Geographical position . It is located mostly in the Western Hemisphere, stretched from north to south for 16,000 km. Area - 91.56 km2, average depth - 3600 m. Limited by North and South America, Antarctica, Africa, Europe. Widely connected to all oceans. In the northern hemisphere, the coastline is highly dissected, 13 seas.
Bottom relief. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, about 8,000 km long, stretches across the entire ocean, with a rift valley 6 to 30 km wide. The active volcanoes of Iceland and the Azores are confined to the rifts. The shelf area is larger than in the Pacific Ocean.
Mineral resources. On the shelf of the North Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico, Guinea, Biscay and Venezuela - oil, placer tin - off the UK and Florida, diamonds - off South-West Africa, phosphorites - off the coast Tropical Africa, iron-manganese nodules - near Florida and Newfoundland.
Climate. Located in all climatic zones. Most of it lies in the subtropical, tropical, subequatorial and equatorial belts. The most severe are the southern regions.
The currents form two rings: in the northern hemisphere - the Northern Trade Wind, Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, Canary - clockwise; in the south - South Tradewind, Brazilian, Western winds, Benguela - counterclockwise.
map of the atlantic ocean
Water properties. The zonality of water masses is strongly disturbed by currents and the influence of land. Salinity is higher than in others, as evaporating moisture is carried away to the continents. The temperature of surface waters is lower than in the Pacific Ocean due to the influence of the Arctic. It freezes not only in the south, but also in shallow desalinated bays and seas of Eurasia. The abundance of icebergs and floating ice is characteristic in the north and south.
organic world poorer than in the Pacific. Shelf areas are abundant, where there are many bottom and bottom fish - cod, flounder, perch. But the resources of some of them are depleted. An interesting complex is the Sargasso Sea with high salinity and an abundance of brown algae - Sargasso.
Go back to main page
The zonality of water masses in the ocean is complicated by the influence of land and sea currents. This is manifested primarily in the temperature distribution of surface waters. In many areas of the ocean, the isotherms near the coast deviate sharply from the latitudinal direction.
The northern half of the ocean is warmer than the southern one, the temperature difference reaches 6°С. The average surface water temperature (16.5°C) is slightly lower than in the Pacific Ocean.
The cooling effect is exerted by the waters and ices of the Arctic and Antarctic. The salinity of surface waters in the Atlantic Ocean is high. One of the reasons for increased salinity is that a significant part of the moisture evaporating from the water area does not return to the ocean again, but is transferred to neighboring continents (due to the relative narrowness of the ocean).
Many large rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean and its seas: the Amazon, Congo, Mississippi, Nile, Danube, La Plata, etc.
They carry huge masses into the ocean fresh water, suspended material and contaminants. In desalinated bays and seas of subpolar and temperate latitudes, ice forms near the western shores of the ocean in winter. Numerous icebergs and floating sea ice hinder navigation in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Properties of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean wikipedia
Site search:
Analysis of the potential of economic resources in Finland
2.2.1 Water resources
The natural features of Finland are determined by its location in the northern latitudes, on the Baltic crystalline shield and the influence of the sea. The coastline of Finland is characterized by a very strong indentation ...
Climatic features of various regions of the African continent
2.4 Air masses
Africa is dominated by tropical air masses.
Sea air is formed over the mainland itself from tropical air masses. It is characterized by high moisture content and weak temperature amplitudes throughout the year…
local winds
1.1 Atmospheric circulation and air masses
The uneven distribution of heat in the atmosphere leads to an uneven distribution of atmospheric pressure, the movement of air depends on the distribution of pressure, i.e.
air currents...
Features and personality traits of the nature of Oceania
1.4 Water resources
Rivers and lakes are found mainly on large mountainous islands in the western part of Oceania, composed of sedimentary and crystalline rocks. There are very few or no rivers and lakes on the volcanic and coral islands and in eastern Oceania ...
Features of the development of the economy, resettlement and urbanization of the Tula region
4.1 Water resources
The total volume of surface waters in the Tula region is 1.74 km3.
It is formed by rivers, reservoirs, ponds, lakes and swamps. About 1700 rivers and streams with a total length of almost 11 thousand km flow through the territory of the Tula region ...
Natural resource potential of the Donetsk region
3.2 Water resources
Thanks to their physical and chemical properties water is widely used in all sectors of the industrial and non-industrial spheres, which means that it is a necessary factor for the normal existence and development of the region…
Natural resource potential of Russia
2.4 Water resources
Water resources are the usable surface and ground waters of an area.
