10.12.2009

The Secret Ocean

Lightning & thunder. Thunder & lightning. Lunder, for those thinking too fast.

Just turned in TWO six pagers. Are two six page papers more work than one twelve page report? I'm going to rule with a "Nay" on this one.

BREAKING NEWS: The Southern Ocean?

While in Mozambique, we were internet-less for a full week. We came up with a whole host of (basic) facts we would have to Google as soon as we got back to our computers. Sadly, the names of the world's oceans was on our list to look up (We were stuck at four, which is reasonable given the below article). Maybe that was a good thing because now I know about our newest official ocean, the Southern Ocean.


"In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization created the fifth and newest world ocean - the Southern Ocean - from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The new Southern Ocean completely surrounds Antarctica.

The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).

For some time, those in geographic circles have debated whether there are four or five oceans on earth.

Some consider the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific to be the world's four oceans. Now, those that side with the number five can add the fifth new ocean and call it the Southern Ocean or the Antarctic Ocean, thanks to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). The IHO has attempted to settle that debate through a year 2000 publication by declaring, naming, and demarcating the Southern Ocean." [full]

Welcome to the world, Southern Ocean!

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