Interesting Facts. Voyages of seafarers and ancient oceans

The most interesting facts about the Atlantic Ocean:

1. The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean on our planet after the Pacific Ocean.

2. An interesting fact about the Atlantic Ocean is that its modern name comes from the name of the Titan - Atlas, the hero of Greek mythology, who held the sky on his shoulders. Previously, this ocean was called the Western Ocean. The first navigator to cross the Atlantic Ocean was Columbus.

3. Atlantis is a continent that, according to legend, existed in ancient times on the territory of the Atlantic Ocean. According to legend, as a result of changes on the planet, he went under water along with all the inhabitants. Officially, Atlantis is considered to be invented by Plato as an image of the depravity of people.

4. One of the most beautiful “attractions” of the Atlantic Ocean is a huge underwater hole, which is located in the center of the Belize Barrier Reef Atoll and is an unforgettable sight for everyone who saw it. It was given its name because of the sharp boundary between dark and light water. It seems that the depth in the center of the bowl is many kilometers, but in fact it is about 120 m.

5. The Atlantic Ocean has always attracted travelers and researchers. One of these daredevils is Jonathan Trapp, who soon intends to overcome 4020 km alone, hanging from a bunch of 370 helium-filled balloons. Flying across the Atlantic has been a challenge for balloonists for decades. Five other hopefuls have died attempting such an attempt, and no one has crossed the Atlantic clinging to a string of balloons.

6. An interesting fact is that, according to researchers, the amount of ocean water in the Atlantic is approximately equal to the amount of water in the ice of Antarctica.

7. In the north Atlantic is the largest island on the planet, Greenland. The most distant island on Earth is also located in the Atlantic Ocean. This is Bouvet Island, which is separated from the Cape of Good Hope by 1600 km.

8. In the Atlantic Ocean there is a sea that has no coastal boundaries - Sargasso. Its boundaries are delineated only by ocean currents.

9. The Bermuda Triangle, which is associated with many mysteries and legends of the disappearance of ships and vessels, is located in the Atlantic Ocean.

10. According to some scientists, the Atlantic Ocean is rapidly “aging” and may soon disappear from the face of the Earth. A team of researchers from Australia has discovered rapidly forming subduction zones on the ocean floor. Usually they are a sign of “aging”. Scientists do not exclude the possibility that the “dying” Mediterranean Sea is to blame for their formation. This seems very surprising - after all, according to the generally accepted point of view, this body of water is quite young.

Typically, new oceans are born when continents are torn apart, and hot magma pours out of the fractures, which solidifies and turns into oceanic crust. This is how the Atlantic Ocean was born, when in the Mesozoic era the supercontinent Pangea split into the southern continent of Gondwana and the northern continent of Laurasia. Conversely, old oceans die during the period when continents collide and the oceanic crust, under their pressure, sinks back into the mantle. Thus, the aforementioned Tethys disappeared - Africa and India moved closer to Eurasia, leaving absolutely no place for the water basin that previously separated these continents.

Ferdinand Magellan (1470-1521) - Portuguese navigator. He was the first to circumnavigate the world and cross the ocean, which he called the Pacific Ocean. Proved the existence of a single World Ocean and provided practical evidence that the Earth is spherical.

Born in Portugal into a noble family. As a child, he served as a page in the retinue of the Portuguese queen, received a good education, studied cosmography, navigation and astronomy. At the age of 20 he set off on his first voyage, took part in naval battles with Arabs, Indians and Moors, and received the rank of sea captain for his bravery in battle. He brought great benefit to the state by suppressing one of the uprisings of the natives on the Malacca Peninsula. After that he remained to serve in Africa. Due to the false accusation, he was denied further promotion. Having lost the king's trust, Magellan resigned.

In 1517 he moved to Spain and accepted Spanish citizenship. Together with his friend, the astronomer Ruy Fallier, he convinced King Charles V that a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific existed south of South America. The discovery of this passage would bring great benefits to the state: even Pope Alexander VI, having divided the Earth by a meridian, ordered all lands (both known and not yet discovered) to the west of the Canary Islands to be considered the property of Spain. This circumstance became an important reason for moving west.

