The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest sea on the planet and holds a great deal of mystery and history. While some Atlantic Ocean facts are well known, others may come as a surprise to even the most seasoned aquatic aficionados. Keep reading to learn some interesting facts about the Atlantic Ocean!
5 Atlantic Ocean Facts
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- The Atlantic Ocean makes up 29% of the Earth’s water. (source) In addition to making up nearly a third of the planet’s water, it also covers a fifth of the surface of the Earth.
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- The Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic is the eighth-deepest aquatic spot on Earth. (source) While most of the deepest parts of the oceans are located in the Pacific, the Puerto Rico Trench, namely the Milwaukee Deep, is the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean with a maximum depth of 8,376 meters. For reference, Mount Everest is 8,848 meters high.
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- The first transatlantic flight was in 1919. (source) The U.S. Navy boat NC-4 was the first plane to cross the Atlantic. It flew from New York to Lisbon, Portugal over the course of 19 days.
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- The Atlantic Ocean is a haven for shipwrecks. (source) Many notable shipwrecks have occurred in the Atlantic Ocean, including the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the RMS Lusitania. Of the most recently recorded shipwrecks (as of February 2023), 25 have been in the Atlantic Ocean.
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- The Atlantic is the largest drainage basin in the world. (source) In addition to being the world’s second-largest ocean, the Atlantic’s basin has an area of about 26.9 million miles. Some of the bodies of water that drain to the Atlantic are the Amazon and the Hudson River.
