The World Ocean
One connected body of salt water covering about 71% of Earth's surface, conventionally divided into five oceans.
- Oceans
- Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic
- Deepest
- Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench, about 10,900 m
Five basins
The Pacific is the largest and deepest. The Atlantic separates the Americas from Europe and Africa, the Indian Ocean washes East Africa and South Asia, the Southern Ocean circles Antarctica, and the Arctic is the smallest and shallowest.
Currents and climate
Surface currents such as the Gulf Stream carry heat from the tropics toward the poles. The ocean absorbs large amounts of heat and carbon dioxide, which makes it central to Earth's climate.