An expedition of five ships (Trinidad, San Antonio, Santiago, Concepcion and Victoria) was organized under the leadership of Magellan, which set out to sea towards Rio de Janeiro. Moving to the south of the mainland, he discovered the entire Atlantic coast of South America. We moved only during the day so as not to miss the strait. In March, the expedition had to winter in a convenient bay. That same night, a riot began on the ships led by the ship commanders: the difficulties and hardships that befell them made the people very angry. The revolt was brutally suppressed by Magellan himself, and in early October the fleet headed south. In October of the same year, south of La Plata, they rounded the mainland and entered the bay named after St. Julian. He examined it for about a month, but did not find a passage to the South Sea. On the shore of the strait, the expedition once saw the lights of fires and Magellan called the place Tierra del Fuego. Soon the expedition approached the eastern mouth of the strait, which now bears his name.

But only three ships entered the strait: one ship was lost, the crew of the San Antonio ship deserted, returning to Spain. The ship's commander slandered Magellan by telling the king about his alleged treason. A month and a half later, the expedition entered the Pacific Ocean.

When crossing the Atlantic, the navigator used his signaling system for the first time, and the ships of his flotilla never lost sight of each other.

The first crossing of the Pacific Ocean began on November 28. On the remaining three ships, Magellan entered the unknown ocean and circled America from the south along the strait he had discovered. Since the weather at that time was very good, he called the ocean Pacific. The voyage continued for almost 4 months, during which people had to eat dry dust mixed with worms, drink rotten water, eat cowhide, sawdust and ship rats. Soon hunger and scurvy began, and many died. Crossing the ocean, he traveled at least 17 thousand km, but discovered only two islands - one in the Tuamotu archipelago, the other in the Line group. On March 6, 1521, Magellan discovered the island of Guam.

Ten days later, Magellan's expedition reached the Philippine Islands (1521). The detachment was well received by the population, and one of the local leaders, Zebu, even accepted Christianity and Spanish citizenship. After this, Magellan intervened in the feuds of local tribes and died in one of the skirmishes with the natives. Zebu, having betrayed the Spaniards, killed some of them. The surviving crew members escaped to their ships and went to sea.

There were only 115 people left on the three ships - there were not enough people, and the Concepcion ship had to be burned. For several months the ships wandered in search of the spice islands. Off the island of Tidore, the Spaniards cheaply bought a lot of cloves, nutmeg, etc. and split up: the Victoria, with captain Juan Elcano, moved west around Africa, and the Trinidad, in need of repairs, remained behind. Captain Elcano, fearing a meeting with the Portuguese, stayed significantly south of the usual routes. He was the first to navigate the central part of the Indian Ocean and, having discovered only the island of Amsterdam, proved that the “southern” continent had not reached this latitude. On September 6, 1522, Victoria completed her trip around the world and returned home; Trinidad returned a little later. But it brought so many spices that their sale compensated for the loss of the remaining ships.

Magellan's journey is considered one of the greatest events of the 16th century: expeditions that went to the west returned from the east and thus proved that the Earth is spherical; For the first time, Europeans crossed the largest of the oceans - the Pacific, opening a passage from the Atlantic. In addition, the expedition found that much of the earth's surface is occupied not by land, as Columbus and his contemporaries thought, but by oceans. Two star clusters (the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds) and a strait are named after Magellan. All of Magellan’s travels were described by the historiographer and expedition member Antonio Pifacetta.

The Pacific Ocean is the first ocean on Earth in terms of depth and water surface area. It occupies about half of the hydrosphere and covers one third of the entire earth's surface.

The Pacific Ocean basin is larger than all the continents combined: its area (178.68 million sq. km) exceeds the total land area (148.94 million sq. km).

