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vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Formation_of_oceanic_crusts_and_basins"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Formation of oceanic crusts and basins</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Formation_of_oceanic_crusts_and_basins-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Formation of oceanic crusts and basins subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Formation_of_oceanic_crusts_and_basins-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Earth's_structure" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Earth's_structure"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Earth's structure</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Earth's_structure-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Processes_of_tectonic_plates" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Processes_of_tectonic_plates"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Processes of tectonic plates</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Processes_of_tectonic_plates-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Size_of_trenches" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Size_of_trenches"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Size of trenches</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Size_of_trenches-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-History_and_age_of_oceanic_crust" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#History_and_age_of_oceanic_crust"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>History and age of oceanic crust</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-History_and_age_of_oceanic_crust-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Changes_in_ocean_basins" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Changes_in_ocean_basins"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Changes in ocean basins</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Changes_in_ocean_basins-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Changes in ocean basins subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Changes_in_ocean_basins-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-State_of_the_current_ocean_basins" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#State_of_the_current_ocean_basins"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>State of the current ocean basins</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-State_of_the_current_ocean_basins-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Further_reading" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Further_reading"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Further reading</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Further_reading-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the 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href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okean_%C3%A7%C3%B6k%C9%99kliyi" title="Okean çökəkliyi – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Okean çökəkliyi" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ban mw-list-item"><a href="https://ban.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedokan_samudra" title="Pedokan samudra – Balinese" lang="ban" hreflang="ban" data-title="Pedokan samudra" data-language-autonym="Basa Bali" data-language-local-name="Balinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Basa Bali</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conca_oce%C3%A0nica" title="Conca oceànica – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Conca oceànica" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havbassin" title="Havbassin – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Havbassin" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seebecken" title="Seebecken – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Seebecken" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ookeanibassein" title="Ookeanibassein – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Ookeanibassein" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A9%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%B1_%CE%BB%CE%B5%CE%BA%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B7" title="Ωκεάνια λεκάνη – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Ωκεάνια λεκάνη" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuenca_oce%C3%A1nica" title="Cuenca oceánica – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Cuenca oceánica" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozeano_arro" title="Ozeano arro – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Ozeano arro" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%B6%D9%87_%D8%A7%D9%82%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B3%DB%8C" title="حوضه اقیانوسی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="حوضه اقیانوسی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassin_oc%C3%A9anique" title="Bassin océanique – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Bassin océanique" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%95%B4%EB%B6%84" title="해분 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="해분" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF_%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%80" title="महासागरीय द्रोणी – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="महासागरीय द्रोणी" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cekungan_samudra" title="Cekungan samudra – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Cekungan samudra" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacino_oceanico" title="Bacino oceanico – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Bacino oceanico" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%90%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%99" title="אגן אוקייני – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="אגן אוקייני" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ht mw-list-item"><a href="https://ht.