Mondo Knows Facts
The Southern Ocean is defined by a continuous circulating ocean current
Encircling Antarctica south of 60 degrees latitude, it is the youngest recognized ocean basin.
Formmerly treated as extensions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, the Southern Ocean was officially recognized by geographic authorities due to its unique oceanographic dynamics. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows uninterrupted around the continent, moving more water than any other ocean current and regulating global sea temperatures.
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The Sargasso Sea is the only sea bounded entirely by ocean currentsLocated in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Sargasso Sea has no land coastlines forming its boundaries.The Drake Passage is renowned for having the roughest ocean watersConnecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans between South America and Antarctica, winds blow unimpeded.The Indian Ocean is the warmest major ocean basin on EarthCovering roughly twenty per cent of Earth water surface, the Indian Ocean drives global monsoon climate.The Pacific Ocean covers more area than all landmasses combinedSpanning over 165 million square kilometres, the Pacific Ocean covers one third of Earth surface.The Atlantic Ocean is the saltiest of Earth major ocean basinsHigh atmospheric evaporation and limited freshwater runoff give the Atlantic elevated salt levels.The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of Earth five oceansCentered around the North Pole, the Arctic Ocean covers roughly 14 million square kilometres.
Tags: southern ocean, antarctica, oceans, currents
The Southern Ocean is defined by a continuous circulating ocean current: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Encircling Antarctica south of 60 degrees latitude, it is the youngest recognized ocean basin. The figure is taken from National Geographic, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
- Is this really a world geography fact?
- Yes. It sits on the World Geography shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
- What else can I read about it?
- The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.