Overview
Overall
TheoutlineofthePacificOceanextendsnorthfromtheBeringStraittotheRossIceBarrieronthenorthernedgeoftheAntarcticcontinent.Meter.FromPanamainSouthAmericatotheMalayPeninsulainAsiaintheeast,itspans180degreesoflongitudefromeasttowestandhasamaximumwidthof19,900kilometersfromeasttowest.Itcoversanareaof179millionsquarekilometers,accountingfor49.4%oftheworld'soceanareaandmorethan1/3oftheearth'ssurfacearea.Itis1/5largerthanthetotallandareaoftheearth,makingittheworld'slargestocean.TheaveragedepthofthePacificOcean(includingthemarginalsea)isabout4000meters,whichismorethan300metersdeeperthantheaveragedepthoftheworld'soceans.Theoceanbottomwithadepthofmorethan3000metersinthePacificaccountsfor85.7%,andtheoceanbottomwithadepthofmorethan5,000metersaccountsformorethan50%.Thereare33trenchesintheoceanwithadepthofmorethan6000meters,and26inthePacific.Alldeeptrenchesabove10,000metersareinthePacificOcean.
Area
Thelengthfromnorthtosouthisabout15,900kilometers,themaximumwidthfromeasttowestisabout19,900kilometers,andtheareais179.68millionsquarekilometers.Itaccountsfor49.8%ofthetotalareaoftheworld’soceansand35%ofthetotalareaoftheearth.ThePacificOceanisthelargest,deepest,andmostislandsandcoralreefsamongthefouroceansontheearth.
Scope
PacificOcean(6photos)
ThesouthwesternPacificOceanisseparatedfromtheIndianOceanbythemeridianfromthesoutheastcornerofTasmaniatotheAntarcticcontinentItconnectswiththeAtlanticOceanthroughthelongitudelineofCapeHorn,thesouthernmostpointofSouthAmerica,fromthesoutheasttotheArcticOceanthroughtheBeringStraittothenorth,connectstotheAtlanticOceanthroughthePanamaCanalandtheStraitofMagellanandtheDrakeStraittotheeast,andthroughtheStraitofMalaccaandSundaStraittothewest.IntheIndianOcean,thetotalcontourisapproximatelycircular.ThePacificBasincanbedividedintothreeregions.
Eastof150°WestlongitudeistheEastPacificBasin.Fromeasttowest,therearetheCentralPacificBasin,MarianaBasinandthePhilippineBasin;thatis,theunderwaterboundarybetweenthePacificandIndianOceans.
Too
Depth
Theaveragedepthis4,028meters,andthemaximumdepthistheMarianaTrench,whichis11,034metersdeep.Itiscurrentlyknownastheworld’soceanThedeepestpoint.
PacificOcean(1photo)
GeographicaldivisionsThePacificOceanisusuallyboundedbytheTropicofCancer,thesouthern,centralandnorthernPacific,ortheequator.TheSouthandNorthPacificOceansarealsodividedintoEastandWestPacificOceanswithalongitudeof160°eastastheboundary.NorthPacific:TheseaareanorthoftheTropicofCancer,locatedinthenorthernsubtropicalandnortherntemperatezone.ThemainseasaretheEastChinaSea,theYellowSea,theSeaofJapan,theSeaofOkhotskandtheBeringSea.CentralPacific:LocatedbetweentheTropicofCancerandtheTropicofCancer,itislocatedinthetropics.ThemainseasaretheSouthChinaSea,theJavaSea,theCoralSea,theSuluSea,theSulawesiSea,andtheBandaSea.SouthPacific:TheseaareasouthoftheTropicofCapricorn,locatedinthesouthernsubtropicalandsoutherntemperatezone.ThemainseasaretheTasmanSea,theBelingsGaojinSea,theRossSeaandtheAmundsenSea.Watertemperature
ThecharacteristicsofthesurfacewatertemperatureofthePacificOceanaremainlyaffectedbythetemperatureoftheoceansurface.Thewatertemperaturedistributionshowsthebasiclawofextendingalongthelatitudeandgraduallydecreasingasthelatituderises.Thehighesttemperatureoccursintheequatorialregion,especiallyinthewest,withanaveragewatertemperatureof27to29°C.Thewatertemperaturebetween10-20°north-southlatitudeis25-26°C;between40-50°north-southlatitude,thewatertemperaturedropsto5-10°C.ThewatertemperatureattheedgeoftheAntarcticcontinentisabout0°C.Thewatertemperaturecontoursarebasicallydistributedinlatitudezones,whicharemoreobviousinthesouthernhemisphereoceans.However,duetothedifferencesinthenatureofoceancurrentsontheeastandwestsidesoftheoceanandtheinfluenceofmonsoonsandcoastalupwellings,thewatertemperatureinthewesternlowlatitudesofthePacificisabout4-8℃higherthanthatintheeast;Thehottestmonthinsummer(August),thesurfacewatertemperatureoftheNorthPacificOceanisabove0℃,andthehighestwatertemperatureoccursinwatersclosetoCentralAmerica,reaching29℃orhigher,and26-28℃neartheequator;thelowesttemperatureisneartheKurilIslandsItis0～2℃.The0°Cisothermsofwatertemperaturearelocatedintheoceansat55°Nand66～67°S,respectively.TheareaofthePacificOceanatlowlatitudesislargerthanthatofotheroceans,sothewatertemperatureisalsorelativelyhigh.Theareawithanaverageannualwatertemperaturehigherthan25°Caccountsfor35%ofthetotalareaofthePacificOcean,andtheareahigherthan20°Caccountsfor53%.TheaverageannualsurfacewatertemperatureofthePacificOceanis19.37℃,whichishigherthantheaveragewatertemperatureofotheroceansby1.7℃.Itisthewarmestoceanintheworld.Becauseofthedifferenceinlandareabetweenthenorthernandsouthernhemispheres,theopennessofthewatersatthenorthernandsouthernendsoftheoceanandthedifferenceintheamountofcoldwaterexchangedbetweenthetwopoles,thetemperatureoftheNorthPacificandtheSouthPacificarenotequal,andthesurfacewatertemperatureoftheNorthPacificis1to2°ChigherthanthatoftheSouthPacific.
Salinity
Thesalinityofoceanwatersmainlydependsontheamountofatmosphericprecipitationontheoceansurfaceandtheamountofevaporationontheoceansurface.Theamountofprecipitationismorethantheamountofevaporation,theseawaterisdesalinated,andthesalinitydecreases,andviceversa,thesalinityincreases.TheequatorialPacificisarainyzone,withannualprecipitationof2000-3000mm,whichisgreaterthanevaporation,sothesalinityofseawaterisnottoohigh,generally34-34.5;thesubtropicalareaisadryzone,withprecipitationlessthanevaporation,withamaximumsalinityof35.5Above;theprecipitationinthetemperatezoneismorethantheevaporation,andthesalinityisreducedbelow34;theevaporationinthecoldzoneisreducedandaffectedbythemeltingice,thesalinityinthewarmseasonisgenerallyaround30.
TheoriginofthePacific
ThetermPacificfirstappearedinthe1620s.ItwasfirstnamedbythegreatnavigatorMagellanandhisfleet.OnSeptember20,1519,thenavigatorMagellanledanexpeditionof270sailorsfromSpaintocrosstheAtlanticOceanwestward.TheybravedthestormywavesandsufferedhardshipstoreachthesoutherntipofSouthAmericaandenteredastrait.Thisstrait,laternamedafterMagellan,isevenmoresinister,fullofsquallywinds,wavesanddangerousreefs.Afteranother38daysofhardwork,thefleetfinallyreachedthewesternendoftheStraitofMagellan,butatthistimetherewereonlythreeshipsleftinthefleetandhalfoftheteammemberswerelost.
