r gyre; in the
northern Pacific sea ice forms in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk in
winter; in the southern Pacific sea ice from Antarctica reaches its
northernmost extent in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific
is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is
dissected by deep trenches, including the world's deepest, the 10,924
meter Marianas Trench
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates,
placer deposits, fish
Environment:
current issues:
endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter,
seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South
China Sea
natural hazards:
surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity
sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire; subject to tropical
cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December
(most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes)
may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from
June to October (most common in August and September); southern
shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occasional El Nino
phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds slacken
and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, killing the
plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently,
the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine
birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
international agreements:
NA
Note:
the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon
Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific
Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships
subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May
and in extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the
northern Pacific from June to December is a hazard to shipping; dotted
with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern
Pacific Ocean

@Pacific Ocean, Government

Digraph:
ZN

@Pacific Ocean, Economy

Overview:
The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and
particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides
low-cost sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing
grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gr