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.

Bridgeman Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Bridgeman Island surroundedBy Southern Ocean
Port Lincoln isCoastalOn Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean (via Spencer Gulf)
Victoria (Australia) hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
Winter filmingLocation Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Winter (Frozen Planet)
On Thin Ice hasSetting Southern Ocean
James Weddell seaAreaOfActivity Southern Ocean
Weddell Gyre locatedIn Southern Ocean
Laurie Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Port Phillip Bay connectedTo Southern Ocean
Fredriksen Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Fredriksen Island ocean Southern Ocean
Moe Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Moe Island surroundedBy Southern Ocean
Cape Horn rounding associatedWith Southern Ocean
Admiralty Bay partOf Southern Ocean
NADW flowsInto Southern Ocean
East Antarctica facesOcean Southern Ocean
Maxwell Bay partOf Southern Ocean
Powell Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Powell Island surroundedBy Southern Ocean
Ross Ice Shelf oceanBasin Southern Ocean
Murray Mouth emptiesInto Southern Ocean
Murray Mouth locatedOnCoastOf Southern Ocean
Biscoe Islands locatedIn Southern Ocean
Albany hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Albany, Western Australia
South Atlantic extendsTo Southern Ocean
South Atlantic connectedTo Southern Ocean
Planet Ocean filmingLocation Southern Ocean
CCAS geographicScope Southern Ocean
Adélie Coast region borders Southern Ocean
Prydz Bay region partOf Southern Ocean
Antarctic toothfish nativeTo Southern Ocean
Adélie penguin nativeTo Southern Ocean
Gerlache Strait region locatedIn Southern Ocean
Coats Land ocean Southern Ocean
King George Bay partOf Southern Ocean
crabeater seal distribution Southern Ocean
Larsen Ice Shelf partOf Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean region
Cape Adare isInOceanRegion Southern Ocean
McMurdo Sound locatedIn Southern Ocean
State of Victoria hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
Cape Obelisk ocean Southern Ocean
Znepole Ice Piedmont isInOceanRegion Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean region
Cugnot Ice Piedmont isInOceanBasin Southern Ocean
Arctic tern nonBreedingRange Southern Ocean
Ellsworth Land oceanProximity Southern Ocean