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basen_oseyan" title="Basen oseyan – Haitian Creole" lang="ht" hreflang="ht" data-title="Basen oseyan" data-language-autonym="Kreyòl ayisyen" data-language-local-name="Haitian Creole" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kreyòl ayisyen</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0" title="Подводна котлина – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Подводна котлина" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lembangan_lautan" title="Lembangan lautan – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Lembangan lautan" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B5%B7%E7%9B%86" title="海盆 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="海盆" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basen_oceaniczny" title="Basen oceaniczny – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Basen oceaniczny" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacia_oce%C3%A2nica" title="Bacia oceânica – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Bacia oceânica" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazin_oceanic" title="Bazin oceanic – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Bazin oceanic" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0" title="Подводная котловина – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Подводная котловина" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanska_kotlina" title="Oceanska kotlina – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Oceanska kotlina" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okyanus_havzas%C4%B1" title="Okyanus havzası – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Okyanus havzası" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%96%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0" title="Океанічна котловина – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Океанічна котловина" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%E1%BB%93n_tr%C5%A9ng_%C4%91%E1%BA%A1i_d%C6%B0%C6%A1ng" title="Bồn trũng đại dương – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Bồn trũng đại dương" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B5%B7%E7%9B%86" title="海盆 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="海盆" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q1069932#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon 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</div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Geologic basin under the sea</div> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Hydrology" title="Hydrology">hydrology</a>, an <b>oceanic basin</b> (or <b>ocean basin</b>) is anywhere on Earth that is covered by <a href="/wiki/Seawater" title="Seawater">seawater</a>. <a href="/wiki/Geologically" class="mw-redirect" title="Geologically">Geologically</a>, most of the ocean basins are large <a href="/wiki/Structural_basin" title="Structural basin">geologic basins</a> that are below <a href="/wiki/Sea_level" title="Sea level">sea level</a>. </p><p>Most commonly the ocean is divided into basins following the continents distribution<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="margin-left:0.1em; white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify" title="Wikipedia:Please clarify"><span title="The text near this tag may need clarification or removal of jargon. (May 2024)">clarification needed</span></a></i>]</sup>: the <a href="/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean" title="Atlantic Ocean">North and South Atlantic</a> (together approximately 75 million km<sup>2</sup>/ 29 million mi<sup>2</sup>), <a href="/wiki/Pacific_Ocean" title="Pacific Ocean">North and South Pacific</a> (together approximately 155 million km<sup>2</sup>/ 59 million mi<sup>2</sup>), <a href="/wiki/Indian_Ocean" title="Indian Ocean">Indian Ocean</a> (68 million km<sup>2</sup>/ 26 million mi<sup>2</sup>) and <a href="/wiki/Arctic_Ocean" title="Arctic Ocean">Arctic Ocean</a> (14 million km<sup>2</sup>/ 5.4 million mi<sup>2</sup>). Also recognized is the <a href="/wiki/Southern_Ocean" title="Southern Ocean">Southern Ocean</a> (20 million km<sup>2</sup>/ 7 million mi<sup>2</sup>). All ocean basins collectively cover 71% of the Earth's surface, and together they contain almost 97% of all water on the planet.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They have an average depth of almost 4 km (about 2.5 miles). </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Definitions_of_boundaries">Definitions of boundaries</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Definitions of boundaries"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Main_Ocean_basins.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Main_Ocean_basins.jpg/403px-Main_Ocean_basins.jpg" decoding="async" width="403" height="227" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Main_Ocean_basins.jpg/605px-Main_Ocean_basins.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Main_Ocean_basins.jpg/806px-Main_Ocean_basins.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="720" /></a><figcaption>This figure shows the main ocean basins as they are defined in "Limits of Oceans and Seas". The boundaries are based on geography of continents and the equator.