regions and countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. Its coasts frame the ocean’s human and economic connections.
Pacific Ocean warming : The long-term increase in heat stored in Pacific Ocean waters as Earth’s climate warms. Warming alters marine habitats and influences regional climate.
Atlantic Ocean : The ocean separating the Americas from Europe and Africa, and the second-largest ocean on Earth. Its smaller area contrasts with the Pacific’s immense span.
Pacific Ocean basin : The seafloor depression beneath the Pacific Ocean, bounded largely by continental margins and subduction zones. Its enormous basin gives the ocean its distinctive scale and shape.
Coriolis effect : The apparent deflection of moving objects caused by Earth’s rotation. It helps shape the Pacific’s large rotating current systems.
Pacific Ocean trade : Commercial shipping and exchange of goods across Pacific sea routes. The basin links major economies in Asia, Oceania, and the Americas.
Coral bleaching : The loss of symbiotic algae from corals, often caused by heat stress, which makes coral tissue appear pale. Pacific marine heat waves have triggered severe bleaching across reef systems.
Indian Ocean : The ocean bordered by Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Southern Ocean. Its more enclosed geography contrasts with the Pacific’s broad connection to polar waters.
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