Oceans and Seas

[KE Wales]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between an ocean and a sea? Also, can you name the seas? How about Bays? Gulfs?
Any advice and or web site links would be much appreciated.
Thanks,

Karen Wales

[outofthenorm]

Hmmmmm, without looking it up...
3 Oceans - Atlantic, pacific, Indian
7 Seas - Red, Black, North, Med, Caspian, Sea of Cortez, Sea of Japan, Tasman(or is that a straight?). Wait, that's eight.

The difference? Oceans surround land. Land surrounds seas. An Ocean is bigger than a sea, a sea is bigger than a gulf, and a gulf is bigger than a lake and a lake is bigger than a pond.

But what do I know? I'm making this up!

- Norm

[John E Hardiman]

The oceans have an abyassal plain that surrounds the great land masses, and are divided by the land masses into several distinct portions.

A sea does not have to have abyassal plain and does not bound the continents.

[dmede]

Hmmmmm, without looking it up...
3 Oceans - Atlantic, pacific, Indian
7 Seas - Red, Black, North, Med, Caspian, Sea of Cortez, Sea of Japan, Tasman(or is that a straight?). Wait, that's eight.

The difference? Oceans surround land. Land surrounds seas. An Ocean is bigger than a sea, a sea is bigger than a gulf, and a gulf is bigger than a lake and a lake is bigger than a pond.

But what do I know? I'm making this up!

- Norm

The difference between a Gulf and a Sea is less defined and can be pretty arbitrary actually. The Gulf of Mexico is larger than some seas. The Caspain Sea is actually a lake.

There are 5 or 7 Oceans depending on how you name them: Pacific (N&S), Atlantic (N&S), Indian, Arctic and Southern.

Oceans are just the principal divisions in the earths sea water, largely defined by the basins they occupy, delineated in part by the continents. Whether you get a gulf or a sea has less to do with a rigid definition than it does history and culture. True Gulfs and Seas are always open to the Oceans. Some Seas are actually large salt lakes, and therefore techniacally mislabeled (Caspian and Dead Sea). A lake is a lake of course.

[Stiletto]

I recall reading a definition of a gulf as opposed to a bay. 'A gulf can be sailed out of on either tack whatever the wind.'

From that , it seems to be a question of scale.

[JimD]

Not only that but there are also four winds. They are strong and blow lonely. Come what may.

[Stiletto]

As long as you get there before the snow flies.

Does anybody have a picture of a snow fly?

[The Bigfella]

Coral Sea

Arafura Sea

and, of course ........

The South Seas

[Ian McColgin]

How about a dictionary and a little clear thought. At one level, ocean means sea and visa versa - large body of salt water. At another level, oceans are the four (or six) great seas unbounded by land but, rather, they bound land. Seas are the smaller oceans bounded by land.

"Sea" breaks free of salt water and lends itself better to "vast expance." Some features on the moon and other planets are called "seas" rather than "oceans."

"Sea" also sounds nicer combining both senses as when we are "at sea" whether adrift in the Sargasso or contemplating string theory.

The "Seven Seas," by the way, originated as a bit of poetic whimsey with no basis in geography.

[paladin]

"but still it would be winter, nothing there for you to do,
and the wind sure does blow cold a way out there"....

[Donn]

Bays get even more confusing. Mine, the "Great South Bay" isn't a bay at all, rather a lagoon. "Great South Lagoon" just doesn't trip off the tongue as nicely.

[TomF]

"...and the wind sure does blow cold a way out there"....Ian sure got that part right!

[dmede]

How about a dictionary and a little clear thought. At one level, ocean means sea and visa versa - large body of salt water. At another level, oceans are the four (or six) great seas unbounded by land but, rather, they bound land. Seas are the smaller oceans bounded by land.


5 or 7 actually, see my post above. The Southern Ocean was added in 2000.

[Ian McColgin]

Cool. I didn't know that "Southern Ocean" had made it to official status, but it makes sense.

Keeping North and South Atlantics and Pacifics as four, not two, makes sense if you figure that seperation by equatorial counter current is as good as seperation by continent.

[Tom Galyen]

When I "Googled" Seven Seas I came up with the following:
What are the seven seas?

To the ancients, "seven" often meant "many," and before the fifteenth century, the many seas of the world were:

* the Red Sea
* the Mediterranean Sea
* the Persian Gulf
* the Black Sea
* the Adriatic Sea
* the Caspian Sea
* the Indian Ocean

Today, the world ocean is generally divided into four main oceans:

* the Arctic Ocean
* the Atlantic Ocean
* the Indian Ocean
* the Pacific Ocean

In addition, there are numerous smaller seas and gulfs.

In the late 1960's when I was on active duty with the USN, the Seven seas were:

The North Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the North Pacific, the South Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Antarctic Ocean.

The list appears to change from time to time.

Tom G. (Seaweed)

[JimD]

All the same I think I'll go out to Alberta. Weather's good there in the fall.

[JimD]

As long as you get there before the snow flies.

Does anybody have a picture of a snow fly?

I had an actual snow fly but it melted.

[cjp63]

What the heck is the Carribean then?

[JimD]

The Carribean is a place where pirates used to congregate. They were known as the pirates of the Carribean.

[KE Wales]

Thanks everybody,
Sure, I could have looked it up in an encyclopedia, but this is a lot more fun!
Thanks again,
Karen