Afteranotherthreemonthsofarduoussailing,thefleetcrossedGuamfromSouthAmericatothePhilippineIslands.Duringthisvoyage,therewasnowindandwaveagain,andtheseawasverycalm.Itturnedoutthatthefleethadenteredtheequatorialwindlesszone.Thecrewmemberwhosufferedfromtheprevioushugewaveshappilysaid:"ThisisreallyaPacificOcean!"Sincethen,peoplehavecalledtheoceanbetweenAmerica,Asia,andOceaniathe"PacificOcean."
TheformationofthePacificOcean
Lunarseparationtheory
TheformationofthePacificOceanisthelargesttectonicunitontheearthtoday.ComparedwiththeAtlanticOcean,theIndianOceanandtheArcticOcean,Ithasmanyuniqueanddistinctiveevolutionaryhistories,suchastheseismicvolcanicbeltaroundthePacificOcean,thewidelydevelopedislandarc-trenchsystem,andthesignificantdifferencesinthegeologicalstructurehistoryonbothsidesoftheocean...ThismakesmanypeoplebelievethatthePacificOceanmaybeThereisareasonwhyitisunique.Foralongtime,scientistshaveputforwardmanyhypothesesabouttheformationofthePacificOcean.Themostnotableoneisthe"MoonSeparationTheory"putforwardbyGeorgeDarwin(1879)inthemiddleofthe19thcentury.
Darwinbelievedthattheearthwasinasemi-moltenstateintheearlydays,itsrotationspeedwasmuchfasterthanthat,andtideswouldoccurundertheactionofthesun'sgravity.Ifthevibrationperiodofthetideisthesameasthenaturalvibrationperiodoftheearth,resonancewilloccurandtheamplitudewillbecomelargerandlarger.Eventually,itmaycausealocalrupture,causingsomeobjectstoflyawayfromtheearthandbecomethemoon,leavingapit.DevelopedintothePacificOcean.Sincethedensityofthemoon(3.341g/cm3)issimilartothedensityoftheshallowpartsoftheearth(theaveragedensityofthelithosphereincludingthetopperidotitelayerofthemantleis3.2-3.3g/cm3),andpeoplehaveindeedobserved,Thefastertheearth’srotationspeed,theearlierGeorgeDarwin’s"moonseparationtheory"haswonthesupportofmanypeople.However,someresearchershavepointedoutthatinorderforobjectsontheearthtoflyout,therotationspeedoftheearthshouldbefasterthan4.43radiansperhour,thatis,thetimeofadayandnightshouldnotbegreaterthan1hourand25minutes.Didtheearthhavesuchafastrotationspeedintheearlydays?Thisisobviouslyhardtobelieve.Furthermore,ifthemoondidflyoutfromtheearth,theorbitofthemoonshouldbeontheequatoroftheearth,whichisnotthecase.Also,mostofthelunarrockshaveamucholderagevalue(4billion-45.5billionyears),whiletheoldestrockfoundontheearthisonly3.8billionyearsold,whichobviouslycontradictsthetheoryofflyingout.Finally,peoplerejectedthisview.Sincethe1950sand1960s,duetotheprogressofcelestialgeologyresearch,peoplehavediscoveredthattheEarth’scloseneighbors-theMoon,Mars,Venus,Mercury,etc.,haveextensivelydevelopedmeteoriteimpactcraters,someofwhicharequitelarge.Thishastomakepeoplethinkthattheearthmayalsosufferthesameimpact.
Meteorimpacttheory
In1955,theFrenchmanDiMochelfirstproposedthatthePacificOceanmayhavebeenformedbymeteorimpactsinthepre-Alpineperiod.Andhebelievesthatthemeteormayhavebeenasatelliteoftheearth,almosttwicethediameterofthemoon.It'sapitythatwehaven'tbeenabletoprovideenoughevidence.Asweallknow,thereisnoactivetectonicactivityonthemoon,andmeteoriteimpactisthemaindrivingforcefortheevolutionofthelunarcrust.Thelunarseaisanearlycirculardepressionformedbytheviolentbombardmentofsmallcelestialbodiesintheearlydaysofthemoon.Thelargestmoonsea-StormOceancoversanareaof5millionsquarekilometers.ComparingthePacificOceanwiththeMoonSea,wecanseethefollowingcommonfeatures:
1.Thedistributionofthemoononthemoonisuniform,concentratedinthenorthernhemisphereonthefrontofthemoon;thePacificOceanisalsocorneredonthesideoftheearth,whichreflectstherandomnessoftheearlyimpact.
2.Thelunarseahasacircularoutlineandis2-3kilometerslowerthanthelunarlandonaverage;thePacificisalsoroughlycircular,3-4kilometerslowerthanthemainlandonaverage.
3.Theearth’scontinentsarecomposedofolder,lessdensesilico-aluminarocks,whiletheoceaniscomposedofyounger,denserbasaltrocks.Thesameistrueforthemoon,andthelunarseaisalsocomposedofyoungerbasalts.
4.Theearth’scrustisthicker,rangingfrom30-50kilometers,andtheoceaniccrustisthinner,generally5-15kilometers;themoonalsohasasimilarsituation,thelunarcrustisgenerally40-60kilometersthick,andthelunarseacrustisgenerallylessthan20kilometer.
5.Gravitymeasurementprovesthatthelunarseahasobviouspositiveanomalies;thesituationinthePacificOceanismorecomplicated,butithasahighergravityvaluethanthesurroundingcontinents.
6.TherearemountainchainsaroundtheMoonSea,andtherearemountainchainsaroundthePacificOcean.
7.EdgeandcentralridgesarefoundatthebottomofthePacificOcean,andembankment-shapedupliftscanalsobeseeninsomeofthelargerlunarseas.Distributedinthecenterandedgeofthemoonsea.
8.TheeasternPacificOceanhasatransitionzonecomposedofislandarcsandmarginalseas,whichtransitionfromoceaniccrusttocontinentalcrust,andso-called"moon-likeseas"canalsobeseenonsomelunarseamargins.Ofcourse,comparedwiththeMoonSea,thePacificOceanalsohassomeothercharacteristicsthattheMoonSeadoesnothave.Forexample,tectonicmagmaactivities,seafloormagneticstripsreflectingtheexpansionoftheseafloor,andobviousmulti-circularfoldstructuresandgranitemagmaactivitiescanbeseenonthemountainchainaroundthePacific,butnotonthemoon.
Expertsbelievethatsuchdifferencesareduetothefactthattheearthhasamuchlargermassandvolumethanthemoon.Tosumup,thePacificOceanisahugeimpactbasinformedintheearlyearth.Butinthelongperiodofgeographyhistory,ithasundergonemanytransformations.
Countries
Therearemorethan30independentcountriesinthePacificregion,asfollows:
WesternHemisphere
UnitedStates,Canada,Mexico,Guatemala,ElSalvador,Honduras,CostaRica,Panama,Colombia,Ecuador.
EasternHemispherePart
China,Russia,Japan,NorthKorea,SouthKorea,Philippines,Vietnam,Cambodia,Thailand,Malaysia,Singapore,Indonesia,Brunei,FederatedStatesofMicronesia,Palau,MarshallIslands,Kiribati.
TherearemorethanadozencoloniesbelongingtotheUnitedStates,Britain,Franceandothercountries.