</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Boundaries_based_on_continents">Boundaries based on continents</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Boundaries based on continents"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p><i>"Limits of Oceans and Seas"</i>,<sup id="cite_ref-:0_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> published by the International Hydrographic Office in 1953, is a document that defined the ocean's basins as they are largely known today. The main ocean basins are the ones named in the previous section. These main basins are divided into smaller parts. Some examples are: the <a href="/wiki/Baltic_Sea" title="Baltic Sea">Baltic Sea</a> (with three subdivisions), the <a href="/wiki/North_Sea" title="North Sea">North Sea</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Greenland_Sea" title="Greenland Sea">Greenland Sea</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Norwegian_Sea" title="Norwegian Sea">Norwegian Sea</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Laptev_Sea" title="Laptev Sea">Laptev Sea</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico" title="Gulf of Mexico">Gulf of Mexico</a>, the <a href="/wiki/South_China_Sea" title="South China Sea">South China Sea</a>, and many more. The limits were set for convenience of compiling sailing directions but had no geographical or physical ground and to this day have no political significance. For instance, the line between the North and South Atlantic is set at the <a href="/wiki/Equator" title="Equator">equator</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Antarctic or Southern Ocean, which reaches from 60° south to <a href="/wiki/Antarctica" title="Antarctica">Antarctica</a> had been omitted until 2000, but is now also recognized by the International Hydrographic Office.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Nevertheless, and since ocean basins are interconnected, many oceanographers prefer to refer to one single ocean basin instead of multiple ones.   </p><p>Older references (e.g., Littlehales 1930)<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> consider the oceanic basins to be the complement to the <a href="/wiki/Continent" title="Continent">continents</a>, with <a href="/wiki/Erosion" title="Erosion">erosion</a> dominating the latter, and the <a href="/wiki/Sediment" title="Sediment">sediments</a> so derived ending up in the ocean basins. This vision is supported by the fact that oceans lie lower than continents, so the former serve as <a href="/wiki/Sedimentary_basin" title="Sedimentary basin">sedimentary basins</a> that collect sediment eroded from the continents, known as <a href="/wiki/Clastic" class="mw-redirect" title="Clastic">clastic</a> sediments, as well as precipitation sediments. Ocean basins also serve as repositories for the skeletons of <a href="/wiki/Carbonate" title="Carbonate">carbonate</a>- and <a href="/wiki/Silica" class="mw-redirect" title="Silica">silica</a>-secreting <a href="/wiki/Organism" title="Organism">organisms</a> such as <a href="/wiki/Coral_reefs" class="mw-redirect" title="Coral reefs">coral reefs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Diatoms" class="mw-redirect" title="Diatoms">diatoms</a>, <a href="/wiki/Radiolarian" class="mw-redirect" title="Radiolarian">radiolarians</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Foraminifera" title="Foraminifera">foraminifera</a>. More modern sources (e.g., Floyd 1991)<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> regard the ocean basins more as <a href="/wiki/Basalt" title="Basalt">basaltic</a> plains, than as sedimentary depositories, since most sedimentation occurs on the continental shelves and not in the geologically defined ocean basins.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Definition_based_on_surface_connectivity">Definition based on surface connectivity</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Definition based on surface connectivity"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Redefined_ocean_basins_based_on_surface_connectivity.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Redefined_ocean_basins_based_on_surface_connectivity.png/403px-Redefined_ocean_basins_based_on_surface_connectivity.png" decoding="async" width="403" height="237" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Redefined_ocean_basins_based_on_surface_connectivity.png/605px-Redefined_ocean_basins_based_on_surface_connectivity.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Redefined_ocean_basins_based_on_surface_connectivity.png 2x" data-file-width="703" data-file-height="413" /></a><figcaption>These are the ocean basins defined by Froyland et al. (2014), based on surface connectivity. The black dashed lines indicate the basins as defined in "Limits of Oceans and Seas".</figcaption></figure><p>The flow in the ocean is not uniform but varies with depth. Vertical circulation in the ocean is very slow compared to horizonal flow and observing the deep ocean is difficult. Defining the ocean basins based on connectivity of the entire ocean (depth and width) is therefore not possible. Froyland et al. (2014)<sup id="cite_ref-:1_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> defined ocean basins based on surface connectivity. This is achieved by creating a <a href="/wiki/Markov_chain" title="Markov chain">Markov Chain</a> model of the surface ocean dynamics using short term time trajectory data from a global ocean model. These trajectories are of particles that move only on the surface of the ocean. The model outcome gives the probability of a particle at a certain grid point to end up somewhere else on the ocean's surface. With