Powerful air currents formed by the evaporation of ocean waters cause destructive tropical cyclones (typhoons in the northwestern Pacific, hurricanes in the eastern), strong winds and currents impede the navigation of ships. However, why was it so surprising that such a powerful and dangerous ocean received the name “Pacific Ocean”?

: The Pacific Ocean is the largest basin of the World Ocean. Its average depth is about 4 km, and the deepest point, the Mariana Trench, reaches 11 km. Moreover, the Pacific Ocean is considered the warmest ocean.

South Sea

The peoples of Asia and Oceania have traveled the Pacific Ocean since prehistoric times. Travelers from the Indonesian and Western Pacific Islands sailed the central Pacific Ocean, establishing settlements in even the most remote places, such as Rapa Nui (Easter Island) or Hawaii. However, the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean was discovered by European sailors at the beginning of the 16th century.

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Why is the Red Sea called Red Sea?

The Spanish conquistador Vasco Nunez de Balboa, with a fleet of one brigantine and ten canoes, sailed through the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the continents of North and South America, in 1513. The navigator went out to the eastern Pacific coast and, finding himself at a mountain range in the Darien region (Panama), from the top of the mountain he saw the waters of the great unknown sea far on the horizon. The expedition members set off in canoes on a short reconnaissance voyage, becoming the first Europeans to navigate the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the New World.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa called the waters the “South Sea” (Mar del Sur in Spanish) because the ocean was located south of the coast of the Isthmus of Panama, from where the navigator first saw it.

The Pacific Ocean was originally also named after its discoverer - the “Balboa Sea”.

quiet sea

In 1519, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, hired by the Spanish King Charles I, set out on a journey across the Atlantic Ocean to find a westerly route to the Moluccas (Spice Islands) through South America.

F. Magellan, commanding a fleet of five ships, entered the Atlantic Ocean and headed south along the eastern coast of South America in search of a strait that was expected to lead to the Spice Islands. The ships entered the strait, located between the island of Tierra del Fuego and the mainland of South America, on November 1, 1520. The feast of All Saints fell on this day, so F. Magellan gave the water channel the corresponding name - “Strait of All Saints”.

Digaleva Maria -7th grade NOCHU secondary school "Razum-L"

Lesson plan Geographical location of the ocean History of ocean exploration Origin Features of nature Economic activities in the ocean Environmental problems

Geographical position of the ocean The Atlantic Ocean stretches from subarctic latitudes to Antarctica. The ocean reaches its greatest width in temperate latitudes and narrows towards the equator. The ocean coastline is strongly dissected in the Northern Hemisphere, and weakly indented in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the islands lie near the continents.

From the history of ocean exploration. Since ancient times, the Atlantic Ocean began to be developed by man. Navigation centers in Ancient Greece, Carthage, and Scandinavia arose on its shores in different eras. Its waters washed the legendary Atlantis, the geographical position of which in the ocean is still debated by scientists. Ancient Greece Shores of Carthage Scandinavia

The Vikings were the first to cross the Atlantic. Since the Age of Discovery, the Atlantic Ocean has become the main waterway on Earth.

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was the first explorer of the Age of Discovery who dared to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The ships of Christopher Columbus' expedition. Comprehensive exploration of the Atlantic began with the voyage of the Challenger at the end of the 19th century.

Origin of the Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the youngest, formed about 160 million years ago during the collapse of Gondwana. The topography of its bottom is not as complex as in the Pacific Ocean. The gigantic Mid-Atlantic Ridge stretches across the entire Atlantic, almost along the meridian. In the north of the ocean, a ridge comes to the surface - this is the island of Iceland. The ridge divides the ocean bed into two almost equal parts. The ocean floor is occupied by oceanic plains and underwater rises. Vast shelves adjoin the coasts of Europe and North America.