The surface water resources of Russia include renewable water resources(river runoff), the total volume of which is estimated at 4270 km3 ...
Natural resources Russian Federation, their evaluation and placement by region
1) Water resources
Water is the basis of life on the planet.
Russia is washed by the waters of 12 seas belonging to three oceans, as well as the inland Caspian Sea. On the territory of Russia there are over 2.5 million large and small rivers, more than 2 million lakes ...
Problems of the Ili-Balkhash basin
2.1 Water resources
Water resources form the basis for the life of the Ili-Balkhash basin. The basin is rich in surface and underground water resources…
Recreational resources of the Volokolamsk region
1.3 Water resources
The territory of the Volokolamsk region is well watered and has an extensive river network, there are few large watercourses on it.
All the rivers of the region, except for the Ruza and partially the Lama (from the village of Tarutino to the village of Yaropolets) are not navigable, even for boats ...
Country Kenya
1.3 Water resources
The seasonality of the precipitation regime also causes seasonal fluctuations in the flow of water in the rivers, which does not allow them to be used for irrigation without the preliminary construction of expensive dams and reservoirs ...
Country description of Colombia
2.3 Water resources
The water resources of Colombia have a network of rivers, among which the 4 largest rivers predominate: Magdalena, Cauca, Atrato, Amazon, and Orinoco.
Lake Tota is located in the department of Boyaca. This is one of the largest and most beautiful lakes in Colombia…
Tourist and recreational complex of Mostovsky district: problems and development prospects
1.4 Water resources
17 rivers flow through the region.
The total length of the riverbed is 566 km. Also on the territory of the district there are more than 100 ponds, with a total area of about 250 hectares…
Amazing landscapes of Russia
2. WATER LANDSCAPES
Economic and geographical characteristics of the East-Zabaikalsky territorial combination of natural resources
1.2 Water resources
On the territory of the Chita region, the waters of three large water systems of Siberia and Far East: Amur basin (it accounts for about 55% of the area of the region), Lena (30.4%) and Baikal-Yenisei (13 ...
The distribution of water temperature on the surface of the ocean. It generally obeys the law of latitudinal zonality (Fig. 10.5), since the receipt of solar energy depends on geographic latitude. The distribution of water temperature on the maps is shown using isotherms(lines of equal temperature).
The highest water temperature on the surface of the World Ocean is observed in the equatorial belt, somewhat north of the equator. The line of the highest water temperature is called thermal equator.
Near it, the average annual water temperature is 27-28 °C. This line shifts in the Northern Hemisphere by several degrees of latitude to the north in summer and to the south in winter.
From the thermal equator, the water temperature in the surface layer of the ocean decreases in the direction of the poles to -1.0-1.8 °C. (Sea water is known to freeze at negative temperature.) Off the coast in the bays, the water temperature in summer can rise to 30-32 °C.
The general zonal temperature distribution (as well as the distribution of water salinity) is disturbed by currents, rivers and ice.
Coming from tropical latitudes to the region of 30-40 ° latitude, the currents carry warmer waters along the western coasts of the oceans.
Cold waters move towards these currents from high latitudes. On the eastern shores of the oceans, from temperate latitudes, warmer water enters high latitudes, and cold water spreads towards the equator. The most noticeable deviation from the zonal distribution of isotherms is in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, where in the region of 50° N.
sh. the difference in average annual temperatures on the surface between the western and eastern coasts is more than 10 °C.
Rivers, as a rule, do not significantly affect the temperature of the ocean waters. But in some areas they bring more heat in the spring, and more in the fall. cold water. In this case, the orientation of the rivers is important.
Great Siberian rivers, for example, flowing from south to north, have a noticeable warming effect on the coastal regions of the Arctic Ocean.
Seasonal fluctuations in water temperature on the surface of the World Ocean are determined by changes in the heat balance during the year. The greatest temperature fluctuations are confined to temperate latitudes, from which they decrease towards the equator and towards the poles.
Below are seasonal fluctuations in water temperature on the surface of the open part of the ocean (according to V.
N. Stepanov, 1974):
The highest water temperature in the Northern Hemisphere, as a rule, occurs in August, the lowest - in February, i.
i.e. one month later than the air temperature. The thermal inertia of water associated with its large heat capacity affects. In shallow seas, the times of maxima and minima of air and water temperatures practically coincide (for example, in the Sea of Azov).
Seasonal fluctuations capture only the upper layers of water, gradually attenuating from the surface to a depth of several tens of meters, and only in a few areas do these fluctuations propagate up to 300-400 m.