the model outcome a <a href="/wiki/Matrix_(mathematics)" title="Matrix (mathematics)">matrix</a> can be created from which the <a href="/wiki/Eigenvalues_and_eigenvectors" title="Eigenvalues and eigenvectors">Eigenvectors and Eigenvalues</a> are taken. These Eigenvectors show regions of attraction, aka regions where things on the surface of the ocean (plastic, biomass, water etc.) become trapped. One of these regions is for example the <a href="/wiki/North_Atlantic_garbage_patch" title="North Atlantic garbage patch">Atlantic garbage patch</a>. With this approach the five main ocean basins are still the North and South Atlantic, North and South Pacific and the Arctic Ocean, but with different boundaries between the basins. These boundaries show the lines of very little surface connectivity between the different regions which means that a particle on the ocean surface in a certain region is more likely to stay in the same region than to pass over to a different one.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_7-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Formation_of_oceanic_crusts_and_basins">Formation of oceanic crusts and basins</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Formation of oceanic crusts and basins"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Earth's_structure"><span id="Earth.27s_structure"></span>Earth's structure</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Earth's structure"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Depending on the chemical composition and the physical state, the Earth can be divided into three major components:  the <a href="/wiki/Mantle_(geology)" title="Mantle (geology)">mantle</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Structure_of_Earth" class="mw-redirect" title="Structure of Earth">core</a>, and the <a href="/wiki/Crust_(geology)" title="Crust (geology)">crust</a>. The crust is referred to as the outside layer of the Earth. It is made of solid rock, mostly <a href="/wiki/Basalt" title="Basalt">basalt</a> and <a href="/wiki/Granite" title="Granite">granite</a>. The crust that lies below sea level is known as the <a href="/wiki/Oceanic_crust" title="Oceanic crust">oceanic crust</a>, while on land it is known as the <a href="/wiki/Continental_crust" title="Continental crust">continental crust</a>. The former is thinner and is composed of relatively dense basalt, while the latter is less dense and mainly composed of granite. The <a href="/wiki/Lithosphere" title="Lithosphere">lithosphere</a> is composed of the crust (oceanic and continental) and the uppermost part of the mantle. The lithosphere is broken into sections called <a href="/wiki/Plate_tectonics" title="Plate tectonics">plates</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Processes_of_tectonic_plates">Processes of tectonic plates</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Processes of tectonic plates"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Tectonic plates move very slowly (5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) per year) relative to each other and interact along their boundaries. This movement is responsible for most of the Earth's <a href="/wiki/Seismology" title="Seismology">seismic</a> and volcanic activity. Depending on how the plates interact with each other, there are three types of boundaries. </p> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Shelf_movement.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Shelf_movement.jpg/421px-Shelf_movement.jpg" decoding="async" width="421" height="237" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Shelf_movement.jpg/632px-Shelf_movement.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Shelf_movement.jpg/842px-Shelf_movement.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="720" /></a><figcaption>Movements of tectonic plates and the formation of oceanic ridges and trenches.</figcaption></figure> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Convergent_boundary" title="Convergent boundary">Convergent boundary</a>: the plates collide, and eventually the denser one slides underneath the lighter one, a process known as <a href="/wiki/Subduction" title="Subduction">subduction</a>. This type of interaction can take place between an oceanic and an oceanic crust, creating a so-called <a href="/wiki/Oceanic_trench" title="Oceanic trench">oceanic trench</a>. It can also take place between an oceanic and a continental crust, forming a mountain range in the continent like the <a href="/wiki/Andes" title="Andes">Andes</a>, and it can take place between a continental and continental crust, resulting in large mountain chains, like the <a href="/wiki/Himalayas" title="Himalayas">Himalayas</a>.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Divergent_boundary" title="Divergent boundary">Divergent boundary</a>: the plates move apart from each other. If this occurs on land a rift is formed, which eventually becomes a <a href="/wiki/Rift_valley" title="Rift valley">rift valley</a>. The most active divergent boundaries lie under the sea. In the ocean, if magma or molten rock ascent from the mantle and fill the gap created by two diverging plates, a <a href="/wiki/Mid-ocean_ridge" title="Mid-ocean ridge">mid-ocean ridge</a> is formed.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transform_fault" title="Transform fault">Transform boundary</a>: also called transform fault, occurs when the movement between the plates is horizontal, so no crust is created or destroyed. It can happen both, on land and in the sea, but most of the faults are in the oceanic crust.