PacificIslands
NorthPacificIslands | SakhalinIslands|KurilIslands(includingRussian-controlledSouthernKurilIslands)|AleutianIslands|VancouverIsland|QueenCharlotteIslands|ReveliyaHigdoIslands |
WesternPacificIslands | JejuIsland|DiaoyutaiRowIsland|TaiwanIsland|ChongmingIsland|ZhoushanIslands|HongKongIslands|HainanIsland |
MalayIslands | GreaterSundaIslands,KalimantanIsland|SumatraIsland|SingaporeIsland|SulawesiIsland|JavaIsland|MaduraIsland|BangkaIsland|RiauIslands|NatunaIslands |
LittleSundaIslands | Bali|FloresIsland|TimorIsland |
PhilippineIslands td> | Luzon|Visaias|Mindanao |
Moluccas | Sland|BandaIslands |
SouthPacificIslands | NewGuinea(IllianIsland)|codeerrorislands(SouthIsland·NorthIsland)|MariaIslands|Tasmania|ChathamIslands|EasterIsland|ColonIslands|TierradelFuego|PeterIIsland|AlexanderIIsland |
PolynesianIslands | HawaiiIslands|MidwayIsland(UnitedStates)|WakeIsland(UnitedStates)|EllisIslands(Tuvalu)|TongaIslands|SocietyIslands(FrenchPolynesia)|TubuaiIslands(FrenchPolynesia)|TuamoTuquIslands(FrenchPolynesia)|MarquesasIslands(FrenchPolynesia)|Niue(NewZealand)|SamoaIslands(SeparatefromSamoaandAmericanSamoa)|TokelauIslands(NewZealand)|CookIslands|LineIslands(Kiribati)|PhoenixIslands(Kiribati)|JohnstonIsland|WallisIslands(French)|FutunaIslands(French)|PitcairnIslands(British) |
MelanesianIslands | BismarckIslands(partofPapuaNewGuinea)|SolomonIslands|SantaCruzIslands(belongingtoSolomonIslands)|NewHebrides(namelyVanuatu)|NewCaledonia(France)|FijiIslands |
MicronesiaIslands | MarianaIslands(belongingtothenorthernMarianaandGuam)|CarolineIslands(partofPalauandFederatedStatesofMicronesia) |
SouthChinaSeaIslands | DongshaIslands|ParacelIslands|ZhongshaIslands|SpratlyIslands(China,Vietnam,Philippines,Malaysiaarecontrolledseparately) |
JapaneseIslands | HonshuIsland|ShikokuIsland|KyushuIsland|HokkaidoIsland|TsushimaIsland|OkiIslands|IzuIslands|AwajiIsland|SadoIsland|OgasawaraIslands|MinamitoriIsland|RyukyuIslands |
Economicresources
KraternayaBay
TheHeilongjiang,Yellow,Yangtze,PearlandMekongriversofEastAsiaareallinjectedintothePacificthroughthesea.Theoceanflooreastof150owestlongitudeisgentlerthanthewest.ThetropicalconvergencezoneinthePacificisbetween35°and40°northandsouthlatitudes.Thefartherawayfromtheequator,thegreaterthedepthofseawatersinking.Themostimportantconvergencezoneisbetween55°and60°southlatitude.
Economicfeatures
ThePacificRimregionisrichinnaturalandeconomicdiversity.Intermsofeconomicdevelopment,theUnitedStates,Japan;SouthKorea,Taiwan,HongKong,andSingaporehavebeenthe"FourLittleDragons"thathavecreatedmiraclesofdevelopmentsincethe1980s,andtheyhavebeenverydynamictoday;Japan,SouthKoreaandthewestcoastoftheUnitedStatesareimportanttechnologysources;theRussianFarEast,CanadaandAustraliacontainAbundantnaturalresources;theCCP,India,MexicoandBrazilarerapidlyembarkingontheroadofindustrialization;ChinaandIndiahaverichhumanresources;theUnitedStates,ChileandNewZealandhaveextremelyproductiveagriculture,andAustraliaandNewZealandhavedevelopedanimalhusbandryIndustry.Economistspredictthatinthefuture,theeconomiccenteroftheworldwillshiftfromtraditionalEuropeandeasternNorthAmericatothePacificRim.
Marineresources
TheanimalsandplantsgrowinginthePacificOcean,whetheritisphytoplanktonorsubmarineplants,aswellasfishandotheranimals,aremoreabundantthanotheroceans.
TheareaofshallowfishinggroundsinthePacificOceanaccountsforabout1/2ofthetotalareaofshallowseafishinggroundsintheworld’soceans,andmarinecatchesaccountformorethanhalfoftheworld’scatches.Peru,Japan,China’sZhoushanIslands,theUnitedStatesandNorthwestCanadaThecoastsareallworld-famousfishinggrounds.Itisrichinherring,cod,salmon,mackerel,trout,bonito,sardine,tuna,flatfishandotherfish.Inaddition,huntingandcrabbingofmarineanimals(seals,walruses,seabears,seaotters,whales,etc.)alsooccupyanimportantposition.MineralresourcesTheoffshorecontinentalshelfisrichinoil,naturalgas,andcoal.Thedeep-seabasinsarerichinmanganesenodules(themetalreservesofthefourmineralsofmanganese,nickel,cobalt,andcopperaredozenstoathousandtimesmorethanthoseonland).Therearealsoabundantreservesofseabedplacertin,rutile,zirconium,titanium,ironandplatinumplacer.
ThePacificOceanisvastandcontainsextremelyrichnaturalresources.Themainonesthathavebeendevelopedandutilizedareaquaticresourcesandmineralresources.ThereareawidevarietyofanimalsandplantsinthePacificOcean,withnearly100,000species,mainlylivingonthesurfaceoftheocean,especiallyinthemarginalzone.Theanimalsandplantsthatexistinwatersbelow2000metersonlyaccountfor4%to5%ofthetotal,andinwatersbelow5000metersThereareonly800speciesofanimalsandplantslivinginChina,500speciesinwatersbelow6000meters,200speciesatadepthof7000meters,andonly20speciesatadepthof10,000meters.Atthesametime,thetypesofmarineorganismsdecreasewiththeincreaseoflatitude,butthedistributiondensityofeachspeciesofanimalandplantishigherinhighlatitudesthaninlowlatitudes,andtherearemanydominantspeciesinhighlatitudes.Planktonicalgaeandzooplanktonareproliferatinginlargenumbersonthesurfaceoftheocean.Intheoffshoreseabedplants,staghornalgaeandKunxiceaealgae(mainlykelp)inthetemperatezone,brownalgae,greenalgaeandavarietyoffinealgaeinthetropics.Therearemangroveforestsalongthecoast.Numerousalgaeprovidesufficientfeedforoffshoreanimals,breedavarietyofmolluscs,molluscs,crustaceansandechinoderms,aswellascoralinsects,andproducealargenumberoffishandcrabs.Theislandsandcoastalbeltsarethehabitatsofseabirds.Therearemanybeastsintheocean,suchaswhales,seals,dolphins,seabears,furseals,andseaotters.
ThefisheryproductioninthePacificOceanhasbeenthelargestintheworldsincethemid-1960s.Theoutputin1980was35.45milliontons,accountingformorethanhalfoftheworld'stotalfishcatch(64.576milliontons).Therearetwomainfishinggrounds:oneistheNorthwestPacificfishingground;theotheristheSoutheastPacificfishingground.TheNorthwestPacificfishinggroundsincludepartoftheBeringSea,theSeaofOkhotsk,theSeaofJapan,theYellowSea,theEastChinaSeaandtheTaiwanStrait.Thecontinentalshelfofthefisherycoversanareaof2.19millionsquarekilometers.Theseawaterisshallowandsunlightcanpenetrateintothebottom.Manyriversbringalotofinorganicsalts,andthecoldandwarmcurrentsbringcoldandwarmplankton,whichnourishesplanktonandfish.Thegrowthprovidessuitableconditionsandhasbecomeoneoftheworld'smajorfishinggrounds.Thefishingoutputin1980was18.78milliontons,rankingfirstamongthemajorfishingareasintheworld.Amongthem,theHokkaidofishinggroundsinJapanmainlyproduceherring,salmon,troutandotherfish.TheBeringSeaandtheSeaofOkhotskaredominatedbyseaanimals,andmostofthemarewhaling.ThecoastofKamchatkaPeninsulaistheworld'slargestcrabfarm.Largeyellowcroaker,smallyellowcroaker,hairtail,pomfret,morayeelsandsquidaremainlycaughtintheZhoushanarchipelagoalongthecoastofChina.FishinggroundsintheSoutheastPacificincludePeru,Chile,andEcuador.Thecontinentalshelfhereisnarrow,only160,000squarekilometers.However,duetothestrongPeruviancoldcurrentandcoastalupwellingandotherenvironmentalconditions,inorganicsaltsarealsoabundantandsuitableforplanktonreproduction.,Thefishisveryrichandhasbecomeanimportantfishingground.Amongthem,thewatersofPeruaredominatedbyanchovies,andtheproductionofPeruvianclamsis5-10milliontons.
