Pacific comprises over 25,000 islands, more than the sum of all the other islands in the oceans, the majority being south of the equator.
Currently, the Pacific Ocean is shrinking slowly but continuously, due to tectonic plate movement, about 2-3 cm per year on 3 sides, which is about 0.5 km ² per year (while permanently grows Atlantic ).
Storm in Pacifica City, California
Along the west hare animals coast there are many irregular ocean seas, the largest being the Celebes Sea, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, South China Sea, Sulu Sea, Tasman Sea and the Yellow Sea. Strait of Malacca joins in the west Pacific to the Indian Ocean and the Straits of Magellan and Drake Passage connecting the east, the Atlantic Ocean. The Panama Canal connects the Pacific with the Atlantic east. Finally, to the north, the Bering Strait connects the Arctic Ocean.
Since the 180 ° meridian through the Pacific, the western Pacific (near Asia) is in fact the Eastern Hemisphere of the Earth, and the eastern Pacific (near the Americas) is in the Western Hemisphere.
In most of Magellan's voyage
from the Straits of Magellan to the Philippines - the ocean was very calm. But the Pacific is not always peaceful. Many tropical cyclones (hurricanes in the Atlantic equivalent) hit the Pacific Islands. Areas near tectonic plate joints are full of volcanoes and are often affected by earthquakes. Tsunamis, huge waves triggered by undersea arctic hare earthquakes, have devastated many islands and destroyed many cities. Water characteristics Sunset in Monterey County County, California, USA.
Water temperatures in the Pacific vary from freezing point in polar areas, up to about 30 ° C at the equator. Salinity varies according to latitude: water near the equator is less salty than the temperate zone because of heavy rainfall in the equatorial / tropical. And to police salinity is lower because evaporation is very low.
Pacific water generally moves clockwise in the northern hemisphere of the earth and the opposite in the southern hemisphere. North Equatorial Current arctic hare moves westward along the parallel of 15 ° N, then turns north near the Philippines to become the warm Japan current or Kuroshio Current.
Source: website