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Size_of_trenches">Size of trenches</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Size of trenches"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Earth's deepest trench is the <a href="/wiki/Mariana_Trench" title="Mariana Trench">Mariana Trench</a> which extends for about 2500 km (1600 miles) across the seabed. It is near the <a href="/wiki/Mariana_Islands" title="Mariana Islands">Mariana Islands</a>, a volcanic <a href="/wiki/Archipelago" title="Archipelago">archipelago</a> in the West Pacific. Its deepest point is 10994 m (nearly 7 miles) below the surface of the sea.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Earth's longest trench runs alongside the coast of Peru and Chile, reaching a depth of 8065 m (26460 feet) and extending for approximately 5900 km (3700 miles). It occurs where the oceanic <a href="/wiki/Nazca_plate" title="Nazca plate">Nazca plate</a> slides under the continental <a href="/wiki/South_American_plate" title="South American plate">South American plate</a> and is associated with the upthrust and volcanic activity of the Andes.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History_and_age_of_oceanic_crust">History and age of oceanic crust</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: History and age of oceanic crust"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The oldest oceanic crust is in the far western equatorial Pacific, east of the Mariana Islands. It is located far away from oceanic spreading centers, where oceanic crust is constantly created or destroyed. The oldest crust is estimated to be only around 200 million years old, compared to the <a href="/wiki/Age_of_Earth" title="Age of Earth">age of Earth</a> which is 4.6 billion years. </p> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Oceanic_crust_age.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Oceanic_crust_age.png/410px-Oceanic_crust_age.png" decoding="async" width="410" height="194" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Oceanic_crust_age.png 1.5x" data-file-width="481" data-file-height="228" /></a><figcaption>This plot shows the age of the oceanic crust. Blue indicates younger crust, red older crust. The dark blue "lines" are regions where continental shelves meet. Data from Heine, C., Yeo, L. G., & Müller, R. D. (2015).</figcaption></figure> <p>200 million years ago nearly all land mass was one large continent called <a href="/wiki/Pangaea" title="Pangaea">Pangea</a>, which started to split up. During the splitting process of Pangea, some ocean basins shrunk, such as the Pacific, while others were created, such as the Atlantic and Arctic basins. The Atlantic Basin began to form around 180 million years ago, when the continent <a href="/wiki/Laurasia" title="Laurasia">Laurasia</a> (North America and <a href="/wiki/Eurasia" title="Eurasia">Eurasia</a>) started to drift away from Africa and South America. The Pacific plate grew, and subduction led to a shrinking of its bordering plates. The Pacific plate continues to move northward. Around 130 million years ago the South Atlantic started to form, as South America and Africa started to separate. At around this time India and Madagascar rifted northwards, away from Australia and Antarctica, creating seafloor around Western Australia and East Antarctica. When Madagascar and India separated between 90 and 80 million years ago, the spreading ridges in the Indian Ocean were reorganized.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The northernmost part of the Atlantic Ocean was also formed at this time when Europe and Greenland separated. About 60 million years ago a new rift and oceanic ridge formed between Greenland and Europe, separating them and initiating the formation of oceanic crust in the Norwegian Sea and the Eurasian Basin in the eastern Arctic Ocean.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Changes_in_ocean_basins">Changes in ocean basins</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Changes in ocean basins"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="State_of_the_current_ocean_basins">State of the current ocean basins</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: State of the current ocean basins"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The area occupied by the individual ocean basins has fluctuated in the past due to, amongst other, tectonic plate movements. Therefore, an oceanic basin can be actively changing size and/or depth or can be relatively inactive. The elements of an active and growing oceanic basin include an elevated <a href="/wiki/Mid-ocean_ridge" title="Mid-ocean ridge">mid-ocean ridge</a>, flanking <a href="/wiki/Abyssal_hill" title="Abyssal hill">abyssal hills</a> leading down to <a href="/wiki/Abyssal_plain" title="Abyssal plain">abyssal plains</a> and an <a href="/wiki/Oceanic_trench" title="Oceanic trench">oceanic trench</a>. </p><p>Changes in biodiversity, floodings and other climate variations are linked to sea-level, and are reconstructed with different models and observations (e.g., age of oceanic crust).<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sea level is affected not only by the volume of the ocean basin, but also by the volume of water in them. Factors that influence the volume of the ocean basins are: </p> <ul><li>Plate tectonics and the volume of mid-ocean ridges: the depth of the seafloor increases with distance to a ridge, as the oceanic lithosphere cools and thickens. The volume of ocean basins can be modeled using reconstructions of plate tectonics and using an age-depth relationship (see also <a href="/wiki/Seafloor_depth_versus_age" title="Seafloor depth versus age">Seafloor depth vs age</a>).