The Pacific Ocean owes its name to Magellan. During the three-month transition in the fall of 1520 from Tierra del Fuego to Philippine Islands he did not encounter a single storm in the ocean.

This pool is considered the warmest among ocean waters, he is inferior to the Atlantic, and Indian, and Northern Arctic Ocean respectively. What is the temperature of the Pacific Ocean?

The Pacific Ocean - what is it?

Name given by the Spaniard Vasco Nunez de Balboa to the Pacific "Great" fully corresponds to its scale. The area of ​​the ocean exceeds the entire land area of ​​the planet by the whole of Africa.

Despite its modern name, today the Pacific Ocean is the most turbulent.

Long time on the cards pre-revolutionary Russia the ocean was marked as Eastern. Most strong hurricanes planets are born in its depths.

From all sides the ocean is surrounded by a chain of underwater and surface volcanoes. The seismic instability they create is the main cause of giant waves . They can reach speeds of 700-800 km/h.

Among foreign ports, the largest:

1. port of shanghai. Located in the East China Sea. Depth of the water area at the berths - 11 meters;
2. Port of Singapore. Located at the junction of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Depth of the water area at the berths - 16 meters;
3. Port of Vancouver. Located on the Strait of Georgia. Depth of the water area at the berths - 16.8 meters;
4. Port of Sydney. Located in Port Jackson Bay. The depth of the water area at the berths is 13.7 meters;
5. Port of Long Beach. One of the Air Force ports. The depth of the water area at the berths is 17 meters.

Flora and fauna

Animal and vegetable world ocean is striking in its diversity. It has not yet been fully explored. Every year, scientists discover in it species of vegetation and marine life unknown to science. To date, there are more than 100 thousand species. About 20 of them are deep-sea. They live in the famous trenches: Mariana, Kermadec, Tonga and the Philippine Trench.

The Pacific Ocean is main source of seafood. Almost half of the world's catch is produced here. The largest fisheries in the waters of the ocean are for anchovies, mackerel and sardines. Feel great in the waters of the ocean seals and different kinds whales.

Of particular value are giant clam pearls that they produce. The weight of the largest specimen known to date is more than 7 kg. His appearance this pearl resembles a man dressed in a turban.

The bottom vegetation of the Pacific Ocean has more than 4 thousand species. The most common of these are laminaria.

Pacific horror called the giant molluscs tridacna that live off the coast. Their weight reaches half a ton. Despite the horror that their appearance causes in humans, they bring to the ocean great benefit. Passing through themselves huge masses of water, they saturate sea ​​water plankton and oxygen.

Pacific waters

The ocean basin includes a large number of bays and seas. Among the significant straits is Panama. The most famous seas:

• yellow;
• Beringovo;
• Japanese;

Characteristics and properties

Most salt water oceans are located off the coast of tropical islands and continents. This is due to the low amount of precipitation that falls in these areas. The density of salt here is 35.5‰. The lowest salinity of the ocean is observed in the region of cold currents in the eastern part of the basin.

In the northern seas of the Pacific Ocean, the salt density index in water is completely close to 0.

No one can say for sure how many freshwater rivers and streams flow into the Pacific Ocean. On the map you can only see major rivers, of which there are about 40. The largest freshwater drain into the ocean is considered Amur river. Unlike the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Pacific does not have much salty seas like Red or Mediterranean.

currents

All currents of the Pacific Ocean are divided into various groups . The most common division

1. northern and southern;
2. warm and cold.

Warm currents can be found around Japan. Here flows a current called Kuroshio. Another warm stream can be found off the coast of Australia and New Zealand. The same group includes the South Equatorial and Equatorial currents. The most famous cold currents of the Pacific Ocean are the Californian and Peruvian ones.

All currents have direct influence on the temperature distribution on the surface of the pool. This determines the climate of the territories adjacent to the ocean.

Climatic conditions

Quietest area ocean lies between the Tuamotu Islands and South America. It was in it that the famous journey of Magellan took place. This is an area of ​​light winds.

natural phenomena

The strongest tides ocean waters can be observed off the Korean coast. In this area of ​​the basin, the difference in levels is up to 9 meters. On the opposite Korean side, the difference in the level of tides is only 0.5 meters. It is very rare to see calm weather west of the Tuamotu. Heavy winds and hurricanes blow in this part of the ocean.

The strongest ocean winds walk in December off the coast of Australia. In the northern part of the Coral Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean, powerful tropical cyclones transform into warm westerly winds in early autumn.

Why is this area the warmest?

