Ocean : Vast body of saline water that occupies the depressions of earths surface

Oceans and Seas : Articicial classification of the vast ocean into smaller oceans
and seas for convenience

eg : Indian Ocean, Pacific ocean,Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean sea, Red sea

covers 361 million sq. km or 71% of earths surface

Avg. Depth : 3682 meters
Average land elevation 840 meters
Ocean would cover the land upto 2686 meters if the earths contours are levelled.
97% of earths water is in oceans
Early life originated in the oceans
More than 50% of earths population live within 240 kms from coatline

Oceanography is the science of the oceans

Origin of the oceans:

Stars convert hydrogen and helium into heavier elemets

As they die some of these elelemts nmay be thrown away into space
Sun and the palnets were formed from the cloud of dust and gas enriched by the
recycled remnants of exploded stars
Water vaopur from these gases cooled and condensed to form oceans

contemporary technology in oceanography

new age ships

robots and rovers
satellites

THE DISCOVERY AND STUDY OF OVEAN FLOOR is called bathymetry

THE SEA Floors are mapped by echo sounding / SONAR / Satellites

The oceans aand continents lie adjacent. TThe continental margins submerged under
oceans consts of

1. Continental Shelf
2. Continental slope
3. Continental rise

Continental shelf
extension of the continents under sea
7.4% of earths ocean area
Average depth is 100 fathom
Has a gentle slope
subjected tto intense exploration for natural resources
Sea level change greatly affects the shelves

Continental Slope
Transition zone between continental shelf and deep ocean floor
Shelf break marks the abrupt transiton from continental shelf to slope
Continental shelfs are steeper in active margins than passive margin

Continental rise:

Formed as sediments accumulate at he base of continental slope