</li> <li>Marine sedimentations: these influence global mean depth and volume of the ocean, but they are difficult to determine and reconstruct.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Passive_margin" title="Passive margin">Passive margins</a> and crustal extensions: to compensate the extension of continents due to continental rifting, oceanic crust decreases and therefore so does the volume of the ocean basin. However, the increase in continental area leads to a stretching and thinning of the continental crust, much of which ends up below sea level, thus again leading to an increase in ocean basin volume.</li></ul> <p>The Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean are good examples of active, growing oceanic basins, whereas the <a href="/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea" title="Mediterranean Sea">Mediterranean Sea</a> is shrinking. The Pacific Ocean is also an active, shrinking oceanic basin, even though it has both spreading ridge and oceanic trenches. Perhaps the best example of an inactive oceanic basin is the Gulf of Mexico, which formed in <a href="/wiki/Jurassic" title="Jurassic">Jurassic</a> times and has been doing nothing but collecting sediments since then.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Aleutian_Basin" title="Aleutian Basin">Aleutian Basin</a> is another example of a relatively inactive oceanic basin.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Japan Basin in the <a href="/wiki/Sea_of_Japan" title="Sea of Japan">Sea of Japan</a> which formed in the <a href="/wiki/Miocene" title="Miocene">Miocene</a>, is still tectonically active although recent changes have been relatively mild.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239009302">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output 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"Plate Tectonics of the Northern Part of the Pacific Ocean". <i>Oceanology (In Translation from Okeanologiya)</i>. 47 (5): 705–717. Bibcode:2007Ocgy...47..705V. <a href="//doi.org/10.1134/S000143700705013X._S2CID_140689505." class="extiw" title="doi:10.1134/S000143700705013X. S2CID 140689505.">doi:10.1134/S000143700705013X. S2CID 140689505.</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Clift, Peter D. (2004) <i>Continent-Ocean Interactions Within East Asian Marginal Seas</i> American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., pages 102–103, ISBN 978-0-87590-414-6</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWright1998" class="citation book cs1">Wright, John; et al. (January 26, 1998). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9rSp1q7A21YC"><i>The Ocean Basins: Their Structure and Evolution</i></a> (Second ed.). Oxford, England: Open University, Butterworth-Heinemann. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-08-053793-1" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-08-053793-1"><bdi>978-0-08-053793-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Ocean+Basins%3A+Their+Structure+and+Evolution&rft.place=Oxford%2C+England&rft.edition=Second&rft.pub=Open+University%2C+Butterworth-Heinemann&rft.date=1998-01-26&rft.isbn=978-0-08-053793-1&rft.aulast=Wright&rft.aufirst=John&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D9rSp1q7A21YC&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AOceanic+basin" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oceanic_basin&action=edit&section=14" 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title="Breaking wave">Breaking wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Clapotis" title="Clapotis">Clapotis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cnoidal_wave" title="Cnoidal wave">Cnoidal wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cross_sea" title="Cross sea">Cross sea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dispersion_(water_waves)" title="Dispersion (water waves)">Dispersion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Edge_wave" title="Edge wave">Edge wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Equatorial_wave" title="Equatorial wave">Equatorial waves</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gravity_wave" title="Gravity wave">Gravity wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Green%27s_law" title="Green's law">Green's law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Infragravity_wave" title="Infragravity wave">Infragravity wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internal_wave" title="Internal wave">Internal wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Iribarren_number" title="Iribarren number">Iribarren number</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kelvin_wave" title="Kelvin wave">Kelvin wave</a></li> <li><a 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title="Soliton">Soliton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stokes_drift" title="Stokes drift">Stokes drift</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stokes_problem" title="Stokes problem">Stokes problem</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stokes_wave" title="Stokes wave">Stokes wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swell_(ocean)" title="Swell (ocean)">Swell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trochoidal_wave" title="Trochoidal wave">Trochoidal wave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tsunami" title="Tsunami">Tsunami</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Megatsunami" title="Megatsunami">megatsunami</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Undertow_(water_waves)" title="Undertow (water waves)">Undertow</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ursell_number" title="Ursell number">Ursell