Mountains along the shore of the Pacific Ocean. Physical Geography of the Pacific

Humanity has arisen and has been living for more than a millennium on a unique planet, similar to which scientists have not yet discovered. Its uniqueness lies in many factors, but the main one is the presence of a large amount of water in the liquid state. 71% of our planet is covered with water, which gave birth to life. This is, no doubt, the oceans. There are four in total. This is the Indian, Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans. The largest of them is Quiet, which carries half of all the water reserves of the planet.

Pacific Ocean

The physical geography of the Pacific provides us with data on its size, flora and fauna. Its area is 179 million km ² , and the average depth is 4 km. This is the only ocean that is washed by the shores of five continents. The exception is Africa, which is located in a place inaccessible to the Pacific Ocean. Also, such part of the world as Oceania, its home can be called the Pacific Ocean. Its neighbors are other oceans: Indian, Atlantic and Arctic.

Seismic activity of the Pacific Ocean

Waterfalls, lakes, mountains, glaciers and the Pacific are closely related. The bottom of the ocean continues life and is constantly changing. The processes of mountain building are in an active stage. There are many mountain ranges and lonely peaks that are still growing. This leads to powerful seismic activity and the formation of a tsunami. Glaciers that are located in North America, though they do not reach the ocean itself, create the possibility of the appearance of icebergs. They arise in the bays and gulfs of the Pacific Ocean. For ships of a particular threat, glaciers do not represent, because they melt before leaving the open ocean.

If we talk about what mountains along the Pacific coast exist, we should mention the Cordilleras, the Andes, the Sikhote-Alin and the Koryak highlands.

Cordilleras

Cordilleras are mountains located in North America. They pass along the western coast. If there are mountains mentioned along the Pacific coast, then most often it is the Cordilleras. The length of these mountains is about 9000 km, and the width can vary from 800 to 1600 km, depending on the location. The highest point of these mountains is McKinley, whose height reaches 6193 m. These mountains are rich in minerals such as copper, oil, lead, gold, molybdenum, platinum, silver, zinc and tin. The climate in these mountainous areas is quite diverse. It is determined by the height of the mountains and the width of their trail. In the same way, matters are with flora and fauna. They are completely dependent on the climate of a certain mountain area.

Andes

Mountains, along the Pacific coast located and located in South America, are called the Andes. They are an integral part of the Cordillera, and they are also called the Southern Cordilleras. They originate near the Caribbean Sea and end in Tierra del Fuego. The total length of the Andes is 9 thousand km. These mountains have high peaks, but the winner is Mount Aconcagua with a height of 6960 m, which is also considered the most outstanding in the territory of all undivided Cordillera. Andes, depending on their location, are divided into Western, Central, Eastern, Coastal and Main.

These magnificent mountains on the Pacific coast have great wealth - ores of various non-ferrous metals. Even the very name of these mountains comes from the Inca word "anta", which means "copper". Also there are gas, oil and emeralds. Since the Andes have a very long stretch, they are located in six climatic zones, which led to a very large variety of weather phenomena. On the slopes of these mountains grow mixed and coniferous forests that have become home to many animals, including llamas, bears, foxes, deer and others.

Sikhote-Alinh

Along the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean there are another unusually beautiful mountains called Sikhote-Alin. They are located near the shores of the Khabarovsk and Primorye Territories. In length they are much inferior to the Cordilleras and the Andes (1200 km with a maximum width of 250 km). The highest mountain is Tardoki-Jani with a height of 2,090 m. In the quarries of Sikhote-Alin, minerals such as tin, polymetals, brown and coal, and gold are mined. Their name was given to these mountains due to the fact that the western slope is more flat, as a result of which the rivers to the west became very long. Sikhote-Alin in the translation from the Manchu language means "uplands with large western rivers".

These mountains, along the shore of the Pacific Ocean towering, have a very diverse animal and plant world. There are both mixed and coniferous forests. If we talk about animals, the first to mention is the Amur tiger - the largest cat on our planet. Unfortunately, this species is on the verge of extinction. Therefore, in 1935 a reserve was established in the central and eastern parts of the ridge. Another interesting species, which in nature lives only here, is the Far Eastern leopard. The winters in these mountains are very mild, with average temperatures. In summer, most precipitation falls.

Koryak Highlands

It is located in Kamchatka and in the Magadan Territory. Its length is about 880 km, the width is 270 km. The average height of the mountains of this ridge does not exceed 1800 m. The highest point of the Koryak Upland is Mount Ice with an altitude of 2562 m above sea level. If we consider the ridge on the map, we will see mountains along the shore of the Pacific Ocean, namely in the northwestern part of it, concentrated. Highlands are rich in diverse fossils. These include loose gold, and tin, and silver, and copper, and mercury, and brown coal, and sulfur, and even chalk. The ridges of the highlands, which diverge in different directions, form a multitude of depressions and a plateau called Parkhana.

The climate, which is inherent in the uplands, is mostly pre-oceanic. Summer is cold with a lot of fogs. In winter strong frosts and gusts of wind are observed. Because of this climate vegetation here is mean, there are many deserts.

Unusual facts about the Pacific Ocean

The oceans are huge and mysterious. Therefore, it is impossible not to mention the most interesting facts about the Pacific Ocean when it comes to it. The first thing that can surprise a simple person is the size of this ocean. Its width at maximum size is the same as half the equator of the globe. And this is neither more nor less - 17 thousand km. Such impressive sizes do not allow modern scientists to still find out what species live at the bottom of this giant. In the process of research, new, previously unknown species of animals are constantly found.

The Mariana Trench is the deepest of all existing. It goes down 11 km, and this does not allow oceanographers to find out what is on its bottom. Also interesting is that the highest mountain on the planet is not Everest, but Mauna Kea in the Hawaiian Islands. Just the main part of it is under water. Its height from the foot to the peak is 10 thousand meters.

Thus, the Pacific Ocean is great and beautiful. The entire ecosystem of the planet depends on it. He gives us wonderful views and places for recreation, and people should not forget about his protection.