Thursday, September 12, 2013

New Fifth Ocean - Southern Ocean

If you went to school in the dark ages like me you know that there are 4 oceans - Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic. In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization created a new ocean the Southern Ocean which surrounds Antarctica. It was created because the waters surrounding Antarctica are a unique ecosystem mainly due to the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. However, several geographers disagree about its boundaries and even its existance since its northern boundary does not touch any land mass. Is it the southern part of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans or a new ocean - the Southern Ocean? The debate continues.

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