Transportation
ShippingPacificisofgreatsignificanceininternationaltraffic.TherearemanyimportantseaandairroutesconnectingAsia,Oceania,NorthAmerica,andSouthAmericapassingthroughthePacificOcean;thePanamaCanalintheeastandtheStraitofMalaccainthesouthwestareshortcutstotheAtlanticandIndianOceansandtheworld'smajorshippingroutes.ShippingroutesmainlyincludeEastAsia-NorthAmericaWestCoastroutes,EastAsia-CaribbeanSea,NorthAmericanEastCoastroutes,EastAsia-SouthAmericaWestCoastroutes,EastAsiancoastalroutes,EastAsia-Australia,NewZealandroutes,Australia,NewZealand-NorthAmericaEastandWestCoastroutes,etc.TherearemanyportsalongthePacificOcean.The180°longitudelinerunningthroughthePacificOceanisthe"internationaldateline".Shipscrossingthislinefromwesttoeastwillsubtractonedayfromthedate;otherwise,addonedaytothedate.SubmarinecableThefirstsubmarinecableinthePacificwaslaidbyBritainin1902.
Communicationfacilities
ThefirstsubmarinecableinthePacificOceanwaslaidbytheUnitedKingdomin1902,andtheUnitedStatesalsolaidasubmarinecableinthePacificin1905.TherearesubmarinecablesfromCanadatoAustralia,theUnitedStatestothePhilippines,JapanandIndonesia,HongKongtothePhilippinesandVietnam,andthecoastalcountriesofSouthAmerica.OverthePacificOceanbegantouseman-madecommunicationsatellitesforcontact.
Geographicallyrelated
Countries
Thereare18countriesinthePacificregion.Thesecountriesaresmallbutrichinresourcesandstrategicallylocated.TheFarEastEconomicReviewoncepublishedanarticlesayingthatthefuturecompetitionbetweenChinaandtheUnitedStateswillbeinthePacific.Therefore,Pacificcountriesarefavoredbydevelopedcountriesandenjoyhigherpercapitaforeignaidthanotherregions.OfficialaidfundsaremorethanUS$1.5billionperyear,andabout80%comefrombilateralchannels.Australia,theUnitedStates,Japan,andNewZealandarethelargestbilateralgrantingcountries.AustraliafocusesonPapuaNewGuinea,SolomonIslandsandVanuatu;theUS’sofficialassistanceisbasicallyconcentratedintheNorthPacificcountries:Palau,MicronesiaandMarshallIslands;Japan’saidinvolvesmanycountries,focusingonagriculture,forests,fisheries,andinfrastructure,includinghospitals,schoolsandwatersupplyfacilities;NewZealand’straditionalaidcountriesareFiji,TongaandSamoa.
ThecountriesincludedinthePanPacificare;China,NorthKorea,SouthKorea,Japan,Philippines,Indonesia,Malaysia,EastTimor,Brunei,Singapore,Vietnam,Cambodia,Thailand,Russia,Australia,PapuaNewGuinea,SolomonIslands,NewZealand,Palau,Nauru,Marshall,FederatedStatesofMicronesia,Kiribati,VanuatuTuvalu,FijiIslands,Samoa,Tonga,Canada,UnitedStates,Mexico,Guatemala,ElSalvador,CostaRica,Panama,Colombia,Venezuela,Ecuador,Peru,Chile,relatedislands,WakeIsland,HowlandIsland,BakerIsland,ToclauWallisandFutunaNiue,FrenchPolynesia,BritishPitkayEnmeibelongstoSamoa.
Islands
Therearemorethan10,000islandsinthePacificOcean,withatotalareaofmorethan4.4millionsquarekilometers,accountingforabout45%ofthetotalislandareaoftheworld.Themainlandislandsaremainlydistributedinthewest,suchastheJapaneseIslands,KalimantanIsland,NewGuineaIsland,andtheMalayIslands;therearemanyscatteredoceanislands(volcanicislands,coralislands)inthemiddle.Mostoftheislandsaredistributedinthemiddleandwesternwatersoftheocean.Amongthem,NewGuinea(IllianIsland)isthelargestislandinthePacificOcean.ItsareaissecondonlytoGreenlandandisthesecondlargestislandintheworld.
Threeoftheislands:
Thenaturalconditionsandethniccompositionofthethreeislandsaredifferent.TheMelanesianIslandsarelocatedwestofthe180°meridian,betweentheequatorandtheTropicofCapricorn,adjacenttotheislandofNewGuineainthewest,andtheFijiIslandsintheeast.Itextendsfromnorthwesttosoutheastformorethan5,000kilometers.Thelandareaisabout980,000squarekilometers.About5million.TheinhabitantsaremainlyMelanesians,whoseappearanceischaracterizedbyshortstature,butverystrong,curlyhairandblackskin.Forthisreason,thearchipelagoisknownasthe"BlackIslands".Micronesia,inGreek,means"islandandarchipelago".Mostofitsislandsarelocatednorthoftheequator,between130°and180°eastlongitude.Theislandsthatmakeupthearchipelagoaregenerallysmall,withmorethan2500intotal,ofwhichonlymorethan100areinhabited.Thelandareais3540squarekilometersandthepopulationisabout275,000.ThemaininhabitantsareMicronesians,whoseappearanceischaracterizedbyamediumbuild,blackhair,wavyorstraight.Polynesia,alsoinGreek,means"multi-islandarchipelago",whichisroughlydistributedeastof180°longitude,between28°southlatitudeand47°northlatitude.Thelandareaisabout310,000squarekilometersandthepopulationis4.38million.TheinhabitantsaremainlyPolynesians,whoseappearanceischaracterizedbytallstature,lightcomplexion,andblackandstraighthair,whichisobviouslydifferentfromMelanesians.
Submarinetopography
ThePacificOceanisanancientocean.ThemodernPacificOceanistheproductofthecontractionofthepaleo-pan-oceanicocean(thepaleo-Pacificocean)intheearlyMesozoic.Themodernoceanfloortopographyhasbeenformedduringthelong-terminteractionbetweenoceanfloorblocksandcontinentalplatesandtheexpansionoftheseafloor.Thetopographyoftheoceanfloorcanbedividedintothreegiantstructuraltopographicunits:continentalmargin,mid-oceanridgeandsubmarinemountains,andoceanbasin.
Itcanbedividedintothreeparts:thecentraldeepwaterarea,themarginalshallowwaterareaandthecontinentalshelf.Thedeep-seabasinsapproximatelybelow2,000metersaccountforabout87%ofthetotalarea,themarginalpartbetween200and2,000metersaccountsforabout7.4%,andthecontinentalshelfwithin200metersaccountsforabout5.6%.Thereisahugeseabasininthenorthernhalf,anumberofislandsinthewest,anddeeptrenchesontheoutsideoftheislandarc.Thenorthernandwesternmarginalseashaveawidecontinentalshelf,andthedeepwatersinthecentralpartaremorethan5,000metersdeep.TheHawaiianIslandsandtheLaneIslandsdividethecentraldeep-waterareaintotheNortheastPacificBasin,theSouthwestPacificBasin,theNorthwestPacificBasinandtheCentralPacificBasin.Therearealargenumberofvolcanicconesontheseafloor.Theshallowwatersattheedgearemostlyabove5,000meters,andtheareaoftheseabasinissmall.
