The Role of Oceans in Shaping the Planet’s Geography

Coral growth fueled by warm ocean waters forms reefs like the Great Barrier Reef protecting and shaping shores.

The Southern Ocean’s circumpolar current encircles Antarctica isolating Australia’s flora and fauna for millions of years.

Mid-ocean ridges like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge form where tectonic plates diverge shaping seafloor geography.

The Pacific’s subduction zone along South America pushed up the Andes as the Nazca Plate slid beneath it.

Sedimentation via waves and currents moves and deposits sediment creating beaches along coastlines.

The Atlantic’s tidal forces combined with glacial retreat sculpted Norway’s steep deep fjords over time.

Hotspots under oceans like the Pacific’s Hawaiian hotspot build volcanic islands as plates move over them.

The Pacific hosts the Mariana Trench 11034 meters deep formed by tectonic subduction per oceanographic data.

Erosion caused by waves and tides shapes cliffs and beaches reshaping landmasses over millennia.

The Atlantic’s currents like the Gulf Stream move warm water north moderating climates across continents.