Seasonal fluctuations in water temperature in the seas are much more significant and increase within one climatic zone with distance from the ocean.
So, in the North Sea, the difference between summer and winter temperatures is 10-14 °C, in the Baltic and Black Seas - 14-20 °C, in the Azov Sea - 25-28 °C.
10.5. Temperature (°C) on the surface of the oceans in August
Daily temperature fluctuations caused by the daily variation of the heat balance components are observed only in the uppermost layer of water and rarely exceed 1-2 °C in the tropics, and even less in the polar regions.
The highest average annual water temperature in the surface layer of the World Ocean is about 30, the lowest - minus 1.9 ° C (in ice).
Surge phenomena in coastal areas have a significant impact on the temperature of the ocean surface.
Winds of certain directions in the Crimean region in summer time can drive the upper heated layer of water into the sea, and the colder waters that rise to replace them will create the effect of lowering the water temperature.
Such reductions are quite significant: by 10 ° C or more in a few hours.
The flow of water from deeper layers to the sea surface is a very common phenomenon in the World Ocean.
It's called upwelling(from English - upwelling). In upwelling areas, areas of low temperature are formed on the surface - negative temperature anomalies, in which the water temperature is lower, sometimes by several degrees, than the average temperature at this latitude.
The anomalies are also associated with areas of inflow of colder waters (from higher to lower latitudes). Upwelling regions exist along the western coasts of the continents: Peru-Chile - off South America, California - off North America, Benguela - off Southwest Africa, Canary - off West Africa. Upwelling is observed not only in the oceans, but also in lakes, for example, off the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea.
Continuation of fig.
There are anomalies and positive ones. In such areas, the water temperature is above average for the same latitude. Positive anomalies are associated with the influx of warm waters brought by currents from low latitudes to higher latitudes. The most significant temperature anomalies are in the area of the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean, Kuroshio - in the Pacific, Svalbard - in the Arctic. Anomalies are relative, not absolute.
Thus, a warm anomaly near Svalbard (about 80°N) has a temperature of 3°C, and a cold anomaly off the coast of Peru (about 5°S) has a temperature of 22-24°C.
In the Pacific Ocean, the average annual surface water temperature is 19.4 °C, in the Indian Ocean - 17.3, in the Atlantic - 16.5, and in the Arctic - minus 0.8 °C. The average annual surface temperature of the World Ocean is 17.5 °C, which is three degrees higher than the average air temperature on the planet (14.5 °C). This indicates that the World Ocean, being an accumulator of solar energy, heats the atmosphere.
The temperature of the water in the ocean water column. As a rule, the temperature of the water in the ocean decreases with depth (Table 1).
10.3, fig. 10.6). The most active processes of temperature change occur on the surface of the ocean, where heat comes from the Sun. This heat is transferred to the water column by convective mixing and currents - advection. Since the density of ocean water decreases with increasing temperature at average salinity, the heating of the water does not lead to vertical convection. On the contrary, the winter cooling of waters at high latitudes leads to the sinking of cold dense waters to great depths.
Therefore, the deep waters of the World Ocean have a temperature much lower than the surface, with the exception of the polar regions.
Thus, different types are distinguished in the real temperature distribution in the ocean water column.
The general picture of the temperature distribution is quite well reflected in Table. 10.3.
Table10.3. Average water temperatures (°C) by climatic types*
Stepanov, 1983.
Seasonal temperature fluctuations cover only a thin surface layer (usually no more than 200-400 m). Below are relatively cold waters with temperatures ranging from -1 to +2 °C. Between the upper mixing layer with the highest temperature and deep cold water lies temperature jump layer, the layer with the largest vertical gradients. The shock layers are created mainly by the seasonal summer heating of the surface layer. The layer of greatest temperature gradients is called main thermocline.
10.6. Temperature (°С) on meridional sections in the Atlantic oceans ( a),Quiet ( b), Indian ( in)
As in the Pacific Ocean, north and south of the central regions climate and waters of the atlantic ocean are getting colder. The heterogeneity of the ocean climate also affects the coasts of the Atlantic (Fig. 34).
In the east and west of one geographical zone, the climate and waters are also somewhat different. So, in the western part of the temperate zone they are colder than in the eastern part. In the west, less precipitation falls. This phenomenon is explained by the circulation of the atmosphere and surface waters, which is closely related to the Icelandic low, i.e. area of low atmospheric pressure. In the tropical zone, on the contrary, in the west the climate is warmer and more humid than in the east. The waters are also warmer in the west (Fig. 35). This is due to the movement of air and water masses around areas of high atmospheric pressure - North Atlantic high in the Northern Hemisphere and South Atlantic High in the southern hemisphere.
