What is the deepest sea in the world? The largest sea in the world The deepest inland sea

In the modern world, you can often meet people who have subordinated their lives to the pursuit of perfection - perfectionism. For example, it is important to buy not just a car, but the most expensive (beautiful, fast), to conquer not just the peak, but the highest. And so on: make the longest parachute jump, swim across the widest river, kiss the most beautiful girl - everyone has their own dreams. Where should people go who would like to swim in the largest sea? To leave no doubt, you will have to swim in several seas.

Miracle of nature - Sargasso Sea

The Sargasso Sea is a unique natural phenomenon: it is a sea that has no shores. More precisely, not in the traditional sense. This is a part of the Atlantic Ocean, separated on all sides by currents: the North Atlantic from the north, the North Trade Wind from the south, the Gulf Stream from the west and the Canary from the east. The Sargasso Sea got its name from the name of algae - sargassum, which float in huge quantities in the waters of the sea. There are so many sargassums that Columbus, who first saw the sea, called it “a jar of algae.” Aristotle, who mentioned the Sargasso Sea in his writings much earlier than Columbus, poetically called it “meadows of the ocean.”

The area of ​​the Sargasso Sea ranges from 6-7 million square meters. km is the largest sea in the world.

The Sargasso Sea is a densely populated area: thanks to the accumulation of algae, various shrimp, crabs, seahorses, jellyfish, and flying fish feel comfortable here. There are also traveler crabs and several species of sea turtles. In addition, the Sargasso Sea is a breeding ground for eels.

Philippine Sea

The largest interisland sea is the Philippine Sea. Its area is 5.7 million square meters. km is the largest sea by area. The waters of the Philippine Sea connect the shores of the islands of Taiwan, Luzon, Nampo, Yap, Ryukyu, Mindanao, Palau, Kyushu, Halmahera, and the Mariana Islands.

The bottom topography of the Philippine Sea is remarkable: it consists of numerous underwater mountains, volcanoes, and depressions, including the world's deepest Mariana Trench, which separates the waters of the Philippine Sea from the Pacific Ocean to the east. By the way, due to the Mariana Trench, the Philippine Sea is the deepest sea in the world: its depth in this place is 11,022 m, although its average depth is 4,108 m. And such a difference between the average and the deepest point allows us to give several answers as to what The sea is the largest in depth. After all, the depth of the Coral Sea is 9174 m.

For comparison, the smallest sea in the world is Marmara. Its area is 10,900 sq. km. On the one hand, the Sea of ​​Marmara connects the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea, and on the other, it separates Europe and Asia. Unfortunately, “smallest” does not mean “smallest.” In the Sea of ​​Marmara, cases of water tremors and tsunamis are not uncommon: over the history of observations, about 300 cases of tremors and 40 tsunamis have been recorded. The last time a tsunami occurred was on August 17, 1999. The height of the wave was 2.5 m and did not lead to serious destructive consequences. However, in 2030 a wave of enormous force is predicted. And the Turkish government should seriously think about the possible consequences.

And the shallowest sea in the world is the Azov Sea, its maximum depth is only 15 meters.

A sea is a large body of water filled with salt water, which necessarily has a connection with one of the five oceans. There are seas wedged deep into the continent, others themselves are divided into several seas, and still others are simply part of the ocean. About 90 seas have formed on Earth, differing in size, shape, depth, and the absence or presence of closed shores.

1. Sargasso Sea (about 6-8 million sq. km)

The largest sea in the world is Sargasso, if only because it has no shores. All other seas have them, but Sargasso - not a centimeter. Its conventional boundaries are considered to be three Atlantic currents. This place is amazing; the conventional dimensions of the sea can fluctuate greatly from year to year; they can be affected by the weather patterns of a given season and the behavior of changeable currents.
In its outline, the Sargasso Sea looks like a light green ellipse. The color is not accidental - it is a continuous thick carpet of sargassum algae, stretching for hundreds of kilometers in any direction, this is a unique phenomenon for the planet. When Columbus passed this sea in search of India, he compared it to a vessel of seaweed. For a long time, scientists mistakenly thought that these algae are brought from somewhere by the current, but this is not so - they are born here and die here. The depth under them in some places reaches 7 kilometers.
The water here is quite warm throughout the year, its temperature ranges from 18-28 degrees.

