Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean after the Pacific Ocean. It is the busiest ocean in terms of movements of the number of ships. So in this article, we will come to know some of the interesting facts about this huge water body.
1. The total surface area of the Atlantic Ocean is 106460000 square kilometers.
2. The Atlantic Ocean is divided into two subdivisions – North and South Atlantic. They are divided by Equatorial Counter Current.
3. The total coastal length is 111866 Km.
4. The total volume of the Atlantic Ocean along with its joining sea is 310410900 cubic kilometers.
5. Created with an S-shaped basin, Atlantic has surrounded by North and South America to the West, Africa, and Europe is in the East, And two more Oceans Arctic Ocean to the North and Southern Ocean to the South.
6. There are a total of 133 countries and several territories along with the coastal region of the Ocean and hundreds of ports operating around the region.
7. 29 percent of the total water reserve of Earth is in the Atlantic Ocean.
8. The total surface area of the Earth is 510 million square kilometers. And the total surface area of the Atlantic Ocean is 106460000 square kilometer, which is equivalent to a 20 percent area of the Earth’s surface.
9. Two historical world – Old and New World is divided by the Atlantic Ocean. The word Old World refers to Asia, Africa, and Europe’s Afro-Eurasia part whereas the term New World suggests mostly American countries.
10. The Central Atlantic area was the epicenter, from where the supercontinent Pangaea began. After the breakaway the second largest water body the Atlantic Ocean created.
11. The deepest area in the Atlantic Ocean is Puerto Rico Trench with 800 kilometre long. And the deepest point of the ocean is Milwaukee Deep which is 8740 metre deep.
Origin of the Name–
There are several myths and facts found behind the root of the name of this Ocean.
1. According to Greek Mythology, the word “Atlantic” came from a Greek lyric poet Stesichorus. He termed the Greek word from where the English name “Sea of Atlantis” came.
2. In another theory ancient Greek Historian Herodotus mentioned the term “Atlantis Thalassa” in English “Sea of Atlantis”.
3. In modern times two origin found – one from the Atlas Mountain and other from the most American as well as British peoples given name “The Pond”.
Weather and ecological facts –
1. There are two systematically operated ancient currents flow through the Atlantic Ocean. These are known as Oceanic Gyres. The first one is North Atlantic Gyre which works clockwise in the North Atlantic Ocean and the second one is the South Atlantic Gyre which works as counter-clockwise in the south Atlantic Ocean.
2. The climate of the Ocean depends on the altitude, where higher altitudes have cold weather whereas lower altitude faces comparatively humid and hot weather.
3. During February to July huge chunks of Icebergs can be found in North Atlantic regions.
4. In the western part of the north part Atlantic Ocean, there are Hurricanes are common during summer and autumn season.
5. The climate of the Atlantic affects the global climate including water streams and winds. It also causes huge tides to coastal regions, which are some of the highest tides in the Earth. The highest tide in the world occurs in Canada’s Bay of Fundy.
6. The Atlantic climate also helps to control the carbon dioxide quantity of the earth by reserving the maximum amount of carbon dioxide.
1. One of the highest Iceberg found near North Atlantic in 1958 by USCG icebreaker Eastwind. The height of the iceberg was 168 meters which is equivalent to a 55 storied building.
2. Many icebergs are floating around the Atlantic Ocean Only tips of the iceberg can be seen from the above of water level. Most of the tips are 1 to 75 meters of height but beneath that would be hundreds of meters deep.
3. A similar type of Iceberg was the reason for the sinking of the famous passenger ship the RMS Titanic. That British passenger liner was struck by an iceberg named Prinz Adalbert Iceberg in 1912. Though the cause of the sinking given birth many theories.
Economic Activity –
1. Fishing is the main economic activity in the Atlantic Ocean. Especially the north Atlantic ocean there are a large number of fishing industries running for many years. Shrimps, cod, and lobsters are the major source of income for these fishing industries.
2. Worlds largest number of fishing resources are found in the Atlantic Shelves.
3. There are a significant number of gold deposits found under the ocean bed.
4. Atlantic is one of the busiest waterways in the world. Ships carrying goods from North America to Europe generally select this route to reach their destinations. This route is also used to transport goods between North America to African countries and South American countries as well.
Some cool facts –
1. Worlds largest Island Greenland is located in the Atlantic Ocean. The total area of the Green land is 2166086 square kilometers.
2. By air or by ships it is the most crossed Oceans in the world.
3. Sea Floor mountain system, which is based under the water level, can be raised 2 kilometers above the deepest point of the Ocean. It is known as the. There is a large mountain range found in the floor of the Atlantic Ocean known as Mid Atlantic Mountain Ridge. About 16000 kilometers long ridge is situated between the Arctic Ocean and the Southern tip of the African continent.
4. Christopher Columbus came across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 and landed on different ports and including Cuba and the Bahamas.
5. SS Savannah was the first steamship that crosses the Ocean in 1819.
6. In 1856 SS Great Eastern became the first ship that successfully laid transatlantic telegraph cable. Earlier Cyrus West Field laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable which unluckily failed.
7. American airline NC-4was the first seaplane to cross the Atlantic ocean
8. Another American also was an aviation author – Amelia Earhart was the first female who made her solo flight ride across the Atlantic Ocean.
9. British Ann Davison was the first woman to single-handedly sail the Atlantic Ocean in 1952.
10. First to row solo across the Ocean was Gerard d Aboville.
11. The world’s most infamous Bermuda triangle is located in the Atlantic Ocean. The area locates between Miami, Puerto Rico and Bermuda. Many ships and aircraft were simply disappeared while crossing that area. Some survivors or visitors of that area experienced some peculiar conditions like the abnormal rotation of compass and even violent weather conditions similar to a hurricane. It is still a mystery among modern science.