Significantly increase the temperature difference between the western and eastern parts of the tropical belt sea currents(Fig. 36).
Plays the main role here Golf stream. This is the largest and most powerful warm current among all the warm currents of the World Ocean. It carries 80 times more water than all the rivers in the world. In its southern part, the Gulf Stream has a width of 75 km, the thickness of the water flow here reaches 700-800 m. The water mass (its temperature is about +28 ° C) moves at a speed of almost 10 km / h. The main source of feeding of the Gulf Stream is the Caribbean Sea. A huge amount of water brought here by the trade winds enters the Gulf of Mexico. The water level rises here, and its excess goes through the Strait of Florida into the open ocean. This is how a current arises, the name of which means "the current of the bay."
Gulfstream with Canaries and Northern trade wind currents forms a huge circulation of currents in the northern tropical zone. The water masses in it, under the influence of atmospheric circulation, as well as in the Pacific Ocean, move clockwise. At the same time, like the Pacific Ocean in the southern tropical zone of the Atlantic, sea currents - West Winds and Southern Passatnoye - moving around in a counterclockwise direction.
The Atlantic Ocean is very salty, although in different parts of it the salinity of the waters is not the same. It is highest in tropical latitudes - 37.5 ‰. In places where powerful rivers flow into the ocean, the salinity of the ocean waters decreases to 18 ‰, and in the relatively shallow Baltic Sea it is only 8 ‰. material from the site
The waters of the Atlantic are the most transparent among the waters of the oceans. So, in the marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean - Weddell Sea- objects can be seen at a depth of 79 m. This is a kind of water transparency record. One of the most transparent seas of the World Ocean is also Sargasso Sea. Objects are visible in it at a depth of 66.5 m.
How is the transparency of sea water determined? For over 100 years, it has been determined using disc secchi- a white disk with a diameter of 30 cm. It is lowered in a horizontal position from the side of the vessel and it is noted to what depth White spot remains visible underwater. The record for the transparency of sea water was recorded in 1987 in the Weddell Sea off the coast of West Antarctica. The white disk was visible at a depth of almost 79 m, and only at around 80 m did it disappear.
The climate of the Atlantic, like the climate of the Pacific Ocean, is extremely diverse and varies both from north to south and from west to east.
On this page, material on the topics:
Atlantic Ocean coldest waters
Report on ecology on the topic: Atlantic salt ocean
Report on the topic of the Canary Current
Climate and waters of the Atlantic Ocean briefly
Animals of the Atlantic Ocean briefly
Questions about this item:
It is impossible to say unequivocally what the climate of the Atlantic Ocean is like, since this reservoir is located in almost all zones of our planet. It stretches from North to South, touching the shores of the polar islands and continents. Its width is equal to the difference between Europe and between Africa and South America. Of course, such a situation will cause different weather conditions in certain areas of a given geographical object. Therefore, now we will consider the climate of the Atlantic Ocean briefly, describing its main zones and their features.
The belts in which the reservoir lies
To begin with, we note that in terms of its size, the waters of the Atlantic are considered the second in the world. The ocean itself plays a crucial role in shaping the climate on the continents that adjoin it. For example, its northern part is warmer than the southern part due to the Gulf Stream. Therefore, in countries Western Europe and Northern soft, without sudden changes in temperature. But the lands adjacent to it in the south are characterized by more windy weather and a sharper change temperature regime. Thus, the climate of the Atlantic Ocean forms the weather on the lands that it washes, which largely affects the seismic state of the entire planet. The very same waters of the Atlantic are located immediately in all climatic zones. We will count from the equator in both directions, since their location is identical. These are subequatorial, tropical, subtropical and temperate. Further in the North, the waters pass into the Arctic zone, and in the South - into the Antarctic.
Air and water surface temperature
Here it is necessary to highlight that it depends on which hemisphere we are talking about - Northern or Southern, how warm or cold this or that climatic zone will be. Equatorial latitude is characterized by, you guessed it, the highest temperatures. Here, during the year, the thermometer does not fall below +25 (on average, it is 30-32). Approximately the same heat and B blow dry trade winds, which carry sand from the Sahara. Therefore, in summer it is very dry and hot here - more than 23 degrees; in winter, the temperature drops to 21. cooler and wetter, as the water area expands here. Temperate latitudes - a zone of sharp annual temperature changes (in both hemispheres). In summer it is hot here like in the tropics, and in winter the thermometer drops to +5 and below. The Arctic zone is characterized by temperature differences of 20 degrees. In winter, the ocean freezes here, in summer the temperature rises to 3-5 above zero. The coldest region is the Antarctic zone. Here the climate of the Atlantic Ocean turns into a polar one, because the annual difference is more than 30 degrees.