The average temperature of the waters of the Pacific Ocean is +19.4 degrees Celsius. it most high rate across all oceans. Located in southern latitudes Indian Ocean colder than the Pacific by 2 degrees. Yields to him and Atlantic Ocean, whose waters are located north of the Indian.

At first glance, this phenomenon seems inexplicable. After all, a significant part of the Pacific Ocean is in contact with northern seas and Antarctica. According to scientists, in many respects the temperature of the water in the Pacific Ocean such factors, how:

• large volume water concentrated in the equator, tropics and subtropics;
• significant amount algae, mollusks and other ocean dwellers.

Range maximum temperature in the surface layer of water is in the range from +30 to +3°С. Atmospheric currents are the regulator of ocean water temperature.

The highest temperature surface water ocean is observed in the equator and tropics. It is + 25-29 ° С.

The western part of the ocean is warmer than the eastern part by an average of 2-5°C. Coldest of all water in northern latitudes. Even in summer, the water temperature in the Bering Strait does not exceed +5-6°C.

The formation of ice in the Pacific Ocean is observed in the Antarctic zone, as well as in the northern seas.

What is the average monthly temperature?

The temperature of the water in the ocean depends on the zone of its basin. The average annual temperature is determined by the state of surface waters in the basin as a whole. in winter it is:

1. December- +14.6°С;
2. January— +13.7°С;
3. February- +13.9°С.

Average ocean temperature spring:

• March- +13.9°С;
• April- +13.5°С;
• May- +14.1°С.

Average ocean temperature summer:

1. June- +15.2°С;
2. July- +16.6°С;
3. August- +17.3°С.

Average ocean temperature autumn:

• September- +17.6°С;
• October- +16.6°С;
• november- +15.6°С.

But temperatures at the same time can significantly vary. For example, the water temperature in February varies from 27°C near the equator to -1°C closer to the Bering Sea. In August, the temperature is 25-29°C near the equator, 5-8°C in the Bering Strait.

In the interim between 40° south and 40° northern latitude the temperature off the coast of America is 3-5°C lower than that of New Zealand. To the north of 40 ° north latitude in the east is 5-7 ° C higher than in the west south of 40 ° south latitude.

Find out a few more interesting facts about the Pacific from this video:

Deviations in the location and local differences within them are caused by the characteristics of the underlying surface (warm and cold currents) and the degree of influence of the adjacent continents with the circulation developing above them.

The main features over the Pacific Ocean are defined by five areas of high and low pressure. In the subtropical latitudes of both hemispheres over the Pacific Ocean, two dynamic regions are constant high pressure- North Pacific, or Hawaiian, and South Pacific highs, whose centers are located in the eastern part of the ocean. In equatorial latitudes, these regions are separated by a constant dynamic region of low pressure, which is more strongly developed in the west. North and south of subtropical highs in more high latitudes there are two minimums - the Aleutian with a center over the Aleutian Islands and, elongated from east to west, in the Antarctic zone. The first exists only in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the second - throughout the year.

Subtropical highs determine the existence in the tropical and subtropical latitudes of the Pacific Ocean sustainable system trade winds, consisting of the northeast trade wind in the Northern Hemisphere and the southeast in the Southern. The trade wind zones are separated by an equatorial calm zone, in which weak and unstable winds predominate with a high frequency of calms.

The Northwest Pacific is a pronounced monsoon region. In winter, the northwest monsoon dominates here, bringing cold and dry air from the Asian mainland, in summer - the southeast monsoon, carrying warm and humid air from the ocean. Monsoons disrupt the trade wind circulation and lead to the flow of air from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere in winter, and in the opposite direction in summer.

Permanent winds are strongest in temperate latitudes and especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The frequency of storms in the Northern Hemisphere in temperate latitudes ranges from 5% in summer to 30% in winter. In tropical latitudes, constant winds reach storm strength extremely rarely, but sometimes tropical winds pass here. Most often they occur in the warm half of the year in the Western Pacific. In the Northern Hemisphere, typhoons are directed mainly from the area lying to the east and northwest, to, in the Southern - from the region of the islands of New Hebrides and Samoa to. In the eastern part of the ocean, typhoons are rare and occur only in the Northern Hemisphere.

The distribution of air is subject to the general latitudinal. The average temperature in February decreases from + 26 -I- 28 "C in the equatorial zone to - 20 ° C in the strait. The average August temperature varies from + 26 - + 28 °C in the equatorial zone to + 5 °C in the strait.

