Amazing Water Facts
|
Fact
|
Feature
|
Size
|
|
Largest Ocean
|
Pacific Ocean
|
area = 166 million sq km
(64 million sq miles)
|
|
Largest Sea
|
South China Sea
|
area = 3 million sq km
(1.1 million sq miles)
|
|
Biggest Bay
|
Bay of Bengal
|
area = 2.2 million sq km
(868,000 sq miles)
|
|
Deepest point in ocean
|
Mariana Trench (Pacific Ocean)
|
11 km (36,000 feet down)
|
|
Saltiest Sea
|
Dead Sea (Israel/Jordan)
|
9 times saltier than oceanwater
|
|
Hottest Seawater
|
Persian Gulf
|
35o C (95o F)
|
|
Longest River
|
Nile River (Africa)
|
6,670 km (4,145 miles)
|
|
River that carries most water
|
Amazon River (South America)
|
pours 4 million cubic feet every second into Atlantic
|
|
Muddiest River
|
Yellow River (China)
|
deposits rich silt over 141,645 sq km in its flood plain and delta.
(2 billion tons of soil washed down each year)
|
|
Highest Waterfall
|
Angel Falls (Venezuela)
|
Total drop = 980 m (3212 feet)
|
|
Deepest and oldest lake
|
Lake Baikal (Siberia)
|
Deepest part = 1,940 m (6,365 ft)
age = 25 million years old
|
|
Largest freshwater lake
|
Lake Superior (N. America)
|
area = 82,103 sq km (32,000 sq miles)
|
|
Smallest Great Lake
|
Lake Ontario (N. America)
|
area = 19,546 sq km (7,550 sq miles)
|
|
Shallowest Great Lake
|
Lake Erie (N. America)
|
64 m (210 feet deep)
|
|
Largest salty sea
|
Caspian Sea
|
area = 371,841 sq km (143,630 sq miles)
length = 1207 km (750 miles)
|
|
Longest freshwater lake
|
Lake Tanganyika (Africa)
|
length = 676 km (420 miles)
|
|
Highest navigable lake
|
Lake Titicaca (S. America)
|
height = 3,811 m (12,307 feet)
|
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
The
Spring 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist, focuses on the ocean, including articles on polar research, coral reefs, ocean acidification, and climate. Includes a gorgeous full color poster!
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