The Pacific Ocean: Covering Nearly Half of Earth's Surface

The Pacific Ocean is the planet’s largest and deepest ocean, covering ~46% of Earth’s surface and ~33% of its total surface area.

Extent

• North: Arctic Ocean
• South: Southern Ocean
• East: Americas
• West: Asia, Australia

Notable Features

• Mariana Trench – deepest point (Challenger Deep)
• Ring of Fire – volcanic/seismic belt
• Thousands of islands (Hawaii, Guam, Fiji, etc.)
• Major current systems (Kuroshio, Humboldt, etc.)

The Pacific dominates global climate, weather, and marine biodiversity.