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.

Hydrurga nativeToRegion Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Antarctic Ocean
Hydrurga nativeToRegion Southern Ocean
Gerlache Strait partOf Southern Ocean
RV Laurence M. Gould serviceArea Southern Ocean
Giants House locatedInSeaRegion Southern Ocean
Antarctic Intermediate Water basin Southern Ocean
Antarctic Intermediate Water formedIn Southern Ocean
Henry Foster areaOfActivity Southern Ocean
Port Davey partOf Southern Ocean
Marguerite Bay locatedIn Southern Ocean
Barry Island surroundedBy Southern Ocean
Fallières Coast ocean Southern Ocean
Indian Ocean Region borderedBy Southern Ocean
Possession Islands locatedIn Southern Ocean
Possession Islands ocean Southern Ocean
Tamar Valley wine region influencedBy Southern Ocean
Omond House region Southern Ocean
Leptonychotes habitat Southern Ocean
Hero operatingArea Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Hero (sealing vessel)
Cierva Cove partOf Southern Ocean
Coughtrey Peninsula hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
Carl Anton Larsen workLocation Southern Ocean
Carl Anton Larsen workLocation Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Antarctic waters
Arthur Harbor locatedInOcean Southern Ocean
Port Foster partOf Southern Ocean
Whalers Bay locatedInOcean Southern Ocean
George VI Sound isPartOf Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean region
George VI Ice Shelf hasClimateInfluenceFrom Southern Ocean
this entity surface form: Southern Ocean circulation
Anvers Island hasCoastlineOn Southern Ocean
BV locatedInOcean Southern Ocean
Antarctic Ice Sheet borderedBy Southern Ocean
Palmer Archipelago locatedIn Southern Ocean
Strait of Le Maire locatedIn Southern Ocean
South West Land Division borders Southern Ocean
Australasia marine realm borderedBy Southern Ocean
Subantarctic Mode Water locatedIn Southern Ocean
Larsen Islands (subgroup) locatedIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Larsen Islands
Antarctic Sound locatedIn Southern Ocean
Monroe Island (offshore island) locatedIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Monroe Island