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2. Philippine Sea (5.726 million sq. km)

This is the name of the oceanic island sea splashing near the Philippine archipelago, which is part of the Pacific Ocean. It is very deep - the average depth is 4108 meters, and the maximum and record on the planet is 10,994 m in the Mariana Trench.
This sea does not have clearly defined shores, and is conditionally separated from the ocean by several groups of islands: from the north - the Japanese archipelago (Ryukyu, Kyushu and Honshu), from the west - the island of Taiwan and the Philippine archipelago, in the east by the islands of Bonin, Izu, Volcano, Marianas islands and underwater ridges, and in the southeast - the islands of Palau and Yap.
The Philippine Sea can be included in several categories: interisland, oceanic, coastal. In the latter category, it becomes the largest coastal sea in the world. This sea is unique not only in its depth and size, but also in the active exchange of water between it and the open ocean due to currents. And in the sea itself there is active upwelling - vertical movement of water. The powerful northern trade wind current near the island of Taiwan splits into two branches that leave the Philippine Sea. Although the marine fauna here is not very diverse, there is active fishing and whaling here.

3. Coral Sea (4.791 million sq. km)

The Coral Sea is also located in the Pacific Ocean, but it is located between the coast of Australia and the islands of New Guinea and New Caledonia. Its maximum depth reaches 9140 m. This sea received its name due to the fact that in its waters there are many coral reefs and islands, among them: Bampton, Tragross, Willis, Chesterfield. But the most famous in the world is the Great Barrier Reef - the greatest coral formation on the planet. After 1969, the Coral Sea came under Australian management. The local islands are uninhabited, only Willis Island has a meteorological station.

4. Arabian Sea (3.862 million sq. km)

This sea separates two huge peninsulas - Hindustan and Arabian, located on the northern edge of the Indian Ocean. It is the largest sea in the basin of this ocean and the famous Indus River flows into it.
The peoples who inhabited the shores of this sea at different periods gave it different names: Sindhu Sagar, Eritrean, and the Hellenes called it Persian. Europeans also used them, but in the end, in the 19th century, the modern name was assigned to it. Surface currents in the Arabian Sea have a seasonal direction: in summer they are directed to the east, and in winter they turn in the opposite direction. This feature was noticed by Portuguese and Spanish sailors and they used it very skillfully. This is a very warm sea - on the surface the water warms up within 22-27 degrees, occasionally reaching 30 degrees. Thanks to the warm climate, a very diverse fauna and flora has developed in the sea. At depths above 1500 m, water salinity increases to 35%.

5. South China Sea (3.5 million sq. km)

This sea is located on the border of the Pacific and Indian oceans and is classified as a semi-enclosed sea. From the northwest it washes the shores of Asia, and on the opposite side - the islands of Oceania. This is a large and very salty sea - the salt content in it reaches 32-34%. The structure of the seabed is determined by its location. Near the Asian coasts, the bottom is lined mainly with sand and silt, and off the coast of the islands - rocks or coral reefs. But every winter, cold air masses from the north invade the waters of this warm sea, which noticeably cool the surface layer of water. There are many international trade routes along the South China Sea.

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6. Weddell Sea (2.8 million sq. km)

This sea is located in the extreme south of the Atlantic Ocean, touching the shores of Antarctica. Its average depth is 3000 m. Every 22-25 years, a huge iceberg breaks off from the ice shelves sliding from Antarctica, which begins its slow migration through the waters of the South Atlantic. Drifting ice in the Weddell Sea is about 2 m thick.
The peculiarities of its location and climate have made the waters of this sea one of the most transparent on the planet. Maximum transparency was noted in 1986, when it reached 79 meters, which is practically not inferior to the transparency of distilled water. The presence of icebergs and compression by ice makes navigation here almost impossible; only occasionally do research vessels come here. The sea is home to seals and whales, and penguins have settled on its rocky shores.

7. Caribbean Sea (2.754 million sq. km)

The marginal Caribbean Sea is partially separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Lesser and Greater Antilles, and is limited to Central and North America on the west. Man connected it with the Pacific Ocean by breaking the Panama Canal. The Caribbean Sea received its name from the Carib tribe that lived on its shores. It is sometimes also called Antillean. It has been noted that most of the hurricanes that rage in the Western Hemisphere originate in the Caribbean Sea. Regular hurricanes constantly destroy the fragile buildings of the inhabitants of the coast and islands.
The Caribbean Sea has an amazingly rich wildlife both in the water and on the islands. Many species are endemic to the Caribbean region. Up to 9% of all corals in the world's oceans live in this sea.
Centuries ago, the Caribbean Sea was the main theater of war for swashbuckling pirates, beautifully depicted in many films. And now they have been replaced by treasure seekers scattered across islands and sunken ships in the sea. The phenomenon of piracy flourished in the 17th century, and the main bases of pirates, buccaneers and other corsairs were Port Royal and Tortuga Island.

