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  1. How deep is the ocean? - NOAA's National Ocean Service

    Jun 16, 2024 · The average depth of the ocean is about 3,682 meters (12,080 feet). The lowest ocean depth on Earth is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in …

  2. How far does light travel in the ocean?

    Light may be detected as far as 1,000 meters down in the ocean, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 meters. The ocean is divided into three zones based on depth and light level.

  3. How does pressure change with ocean depth?

    Jun 16, 2024 · This vehicle allows scientists to observe the deep sea under tremendous ocean pressure. At sea level, the air that surrounds us presses down on our bodies at 14.7 pounds per square inch. …

  4. What is marine snow? - NOAA's National Ocean Service

    Nov 5, 2020 · What is marine snow? Marine snow is a shower of organic material falling from upper waters to the deep ocean. VIDEO: Biological debris that falls from higher in the water column is also …

  5. What is the world's smallest ocean?

    Jun 16, 2024 · The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 3,953 feet and it is 18,264 feet at its deepest point. The Arctic Ocean is almost completely covered with ice for the majority of the year and its …

  6. How far does sound travel in the ocean?

    Jun 16, 2024 · Water temperature and pressure determine how far sound travels in the ocean. While sound moves at a much faster speed in the water than in air, the distance that sound waves travel is …

  7. Thermohaline Circulation - NOAA's National Ocean Service

    However, ocean currents also flow thousands of meters below the surface. These deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and …

  8. The Global Conveyor Belt - NOAA's National Ocean Service

    The cold water is now more dense, due to the added salts, and sinks toward the ocean bottom. Surface water moves in to replace the sinking water, thus creating a current. This deep water moves south, …

  9. Why is the ocean blue? - NOAA's National Ocean Service

    Jun 16, 2024 · The ocean may also take on green, red, or other hues as light bounces off of floating sediments and particles in the water. Most of the ocean, however, is completely dark. Hardly any …

  10. What is a thermocline? - NOAA's National Ocean Service

    In the ocean, the depth and strength of the thermocline vary from season to season and year to year. It is semi-permanent in the tropics, variable in temperate regions (often deepest during the summer), …