Themid-Pacificridge(alsocalledasearise)isatopographicstructurewithaprominentoceanfloor,whichislocatedintheeasternpartoftheocean.ThesouthstartsattheAntarctic-IndianOceanRidgeat60°southlatitude,turnseasttoaround130°westlongitudeandturnsnorth,roughlyparalleltotheAmericancoastandextendsnorthwardtotheGulfofAlaska.Itisabout15,000kilometerslongand2,000-4,000kilometerswide.Theareaaccountsforabout11%ofthetotalareaofthePacificOcean.Thecentralriftvalleyofthemid-oceanridgeisnotwelldeveloped,andtheheightisrelativelylow,generally2to3kilometers.Itishigherinthesouthernpartoftheocean,andlowerasitgoesnorthward,untiltheAleutianBasinisalmostclosetotheseabasinandsubmergedundertheNorthAmericancontinent..Themid-oceanridgeiscutbyaseriesofroughlyeast-westfaultzones.Thedistancebetweentwoadjacentzonesisabout900-2200kilometers.Thefaultzoneextendsfromeasttowestformorethan2,000kilometersandisaboutonetotwohundredkilometerswide.Itisanarrowgroove.Fromnorthtosouth,thefaultzone:Mendocinofaultzone(latitude40°40′north),Murrayfaultzone(latitude38°north),Molokaifaultzone(about26°northlatitude),Clippertonfaultzone(latitudenorthlatitude)11°30′),Galapagosfaultzone(neartheequator),Eastfaultzone(about27°southlatitude),etc.ThePacificRidgeisacomponentoftheworld'smid-oceanridge,anditssouthernendisconnectedtotheAntarctic-IndianOceanridge.
InthemiddleofthePacificOcean,therearealsoaseriesofsubmarinemountainsinthenorthwest-southeastdirection,whichisoneofthemostmajestictopographyofthePacificOcean.ItstartsfromtheKamchatkaPeninsulainthenorth,passestheEmperorSeamounts,theHawaiianIslands,andtheLineIslands,andreachestheTuamotuIslandsinthesouth.Itstretchesformorethan10,000kilometers.Agroupofvolcanoesformedbytheeruptionofbasaltalongafault.Thesesubmarinemountainsaredifferentfrommid-oceanridges.Mostofthemarecomposedofsubmarinevolcanoeswithoutseismicactivity,afewareactivevolcanoessuchasthesubmarinemountainsinthenorthernMarianaIslands,andafewareformedbythesinkingofcoralislandsdeepintheocean.Theyhaverelativelyflatpeaks,calledsubmarineflattopmountains.Sometoweringseamountsprotrudefromtheseatobecomeislands,suchastheHawaiianIslandsandtheLineIslands.
Thefractalstudyofseamounttopographyandcobaltcrustresourcesshowsthatthereisamultifractaldistributionbetweenseamounttopographyandcobaltcrustresources.Thefractalofseamountslopeandresourcevolumeisathree-segmenttype.Thereasonforthesegmentedfractalofseamountslopeandresourcevolumeistheresultofthesuperpositionofdifferenttypesofcrusts.Thewaterdepth-resourcefractalhasthreetofoursegments.Thereasonforthecomplexfractalofwaterdepth-resourcesmayberelatedtotheoceaniccrustoftheseamountbase.TheseamountsofMaaredistributedinthreesections.
Volcanoesandearthquakes
About85%oftheworld’sactivevolcanoesandabout80%ofearthquakesareconcentratedinthePacificOcean.TheAmericanCordilleraMountainsontheeastcoastofthePacificOceanandthefestoonedislandsonthewesternedgeofthePacificOceanarethemostvolcanicareasintheworld.Therearemorethan370activevolcanoes,includingthe"PacificRingofFire"or"TheRingofFire"Itissaidthatearthquakesarefrequent.
Climate
AlargepartofthePacificOceanislocatedintropicalandsubtropicalregions,sotropicalandsubtropicalclimatesaredominant.Itsclimatedistributionandregionaldifferencesaremainlyduetosurfaceoceancurrentsandadjacentcontinents.Affectedbytheatmosphericcirculationoverthesky.Thetemperaturedecreaseswithincreasinglatitude.TheaveragetemperatureofthecoldestmonthintheSouthandNorthPacificOceanis20-16℃fromthetropictothepolarregions,andtheMid-PacificOceankeepsaround25℃allyearround.TheaverageannualrainfallinthePacificOceanisgenerally1,000to2,000millimeters,therainyareascanreach3,000to5,000millimeters,andtheareaswiththeleastprecipitationarelessthan100millimeters.Thereisoftenseafognorthof40°northlatitudeandsouthof40°southlatitude.Theaveragesurfacetemperatureis19.1℃,andthehighestneartheequatoris29℃.Thereisicingontheseanearthepolarcircle.ThehowlingwindsandturbulentwavesinthePacificarefamous.Inthetransitionzonewherethecoldandwarmcurrentsmeetandinthewesterlyzone,therearefrequentsquallywindsandwaves.ThenorthernpartofthePacificismoreinwinter,andthesouthismoreinsummer,especiallyinthevicinityof40°southandnorthlatitudes.Thecentralpartisrelativelycalm,whichisconducivetonavigationallyearround.
Oceancurrent
ThePacificOceancurrentisroughlyboundedby5-10°Nlatitude,andisdividedintotwomajorcirculations:thenortherncirculationrunsclockwise,fromtheNorthEquatorialWarmCurrent,theJapaneseWarmCurrent,andtheNorthPacificOceanItiscomposedofwarmcurrentandCaliforniacoldcurrent;SouthernCirculationrunscounterclockwiseandiscomposedofSouthEquatorialWarmCurrent,EastAustralianWarmCurrent,WesterlyDrifting,andPeruvianColdCurrent.Betweenthetwomajorcirculationsistheequatorialcountercurrent,runningfromwesttoeast,withaflowrateof2kilometersperhour.
SolarradiationandatmosphericcirculationarethedominantfactorsthatdeterminetheclimateinthePacific.Inaddition,theAsiancontinentandoceancurrentsarealsoinfluencingfactors.AtmosphericcirculationinthePacificOceaniscontrolledbytwohigh-pressurezonesandthreelow-pressurezonesdistributedinthezonaldirection.
Thereisastrongandstablesubtropicalhighbetween30°and35°north-southlatitude.Thecenterofthehighpressureislocatedintheeasternpartoftheocean.Inthehigh-pressurecontrolzone,theairflowismainlysinking,precipitationisscarce,andevaporationisstrong,formingthedryzoneofthePacificOceanandthemainsupplyzoneofairvapor,anditisalsothelargestareaofoceansurfaceseawatersalinity.Theairflowthatsinksfromthesubtropicalhighpressurezoneandflowstotheequatoriallowpressurezoneiscalledthetradewindbelt.Thetradewindbeltisthemostfamousplanetarywindbeltontheearthwithstablewinddirectionandstrongwind.Itisanimportantdrivingforcefortheformationandmaintenanceofoceancurrentsatlowlatitudes.Theairflowthatsinksfromthesubtropicalhigh-pressurezonetothesub-polarlow-pressurezoneiscalledthewesterlyzone.Thewesterlywindbeltisalsotheplanetarywindbeltontheocean.Itisstronginwinterandthefrequencyofsquallywindsis25%to35%.Itbecomesthedrivingforceforthemid-latitudeoceansurfaceseawatertoflowfromwesttoeast,especiallyinthesouthernhemisphere.DuetotheinfluenceoftheseaareaandthecoldsourceofAntarctica,thewesterlywindbelthasbecomeawindbeltwithstablewinddirectionandstrongwind.Inaddition,thepolarfrontbelthasfrequentcycloneactivities,andthereareoftenstrongwindsabove18m/s,formingaroaringwesterlywindbelt,givingrisetomid-highwindsintheSouthPacific.Latitudeoceancurrentsandshippinghaveagreatimpact.