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8. Mediterranean Sea (2.5 million sq. km)

This is the main sea in the history of mankind - the cradle of modern civilization. From here the Phoenicians and Hellenes began exploring the world. The Mediterranean Sea separates two continents - Africa and Eurasia. It belongs to the Atlantic Ocean, being connected to it by the Strait of Gibraltar, in which ancient Greek myths placed the Pillars of Hercules. The Hellenes did not dare to go out into the Atlantic, preferring to swim, seeing the shores.
This is the only sea that washes three continents at once: Africa, Europe and Asia. The maximum depth of the Mediterranean Sea in the central basin is 5121 m. Surprisingly, for thousands of years people have not mapped the exact contours of the Mediterranean Sea; Captain Gautier did this only at the end of the 19th century - after his research, realistic outlines of the sea coast were obtained.

9. Tasman Sea (2.33 million sq. km)

The Tasman Sea is located between Australia, the island of Tasmania and New Zealand, it is part of the Pacific Ocean. Together with the island, the sea was named in honor of Abel Tasman, a Dutch navigator. It was studied extensively by the Englishman James Cook.
This is a very deep sea, especially in the Tasman Basin, where the depth is almost 6 kilometers. Although the sea is quite calm, there are strong tides up to 5 meters high. Another feature of the Tasman Sea is its location in three climatic zones, due to which it has a very colorful fauna. The northern and southern shores of the sea are home to completely different algae, fish and marine animals. The beauty of the coral reefs off the coast of Australia and New Zealand and the diversity of life forms attract many tourists here.

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10. Bering Sea (2.26 million sq. km)

In the North Pacific Ocean, separating Eurasia and North America, is the Bering Sea. The Commander and Aleutian Islands are considered its southern border. In the north, through the Bering Strait, this sea connects with the Chukchi Sea. For Russia this sea is the largest. The maximum depth of the Bering Sea reaches 4151 m. By type, it can be classified as a marginal sea separating the Asian and American continents.
The USSR and the USA could not divide this sea for a long time, only in 1990 they concluded an agreement in which the dividing line was fixed, named after the foreign ministers Shevardnadze and Baker who signed it. For most of the year, this sea is covered with ice, but this does not prevent over 240 species of marine animals and fish from living in it.

What is the deepest sea in the world? After all, there are a huge variety of different seas on Earth. But the deepest sea in the world is the Coral Sea. This is the Pacific Ocean, which is located between the coasts of several countries - New Caledonia, Australia and New Guinea. The total area of ​​the deepest sea on Earth is 4,068 thousand square kilometers. The deepest place in the sea is 9,174 meters, and the average volume of its water is 11,470 thousand cubic kilometers.

The deepest and clearest sea gets its name from the abundance of coral reefs and islands that make navigation difficult. In this sea there are such islands as Tregross, Chesterfield, Willis, Bampton. The most famous reef, which is located in the deepest sea on the planet, is the Great Barrier Reef. This reef is considered the largest reef in the world. It is worth noting that the islands listed above are not inhabited. And on Willis Island there is a weather station.

The bottom of the deepest sea on earth is highly dissected. Currents can form a cyclonic gyre. The water temperature of the deepest sea in the south reaches 19 degrees Celsius, and in summer it warms up to 24 degrees. The salinity of the sea is estimated at 34.5-35.5%. There are a large number of sharks and flying fish in the sea. Since 1969, the territory of the deepest sea in the world began to belong to Australia and belongs to Canberra. In 1942, a naval battle took place on this sea between Japanese and Allied naval forces. This battle prevented the capture of Port Moresby by Japan. The main seaports are: Port Moresby (New Guinea), Cairns (Australia) and Noumea (New Caledonia).

But Russia is washed by as many as 12 seas. But which sea is considered the deepest? The deepest sea in Russia is the Bering Sea. The sea was named after Vitus Bering, who was the first to explore this body of water. Before this, the sea was given such names as Kamchatka, Bobrovoye, but Beringovo still took root. The deepest sea in Russia is located in the northern part of the country and, like the previous deepest sea in the world, belongs to the Pacific Ocean. It is in this sea that a section of the border between Russia and the United States passes.

