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.

Cape Bruny Lighthouse locatedIn Southern Ocean
Bistra Glacier locatedIn Southern Ocean
Sub-Antarctic Islands locatedIn Southern Ocean
Larsen Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Davis Sea locatedIn Southern Ocean
Woody Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Yablanitsa Glacier locatedIn Southern Ocean
Vetrino Glacier locatedIn Southern Ocean
Jenny Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Ronne Entrance locatedIn Southern Ocean
Washington Strait locatedIn Southern Ocean
Scourfield Bay locatedIn Southern Ocean
Coulman Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Vindication Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Big Glory Bay locatedIn Southern Ocean
Prices Inlet locatedIn Southern Ocean
Iona Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Iona Island (Paterson Inlet)
Erebus and Terror Gulf locatedIn Southern Ocean
Bates Glacier locatedIn Southern Ocean
New Zealand territory locatedIn Southern Ocean
Puerto Yankee locatedIn Southern Ocean
Bahía Yankee locatedIn Southern Ocean
Campbell Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Mackellar Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Snares Islands locatedIn Southern Ocean
Enderby Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Adams Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Mount Hamilton locatedIn Southern Ocean
Macquarie Island Station locatedIn Southern Ocean
Subantarctic Surface Water locatedIn Southern Ocean
lutruwita locatedIn Southern Ocean
Vincennes Bay locatedIn Southern Ocean
Broughton Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Brown Peak locatedIn Southern Ocean
Young Island locatedIn Southern Ocean
Scott Island (nearby outlier) locatedIn Southern Ocean
subject surface form: Scott Island
Ross Archipelago locatedIn Southern Ocean