Humidity and latitudinal zonality
Each strip of the Atlantic has its own special pressure. Thanks to him, zones of maxima and minima are distinguished, which form clouds and nebula over the waters. These indicators affect what kind of climate in the Atlantic Ocean will form over one or another part of it. Equator - zone reduced pressure, which is the minimum. The maximum precipitation falls here - from 3000 mm per year, most of which falls in the summer. Fog often forms in winter. The northern tropics and temperate latitudes form the Azores High zone. There is very little precipitation here - an average of 750 mm, but trade winds and more often sweep through strong winds that form tornadoes and storms. Below the equator is the region of the South Atlantic High. Here the pressure is also high, but it rains much more often (up to 1000 mm), due to the smaller number of winds. Antarctica and the Arctic are two zones of the minimum. The average amount of precipitation is 2000 mm, the regions are stable in terms of winds.
Features of the climate of the Atlantic Ocean
Besides the fact that the northern part is much warmer than the south due to the Gulf Stream, differences in temperature can also be seen in some areas between West and East. Between 30 degrees north latitude and 30 degrees south latitude, ocean waters are much warmer off the coast of America than near Africa. This is caused by the same trade winds that occur in the tropical and subtropical bands. They blow from the coast of Africa, bringing with them not only the sand of the Sahara, but also the sharp daily temperature fluctuations that can be traced in the desert. Because of this, the water cools, waves rise more often in it. Also, such winds do not allow clouds to gather to balance the humidity in the air. The closer to the West, the calmer the trade winds become. Storms sometimes occur here, but in general the water is warmer, and the air temperature is much higher than in the East.
Summarizing
The climate of the Atlantic Ocean is a mix, which includes ice expanses that freeze for half a year, and hot equatorial territories, where it is always very warm and humid.
Since ancient times, it has occupied an important place in European culture. It actually got its name from light hand Herodotus, who used in his works the myth of Atlanta, holding the sky to the west of Greece on his shoulders. But at the level of development of Greek science of that time, it was impossible to reliably know in which climatic zones the Atlantic Ocean is located.
From the Arctic to Antarctica
All the huge variety of climatic zones and the biological richness of the ocean is due to the fact that it has a huge length along the meridian from north to south. The extreme northern point of the ocean is in the subarctic zone, and the southern one reaches the coast of Antarctica.
You can say for sure in which climatic zones the Atlantic Ocean is located: it is subarctic, temperate, subtropical, tropical and subequatorial.
It is worth noting that the only belt that is not represented on the territory of the ocean is the equatorial one. This is due to the fact that the main qualities of this belt can only manifest themselves on land.
Atlantic Ocean. General information, climate
All the well-known historical seas, such as the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Black, with all their bays and straits, belong to the Atlantic Ocean system.
The generally accepted designation of the northern boundary of the ocean runs along the entrance to Hudson Bay and the southern coast of Greenland all the way to Scandinavia. The line of demarcation with the Indian is an imaginary straight line stretching from Cape Agulhas to the coast of Antarctica. The Atlantic is separated from the Pacific Ocean by the sixty-eighth meridian.
However, not only the huge extent of the ocean from south to north affects the climate above its surface. Undercurrents and movement of air currents are also important. This means that it is important not only in which climatic zones the Atlantic Ocean is located, but also what the weather is like in neighboring regions.
Above the surface of the ocean and its coast there is a pronounced seasonal variability of the weather - in the summer there are strong tropical hurricanes, heavy rains. Forming off the west coast, strong hurricanes move west, reaching the coast of Western Europe in the region of Portugal and Ireland.
In addition, the exchange of water masses with the Arctic and Southern oceans has a strong influence on weather fluctuations.
Characteristics of the Atlantic Ocean. Bottom geography
Let's take a look at this important issue. The climatic zones in which the Atlantic Ocean is located affect the structure of the ocean floor, especially its coastal part, rich in relict deposits associated with the confluence of rivers, which brought biological remains and other organic matter from the mainland. Later, when the water level in the Atlantic changed, the channels of these rivers were flooded and this had a decisive influence on the formation of the shelf of the European continent.
