Southern Ocean
| Southern Ocean
| |
|---|---|
| Area | 20.327 million sq km |
| Coastline | 17,968 km |
| Lowest Point | -7,235 m (South Sandwich Trench) |
The Southern Ocean was defined by the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000 through a vote of member states. It extends from Antarctica to 60 degrees S latitude, a border chosen to include the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Most Australians consider the Southern Ocean to extend further north than the official definition, to meet the south coast of Australia.
The Southern Ocean is the fourth largest ocean on Earth, ahead of the Arctic Ocean.
Navigating the Southern Ocean is challenging. Icebergs can happen during anytime in the year and especially occur May to October. High winds and large waves form in the Southern Ocean due to winds blowing around the world unimpeded by any land-mass.
According to Encyclopedia Britanica:
| “ | The structure of the ocean floor includes a continental shelf usually less than 160 miles (about 260 km) wide that attains its maximum width of more than 1,600 miles (2,600 km) in the vicinity of the Weddell and Ross seas. There are oceanic basins farther north that are as much as 14,800 feet (4,500 metres) deep, defined by oceanic rises and often marked by ranges of abyssal hills. There are also narrow oceanic trenches with high relief, such as the South Sandwich Trench on the eastern side of the South Sandwich Islands. Other relief features include oceanic plateaus that rise from the oceanic basins to depths of less than 6,650 feet (2,000 metres) below sea level and form rather flat regions, which are often covered by relatively thick sedimentary deposits. The most extensive such plateau is the Campbell, or New Zealand, Plateau, which rises southeast of New Zealand and extends southward beyond the Campbell Islands.[1] | ” |
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See also: There are no atheists on a sinking ship and There Are No Atheists In Foxholes
“There is no such thing as an atheist in the Southern Ocean.” – Sir Robin Knox-Johnston[2]