How many oceans are there? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Jun 16, 2024 · Historically, there are four named oceans: the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic. However, most countries - including the United States - now recognize the Southern …
What are the Seven Seas? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Feb 21, 2025 · The origin of the phrase 'Seven Seas' traces back back to ancient times. While there is only one global ocean, the seas are usually divided into the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, …
How did the Pacific Ocean get its name?
Explorer Ferdinand Magellan named the Pacific Ocean in the 16th century. Covering approximately 155 million square kilometers (59 million square miles) and containing more …
Weird Ocean Phenomena
Its name comes from the Dutch words malen (to whirl or grind) and strom (stream). A maelstrom can be dangerous due to powerful currents that occur below the surface, which can pull …
What is a gyre? - NOAA's National Ocean Service
Jun 16, 2024 · Larger, sustained currents—the Gulf Stream, for example—go by proper names. Taken together, these larger and more permanent currents make up the systems of currents …
What is the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?
Meanwhile, in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, the generic term tropical cyclone is used, regardless of the strength of the wind associated with the weather system.
Boundary Currents - NOAA's National Ocean Service
There are five major ocean-wide gyres—the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Ocean gyres. Each is flanked by a strong and narrow “western boundary …
Why should we care about the ocean?
With topics ranging from the ocean economy to microplastics to hydrography and even the depth of the ocean, there's sure to be a fact for everyone! Download this graphic and share it!
What is Ocean Acidification?
Jun 16, 2024 · Ocean acidification refers to a reduction in the pH of the ocean over an extended period of time, caused primarily by uptake of carbon dioxide (CO 2) from the atmosphere.
A Guide to Plastic in the Ocean
NOAA’s Marine Debris Program (MDP) works to understand how plastics — and other marine debris — get into our ocean, how they can be removed, and how they can be kept from …