The deepest sea in Russia is large. Its area is 2,315 thousand square kilometers. But the main feature of the sea is its depth. The deepest place in the sea has a depth of 4,151 meters, while the average depth of the sea is 1,612 meters. It is worth noting that the Bering Sea does not even make it into the top ten deepest seas in the world. It is worth noting that the Black Sea is also included in the list of the deepest seas in the world. The deepest point of the Black Sea reaches 2,000 meters. And the officially registered deepest place in the Black Sea is a depth of 2,211 meters. The deepest depression in the sea is the Yalta depression.

The Caspian Sea is also included in the list of the deepest seas in the world. The deepest point of the Caspian Sea reaches 1000 meters. Wikipedia gives 12 names for the deepest seas of Russia. Among the deepest seas washing Russia are the Bering Sea, the Laptev Sea, the Baltic Sea and others.

The depths of the seas and oceans are fraught with a lot of secrets. The desire of scientists to study the depths of the waters in as much detail as possible from year to year brings new invaluable knowledge to humanity. But this is only a grain in the study of 71% of the planet's territory, which is occupied by water.

At this point, you can know exactly how many seas there are in the world, which of them are the largest, and which are incredibly deep. Let's take a closer look at these facts.

The largest seas on Earth

Sargasso Sea – quiet and dangerous

The area of ​​this giant is about 6-7 million km². You definitely wouldn’t want to get lost here or be left dangling in a boat after a wreck. It is said that the Sargasso Sea is home to one of the largest ship graveyards. It is not entirely easy to swim away from this body of water, because it is located in the area of ​​the anticyclonic water cycle; in simple words, there is practically no current here.

Interestingly, the entire surface of the water is covered with Sargassum algae. Their number, according to rough estimates by scientists, is estimated at 4-11 million tons. That is why many animals live in this reservoir.

The Sargasso Sea is an impressive distance from the nearest shores of the ominous volcanic Bermuda Islands (triangle). For relaxation, it is better to choose another body of water, because here, under the algae constantly floating on the surface, there lurks an incredible danger - powerful underwater eddies formed by different currents. Considering the maximum depth of 6995 m, it’s scary to imagine where one of these craters could drag you down. They have a bizarre effect on the water temperature: in one place it can be +18 ° C, and in the other - +28 ° C. Additional horror is caused by the phenomenal level of the Sargasso Sea, which is significantly higher than the surrounding waters.

Such a huge reservoir cannot but impress, however, this did not stop people from polluting it. The Sargasso Sea is known for its large garbage patch of various plastic waste. All the rubbish thrown into the oceans of the planet accumulates here.

Philippine Sea - deep and unknown

This body of water is completely at the mercy of the Pacific Ocean. If you suddenly want to check for yourself how large its area and depth are, you will have to go to the Philippine archipelago, where this sea is located. The reservoir does not have clear land boundaries, and is separated from the ocean by a number of islands where you can relax: Taiwan, Honshu, Izu, Yap, Ryukyu, Palau and others. The Philippine Sea is, first of all, known as the deepest sea on Earth, since it is here that the ominous Mariana Trench is located with a depth of 11,022 m.

The area of ​​the reservoir is only 5726 thousand km². By the way, not all scientists believe that this trench is part of the Philippine Sea; rather, it is located in the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the impressive depth, this reservoir contains an anomalous zone with increased seismic activity. That's why earthquakes most often occur here.

The coral sea is extraordinary

This body of water is not primarily known for its impressive area of ​​4,791 thousand km² or its maximum depth of 9,140 m. This body of water is made famous by its outstanding Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world. However, it is threatened by pollution (from the Australian population) and the gradual decline of the ichthyofauna (from poachers breaking off the reefs for sale, and Crown of Thorns starfish eating masses of reef-forming coral polyps).

The Coral Sea area belongs to Australia and the Pacific Ocean. Also nearby are New Guinea and New Caledonia. There are a lot of islands scattered across the entire area of ​​the reservoir, which are mostly uninhabited; only Willis Island has a lone meteorological station.

The Bering Sea is the largest in Russia

Its area is 2315 thousand km², and its maximum depth is 4151 m. Interestingly, the reservoir is located in three climatic zones at once - subarctic, arctic, temperate. Violent winds often blow here, creating incredible storms and waves up to 10 m in height.