number</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wave_action_(continuum_mechanics)" title="Wave action (continuum mechanics)">Wave action</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wave_base" title="Wave base">Wave base</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wave_height" title="Wave height">Wave height</a></li> <li><a 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race</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tidal_range" title="Tidal range">Tidal range</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tidal_resonance" title="Tidal resonance">Tidal resonance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tide_gauge" title="Tide gauge">Tide gauge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tideline" title="Tideline">Tideline</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Landform" title="Landform">Landforms</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Abyssal_fan" title="Abyssal fan">Abyssal fan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Abyssal_plain" title="Abyssal plain">Abyssal plain</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Atoll" title="Atoll">Atoll</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bathymetric_chart" title="Bathymetric chart">Bathymetric chart</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Carbonate_platform" title="Carbonate platform">Carbonate platform</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Coastal_geography" title="Coastal geography">Coastal geography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cold_seep" title="Cold seep">Cold seep</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Continental_margin" title="Continental margin">Continental margin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Continental_rise" title="Continental rise">Continental rise</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Continental_shelf" title="Continental shelf">Continental shelf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Contourite" title="Contourite">Contourite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guyot" title="Guyot">Guyot</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrography" title="Hydrography">Hydrography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Knoll_(oceanography)" title="Knoll (oceanography)">Knoll</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_bank" title="Ocean bank">Ocean bank</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Oceanic basin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oceanic_plateau" title="Oceanic plateau">Oceanic plateau</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oceanic_trench" title="Oceanic trench">Oceanic trench</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Passive_margin" title="Passive margin">Passive margin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seabed" title="Seabed">Seabed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seamount" title="Seamount">Seamount</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Submarine_canyon" title="Submarine canyon">Submarine canyon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Submarine_volcano" title="Submarine volcano">Submarine volcano</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Plate_tectonics" title="Plate tectonics">Plate<br />tectonics</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Convergent_boundary" title="Convergent boundary">Convergent boundary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Divergent_boundary" title="Divergent boundary">Divergent boundary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fracture_zone" title="Fracture zone">Fracture zone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hydrothermal_vent" title="Hydrothermal vent">Hydrothermal vent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marine_geology" title="Marine geology">Marine geology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mid-ocean_ridge" title="Mid-ocean ridge">Mid-ocean ridge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mohorovi%C4%8Di%C4%87_discontinuity" title="Mohorovičić discontinuity">Mohorovičić discontinuity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oceanic_crust" title="Oceanic crust">Oceanic crust</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outer_trench_swell" title="Outer trench swell">Outer trench swell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ridge_push" title="Ridge push">Ridge push</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seafloor_spreading" title="Seafloor spreading">Seafloor spreading</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slab_pull" title="Slab pull">Slab pull</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slab_suction" title="Slab suction">Slab suction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slab_window" title="Slab window">Slab window</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subduction" title="Subduction">Subduction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transform_fault" title="Transform fault">Transform fault</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vine%E2%80%93Matthews%E2%80%93Morley_hypothesis" title="Vine–Matthews–Morley hypothesis">Vine–Matthews–Morley hypothesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Volcanic_arc" title="Volcanic arc">Volcanic arc</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Ocean zones</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Benthic_zone" title="Benthic zone">Benthic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deep_ocean_water" title="Deep ocean water">Deep ocean water</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deep_sea" title="Deep