Features of nature Atlantic Ocean Second largest ocean Area - 91.6 million km 2 Volume - 329.7 million km 3 Average depth - 3,600 m Greatest depth - 8,742 m (Puerto Rico Trench)

Temperature and salinity of the ocean The average salinity of the Atlantic Ocean is 34.87‰, the average salinity of its surface waters is 35.3‰, the maximum is more than 37.5‰. Surface water temperatures in the Atlantic are on average lower than those in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. This is explained by the cooling influence of water and ice carried out from the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica, as well as intense mixing of water masses. Significant differences between water and air temperatures in some areas cause the formation of heavy fog.

Climate of the Atlantic Ocean Is the Atlantic Ocean the saltiest ocean on Earth? ? Tropical Cyclone Zone

Currents in the Atlantic, unlike the Pacific and Indian Oceans, are not directed along latitude, but almost along the meridians. Currents in the Atlantic Ocean, more active than in other oceans, transport water masses, and with them heat and cold, from one latitude to another. Currents also affect ice conditions. Gulf Stream North Atlantic

Ocean features - numerous icebergs and floating sea ice

The tragedy of the Titanic, which collided with an iceberg at full speed, led to the establishment of the International Ice Patrol, which informs all ships about the size, coordinates and drift paths of icebergs. Currents carry icebergs into the open ocean up to 40 0 ​​N latitude. These areas of the Atlantic are dangerous for shipping.

Organic world of the Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is rich in commercial fish species: herring, sea bass, cod, mackerel, capelin and others. There are sharks, whales, and seals. The Canary Islands region is rich in lobsters and anchovies. In the northern part there are sea urchins and mollusks.

Economic activities in the Atlantic Ocean Economically developed countries lie on both sides of the ocean. The most important sea routes pass through the Atlantic. Since time immemorial, the Atlantic Ocean has been a place of intensive fishing and hunting. The natural conditions of the Atlantic are favorable for the development of life, therefore it is the most productive of all the oceans. Most of the fishing and production of marine products occurs in the northern part of the ocean. The Atlantic Ocean shelves are rich in oil and other mineral deposits.

Transport routes Fishing Recreational resources

Oil production Salt mines Desalination plants

Environmental problems Tens of millions of tons of harmful toxic substances enter the Atlantic Ocean every year

Sources of information: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0% B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BD https://yandex.ru/images/search?text =%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8% D0%B9%20%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BD&stype=image&lr=213&noreask=1&source=wiz&redircnt=1447341723.1 http://geographyofrussia.com/atlanticheskij-okean/ http:/ /webmandry.com/docs/opisanie/atlanticheskiy-okean-28.html http://megaribolov.ru/index.php/entsiklopediya-rybolova/opisanie-vodoemov/entsiklopediya-okeanov/2023-atlanticheskij-okean

Christopher Columbus.

This was 500 years ago. European sailors were looking for a way to the land of fabulous wealth - India. The bravest of them set off on dangerous voyages across uncharted seas and oceans.

In the summer of 1492, Admiral Columbus gave the command to raise the sails, and the caravels "Nina", "Pinta" and "Santa Maria" sailed from Spain. The famous journey across the Atlantic Ocean - the “Sea of ​​Darkness” - began. On the seventieth day of the voyage, a sailor shouted from the mast of the Pinta caravel: “Earth! I see the earth! This is how America was discovered.

Christopher Columbus did not know that he had discovered a new part of the world. Until the end of his life, he believed that he had sailed to India.

Ferdinand Magellan.

The first trip around the world was made by a sailor from Portugal - Ferdinand Magellan. In the fall of 1519, the Spanish flotilla under the command of Magellan set off. Across the Atlantic Ocean, through a strait in South America, the ships reached the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. For four months, suffering from thirst and hunger, travelers sailed through the vast waters of the Great Ocean and finally reached unknown islands.

The expedition suffered many losses. And among these losses is the death of Admiral Magellan. On the only surviving ship, the Victoria, the travelers continued sailing. On September 6, 1522, tormented by storms, the ship returned to Spain. There were only seventeen people on board. Thus ended the first voyage around the world in the history of navigation.

Willem Barents.

