Why is planet Earth blue?

 

Why is planet Earth blue?

More than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, making our planet look blue from space. The huge oceans hide deep trenches, volcanoes, and mountain ranges. They are home to a great variety of living things. We have mapped more of the surface of Venus than we have the oceans of Earth.

 

Oceans of the world

There are five oceans on Earth. Smaller seas, gulfs, and bays are parts of the oceans, usually near the land. The Earth’s oceans produce more than two-thirds of the oxygen we breathe, through tiny plants called phytoplankton.

 

Clouds

Images of Earth taken from space show swirling white clouds in the atmosphere.

 

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific is the largest ocean on Earth, coving one-third

of the planet’s surface.

 

How deep is the ocean?

 

Sunlight zone

The sunlight zone goes from the surface to around 650 ft

(200 m) deep. It’s a bright area where we find coral reefs and colorful fish.

 

Twilight zone

The twilight zone goes from around 650 ft (200 m) to 3,300 ft (1,000 m) deep. It’s darker than the sunlight zone.

 

Midnight zone

The midnight zone goes from 3,300 ft (1,000 m) to 13,000 ft (4,000 m) deep. It is completely dark apart from tiny lights made by sea creatures.

 

True or false?

1. The largest ocean is the Atlantic.

2. The deepest part of the ocean is 7 miles (11 km) below the surface.

3. During the winter, the Arctic Ocean is almost completely covered in ice.