Near60°northlatitudeisasub-polarlowpressurezone,locatedintheAleutianIslandsarea,alsoknownastheAleutianlow.Thewinterislowanddeep,andthesummerisweak.Itattractsthesurroundingairtorotatecounterclockwise,andthenblowsthesurroundingoceansurfacewatertoformacounterclockwisecirculationsystem.TheAntarcticlowpressurestretchestothevicinityoftheAntarctic.ThepressurebeltsandwindbeltsonthePacificOceanarethesameastheglobalpressurebeltsandwindbelts.Theymovefromnorthtosouthandincreaseanddecreaseinintensityduringtheyear.Thischangewillaffectoceancurrents,watertemperatureandsalinityinthePacificOcean.Thecorrespondingchanges.Inthetropical,subtropical,andtemperateregionsofthewesternPacific,duetothethermaldifferencebetweentheAsiancontinentandthePacificandtheseasonalmovementoftheplanetarywindsystem,auniquemonsoonregionintheworldisformed.Everysummer,thewarmandhumidaircurrentsontheoceanflowtotheland,andinwinter,thedryandcoldairfromthelandblowstotheocean.Thisregionalmonsooncirculationdisturbsthezonaldistributionoftheclimateintheocean,andaffectstheoceancurrents,watertemperature,precipitation,Evaporation,salinity,andmarinelifeallhaveasignificantimpact.
TheSouthandNorthPacificeachformahugeanticycloniccirculationsystemcenteredontheSouthandNorthsubtropicalhighs.Itiscausedbythestableprevailingwindbeltandthedeflectionforceoftheearth,thecontinentalItisformedundertheactionofoutlineanddistributionofislands.TheNorthPacificCirculationiscomposedoftheNorthEquatorialWarmCurrent,theJapaneseWarmCurrent(Kuroshio),theNorthPacificWarmCurrentandtheCaliforniaColdCurrent.TheSouthPacificCirculationiscomposedoftheSouthEquatorialWarmCurrent,theEastAustralianWarmCurrent,theWesterlyDriftingandthePeruvianColdCurrent.Betweenthetwocirculationsystemsisanequatorialcountercurrentflowingfromwesttoeast.Tothenorthof45°NlatitudeintheNorthPacific,thereisacycloniccirculationsystemcenteredontheAleutianLow,composedoftheAlaskawarmcurrent,theKurilcurrent(co-current)andtheNorthPacificwarmcurrent.Inthewaterssouthof40°southlatitudeintheSouthPacific,thereisnocontinentalobstruction,formingtheAntarcticCircumpolarCirculation(westerlydrifting)surroundingtheAntarcticcontinent,andfurthersouthisthepolareasterlydriftingformedbythepolareasterlywind.TheJapaneseWarmCurrent(Kuroshio)intheNorthPacificisthemostpowerfuloceancurrentinthePacific,andthesecondlargestwarmcurrentintheworldaftertheMexicanWarmCurrent.,Largeflow(equivalentto20timesthetotalflowoftheworld'srivers),narrowflowrange,deepextension,hightemperature,highsaltcharacteristics.Becausethecolorofthewaterisdarkblue,itlooksblackfromadistance,hencethenameKuroshio.TheNorthPacificWesterlyDrift,alsoknownastheNorthPacificWarmCurrent,isanimportantmemberofthelow-latitudeandhigh-latitudeoceancurrentcirculationsystem.ThewesterlydriftintheSouthPacificisthesurfacepartoftheAntarcticCircumpolarCurrent,andat35°～65°southlatitude,itexpandsfromtheseasurfacetothebottomofthesea,becomingawide,deepandstrongwinddrift.Itflowseastward,onecrossestheDrakeStrait,andtheotherturnsnorthwardfrom45°southlatitudetobecomethePeruviancoldcurrent.ThePeruviancoldcurrentflowsalongthewestcoastofSouthAmericatotheColónIslands(GalapagosIslands)neartheequator.Itis4,600kilometerslong.Itisthelongestandmostpowerfulcoldcurrentintheworld.IthasawidthneartheChileancoast.180kilometers,andthewidthofthecoastofPerubecomes450kilometers,theflowrateisnotlarge,about7.7kilometersadayandnight.Thewatertemperatureis15～17℃,whichis7～10℃lowerthanthatoftheadjacentseaarea.Atthesametime,offshorecurrentsaregeneratedundertheinfluenceoftheprevailingsoutheasttradewinds,whichmakethemiddle-levelcoldwaterofmorethan100metersdeeptocompensateandrisetotheseasurface.Upwellingcurrentsbringalargeamountofnitrateandphosphatenutrientstotheseasurface,whichisconducivetothereproductionofplankton.However,whentheElNiñowarmcurrentflowingsouthfromtheequatorialwatersintheeasternPacificOceanwentsouthalongthecoastofEcuadorandextendedto5°oreven12°southlatitude,itmixedwiththePeruviancoldcurrentandseawater,causingthecoldcurrenttoincreaseintemperatureandinhibitingthecoldwater.Ingeneral,cold-waterorganismsalongthecoast,includingplanktontofish,diedduetounsuitability,andthefish-eatingbirdsalsodiedsuccessively,bringingdisasterstofisheryproduction.ThisphenomenonofseatemperaturewarmingiscalledElNiñophenomenonandhasattractedwidespreadattentionallovertheworld.
Tides
Mostofthemareirregularsemi-diurnaltides,andthetidalrangeisgenerally2-5meters.TheTaipingPacificBasincanbedrawnasthreezones.1.Easternregion:TheCordilleramountainrangeofAmericastartsfromAlaskainthenorthandthePeru-Chiletrenchtothesouth.Tothesouth,therearetheTongaTrenchandtheKermadecTrench.FromtheCentralAmericanIsthmusthroughtheCocosRidgetothesouthoftheGalapagosIslandslineisthePeru-ChileBasinandtheSoutheastPacificBasin.FromtheviewofthePacificOcean(18photos)easttowesttherearetheCentralPacificBasin,MarianaBasinandthePhilippineBasin;betweenNewZealandandEasternAustraliaistheTasmanBasin,andtothesouthistheMacquarieRidge,namelyTheunderwaterboundarybetweenthePacificandIndianOceans.TherearemanyPacificislands,mainlydistributedinthewesternandcentralwaters.Accordingtotheirnature,theyaredividedintotwomajorcategories:mainlandislandsandoceanislands.Mainlandislandsaregenerallyrelatedtothemainlandintermsofgeologicalstructure,suchastheJapanesearchipelago,Taiwanisland,Philippinearchipelago,Indonesianarchipelago,andNewGuinea,thesecondlargestislandintheworld.Oceanislandsaredividedintovolcanicislandsandcoralislands.ThevastwesternpartofthePacificOceanhasthreemajorarchipelagoesfromwesttoeast:Melanesia,MicronesiaandPolynesia.Amongthem,theMelanesianIslandsaremostlymainlandislands,theHawaiianIslandsofthePolynesianIslandsarefamousvolcanicislands,andtheMicronesianIslandsarealmostallcoralislands.BecauseofthevastareaofthePacificOceanandtheuniformbodyofwater,theclimateisconducivetotheformationofplanetarywindsystems,especiallytheSouthPacific.ThesituationintheNorthPacificisdifferent,andthedifferencesbetweentheeastandwestaregreat.TheharshwinterontheeastcoastofRussiaandthemildwinterinBritishColumbiainCanadahavethemoststrikingcontrast.Thetradewindbeltislocatedbetweenthecenterofthesubtropicalhighbetween30°and40°north-southlatitudeintheeasternPacificOceanandtheequatorialcalmzone.Themid-latitudes,thewesterlyzoneandthepolareasterlyzoneconvergetoformasub-polarlowpressurezone.Thetemperatureandhumidityofthetwowindbeltsarequitedifferent.Thepolareasterlywindbelthasaverystrongfront,especiallyinwinter.InthewesternPacificOcean(5°-25°Nlatitude)eastofthePhilippines,theSouthChinaSeaandtheeastocean,betweensummerandautumn,ultra-lowpressurecentersaregeneratedunderhightemperatureandhighhumidityconditions,formingaviolenttropicalstorm,thatis,atyphoon.Insummer,theAsiancontinentislowinpressure,andtheNorthPacificaircurrentmovestowardsthecontinent.Inwinter,thesituationiscompletelyopposite,formingavastmonsoonclimatezone.TheseatemperatureoftheNorthPacificishigherthanthatoftheSouthPacific.ThisisbecausethewatersoftheSouthPacificarewiderandareaffectedbyicebergsandcoldwatermassesintheAntarcticregion.Theseawaterinthetradewindzonehasalowersalinitythantheequatorialzone.Thesalinityneartheequatorislessthan34;thenorthernmostseaareahasthelowestsalinity,lessthan32.TheoceancurrentsinthePacificOceanmovefromeasttowestundertheinfluenceoftradewinds,formingthewarmsouthandnorthequatorialcurrents.Onthecentralaxisbetweenthenorthandsouthequatorialwarmcurrents,oppositeequatorialcountercurrentsflowfromtheeastcoastofthePhilippinestothewestcoastofEcuador.TheNorthEquatorialWarmCurrentturnsnorthnearthePhilippinesandflowstotheeastofJapan,whichisthefamousKuroshio;atributaryoftheNorthEquatorialWarmCurrententerstheSeaofJapanthroughtheTsushimaStraitandiscalledtheTsushimaWarmCurrent.TheKuroshioturnseastwardnear160°ElongitudeandiscalledtheNorthPacificWarmCurrent.ThewarmNorthPacificcurrentmoveseastwardandturnstothesouthtothewestcoastofNorthAmerica,whichiscalledtheCaliforniacoldcurrent.ThisformstheNorthPacificCirculation.Inaddition,theBeringSeaflowstothesouth,knownastheKamchatkacoldcurrent,alsoknownastheOyashio.ItflowstotheeastofHonshuIslandinJapanandmeetstheKuroshioat36°Nlatitude.AftertheSouthEquatorialWarmCurrentreachedtheSolomonIslands,itflowedsouthandbecametheEastAustraliaWarmCurrent.Itturnedtotheeastandcaughtthewesterlydrifting.ItwasdividedintotwobranchestothewestofSouthAmericanear45°southlatitude,andonebranchenteredtheAtlanticOceanthroughtheDrakeStraittotheeast.;Anotherbranchturnsnorthward,namelythePeruviancoldcurrent.ThisformstheSouthPacificCirculation.ThePacificOceanisrichinresources.TheSeaofJapanandtheSeaofOkhotskintheWesternPacificareimportantfishinggrounds,producingherring,cod,tuna,andcrabs.TheColumbiaRiveronthewestcoastofNorthAmericaisfamousforsalmon.Therearealargenumberofmanganesenodulesontheseabed,andseasalt,bromine,magnesium,etc.canbeextractedfromseawater.Thecontinentalshelfisoneoftheregionswiththerichestoilresourcesintheworld,suchasthesouthernwatersofCalifornia,theYellowSea,theEastChinaSea,andtheseaareasofIndonesiaandsoutheasternAustralia.ThewesternPacificcoasthaslongbeenahighlyculturalarea.ButEuropeansdidnotbegintoexplorethisoceanuntilthe16thcentury.Theyseektheso-called"landofthesouth"-Australia,toenterthePacificislands.In1513,theSpanishoccupierVascoNunezdeBalboasawthevastPacificOceanfromthetopofDarienontheIsthmusofPanama.Afterwards,thePortuguesenavigatorMagellansailedaroundtheworldandcrossedthePacificOcean.Inthe17thcentury,theDutchnavigatorAbelTasmandiscoveredTasmania,NewZealandandFiji.Inthe18thcentury,BritishnavigatorCorkandFrenchnavigatorBougainville(Louis-AntoinedeBougainville)sailedinthePacificOcean.Inthe19thcentury,theBritishnaturalistCharlesDarwinsailedaroundtheworldonthe"Beagle"from1831to1836.HeconductedexpeditionsinthePacificregionandmadegreatcontributionstothenaturalsciences.ThePacificOceanextendsfromtheAntarcticregioninthesouth,totheNorthPoleinthenorth,AsiaandAustraliainthewest,andtotheSouthandNorthAmericaintheeast.Itoccupiesaboutone-thirdoftheearth'sareaandisthelargestoceanintheworld.Itsarea,excludingtheadjacentseas,isapproximately165.25millionsquarekilometers.Itistwicetheareaofthesecondlargestocean,theAtlanticOcean,andmorethantwicethewatercapacity.TheareaexceedsthetotallandareaoftheearthincludingAntarctica.Theaveragedepth(excludingthesea)is4187.8meters.Theoceanflooreastof150°westlongitudeisgentlerthanthewest.Ridgesabove600metersunderwaterinthewesternPacificformarchipelagoesinsomeplaces.TheAleutianRidgeintheNorthwestPacificextendssouthtotheKurilIslands,OgasawaraIslands,Mariana,YapandPalau;extendseastfromPalautoBismarck,SolomonIslandsandSantaCruz;andfinallyfromtheSamoaIslandsSouthtoTonga,Kermadeque,ChathamandMacquarie.Becausetheratiooflandtooceaninthenorthishigherthanthatinthesouth,andtheinfluenceofthelandicesheetinAntarctica,thewatertemperatureintheNorthPacificishigherthanthatintheSouthPacific.Thesaltcontentofseawaterinthecalmandvariablewindzonesneartheequatorislowerthanthatinthetradewindzone.ThebiggestimpactontheverticalcurrentsinthePacificisthecoldwatergeneratedaroundtheAntarcticcontinent.ThedenseseasurroundingthepolarregionssinksandthenspreadsnorthtoformmostofthebottomofthePacificOcean.ThedeepcoldwaterflowsnorthwardtoJapanfromthevicinityofAntarcticainarelativelydistinctoceancurrentinthewesternPacific.Thetributariesofthedeepoceanmainflowcarrycoldwatertotheeastandthentothepolesinbothhemispheres.Thedeepoceancirculationisaffectedbythesinkingofthesurfaceseawaterintheconvergentareaofadjacentoceancurrents.ThetropicalconvergencezoneinthePacificisbetween35°and40°northandsouthlatitudes.Thefartherawayfromtheequator,thegreaterthedepthofseawatersinking.Themostimportantconvergencezoneisbetween55°and60°southlatitude.
ThePacificOceanBasin
ThePacificOceanBasincanbedividedintothreeregions.
1.EasternRegion:TheCordilleraMountainsofAmericastartfromAlaskainthenorthandreachTierradelFuegointhesouth,exceptforthenorthernmostandsouthernmostislandsonthecoastofthefjordandtheGulfofCaliforniadeepintothemainland,Thecoastisstraight,thecontinentalshelfisnarrow,theimportanttrenchhastheAcapulcoTrenchinthenorthandthePeru-ChileTrenchinthesouth.
2.WestZone:ThestructureofpartsofAsiaiscomplex,thecoastistortuous,thereisaprominentpeninsulaontheeastedgeofthemainland,andthereareaseriesofislandarcsofftheshore,formingnumerousmarginalseas.Fromnorthtosouth,therearetheBeringSea,theSeaofOkhotsk,theSeaofJapan,theYellowSea,theEastChinaSeaandtheSouthChinaSea.Thereareaseriesoftrenchesontheouteredgeoftheislandgroup,includingtheKamchatkaTrench,ThousandIslandTrench,andJapanTrenchinthenorth,andtheTongaTrenchandKermadekTrenchinthesouth.TheMarianaTrenchislocatedatlatitude11°20northandlongitude142°11.5east;thatis,atthebottomofthePacificOceannearthenortheastofthePhilippines,theMarianaIslands,betweentheAsiancontinentandAustralia,fromtheIwoJimaIslandsinthenorthtotheYapIslandinthesouthwest.Ithasatotallengthof2550kilometers,anarcshape,anaveragewidthof70kilometers,andmostofthewaterdepthisabove8000meters.Themaximumwaterdepthis11,034metersintheFichazDepth,whichisthedeepestpointontheearth.Theformationofthistrenchisestimatedtobe60millionyearsold,anditispartofaseriesoftrenchesonthewesternPacificoceanfloor.
