Indian Ocean

islands of the indian ocean

Among all world oceans is the Indian Ocean. It is one of the parts of the global ocean of our planet that extends through the territories of the Middle East, South Asia, Australia and East Africa. It has a size capable of holding up to 20% of all the water on the planet. It has a large number of island regions quite popular with explorers and tourists. One of these best known islands is Madagascar.

In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Indian Ocean, its origin, geology, climate, flora and fauna.

Origin of the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The first thing to consider is the formation of all the world's oceans. It has been established that most of the water on planet Earth arose from the interior of the earth's crust thanks to volcanic activity and the rotating force. Since at the beginning of the planet's formation there was only water vapor, it was mainly due to the planet's temperatures being so high that it did not allow the water to be liquid. With the passage of time, the Earth's atmosphere was achieved in day to form the oceans that we know today. In addition, the precipitations arose and this brought a greater quantity of liquid water that began to be deposited in the lowlands and basins.

The rivers that defended the mountainous terrain also began to develop. With the movement of plate tectonics, the continents began to separate and move, generating various land and sea boundaries. In this way, the Indian Ocean was formed since they were delimited all the fringes of the continents and the currents of Africa, Oceania and Asia.

Key features

characteristics of the indico

This ocean is located between southern India and Oceania, eastern Africa and northern Antarctica. It joins one of the streams of the Atlantic Ocean in the southwest, while to the south it bathes the coasts of southern Africa. Joins with him Pacific Ocean for the south east part.

It has a depth with an average of 3741 meters, while its maximum depth reaches 7258 meters, being this location on the island of Java. We can also talk about its coastal length. It has a maximum coastal length of 66 kilometers and its volume is about 526 cubic kilometers.

It is the third largest ocean on the entire planet since it has an area of ​​about 70.56 million square kilometers.

Regarding its geology, it is established that 86% of the entire territory is covered by pelagic sediments. These sediments are nothing more than fine summers that accumulate as a consequence of the deposition of particles on the seabed. All of these sediments usually develop in deeper waters and are composed mainly of biogenic silica shells. These shells are usually secreted by both phytoplankton and zooplankton. They are also usually made up of calcium carbonate. Some smaller siliciclastic sediments are found in the depths.

14% of the surface is covered with slight layers of terrigenous sediments. All these sediments make up a series of particles that are generated in the terrestrial soil and join the marine sediments.

Indian ocean climate

We are going to talk about the prevailing climate in the entire area of ​​the Indian Ocean. We know that in the southern part of the ocean comes a fairly stable climate. However, in the northern part there is a greater amount of atmospheric instability. This instability results in the gestation of monsoons. Monsoons are known around the world as seasonal winds produced by the displacement of the equatorial belt. These monsoon winds can be accompanied by heavy rains, although they can also be cold and dry. All these monsoons significantly affect the societies that are located in these places and that depend largely on agriculture.

Heavy rains often have negative impacts on the economy. One example is the large number of drowning deaths each year in India from these monsoons. In the southern part of the ocean, the winds are less intense, although during the summer, there are usually some fairly strong and damaging storms.

Flora and fauna

monsoons

We are going to analyze the diversity that is generated throughout this ocean. We know that the flora of the Indian Ocean includes not only marine plants. These plants are mainly composed of green, brown and red algae. It also usually includes all the species of flora that inhabit the coasts and on the islands.

One of the best known species of this ocean is eI Adiantum Hispidulum. It is a type of small fern that belongs to the Pteridaceae family. This family has a wide area of ​​distribution throughout all areas of Polynesia, Australia, Africa, New Zealand and most of the islands in the Indian Ocean. It is a kind of fern that can grow between rocks or in some places that have more protected soils. It is characterized by having tufts and can be up to 45 centimeters long.

It has its triangular and elliptical type leaves and they open in tips that culminate in the shape of a fan or diamond. The winds from this ocean causes a humid climate that allows the growth of this type of fern on the islands.

Another of the most abundant and unique flora species in the Indian Ocean is Andasonia. These are unique trees that have a large, irregular or bottle-shaped trunk that is full of knots. Height oscillates more or less between 33 meters, while the diameter of its crown can exceed 11 meters.

As for the fauna, it is more limited because the maritime territory it does not have adequate amounts of phytoplankton, which is the basis of the food web. However, several species such as shrimp and tuna are found in the northern part, with some such as whales and turtles. There are also some areas with coral reefs.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Indian Ocean and its characteristics.


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