Southern Ocean

E2696

The Southern Ocean is the remote, icy ocean encircling Antarctica, known for its powerful circumpolar currents, rich marine ecosystems, and crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate.

All labels observed (14)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Earth's ocean
ocean
alsoKnownAs Southern Ocean
surface form: Antarctic Ocean

Southern Ocean
surface form: Southern Ocean (fifth ocean)
Antarctic Circumpolar CurrentDirection west to east
Antarctic Circumpolar CurrentSpeed fastest major ocean current
AntarcticCircumpolarCurrentRole connects Atlantic Pacific and Indian Oceans
AntarcticConvergenceRole boundary between cold polar and warmer subantarctic waters
borders Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
surface form: South Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean
surface form: South Pacific Ocean
boundedByLatitude approximately south of 60 degrees south
contains Amundsen Sea
Amundsen Sea
surface form: Bellingshausen Sea

Ross Sea
Scotia Sea
South Sandwich Trench
Weddell Sea
deepWaterFormationContributesTo global thermohaline circulation
encircles Antarctica
governedBy Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
hasArea approximately 20 million square kilometers
hasAverageDepth approximately 4000 meters
hasClimateRole major carbon sink
major heat sink
hasCurrent Antarctic Circumpolar Current
hasEcosystem rich marine ecosystem
hasEnvironmentalIssue climate change impacts
fishing pressure on krill and toothfish
ocean acidification
ocean warming
sea ice decline in some regions
hasFront Antarctic Convergence
hasIcebergs large tabular icebergs calved from Antarctic ice shelves
hasKeySpeciesRole Antarctic krill as keystone species
hasMaximumDepth approximately 7235 meters
hasNotableFeature remote and sparsely populated region
hasProcess deep water formation
hasSeaIceExtent strongly seasonal
hasTemperature generally near freezing
influences global climate system
locatedInHemisphere Southern Hemisphere
partOf World Ocean
recognizedAsOceanSince 2000
recognizedBy International Hydrographic Organization
seaIceMaximumExtent around September
seaIceMinimumExtent around February
supportsSpecies Antarctic krill
albatrosses
penguins
seals
whales

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (447)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

American-Antarctic Ridge ocean Southern Ocean
American-Antarctic Ridge formsBoundaryBetween Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean basin
HMS Challenger route Southern Ocean
Bass Strait partOf Southern Ocean
Snow Island locatedInBodyOfWater Southern Ocean
International Date Line crosses Southern Ocean
Derwent River mouthLocatedIn Southern Ocean
Signy Research Station region Southern Ocean
leopard seal nativeTo Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Antarctic waters
leopard seal nativeTo Southern Ocean
William Smith placeOfActivity Southern Ocean
William Smith associatedWith Southern Ocean
Mount Nivea locatedIn Southern Ocean
Antarctic fur seal nativeTo Southern Ocean
Gulf St Vincent locatedIn Southern Ocean
Decepción Base locatedIn Southern Ocean
Cámara Base sea Southern Ocean
Nathaniel Palmer activeIn Southern Ocean
America hasOceanBoundary Southern Ocean
southeastern Australia bordersBodyOfWater Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Southeastern Australia
Pacific sector partOf Southern Ocean
ACC locatedIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Antarctic Circumpolar Current
West Wind Drift locatedIn Southern Ocean
Subantarctic Front locatedIn Southern Ocean
Joinville Island group locatedIn Southern Ocean
CCAMLR Convention Area partOf Southern Ocean
Dana geographicFocus Southern Ocean
King Island ocean Southern Ocean
Coronation Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
RRS Charles Darwin researchArea Southern Ocean
Half Moon Island region Southern Ocean
Tasman Peninsula hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
Livingston Island surroundedBy Southern Ocean
Robertson Islands locatedIn Southern Ocean
Robertson Islands locatedInOcean Southern Ocean
Signy Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Great Ocean Road locatedOnCoastOf Southern Ocean
Great Ocean Road hasViewOf Southern Ocean
Elephant Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Clarence Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Life in the Freezer setting Southern Ocean
Frozen Planet II filmingTookPlaceIn Southern Ocean
Low Island locatedIn Southern Ocean