3.ThecentralPacificOceanisavastoceanbasin,whichisthemoststableareaofthecrustalstructure.Theseawaterdepthisgenerallyabout4,570meters(15,000feet).Totheeastof150°westlongitudeistheEastPacificBasin.FromtheCentralAmericanIsthmusthroughtheCocosRidgetothesouthoftheGalapagosIslandsarethePeru-ChileBasinandtheSoutheastPacificBasin.GoingsouthandcrossingthesoutheastPacificriseisthePacific-Antarcticabasin.Theareabetweenthisbasinand150°WestlongitudeisthePacific-Antarcticaridge.Westlongitude150°～180°,fromeasttowesttherearetheCentralPacificBasin,MarianaBasinandthePhilippineBasin;betweenNewZealandandEasternAustraliaistheTasmanBasin,andtothesouthistheMcGalleyRidge,thatis,betweenthePacificandIndianOceansUnderwaterboundaries.
AseriesofsubmarinemountainrangesdividethePacificBasininto4sub-leveldeep-seabasins.ItisboundedbytheEmperor-Hawaiimountainrange(searidge).TotheeastistheNortheastPacificBasinwithawaterdepthof4000-6000meters,thelargestThedepthis7,168meters;tothewestistheNorthwestPacificBasin,withanaveragedepthof5,700metersandamaximumdepthof6,224meters.TheCentralPacificOceanBasinislocatedbetweenthesubmarinemountainsoftheCentralPacificOcean,theLineIslandsandtheMarshallIslands.Thewaterdepthisgenerally5000-5500meters,andthemaximumwaterdepthis6370meters.TothesouthoftheCentralPacificBasinandtothenorthoftheAntarctic-PacificRidgeistheSouthwestPacificBasin,withawaterdepthof4500-6000metersandamaximumwaterdepthof8581meters.Thedepositsonthebroadandflatdeep-seabasinsonthePacificoceanfloorincludebrownclay,biogenicsediments,turbiditycurrentsediments,andvolcanicsediments.Amongthem,biogenicsedimentsandbrownclayarethemostwidelydistributed,occupyingalmosttheentireoceanbasin.
Importantbattles
DuringWorldWarII,thePearlHarborincident,theCoralSeabattle,thebattleofMidwayIsland,thebattleofMariana,thebattleofWrightBay,thebattleofOkinawa,etc.wereallAnimportantbattleinthePacific.
RegionalOrganization
Asia-PacificEconomicCooperation
TheestablishmentoftheAsia-PacificEconomicCooperation
TheAsia-PacificEconomicCooperation(Asia-PacificEconomicCooperation-APEC)wasinitiallyestablishedasaregionaleconomicforumandconsultationorganization.Aftermorethantenyearsofdevelopment,ithasgraduallyevolvedintoanimportantTheEconomicCooperationForumisalsothehighest-levelintergovernmentaleconomiccooperationmechanismintheAsia-Pacificregion.Ithasplayedanirreplaceableroleinpromotingregionaltradeandinvestmentliberalizationandstrengtheningeconomicandtechnologicalcooperationamongmembers.APECwasbornintheeraoftheendoftheglobalcoldwar.Attheendofthe1980s,withtheendoftheColdWar,theinternationalsituationgraduallyeased,andthetrendsofeconomicglobalization,tradeandinvestmentliberalization,andregionalgroupinggraduallybecameatrend.Atthesametime,theproportionofAsiaintheworldeconomyhasalsoincreasedsignificantly.Inthiscontext,inJanuary1989,AustralianPrimeMinisterHawkeproposedtoconveneaministerialmeetingintheAsia-Pacificregiontodiscusstheissueofstrengtheningmutualeconomiccooperation.
InNovember1989,Australia,theUnitedStates,Japan,SouthKorea,NewZealand,CanadaandthethensixASEANcountriesheldthefirstAPECMinisterialConferenceinCanberra,theAustraliancapital,markingtheofficialestablishmentofthisorganization.InNovember1991,the3rdAPECMinisterialConferencewasheldinSeoul,thecapitalofSouthKorea(nowcalledSeoul).TheConferencepassedthe"SeoulDeclaration",whichformallyestablishedthepurposeandgoalsofthisorganization,whichis"thecommonBenefitstomaintaineconomicgrowthanddevelopment;promoteeconomicinterdependenceamongmembers;strengthenanopenmultilateraltradingsystem;reduceregionaltradeandinvestmentbarriers."
China’saccession
InNovember1991,Chinaasasovereignstate,ChineseTaipeiandHongKong(fromJuly1,1997changedto"HongKong,China”)formallyjoinedAPECinthenameofaregionaleconomy.AsofNovember2010,APEChas21members:Australia,Brunei,Canada,Chile,China,HongKong,Indonesia,Japan,SouthKorea,Malaysia,Mexico,NewZealand,PapuaNewGuinea,Peru,Philippines,Russia,Singapore,ChineseTaipei,Thailand,theUnitedStatesandVietnam.Amongthem,12membersincludingAustralia,Brunei,Canada,Indonesia,Japan,SouthKorea,Malaysia,NewZealand,thePhilippines,Singapore,Thailand,andtheUnitedStatesjoinedinNovember1989whenAPECwasestablished;inNovember1991,ChinaandChinaTaipeiandHongKong,Chinajoined;MexicoandPapuaNewGuineajoinedinNovember1993;Chilejoinedin1994;andPeru,Russia,andVietnamjoinedinNovember1998.TheASEANSecretariat,thePacificEconomicCooperationCouncilandthePacificIslandsForumareobserversoftheorganization,andcanparticipateinAPECministerial-levelandbelow-levelmeetingsandactivities.APEC'sadmissionofnewmembersrequirestheconsensusofallmembers.TheVancouverLeaders'Meetingin1997announcedthatAPEChadenteredaten-yearconsolidationperiodandwouldnotacceptnewmembersforthetimebeing.
APECadoptstheprincipleofvoluntarycooperationandconsensus,anditsdecisionsmustbeagreedandapprovedbyallmembers.Thedocumentsofthemeetingarenotlegallybinding,buteachmemberhasapoliticalandmoralresponsibilitytoimplementitasbestaspossible.APECestablishedasecretariatinSingaporeinearly1993toprovidesupportandservicesforactivitiesatalllevels.APEC’sorganizationalstructuresincludeinformalleaders’meetings,ministerialmeetings,seniorofficials’meetings,committees,andspecialworkinggroups.Amongthem,theinformalleaders'meetingisthehighest-levelmeetingofAPEC.
ThetotalpopulationofAPECis2.7billion,accountingforabout40.5%oftheworld'stotalpopulation.AccordingtodatareleasedbytheInternationalMonetaryFund,APECmembereconomiesaccountforabout53%oftheworld'stotaleconomy,andthetotaltradevolumeaccountsforabout43%oftheworld'stotaltrade.Thisorganizationhasapivotalpositioninglobaleconomicactivities.
Sinceitsestablishment,APEChasmadecontinuousprogressinpromotingregionalandglobaltradeandinvestmentliberalizationandfacilitation,anddevelopingeconomicandtechnologicalcooperation.Prosperityhasmadeoutstandingcontributions.
TheAssociationofPacificRimUniversities
TheAssociationofPacificRimUniversities,orAPRUforshort,isanallianceofuniversitiescomposedoftopresearchuniversitiesinthePacificRimregion.Thealliancewasestablishedin1997.ThePacificRimUniversityAllianceistheofficialadvisorybodyoftheAsia-PacificEconomicCooperationOrganization.ItprovidesconsultingandadvisoryservicestotheAsia-PacificEconomicCooperationinthethreeaspectsofscience,technologyandhumanresources,andassistsitincreatingacommunityofPacificRimcountries.ThealliancepositionsitsstrategicframeworktobuildhighereducationandresearchintheAsia-Pacificregion,cultivategloballeaders,andcooperatetosolvethedifficultiesandchallengesintheAsia-Pacificregion.