The pattern of temperature decrease from to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere is disturbed under the influence of warm and cold currents and winds. In this regard, there are large differences between the temperature in the east and west at the same latitudes. With the exception of the area adjacent to Asia (mainly the area marginal seas), in almost the entire zone of the tropics and subtropics, i.e., within most of the ocean, the west is several degrees warmer than the east. This difference is due to the fact that in the indicated belt the western part of the Pacific Ocean is warmed by trade winds (Kuroshio and East Australian) and theirs, while East End cooled by the California and Peruvian currents. In the Northern Hemisphere, on the contrary, the west is colder than the east in all seasons. The difference reaches 10-12 ° and is mainly due to the fact that here the western part of the Pacific Ocean is cooled by the cold one, and the eastern part is heated by the warm Alaska current. In temperate and high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, under the influence of westerly winds and the predominance of winds with a westerly component in all seasons, temperature changes occur naturally and there is no significant difference between east and west.

And precipitation during the year is greatest in areas with lowered and near mountain coasts, since in both areas there is a significant rise in air currents. In temperate latitudes, cloudiness is 70-90, in the equatorial zone 60-70%, in trade wind zones and in subtropical areas of high pressure it decreases to 30-50, and in some areas in the Southern Hemisphere - up to 10%.

The largest falls in the trade winds meeting zone, which lies north of the equator (between 2-4 and 9 ~ 18 ° N), where intense upward currents of moisture-rich air develop. In this zone, the amount of precipitation is more than 3000 mm. In temperate latitudes, the amount of precipitation increases from 1000 mm in the west to 2000-3000 mm or more in the east.

The smallest amount of precipitation falls on the eastern outskirts of the subtropical high pressure areas, where the prevailing downward air currents and cold ones are unfavorable for moisture condensation. In these areas, the amount of precipitation is: in the Northern Hemisphere west of the California Peninsula - less than 200, in the Southern Hemisphere west of - less than 100, and at some points even less than 30 mm. AT western parts subtropical areas the amount of precipitation increases to 1500-2000 mm. In the high latitudes of both hemispheres, due to weak evaporation at low temperatures, the amount of precipitation decreases to 500-300 mm or less.

In the Pacific Ocean, fogs form mainly in temperate latitudes. They are most frequent in the area adjacent to the Kuril and Aleutian, in summer season when the water colder than air. The frequency here is 30-40% in summer, 5-10% or less in winter. In the Southern Hemisphere in temperate latitudes, the frequency of fogs during the year is 5-10%.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. It stretches from the very north of the planet to its south, reaching the shores of Antarctica. It reaches its greatest width at the equator, in the tropical and subtropical zones. Therefore, the climate of the Pacific Ocean is more defined as warm, because most of it falls on the tropics. This ocean has both warm and cold currents. It depends on which continent the bay adjoins in one place or another and what atmospheric flows are formed above it.

Video: 213 Climate of the Pacific

atmospheric circulation

In many ways, the climate of the Pacific Ocean depends on the atmospheric pressure that forms over it. In this section, geographers distinguish five main areas. Among them there are zones of both high and low pressure. In the subtropics in both hemispheres of the planet, two areas of high pressure are formed above the ocean. They are called the North Pacific or Hawaiian High and the South Pacific High. The closer to the equator, the lower the pressure becomes. Also note that in the atmospheric dynamics is lower than in the east. In the north and south of the ocean, dynamic lows are formed - the Aleutian and Antarctic, respectively. Northern exists only in winter time year, and the southern one is stable in its atmospheric features all year round.

Winds

Such a factor as the trade winds, largely affects the climate Pacific Ocean. In short, such wind currents are formed in the tropics and subtropics in both hemispheres. There, for centuries, a system of trade winds has been established, which cause warm currents and stable hot air temperature. They are separated by a strip of equatorial calm. Calms prevail in this area, but light winds occasionally occur. In the northwestern part of the ocean, monsoons are the most frequent guests. In winter, the wind blows from the Asian continent, bringing cold and dry air with it. In summer, the ocean wind blows, which increases the humidity and temperature of the air. The temperate climate zone, as well as the entire southern hemisphere, is subject to strong winds starting from. The climate of the Pacific Ocean in these areas is characterized by typhoons, hurricanes, and gusty winds.

Air temperature

In order to visually understand what temperatures the Pacific Ocean is characterized by, the map will come to our aid. We see that this reservoir is located in all climatic zones, starting from the northern, icy, passing through the equator and ending with the southern, also icy. Above the surface of the entire reservoir, the climate is subordinated latitudinal zonality and winds that bring hot or cold temperatures to certain regions. In equatorial latitudes, the thermometer shows from 20 to 28 degrees in August, approximately the same indicators are observed in February. In temperate latitudes, February temperatures reach -25 Celsius, and in August the thermometer rises to +20.

