5 Awesome Facts About Our Ocean That Will Surprise You!
5 Amazing Facts About Our Oceans
The world we are living in is full of wonders!
From the air we breathe to the deepest oceans, countless mysteries need to be unveiled.
But what if some of the things you think you know about Earth, especially about our oceans, aren’t entirely true?
There are common beliefs that are widely spread around the world, and are far from the simple truth.
Or let us say, misconceptions!
Join us as we explore five truly awesome facts that will challenge your perceptions and surprise you!
5 Amazing Facts About Our Oceans
1. Most of Earth’s species live on land, not in the ocean.
The popular notion is this:
Since our Earth is covered by 71% of water, we often imagine that most creatures or life here on Earth are found in oceans.
But what if I told you, contrary to the common belief that 94% of life is found in oceans, this is a misconception?
The astonishing reality:
The Earth we live on consists approximately of 71% water and 29% land mass.
And believe it or not, more than 80% of the ocean’s subsurface is still undiscovered.
It is no wonder that many people think there are more living creatures in the oceans than on land.
However, a journal article states that 80% to 85% of Earth’s life is found on land.
In fact, according to the California Academy of Sciences, there are 8.7 million species on Earth; 6.5 million of these species are on land, while 2.2 million are in the ocean.
That is approximately 74.71% of the total Earth’s species!
Hence, referring to the notion that 94% of living species are aquatic is misleading.
2. More than 80% of the ocean has never been explored.
A common perception is this:
People often imagine that, since we are in the modern world with advanced technology, they roughly think that no surface on Earth is still hidden. It seems the Earth’s surface is already naked!
You won’t believe this, but more than 80% of the ocean underneath is still untamed.
The astonishing reality:
Our Earth is covered by 71% of water, and 97% of its water is found in the oceans.
Despite all the advancements of modern technology, the ocean’s surface still holds mysteries.
According to the National Geographic Society, over 80% of the world’s ocean subsurface is unexplored, unmapped, or unseen by humans.
Indeed, scientists believe that 91% of marine species remain undiscovered and unclassified.
This sounds hilarious because scientists can map outer space, such as the Moon and Mars, but not our oceans, right?
3. The Pacific Ocean is larger than all of Earth’s landmasses combined.
What people usually think:
When we look at the world map, it seems that the entire land or the continents, if combined, will have larger areas than the Pacific Ocean.
And the craziest part is, even if all of Earth’s landmasses combined, it’s not enough to fill the size of the Pacific Ocean!
The astonishing reality:
The Earth’s total land surface area, when combined, is roughly 57,268,900 square miles.
And when all the water around the globe is aggregated, its total water surface area is 142,223,000 square miles.
And you know what?
The Pacific Ocean alone covers 45% of the ocean surface, or 64,000,000 square miles.
See? Even if all the continents around the globe are calculated as a whole, the Pacific Ocean’s surface area is still larger than all the lands and islands on Earth.
Incredible, right?
4. There are underwater lakes and rivers in the ocean.
The common understanding goes like this:
People think that lakes and rivers are only associated with land that flows into the ocean.
You won’t believe this, but the ocean itself, like land, has lakes and rivers!
The astonishing reality:
71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and 97% of this water is in the ocean.
In this enormous surface of water, there are so-called “brine pools“, especially on the sea floor of the ocean.
These brine pools are known as hypersaline water or super salty water, where this water is extremely dense and heavier than other seawater.
Because of this, these brine pools create a distinct layer that looks like “lakes” and “rivers” that flow into the ocean.
Isn’t it a mind-blowing fact that the ocean itself has lakes and rivers, like land?
5. The Ocean’s color comes from itself, not just a reflection of the blue sky.
Many subscribe to the idea that:
Many people believe that the blue color of the ocean is just a reflection of the sky.
What if I revealed to you that the blue color you see in the ocean is a result of how light interacts with water?
The astonishing reality:
When sunlight hits water, the molecules react and either absorb or scatter the different wavelengths of light.
Colors that have the longest wavelengths, such as red, orange, and yellow, are absorbed by water molecules.
This is the main reason why, as light goes deeper, these colors eventually disappear.
While colors with the shortest wavelengths, such as blue, indigo, and violet, are scattered in all directions in the ocean, this makes our ocean naturally blue.
Therefore, it is not the reflection of the blue sky that makes our ocean blue; rather, it is an interaction between water molecules and the wavelengths of light.
Feeling inspired by these ocean wonders? Do you have another fascinating marine fact that may be included in our series?
