Major Ocean Basins

Ocean Basins

Composed of the seafloor and all of its geological features, ocean basins vary in size, shape, and features due to the movement of Earth's crust.

Pacific Ocean Basin

The largest ocean basin, covering an area of 180,000,000 km2, with the deepest average depth of 3,940 m, and known for its extensive marginal seas, volcanic island systems, trenches, mountain building, and earthquake activity along boundaries.

Atlantic Ocean Basin

The second largest ocean basin, covering an area of 107,000,000 km2, with an average depth of 3,310 m, and characterized by large freshwater input from major rivers, and a small number of marginal seas.

Indian Ocean Basin

With an areal coverage of 74,000,000 km2 and an average depth of 3,840 m, the Indian Ocean Basin is known for its large sediment input from river deltas and a small number of marginal seas.

Southern Ocean Basin

Covering an area of 20,327,000 km2, the Southern Ocean Basin is characterized by its continuous ring of water around the Antarctic continent, extreme cold temperatures, high biological productivity, extensive winter sea ice coverage, and a small number of marginal seas.

Arctic Ocean Basin

The smallest ocean basin, covering an area of 14,056,000 km2, the Arctic Ocean Basin is centered around the North Pole, shallow and land-locked, covered by sea ice, and receives large sediment input from active glaciers.