Exploring the Pacific Ocean
The Mighty Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's oceanic divisions. It stretches all the way from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bordering Asia and Australia on the west, and the Americas on the east. Imagine a body of water so vast that all the continents could fit inside it! That's the Pacific Ocean.
Size and Depth
It covers about 63 million square miles (165 million square kilometers), which is about 30% of the Earth's surface. That's bigger than all the land on Earth combined! The average depth is about 13,000 feet (4,000 meters), but the deepest part, the Mariana Trench, goes down to an incredible 36,000 feet (11,000 meters). If you put Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, into the Mariana Trench, its peak would still be more than a mile underwater!
Life in the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is home to an amazing variety of marine life. From tiny plankton to giant whales, the ocean teems with creatures. Colorful coral reefs provide shelter for countless fish and invertebrates. Sea turtles, seals, and seabirds also call the Pacific home. Sadly, many of these creatures are threatened by pollution and overfishing.
Important Facts
- Plankton:
- Tiny organisms that float in the ocean and are food for many animals.
- Marine Life:
- Plants and animals that live in the ocean.
- invertebrates:
- Animals that do not have a backbone, such as jellyfish, crabs, and sea stars.
- atolls:
- Ring-shaped coral reefs or islands that surround a lagoon.
- regulating:
- Controlling or managing something to keep it balanced and working properly.
- deplete:
- To drastically reduce the amount, supply, or population of something.
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- 1What is the Pacific Ocean?
- 2How big is the Pacific Ocean?
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About this informational passage for Upper Elementary
“Exploring the Pacific Ocean” is a informational reading passage about Pacific Ocean, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 2 minutes to read (321 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.