OCEANS THE OCEAN Oceans cover nearly 71% of the Earths surface! There are 5 Main Oceans The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean by far! Oceans are made up of salt water The amount of salt in water is called SALINITY Salinity of oceans varies depending on climate. Why? Warm dry regions = high salinity Heavy evaporation occurs, leaving more salt behind. Cold regions = low salinity Less evaporation occurs and melting ice and snow add fresh water Water Pressure The weight of water pressing on an object. The deeper you go in the ocean, the greater the pressure! If you can correctly name all the continents and oceans and place their location on the map, you get to read the next slide.. The ocean cartoon of the week! The Ocean Floor Continental Shelf Shallow, flat area at edge of the continent. Extends out average of 50 miles Can be 460 feet deep Continental Slope A steep hill that drops sharply in depth Found just beyond the Continental Shelf 10,000 13,000 feet deep Continental Rise Between slope and abyssal plain Build up of sediments Abyssal Plain Broad, flattest part of ocean Like a plain feet deep Ridge Underwater mountain range Mid-Atlantic Ridge 37,280 miles long rift/valley that runs through Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans Trench (rift) Deepest part of ocean Mariana Trench Philippines 36,198 feet deep! Mount Everest would fit inside of it!