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.

RAN operatesIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Royal Australian Navy
Pine Island Bay partOf Southern Ocean
Cape Roquemaurel locatedIn Southern Ocean
Cape Roquemaurel borderedBy Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean waters
Coorong region locatedAlong Southern Ocean
Coast Guard of Chile operatesIn Southern Ocean
Otariidae geographicDistribution Southern Ocean
Fildes Bay partOf Southern Ocean
English Strait partOf Southern Ocean
Peter I Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Yankee Harbour partOf Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean region
Diomedeidae distribution Southern Ocean
Oceanitidae distribution Southern Ocean
Hope Bay oceanBasin Southern Ocean
Bone Bay hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Antarctic Ocean
Discovery Bay partOf Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Discovery Bay (Greenwich Island)
Discovery Bay ocean Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Discovery Bay (Greenwich Island)
English Strait (adjacent waterway) locatedIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: English Strait
English Strait (adjacent waterway) hasOcean Southern Ocean
subject surface form: English Strait
Ephraim Bluff surroundedBy Southern Ocean
Davis Coast borders Southern Ocean
RNZN operatesIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Royal New Zealand Navy
Arctowski Peninsula borders Southern Ocean
Danco Coast borderedBy Southern Ocean
Weddell–Scotia Confluence locatedIn Southern Ocean
Procellariidae distribution Southern Ocean
McFarlane Strait partOf Southern Ocean
Eyrie Bay isInOceanRegion Southern Ocean
Atlantic Ocean (via Sheepshead Bay inlet) connectedTo Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Atlantic Ocean
Antarctic Zone contains Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Antarctic Ocean
Antarctic Zone contains Southern Ocean
Antarctic Zone borderedBy Southern Ocean
An Antarctic Mystery setting Southern Ocean
R/V Vema researchArea Southern Ocean
Gadiformes distribution Southern Ocean
R/V Maurice Ewing operatedIn Southern Ocean
Shackleton Fracture Zone locatedIn Southern Ocean
Discovery Bank locatedIn Southern Ocean
Discovery Bank ocean Southern Ocean
Terror Rise locatedIn Southern Ocean
Terror Rise ocean Southern Ocean