Oceans cover about 70% of the Earth's surface. The oceans contain roughly 97% of the Earth's water supply. The oceans of Earth serve many functions, especially affecting the weather and temperature. They moderate the Earth's temperature by absorbing incoming solar radiation (stored as heat energy). The always-moving ocean currents distribute this heat energy around the globe. This heats the land and air during winter and cools it during summer. Until the year 2000, there were four recognized oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic. In the Spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization came up with a new ocean, the Southern Ocean. There are also many seas (smaller branches of an ocean); seas are often partly enclosed by land. The largest seas are the South China Sea, the Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the five oceans on Earth. The name “pacific” has been derived from the Latin name “Mare Pacificum”, which means “peaceful sea”. Pacific Ocean was so named by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer. The Equator passes through the ocean, dividing it into 2 parts - North Pacific Ocean and South Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is larger than all of the Earth's land area combined. The Mariana Trench in the western North Pacific is the deepest point in the world. You could fit Mt. Everest inside and the top would not stick out of the water. The average depth of Pacific Ocean is 14,000 ft. There are more than 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Almost the entire rim of the Pacific basin is ringed with volcanoes and earthquake areas. The Great Barrier Reef in Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Australia, is the longest reef in the world. The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world. It is slightly less than 6.5 times the size of the US. The name 'Atlantic' is derived from the legendary island of “Atlantis”. Atlantic Ocean was the first ocean to be crossed by ship and airplane. In South Atlantic, there is a wide stretch of ocean between the tips of South Africa and South America, which causes huge waves & continuous strong winds, known as the "Roaring Forties". The largest island in Atlantic Ocean is Greenland. A triangular area in Atlantic Ocean, called The Bermuda Triangle, is held responsible for mysterious shipwrecks, disappearances and air crashes. The Indian Ocean is the 3rd largest ocean. It’s name is derived from the country India. The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean in the world. But, the warm water resists the growth of phytoplankton except for a few spots. Therefore, life thriving in the ocean is limited. Indian Ocean transports a heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products, from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. The ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. Approximately 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean. Fishing in Indian Ocean has been restricted to subsistence level. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean. It is also the shallowest. Throughout the year, the ocean is largely covered with a sheet of sea ice due to very low temperatures. The Arctic Ocean is nearly completely surrounded by Eurasia and North America. The Arctic Ocean's cold sheet of floating ice is quarters to seals, polar bears and arctic fox. The Arctic Ocean's ice sheet is four times as large as the state of Texas. More fish live along the edges of the Arctic Ocean than anywhere else on the Earth. The Arctic is the only place on the Earth where polar bears live. The Southern Ocean is also named Antarctic Ocean, South Polar Ocean or Great Southern Ocean. Icebergs are a further serious problem for navigation in this ocean, especially, during the Antarctic winter (MayOctober). The Southern Ocean surrounds the entire continent of Antarctica. It includes the southern portions of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. The Southern Ocean was created in the year 2000.