Sea

A sea, as seen from a beach.

A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, the term refers to a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean.[1] It is also used sometimes to describe a large saline lake that lacks a natural outlet, such as the Caspian Sea.

Contents

List of seas

Atlantic Ocean

Arctic Ocean

Southern Ocean
  • Mawson Sea
  • Ross Sea
  • Scotia Sea
  • Spencer Gulf
  • Weddell Sea

Indian Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Landlocked seas

Large/significant lakes, many of which are called "sea".

Bodies of water and their sizes

Rank Body of water Square miles (square kilometres)
1 Pacific Ocean 64,196,000 sq mi (166,266,877 km2)
2 Atlantic Ocean 33,400,000 sq mi (86,505,603 km2)
3 Indian Ocean 28,400,000 sq mi (73,555,662 km2)
4 Southern Ocean 20,327,000 sq mi (52,646,688 km2)
5 Arctic Ocean 5,100,000 sq mi (13,208,939 km2)
6 Arabian Sea 1,491,000 sq mi (3,861,672 km2)
7 South China Sea 1,148,000 sq mi (2,973,306 km2)
8 Caribbean Sea 971,000 sq mi (2,514,878 km2)
9 Mediterranean Sea 969,000 sq mi (2,509,698 km2)
10 Bering Sea 873,000 sq mi (2,261,060 km2)
11 Bay of Bengal 838,612 sq mi (2,171,995 km2)
12 Gulf of Mexico 582,000 sq mi (1,507,373 km2)
13 Sea of Okhotsk 537,000 sq mi (1,390,824 km2)
14 Sea of Japan 391,000 sq mi (1,012,685 km2)
15 Hudson Bay 282,000 sq mi (730,377 km2)
16 East China Sea 257,000 sq mi (665,627 km2)
17 Andaman Sea 218,100 sq mi (564,876 km2)
18 Red Sea 175,000 sq mi (453,248 km2)
19 Black Sea 168,500 sq mi (436,413 km2)
20 North Sea 165,000 sq mi (427,348 km2)
21 Baltic Sea 147,000 sq mi (380,728 km2)
22 Yellow Sea 113,500 sq mi (293,964 km2)
23 Persian Gulf 88,800 sq mi (229,991 km2)
24 Adriatic Sea 60,000 sq mi (155,399 km2)
25 Gulf of California 59,000 sq mi (152,809 km2)

Nomenclature

  • The Sea of Galilee is a small freshwater lake with a natural outlet, which is called Lake Tiberias or Lake Kinneret on modern Israeli maps, but its original name remains in use.
  • The Sea of Cortés is more commonly known as the Gulf of California.
  • The Persian Gulf is a sea.
  • The Dead Sea is actually a lake, as is the Caspian Sea and the mainly dried up Aral Sea.

Science

The term "sea" has also been used in quantum physics. Dirac sea is an interpretation of positron emission states that comprises the vacuum.

See also

  • Oceanography
  • Inlet
  • International Maritime Organization
  • List of places on land with elevations below sea level
  • Pole of inaccessibility: the locations farthest from any coastline
  • Marine debris
  • Sea level
  • Sea level rise
  • Sea salt
  • Seven Seas

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sea

External links