Video: Pacific Ocean

Characteristics of currents, their influence on temperature

The peculiarities of the climate of the Pacific Ocean are that in the same latitudes at the same time different weather can be observed. It all works out this way because the ocean is made up of various currents which bring warm or cold cyclones here from the continents. So let's start with the Northern Hemisphere. In the tropical zone, the western part of the reservoir is always warmer than the eastern one. This is due to the fact that in the west the waters are warmed by the trade winds and the East Australian. In the east, the waters are cooled by the Peruvian and California currents. In the temperate zone, on the contrary, the east is warmer than the west. Here the western part is cooled by the Kuril current, and the eastern part is heated by the Alaska current. If we consider the Southern Hemisphere, then we will not find a significant difference between the West and the East. Everything happens naturally here, since the trade winds and winds of high latitudes distribute the temperature over the surface of the water in the same way.

Clouds and pressure

The climate of the Pacific Ocean also depends on atmospheric phenomena, which are formed over one or another of its areas. An increase in air currents is observed in low pressure zones, as well as in coastal areas where there is a mountainous area. The closer to the equator, the less clouds gather over the waters. In temperate latitudes, they are contained in 80-70 percent, in the subtropics - 60-70%, in the tropics - 40-50%, and at the equator only 10 percent.

Precipitation

Now let's look at what weather harbors the Pacific Ocean. A map of climatic zones shows that the highest humidity here falls on the tropical and subtropical zones, which are located north of the equator. Here the amount of precipitation is equal to 3000 mm. In temperate latitudes, this figure is reduced to 1000-2000 mm. Also note that in the West the climate is always drier than in the East. The most arid region of the ocean is the coastal zone near and off the coast of Peru. Here, due to problems with condensation, the amount of precipitation is reduced to 300-200 mm. In some areas it is extremely low and is only 30 mm.

Video: 211 History of Pacific Exploration

The climate of the Pacific Ocean

AT classic version It is generally accepted that this water reservoir has three seas - the Sea of ​​Japan, the Bering Sea and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. These reservoirs are separated from the main reservoir by islands or peninsulas, they are adjacent to the continents and belong to countries in this case Russia. Their climate is determined by the interaction of ocean and land. In the above water surface in February is about 15-20 below zero, in coastal zone- 4 below zero. The Sea of ​​​​Japan is the warmest, because the temperature in it is kept within +5 degrees. The most severe winters are in the north. Here the thermometer can show below -30 degrees. In summer, the seas heat up to an average of 16-20 above zero. Naturally, the Okhotsk in this case will be cold - +13-16, and the Japanese one can warm up to +30 or more.

Video: Pacific Ocean nature pacific ocean USA

Conclusion

The Pacific Ocean, which is, in fact, the largest geographical feature planet is characterized by a very diverse climate. Regardless of the season, a certain atmospheric influence is formed over its waters, which generates low or high temperatures, strong winds or utter calm.

Attention, only TODAY!

The Pacific Ocean is located in almost all climatic zones. Most of it lies in the equatorial, subequatorial and tropical zones.

The climate of the Pacific Ocean is formed due to the zonal distribution solar radiation and circulation of the atmosphere, as well as the powerful seasonal influence of the Asian continent. Almost everything can be distinguished in the ocean climatic zones. In the northern temperate zone in winter, the baric center is the Aleutian minimum of pressure, which is weakly expressed in summer time. To the south is the North Pacific High. Along the equator, the Equatorial depression (an area of ​​low pressure) is noted, which is replaced to the south by the South Pacific anticyclone. Further south, the pressure decreases again and then again gives way to a high pressure area over Antarctica. The direction of the wind is formed in accordance with the location of baric centers. In temperate latitudes northern hemisphere strong westerly winds prevail in winter, and weak southerly winds prevail in summer. In the northwest of the ocean, north and northeast monsoon winds are established in winter, which are replaced by south monsoons in summer. Cyclones that occur on the polar fronts determine the high frequency of storm winds in the temperate and circumpolar zones (especially in the southern hemisphere). In the subtropics and tropics of the northern hemisphere, the northeast trade winds dominate. In the equatorial zone, mostly calm weather is observed all year round. in tropical and subtropical zones the southern hemisphere is dominated by a steady southeast trade wind, strong in winter and weak in summer. Violent tropical hurricanes, here called typhoons, are born in the tropics (mainly in summer). They usually arise east of the Philippines, from where they move northwest and north through Taiwan, Japan and fade on the approaches to the Bering Sea. Another area where typhoons originate is the coastal regions of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to Central America. In the fortieth latitudes of the southern hemisphere, strong and constant westerly winds are observed. In the high latitudes of the southern hemisphere, the winds are subject to the general cyclonic circulation characteristic of the sub-Antarctic region of low pressure.

