It seems that every millimeter of our Earth has already been studied, all continents and oceans have been explored, but people are constantly having new questions. For example, do you know what is the most salty ocean on the planet? If not, then let's figure it out.
Amazing feature
Each ocean on Earth has its own characteristics. Some of the largest, some of the coldest. And what is the most salty ocean? This question has interested scientists for a long time, and they conducted a series of studies. The most saline was the Atlantic Ocean. And he is recognized as the oldest on Earth. No wonder the roots of the name of this ocean go back to ancient myths.
Name history
According to an ancient myth, the sea god Poseidon built for himself the city-state of Atlantis. To keep its secrets, the city sank in the waters of the ocean, and with it all the inhabitants. Together with Poseidon, his wife and son Atlant lived in the city, on whose shoulders the vault of heaven rested. In memory of this great hero of myths they called the Atlantic Ocean.
True, more mundane geographers believe that the salty ocean is named after the mountains located in Africa. These mountains are called Atlas. Today, they argue about which version is correct.
Why is salt water
The salinity of ocean waters has formed billions of years. Rainwater absorbed and dissolved particles of dust containing salt, river waters washed mineral deposits, enriched with salts, and all this fell into the ocean, from the surface of which water gradually evaporated, but heavier salts remained. So gradually the waters became salty. Well, the answer to the question of which ocean is the most saline in the world has long been answered. Although some scholars wanted to give the palm to the Indian Ocean, and not the Atlantic. Its salinity is indeed higher in some areas, but in general the waters are less salty than in the Atlantic.
In the Atlantic Ocean, the salinity of the water is distributed almost evenly. Its concentration is slightly higher only in the tropics. Scientists explain this phenomenon by the fact that here more water evaporates than it returns in the form of precipitation.
The great secrets of the Atlantic include the presence of fresh underground sources. Fresh water rises from the depths of the ocean to its surface.
Small geographical reference
The Atlantic Ocean is not the largest on Earth. It is inferior in area to the Pacific, but still occupies almost 20% of the surface of the planet. The salty ocean in the world has an area of over 91 million km 2 . The average depth of the Atlantic is approximately 3500 m, and the deepest place is 8700 m.
On the world map, the outlines of the ocean resemble the huge letter S. There is a water body between Europe and the African continent, and its eastern part is washed by the shores of two American continents. From all of them, salt enters the Atlantic waters, the concentration of which continues to increase.
International Importance and Minerals
The Atlantic is not only the most salty ocean on Earth, it is also rich in mineral deposits. There are diamonds and gold in the coastal waters of Africa, and iron ore deposits have been found off the coast of Europe. And in the Gulf of Mexico, Guinea and Biscay , gas and oil fields are being developed.
But not only minerals matter. In the case of the Atlantic, location plays a big role. This is not only the saltiest ocean, but also the most studied and most navigable - there are busy trade routes.
And on the Atlantic coast, comfortable resorts are located. Every year, tourists come here to relax, sunbathe and go scuba diving.
Flora and fauna
Despite the fact that it is the most salty ocean, the flora and fauna are quite rich in the Atlantic. Many species of brown and red algae live here, for example sargass and latotamnia. And in the tropical zone a large number of green algae, such as valonium and cowlerpa. On the European coast of the ocean there are many zosters - this is a type of special sea grass.
Representatives of the fauna of the Atlantic Ocean - various types of cod and herring fish, notothenia, sea bass, halibut, haddock, tuna, mackerel and sardines. This is not a complete list of underwater inhabitants. All of these species are of great commercial importance. The waters of the Atlantic are plowed by numerous fish fleets and small fishing vessels. And in the markets of coastal cities you can always buy fresh fish.
Atlantic Issues
Unfortunately, now scientists are more interested not in what is the most salty ocean, but in how to preserve water bodies. Human activities cause great damage to the waters of the Atlantic. Every year the level of pollution increases, although the world community is taking measures to reduce pollution.
Pesticides from fields and farmlands fall into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, industrial waste and sewage from sewers are dumped here. In addition, accidents occur on oil platforms and on tankers carrying oil. This leads to serious spills of flammable liquid, in which the flora and fauna of the ocean die. But from here, humanity receives almost 40% of fish production. It is difficult to explain how people can relate with such irresponsibility to natural resources.
The main thing is that they have already stopped arguing about problems and began to look for ways to solve them. This gives hope that the waters of the salty ocean will restore their purity and preserve their inhabitants for future generations.
So much mysterious and unknown is hidden in the Atlantic! Perhaps someday people will learn more about this ocean and be able to unravel its secrets, but for now we can only admire its grandeur and beauty, being content with only a small fraction of the available knowledge.