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Ocean and Sea both refer to bodies of water that cover most of Earth’s surface. However, the terms have different meanings in different languages including British and American English. The difference can be seen in the British meaning of Sea as a body of water covering the continental shelf and the North Sea whereas for Americans it is synonymous with ocean, which means any sea or ocean, including smaller bodies of water like lakes or ponds.
Oceans
Oceans can be one of two things: either they’re oceans as Earth’s major hydrospheric feature, or they’re individual smaller bodies of water located in areas such as the Arctic Ocean, Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea, etc., which exist separately from other bodies. The boundaries between oceans are not discrete and clear, but rather constantly shifting, moving on a dynamic level as opposed to being static lines.
Significance of Oceans
Human existence and survival, as well as various forms of flora and fauna, are significantly affected by the presence of oceans. The unique physical property of water (in this case, salt water) is that it expands when frozen, which serves as a great insulator for things like arctic explorers or undersea explorers alike, who depend on ice to stay alive. Sufficient amounts of ice found in the Arctic Ocean sustain polar bears and penguins even during winter months.
The part played by oceans in the economy is significant because they allow weather forecasts to be created that can predict the occurrence of hurricanes or typhoons a few days before they hit land.
Seas
Seas can be either one of two things: either they’re small bodies of water like lakes or ponds, or they refer to bodies of water that cover large portions of the Earth’s surface where the Earth’s gravitational pull is strong enough to cause a body of water to have low tidal ranges. Examples of seas include the Caspian Sea and Sea of Galilee. The boundary between seas is not discrete and clear, but rather constantly shifting and moving on a dynamic level as opposed to being static lines.
Significance of Seas
The importance of seas in the economy is significant because they allow weather forecasts to be created that can predict the concentration of rainfall a few days before it hits land. The occurrence of hurricanes or typhoons is similarly predicted using similar methods, making aid delivery and relief work easier.
Different Definitions
In British English, an ocean refers to the relatively large bodies of water greater than 20m deep, while a sea describes smaller bodies where the maximum depth is less than 20m. In American English, both ocean and sea refer to bodies of water with depths up to 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). The main difference between these two terms lies in whether or not there are continental shelves around them.
Difference between Ocean and Sea
Ocean and Sea both refer to the Earth’s major hydrospheric feature. The terms have different meanings in different languages, including American and British English, although both can refer to bodies of water with depths up to 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). Some key differences between Ocean and Sea are:
- A sea only covers a certain geographical region. Most of the Earth’s major oceans, including the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean are not considered seas, but rather ocean.
- A sea can be either large or small in comparison to an ocean. For instance, there is no such thing as a Mediterranean Sea, it is instead simply an ocean worthy of its own name. However, lakes like Lake Superior or Lake Michigan can also be considered seas because they are located on the coastlines of North America and have maximum depths less than 2,300 meters (7,500 feet).
- An ocean takes up most of Earth’s surface while parts of a sea cover smaller territories on Earth. For example, the North Sea is a large ocean located in Europe, but the Caspian Sea which is located in Iran and Russia are considered seas despite covering smaller locations on Earth.
- An ocean takes up most of space while parts of a sea cover smaller territories on Earth. For instance, the Pacific Ocean takes up almost all of space between Asia and North America. The Atlantic Ocean is also an ocean that covers part of North America and parts of Africa. The Arctic Ocean covers the entire north pole while parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans extend southwards to cover some small territories in Antarctica.
- An ocean contains no clear boundaries which means that there is no exact way to tell where one ends and another begins.
Conclusion
Ocean and sea both refer to hydrospheric features on Earth. These terms are used interchangeably in some contexts while in others, ocean and sea are used to differentiate features that would be considered bodies of water of the same level. It is important to consider the structure of these features when trying to compare or contrast them based on their attributes.
To summarise, oceans are large continuous bodies of water while seas usually cover smaller territories on Earth. Oceans also cover most of Earth’s surface while seas only cover a certain region.