sea">Deep sea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Littoral_zone" title="Littoral zone">Littoral</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mesopelagic_zone" title="Mesopelagic zone">Mesopelagic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oceanic_zone" title="Oceanic zone">Oceanic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pelagic_zone" title="Pelagic zone">Pelagic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Photic_zone" title="Photic zone">Photic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surf_zone" title="Surf zone">Surf</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swash" title="Swash">Swash</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Sea_level" title="Sea level">Sea level</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Deep-ocean_Assessment_and_Reporting_of_Tsunamis" title="Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis">Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Global_Sea_Level_Observing_System" title="Global Sea Level Observing System">Global Sea Level Observing System</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/North_West_Shelf_Operational_Oceanographic_System" title="North West Shelf Operational Oceanographic System">North West Shelf Operational Oceanographic System</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sea-level_curve" title="Sea-level curve">Sea-level curve</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sea_level_drop" title="Sea level drop">Sea level drop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sea_level_rise" title="Sea level rise">Sea level rise</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/World_Geodetic_System" title="World Geodetic System">World Geodetic System</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Acoustical_oceanography" class="mw-redirect" title="Acoustical oceanography">Acoustics</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Deep_scattering_layer" title="Deep scattering layer">Deep scattering layer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_acoustic_tomography" title="Ocean acoustic tomography">Ocean acoustic tomography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sofar_bomb" title="Sofar bomb">Sofar bomb</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/SOFAR_channel" title="SOFAR channel">SOFAR channel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Underwater_acoustics" title="Underwater acoustics">Underwater acoustics</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Satellites</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Jason-1" title="Jason-1">Jason-1</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/OSTM/Jason-2" title="OSTM/Jason-2">OSTM/Jason-2</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jason-3" title="Jason-3">Jason-3</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_acidification" title="Ocean acidification">Acidification</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Argo_(oceanography)" title="Argo (oceanography)">Argo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Benthic_lander" title="Benthic lander">Benthic lander</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Color_of_water" title="Color of water">Color of water</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/DSV_Alvin" title="DSV Alvin">DSV <i>Alvin</i></a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marginal_sea" class="mw-redirect" title="Marginal sea">Marginal sea</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marine_energy" title="Marine energy">Marine energy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marine_pollution" title="Marine pollution">Marine pollution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mooring_(oceanography)" title="Mooring (oceanography)">Mooring</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_Oceanographic_Data_Center" title="National Oceanographic Data Center">National Oceanographic Data Center</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean" title="Ocean">Ocean</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_exploration" title="Ocean exploration">Explorations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_observations" title="Ocean observations">Observations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_reanalysis" title="Ocean reanalysis">Reanalysis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_surface_topography" title="Ocean surface topography">Ocean surface topography</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_temperature" title="Ocean temperature">Ocean temperature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_thermal_energy_conversion" title="Ocean thermal energy conversion">Ocean thermal energy conversion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oceanography" title="Oceanography">Oceanography</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Outline_of_oceanography" title="Outline of oceanography">Outline of oceanography</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pelagic_sediment" title="Pelagic sediment">Pelagic sediment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sea_surface_microlayer" title="Sea surface microlayer">Sea surface microlayer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sea_surface_temperature" title="Sea surface temperature">Sea surface temperature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Seawater" title="Seawater">Seawater</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Science_On_a_Sphere" title="Science On a Sphere">Science On a Sphere</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ocean_stratification" 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