Dutch navigator Willem Barents was one of the first Arctic explorers. In 1596, during his third voyage in the northern seas, Barents's ship was covered in ice near the island of Novaya Zemlya. The sailors had to leave the ship and prepare for the winter. They built a house from logs and ship planks. The travelers spent a long polar winter in this dwelling. We endured both hunger and cold... The long-awaited summer has arrived. The ship was still trapped in ice. And the sailors decided to get home by boat. A chance meeting with Russian sailors - the Pomors - saved the Dutch from death. But Willem Barents was no longer among the rescued. The navigator died on the way to his homeland, in the sea, which would later be called the Barents Sea.

Vitus Bering.

On June 4, 1741, two Russian ships under the command of Vitus Bering and Alexei Chirikov set sail across the Pacific Ocean. They were tasked with finding a sea route from Kamchatka to America.

The journey was difficult. Chirikov's ship, after many months of wandering at sea, returned to Kamchatka. Bering continued sailing alone. In July 1741, Bering reached the shores of America. On his way back he discovered many islands. Luck pleased the captain. But the ship ran out of fresh water and food. The sailors were sick. Bering himself became seriously ill with scurvy. During a storm, a ship washed ashore on an unknown island. The sailors buried the commander on this island. Now the island bears Bering's name. The sea and the strait between Asia and America through which he passed are named after the famous captain.

James Cook.

James Cook began sailing ships as a boy - a cabin boy. Time passed, and Cook became the captain of the ship. In 1768, Captain Cook set out on his first voyage around the world on the ship Endever. He returned to his homeland, England, only three years later. Soon James Cook set off on a new voyage to find the mysterious “Southland”. He never found the “South Land,” but he discovered many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Cook's ships sailed under the scorching sun of the equator and among the ice of the polar seas. James Cook was the first to circumnavigate the Earth three times.

F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev.

In the summer of 1819, two sloops, “Vostok” and “Mirny”, left Kronstadt for a long voyage. The ships were commanded by outstanding sailors of the Russian fleet Thaddeus Bellingshauseni Mikhail Lazarev. Having covered a huge distance, the Russian ships entered the cold Antarctic waters. Icebergs were increasingly encountered on their way. Swimming became dangerous. If a ship collides with an icy mountain, it won’t go well. But brave captains led the ships to the goal. And then the sailors saw the shore. The shore of the mysterious “Southern Land” - Antarctica. A sixth of the world has been discovered. This was done by Russian sailors. Now the seas are named after Bellingshausen and Lazarev. Two Soviet Antarctic scientific stations bear the names of the glorious ships - “Vostok” and “Mirny”.

N.N. Miklukho Maclay.

In 1871, the corvette Vityaz delivered the traveler Miklouho-Maclay to the island of New Guinea. Here he was to live for a long time, studying the life of the inhabitants of the island - the Papuans. These dark-skinned people lived as if they were in the Stone Age. And so the ship sailed, but the Russian traveler remained on the shore. The Papuans greeted the guest with hostility. But Miklouho-Maclay, with his kindness and courage, won the trust of the Guineans and became their faithful friend. The scientist admired their hard work and honesty. He taught the Papuans to use iron tools and gave them seeds of useful plants. Miklouho-Maclay visited New Guinea more than once. The memory of the great Russian traveler is still alive on the distant island.

Thor Heyerdahl.

It happens that in our time people go on trips on ancient ships. Such trips were made by the Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl.

Ancient pyramids rise in South America. They are very similar to the Egyptian pyramids that stand on the other side of the ocean. Is this a coincidence? Maybe people swam from one continent to another 5000 years ago? Thor Heyerdahl decided to check this out. He built a boat in Egypt from a herbaceous plant - papyrus, as in ancient times, and called it “Ra”. On this boat, Heyerdahl and his friends sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The first time he crossed half of the Pacific Ocean was on the Kon-Tiki raft. Heyerdahl recently made another amazing voyage on the reed ship Tigris. Representatives from different countries took part in all of Thor Heyerdahl's travels. Among them was the Russian scientist Yuri Senkevich.