The richness of the southern coastal waters of the ocean contributes to the formation of a large number of coral reefs.
Ecology and pollution
Regardless of which climatic zones the Atlantic Ocean is located in, human activity sometimes has a devastating effect on it. Aquatic ecosystems have been severely tested in recent decades with increased shipping, hazardous waste flooding and frequent oil spills.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean after the Pacific. Its area is much smaller and amounts to 91.6 million km². About a quarter of this area falls on shelf seas. The coastline is very indented, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere it is relatively flat. The ocean washes all continents except Australia. Islands located in the ocean are located near the continents. The Atlantic washes the largest island on the planet - Greenland.
This ocean began to be mastered by European civilization before all the others, and therefore is of great importance for Europe. It got its name in honor of the titan Atlanta, since he held the vault of heaven not far from the mythical garden of the Hesperides, located at the edge of the earth's firmament, just where the Atlantic Ocean went - the ancient Greeks thought so. Also, its name is associated with the legendary Atlantis, which, according to legend, was somewhere in the waters of the Atlantic and irretrievably sunk in its depths. Perhaps the myth of Atlantis has a real basis. As a result of movement earth's crust some islands of the Mediterranean went under water along with temples, palaces and columns erected by ancient civilizations. New states emerged and disappeared along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea for thousands of years: Crete, Mycenae, policies Ancient Greece, Phoenicia, Carthage, finally Rome. Ancient Rome from a small city of the state for several centuries has become the strongest Mediterranean power. AT I-II centuries AD Rome controlled the entire Mediterranean coast. The Romans even called it "Mare Nostrum" or "Our Sea". In the Middle Ages, the most important trade routes between Europe, Asia and Africa passed here. Countries that had access to the Atlantic began to colonize more and more remote corners of the planet. With the discovery of America, the Atlantic Ocean became a link between the Old and New Worlds. And today its economic and transport importance is still very high.
Speaking about the topography of the bottom of the Atlantic, it should be said that this is a young ocean. It was formed only in the Mesozoic era, when the single continent of Pangea began to split into parts, and America separated from Africa. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge stretches across the ocean from north to south. The island of Iceland in the north is nothing more than the exit of this ridge to the surface, which is why Iceland is a country of geysers and volcanoes. Now the ocean continues to expand, and the continents are moving away from each other at a speed of several centimeters per year. The Mediterranean Sea - the largest inland sea of the ocean in its origin, together with the Black, Caspian and Azov Seas, are the remnants of the ancient tropical ocean Tethys, which closed after the collision of Africa and Eurasia. In the future, in millions of years, these seas will completely disappear, and mountains will form in their place.
The climate of the Atlantic Ocean is very diverse, because, like the Pacific Ocean, it is located in all climatic zones of the planet. However, the temperature of surface waters here is lower than in the Pacific and Indian Ocean. This is due to the constant cooling effect of melting ice brought here from the Arctic. Currents contribute to the movement of floating ice, the distribution limit of which reaches 40 ° N.L. At the same time, the salinity of the Atlantic is very high, since the ocean has the largest areas in the tropics, where evaporation is high and very little rain falls. The evaporated moisture is carried away by the winds to the continents, due to the relative narrowness of the ocean, not having time to fall over its water area.
The organic world of the Atlantic is poorer than the world of the Pacific. The reason for this is the colder climate and its youth. But with a small variety, the number of fish and other marine animals is significant. The shelf occupies large areas here, and therefore convenient places are created for the spawning of many commercial fish: cod, herring, mackerel, sea bass, capelin. Whales and seals are found in polar waters. Off the coast of North America is the unique Sargasso Sea, it has no shores, and its borders are formed by ocean currents. The surface of the sea is covered with Sargasso algae, the waters of the sea are poor in plankton. Once the Sargasso Sea was also the most transparent on the planet, however, now its surface is heavily polluted with oil products.
Due to its natural conditions, the Atlantic Ocean is the most productive in terms of biological resources. Most of the fish catch occurs in the northern part of it, but too active fishing has led to a noticeable reduction in the amount of resources in recent years. There are a lot of oil and gas reserves on the Shelf, especially in the Gulf of Mexico, however, the accident of 2010 showed what enormous damage to the ocean ecology is caused by their production. Hydrocarbon deposits are also large on the shelf of the North Sea off the coast of Europe. Today, the ocean is already very heavily polluted by human activities and is not able to clean itself at such a speed. The task of the developed states of the Earth for the coming decades is to protect and preserve its natural resources.
