The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean in the world, as well as the oldest, containing rock samples that are approximately 200 million years old.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest, deepest, and oldest ocean in the world. (Photo: NOAA).
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth, covering an area of 163 million square kilometers, enough to encompass all the landmasses on the planet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Mariana Trench, located in the western Pacific, is the deepest ocean trench on Earth, with a depth of about 11,000 meters. Additionally, the Pacific Ocean is also the oldest ocean in the world, with rock samples dating back up to 200 million years, reported IFL Science on June 7.
Oceans around the world are constantly changing as tectonic plates in the Earth’s crust shift. The Pacific Ocean is actually shrinking while the Atlantic Ocean is expanding toward it. Within the Pacific, there is an area known as the “Ring of Fire” due to intense volcanic activity and earthquakes from tectonic plates.
As the “oldest” ocean in the world, it is fitting that the Pacific Ocean also contains extremely ancient seawater. Research indicates that the oldest water in the North Pacific has been trapped in a “dark zone” deep beneath the surface for around 1,000 years.
However, it is still very young compared to some other saline waters. The remnants from the North Atlantic represent an ancient body of water located beneath the Chesapeake Bay within an impact crater formed 35 million years ago. Scientists believe this water is about 100 to 145 million years old and has always been there, but was released when an asteroid struck, subsequently becoming trapped below. This water is so ancient that it has a salinity twice that of modern seawater.
Meanwhile, the oldest piece of oceanic crust still submerged today lies quietly beneath the Mediterranean Sea in the Atlantic. Estimated to be around 340 million years old, this structure formed when magma (molten rock) rose and then cooled. When it cooled at the mid-ocean ridge, minerals in the magma were magnetized, allowing researchers to detect this structure using magnetic sensing equipment.