The distribution of air temperature over the ocean is subordinated to the general latitudinal zonality, but the western part has a warmer climate than the eastern part. In the tropical and equatorial zones, average air temperatures from 27.5 °C to 25.5 °C prevail. During the summer, the 25°C isotherm widens northward in the western part of the ocean and only slightly in the eastern, and strongly shifts northward in the southern hemisphere. Passing over the vast expanses of the ocean, air masses intensively saturated with moisture. On both sides of the equator in the near-equatorial zone, two narrow bands of maximum precipitation are noted, outlined by an isohyet of 2000 mm, and a relatively arid zone is expressed along the equator. In the Pacific Ocean, there is no zone of convergence of the northern trade winds with the southern ones. There are two independent zones with excessive moisture and a relatively dry zone separating them. To the east, in the equatorial and tropical zones, the amount of precipitation decreases. The most arid regions in the northern hemisphere are adjacent to California, in the southern - to the Peruvian and Chilean basins (coastal regions receive less than 50 mm of precipitation per year).

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Pacific precipitation

Pacific Ocean precipitation is distributed according to climate zone, location of baric centers, main currents and prevailing winds. There is also an uneven distribution of precipitation in the eastern and western Pacific. Cloudiness and precipitation during the year are greatest in areas with low atmospheric pressure and near the mountain coasts, since in both areas there is a significant rise in air currents.

Distribution of precipitation in the Pacific Ocean.

Along the equator is a relatively dry area.

equatorial zone- on both sides of the equator, narrow bands of maximum precipitation are observed - these are two independent zones with excessive moisture. To the east, in the equatorial and tropical zones, the amount of precipitation decreases. The largest number precipitation The Pacific Ocean falls in the equatorial-tropical trade wind convergence zone, which lies north of the equator (between 2-4 and 9 ~ 18 ° N), where intense ascending air currents saturated with moisture develop. In this zone, the amount of precipitation is more than 3000 mm.

subtropical regions. The least amount of precipitation falls on the eastern fringes of the subtropical high-pressure areas, where prevailing downward air currents and cold sea ​​currents unfavorable for moisture condensation. In these areas, the amount of precipitation in the Pacific Ocean is: in the Northern Hemisphere west of the California Peninsula - no more than 300, in the Southern Hemisphere west of Peru - less than 100, and in some places even less than 30 mm. In the western parts of the subtropical regions, the amount of precipitation increases to 1000-2000 mm. In the intertropical convergence zone and subtropical high pressure areas, precipitation occurs almost uniformly throughout the year.

moderate latitudes. The average annual precipitation of the Pacific Ocean in temperate latitudes is 1000 mm in the west and 2000-3000 mm in the east. In the area of ​​the Aleutian Low, as well as in the temperate and subpolar latitudes of the southern hemisphere, the frequency of precipitation increases in winter period. In the monsoonal region of the northwestern Pacific Ocean, the maximum precipitation occurs in the summer.

high latitudes. In the high latitudes of both hemispheres, due to weak evaporation at low temperatures, the amount of precipitation decreases to 500-300 mm in the north and 100 in the south.

Pacific Ocean clouds.

The average annual cloudiness of the Pacific Ocean in areas of low atmospheric pressure is 60-90%. high pressure - 10-30%. In temperate latitudes, cloudiness is 70-90, in the equatorial zone 60-70%, in trade wind zones and in subtropical areas of high pressure it decreases to 30-50, and in some areas in the Southern Hemisphere - up to 10%.

On a 10-point scale for assessing cloudiness (expressing the percentage of sky coverage by clouds), the Pacific Ocean zones have the following average annual indicators:

• temperate latitudes - maximum values- 7-9 points,
• Equatorial latitudes - 6-7 points,
• The zone of subtropical baric maxima - 3-5 points,
• Separate areas of the southern hemisphere - up to 1 point.

Picture. 10-point cloudiness scale.

Clouds of the Pacific Ocean.

Fogs are characteristic of the temperate latitudes of the Pacific Ocean. They are most frequent in the area adjacent to the Kuril and Aleutian Islands during the summer season, when the water is colder than the air. The frequency of fog here is 30-40% in summer and 5-10% or less in winter. In the Southern Hemisphere in temperate latitudes, the frequency of fogs during the year is 5-10%.

Other articles related to the "Pacific Ocean":

• What is the Pacific Ocean? General characteristics and description of the Pacific Ocean.
• Pacific Ocean waters: ocean water masses, ocean temperature, ocean salinity, ice formation and Pacific water color.