Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The largest of the world's five oceans, the Pacific Ocean spans over 65 million square miles and contains 46% of the water on Earth. About 15 times the size of the United States, the Pacific covers over a third of the earth's surface, which is more than all the land in the world combined.

The pacific stretches about 9,600 miles from the Arctic Sea in the north to the Antarctic in the south. Its widest point, from Indonesia to Columbia and Peru is approximately 12,300 miles.

Rocks collected from the Pacific have been dated to over 200 million years, making it the oldest of the marine basins.

Fast Facts

It is the world's largest ocean
Also known as: Tikhiy Okean
Total area: 166 million square kilometres, 64 million square miles¹
Average depth: 4,280 m (14,040 ft)²
Covers about 70% or one third of earth's surface²
Located between the continents of North America, South America, Asia, Antarctica and Australia
Named by Ferdinand Magellan in 1520²
Name means "peaceful"²
The Pacific's Mariana Trench is the deepest point in the world
Contains more than 30,000 islands²
Largest land mass: The island of New Guinea

Plate Tectonics

Due to the constant shifting of the earth's many plates, the Pacific Ocean is shrinking, while the Atlantic is expanding. The constant shifting and colliding of these plates, a process known as plate tectonics, has created numerous Pacific volcanoes and islands.

Categories

Geography | Travel | Oceans | Outdoor Travel | Australian and South Pacific Destinations

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The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Pacific Ocean
Exploring the Deep Frontier: Pacific Ocean
CIA World Factbook: Pacific Ocean
Savage Earth: The Ring of Fire
Lighthouse Foundation: The Pacific Ocean
World InfoZone: Pacific Ocean Information
YouTube Video: Paradise Redefined: Part II (Time: 8:01)

Pacific Ocean News

Google News: Pacific Ocean
Yahoo! News Search: Pacific Ocean
The Weather Channel: Doppler Radar Pacific Ocean Satellite
San Francisco Chronicle: Continent-Size Toxic Stew of Plastic Trash Fouling Swath of Pacific Ocean (2007)

Pacific Ocean History and Background

Smithsonian Institution: Volcanoes of Hawaii and the Pacific Ocean
History.com: Pacific Ocean
MarineBio: History of the Ocean

Early History

PRigsbee.com: Antique Maps
Geokem: Pacific Ocean ridge basalts
The Mariana Tench: The Mariana Trench - Oceanography

Modern History

Wikipedia: Category:Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
NASA: SeaWiFS and Global Warming
U.S. Geological Survey: Recent Earthquakes - Last 8-30 Days
CBC News: Pacific Ocean Coral Reefs Dying Faster Than Expected (2007)

Pacific Ocean Shipwrecks

Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau: Shipwreck: Graveyard of the Pacific Ocean
Wikipedia: Shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
Encyclopedia of Australian Shipwrecks: Pacific Shipwrecks

Pacific Ocean Educational Resources

NASA: Ocean Surface Topography from Space-Science
California Coastal Commission: Resources for California Educators
Aquarium of the Pacific: Children's Programs
NOAA: North Pacific Ocean Theme Page
MapSouthPacific.com: Maps of the South Pacific

Pacific Ocean Travel

Fodor's: Great Barrier Reef Travel Guide
Galapagos.com: Visit The Galapagos Islands
Wikipedia: Pacific Islands
U.S. National Park Service: USS Arizona Memorial
Paradise Adventures & Cruises: South Pacific Yacht Charters

Pacific Ocean Lighthouses

eRealms: California Lighthouses
NorthernOregon.com: Lighthouses On The Oregon Coast
PBS: Great Lighthouses-Washington
U.S. Coast Guard: Alaska Light Stations
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Hawaii Lighthouses

Pacific Ocean Activities

Dive-centers.net: Dive Centers Pacific Ocean
Stormsurf: Pacific Storm & Surf Forecast
Pacific Swims

Pacific Ocean Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: Pacific Ocean
Yahoo! Image Search: Pacific Ocean
Live Search Images: Pacific Ocean
YouTube & Google Video Search: Pacific Ocean
Yahoo! Video Search: Pacific Ocean
Pacific-Pictures.com: South Pacific Island Travel Photos

Pacific Ocean Blogs and Forums

Google Blog Search: Pacific Ocean
Cruisers Forums: Pacific Ocean & the South China Sea
Greenpeace International: Pacific Ocean Gives Birth to New Volcanic Island Forum Posts
Underwater Photo Chat: Pacific Ocean Forum
Science Blog: Supernova Debris Found Under the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean Organizations and Societies

Pacific Ocean Fun Stuff

YouTube: Pacific Ocean Park (Time:02:57)
Enchanted Learning Center: Ocean Animal Printouts
Just Jigsaw Puzzles: Pacific Ocean Through Trees Jigsaw Puzzle

Pacific Ocean Books and Merchandise

Google Product Search: Pacific Ocean Merchandise
Amazon.com: Books | DVDs
eBay: Pacific Ocean Merchandise

Related Pages on Mahalo

Oceans | Atlantic Ocean | Arctic Ocean | Indian Ocean | Southern Ocean | Asia | Australia | Gulf of Alaska | Ross Sea | Russian Federation | Nicaragua | Gulf of Thailand | New Zealand