Why does South Pacific have so many islands?

Why does South Pacific have so many islands?

Firstly, there are a lot of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Mostly they were formed by volcanoes, though in many cases the volcano has completely eroded away, and the land that is there now is a coral reef that formed around the volcanic island.

Why do you think there are so many islands in the Pacific Ocean region?

Between the mainlands of Asia and Australia and the Americas, more than 25,000 islands, large and small, rise above the surface of the Pacific Ocean. These islands were the shells of once active volcanoes, that have laid extinct for centuries.

How many islands are in the South Pacific?

There are 176 islands but only 40 are inhabited.

Why are there so few islands in the North Pacific?

The Pacific Ocean has many more volcanic hot spots. As the oceanic crust moves, the hot spots will produce a series of volcanic islands, the Hawaiian chain be but one example. Eventually these islands sink and only the fringing coral reef remains, the mode of formation of the thousands of Pacific atolls.

Why is the Pacific higher than the Atlantic?

Sea level is about 20 cm higher on the Pacific side than the Atlantic due to the water being less dense on average on the Pacific side and due to the prevailing weather and ocean conditions. Such sea level differences are common across many short sections of land dividing ocean basins.

Is Atlantic or Pacific saltier?

As oceanographers have known for many years—but now can “see”—the Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Near most coastlines and inland seas in the map, waters appear much fresher or saltier than in open-ocean locations.

Why is Atlantic saltiest?

Of the five ocean basins, the Atlantic Ocean is the saltiest. Fresh water, in the form of water vapor, moves from the ocean to the atmosphere through evaporation causing the higher salinity. Toward the poles, fresh water from melting ice decreases the surface salinity once again.