The Red Sea is beautiful and clean

No matter how enchanting the coral reef is, the Red Sea is considered the most beautiful sea on the planet. Here, lovers of diving and simple tourism will find unforgettable landscapes. Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself filmed the film “The World of Silence” in its waters. The Red Sea is located in Egypt. According to biblical legend, it was these waters that Moses opened in order to guide his flock through.

The Red Sea is a record holder among all others. In addition to the title of the most beautiful, it bears the title of the cleanest and warmest body of water on Earth. The ecosystem is able to recover at incredible speed. The Suez Canal does practically no harm to it. The air temperature on the coast in winter reaches 25 °C, and in summer – 35-40 and even 50 °C.

The water here evaporates very quickly. About 100 mm of precipitation falls annually, and sometimes even less. Most often it rains in winter. But 2 thousand mm of water evaporates per year, that is, 20 times more than precipitation brings. Fortunately, the resources of this reservoir are replenished either from land or from the Gulf of Aden.

The smallest sea

If we are talking about depth, then the Sea of ​​Azov is considered the shallowest, with a maximum depth of 14 m. And if we talk about area, then the Sea of ​​Marmara is considered the smallest. Its area is only 11 thousand km², but its depth is more impressive - 1355 m. Interestingly, this body of water serves as a connection between Europe and Asia, connecting the continents with a one and a half kilometer bridge.

Man has always been interested in the seas; he was irresistibly drawn and fascinated by their wild, unbridled beauty. At the present stage there are ninety of them in the world. It is interesting to know what is the largest sea on Earth and the deepest, what is it called and where is it located. Let's take a closer look at the amazing places on the planet.

What is the sea?

This is a certain area in the World Ocean, which is isolated by land or underwater elevations. It differs markedly in climatic, meteorological and hydrological properties. There is a certain classification of seas according to the degree of their isolation:

• outlying;
• internal;
• interisland;

From a geological point of view, even the largest sea in the world is a very young formation. They took their final form in the Anthropocene. The deepest ones were formed in places where the earth's crust was broken, and the shallow ones are the result of the flooding of the continent by the waters of the World Ocean.

The Sargasso Sea is a unique place on the planet

It is unlike any other. This is the largest sea in the world. It is a special area in the Atlantic Ocean, which is limited by currents, including the Gulf Stream, and not by continents and underwater hills. Its area covers about 7 million km 2, and most of it is covered with algae, which gave it its name - sargassum (sea grapes). Their large thickets create an obstacle in the path of ships and have long been the subject of many legends and fictions. The warm waters of the Sargasso Sea are home to many species of amazing creatures, such as the clown fish. Many fish specifically come there to spawn, since there is no threat from large predators. The sea is unique and stands apart from the rest.

The largest and deepest sea

Its area is almost 6000 square meters. km, and the maximum depth reaches 11022 m. This is the Philippine Sea, located in the western part of the Pacific waters. It does not have smooth and clear boundaries on land, and is separated from the ocean by groups of islands. This is the second largest sea after the Sargasso, but the first in depth. Some researchers attribute the famous Mariana Trench to its territory, but officially it still belongs to the Pacific Ocean. Fishing and whaling are active in the waters of the Philippine Sea.

Largest sea by area: top 5

If we do not take into account the already mentioned Sargasso and Philippine Seas, the rating will look as follows.

Seas on Russian territory

The territory of the country is washed by the waters of thirteen seas, which belong to three oceans. They are not so big and not so warm compared to the world giants.

• Atlantic Ocean: Baltic, Azov and Black Seas. The latter is the warmest of all, with an average summer water temperature of 23-25°C.
• Arctic Ocean: Chukchi, Barents, Pechora, East Siberian, Kara, White and Laptev Sea.
• Pacific Ocean: Japan, Bering and Okhotsk Seas.

The largest and deepest sea in Russia is the Bering Sea (pictured above), located in the Pacific Ocean. It is very cold and even in summer the water temperature in it fluctuates between 7-10 °C. However, it is very rich in commercial fish species and shellfish. The main mammals are representatives of pinnipeds, seals and bearded seals, walruses, seals - the latter form large rookeries on the shores of Chukotka. The Bering Sea is also home to whales, including blue whales, bowheads and humpback whales.

Having learned about the largest sea in the world, do not forget about the smallest sea on Earth - Marmara. It got its name from the nearby island of Marmara, where white marble was once mined, a place known since the times of Ancient Greek civilization. Located in the Atlantic Ocean between the Asia Minor and European parts of Turkey. Its area is only 11,472 square meters. km. The waters of the Sea of ​​Marmara are very salty and warm, so the shores are densely populated.