New Ocean Identified

Hello, ATS. It's been a while since I posted but I think this topic warrants a post. A new Ocean called the Southern Ocean has been "found" as the water(s) which surround Antarctica, extending from the continent's coastline to 60 degrees south latitude. Apparently, what makes this body of water unique is a specific current, estimated to be approximately 34 million years old known as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), which, according to National Geographic, brings about colder and less salty water than what is found just north of the region. So, some very old water makes the ecology of the Southern Ocean so very distinct, and provides a unique habitat for thousands of species.

National Geographic announced Tuesday that it is officially recognizing the Southern Ocean as the Earth's fifth ocean. The announcement was made to coincide with World Oceans Day.

The Southern Ocean is a vital home for marine ecosystems and a focal point for the southern hemisphere. It directly surrounds Antarctica, extending from the continent's coastline to 60 degrees south latitude, excluding the Drake Passage and Scotia Sea. The ocean's borders touch three of the four other oceans that exist on Earth — the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific.

But what makes the Southern Ocean different from the others is that rather than being largely defined by the land that surrounds it, this body of water is unique because of a current that lies within.

The ecological boundary of the Southern Ocean follows a sinuous line around the Antarctic continent called the Antarctic Convergence or polar front

We now have 5 Oceans: The Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and the newly named Southern Ocean. Not sure how this will change things if at all but I still think it's an interesting development.

What says ATS?

news.yahoo.com...

news.yahoo.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Saw this on Google recently, sadly we won't live to experience the Sandy shores. Maybe our great x50 grandkids will if we don't kill ourselves first.


I hope they enjoy it

a reply to: lostbook

I'm confused. This is a German map of the Southern Ocean compiled in 1906. To me it's always been Southern and it's always been an Ocean. So National Geographic have just caught up and it's an ocean ..... now .... how very ignorant generous of them

a reply to: lostbook

The "Southern Ocean" isn't something new, is it? I thought that it was something already known, and I swear that it was an answer on JEOPARDY! not too long ago.

Ah, yes, here we go:

Wiki Wiki Wiki

By way of his voyages in the 1770s, James Cook proved that waters encompassed the southern latitudes of the globe. Since then, geographers have disagreed on the Southern Ocean's northern boundary or even existence, considering the waters as various parts of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, instead. However, according to Commodore John Leech of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), recent oceanographic research has discovered the importance of Southern Circulation, and the term Southern Ocean has been used to define the body of water which lies south of the northern limit of that circulation. This remains the current official policy of the IHO, since a 2000 revision of its definitions including the Southern Ocean as the waters south of the 60th parallel has not yet been adopted. Others regard the seasonally-fluctuating Antarctic Convergence as the natural boundary. This oceanic zone is where cold, northward flowing waters from the Antarctic mix with warmer Subantarctic waters.

So, technically, it's been recognized since Captain Cook sailed them in the 18th Century. Do we really only get to say that it's a part of the ocean now that NatGeo says so?

a reply to: myselfaswell

The debate on what the northern boundaries of these waters have been has been happening basically since Captain Cook proved the existence of the waters back in the 1770s.

I was always taught that there was only one ocean. It is just divided up into different areas: i.e. Southern, Arctic, etc. etc.

If we have the Arctic Ocean at the top then why do we not have the Antarctic Ocean at the bottom, where the Antarctic is?

a reply to: nolabel

That is my belief there is only one ocean I don't get how if it is all connected they are different oceans. I believe it is one ocean with different regions, much like a continent is one continent with different countries or regions, just like on a continenet with countries the boundaries between the oceans are not just arbitrarily made up by us

a reply to: HONROC
I know.
But then again when I was at school there was only 5 continents. Now there's 7 of them!
Where were these other two continents hiding for all these years?

a reply to: HONROC

You are definitely on to something. Sorry a gardener snake snuck into my garage.

a reply to: CthulhuMythos
According to Turbonium you can't because the earth is flat. Just read This Thread

a reply to: nolabel

I always knew about 7 continents

This is gonna ruin some good old songs and tales.

originally posted by: HONROC
a reply to: nolabel

That is my belief there is only one ocean I don't get how if it is all connected they are different oceans. I believe it is one ocean with different regions, much like a continent is one continent with different countries or regions, just like on a continenet with countries the boundaries between the oceans are not just arbitrarily made up by us

Actually, there are no oceans at all. Just some high-humidity areas of the lower atmosphere.

LOL

a reply to: lostbook

Oh screw that...
They took away Pluto and said tough noogies so I’m not taking a new ocean.

a reply to: Bluntone22

It's weird, I know.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Right I knew of seven continents and 5 oceans since I was in elementary school. 30 plus years ago.
Seems today's education has been lacking.

originally posted by: HONROC
a reply to: nolabel

That is my belief there is only one ocean I don't get how if it is all connected they are different oceans. I believe it is one ocean with different regions, much like a continent is one continent with different countries or regions, just like on a continenet with countries the boundaries between the oceans are not just arbitrarily made up by us

Flora and Fauna delineate the different oceans, just like the different continents.
Or we can say we are all one global world and there is no difference?

a reply to: lostbook

Dam they say you learn something new every day, or a new species of beetle is discovered every hour. But finally we found a new ocean out there.

Ah just messing. Ya. I think the water at the south pole would be a bit different then the water at the north pole, they are offcourse at different poles on the planet.

What says ATS?

Let it continues.

originally posted by: nolabel
a reply to: HONROC
I know.
But then again when I was at school there was only 5 continents. Now there's 7 of them!
Where were these other two continents hiding for all these years?

5?

How do you get 5?

I can think of 7 or 8 actually.

1. North America
2. Central America
3. South America
4. Europe
5. Africa
6. Asia
7. Australia
8. Antarctica

I can see getting 7 by merging North and Central America.. but how can you possibly get 5? Let me try to get it down to 5...