How old is the earths oceans

The water on the surface of the earth is divided into 4 separate basins: The Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic. This new ocean surrounds Antarctica and extends to 60 degrees latitude. Although the International Hydrographic Organization officially sanctioned the name, there is some continued discussion as to the details of the acceptance of the Southern Ocean as an official body of water.

The World Ocean is recognized as the dominant feature of the Earth and most of its living organisms. Smaller regions of ocean are called seas, gulfs, or straits. There are several seas present on the Earth. Subduction of sediments rich in volatiles takes place at deep ocean trenches. The sinking of oceanic crust at subduction zones carries water and carbon dioxide back into the mantle. These processes can all be seen at work today. Sign up for our email newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Fall Flash Sale. Because we can also 'date' the zircon grains, we can place these conditions in a temporal context.

Just after Ma the story changes. In other words, surface waters were present by at least Ma. Hypothesis 1: Oceans first formed at ca.

Hypothesis 2: Oceans formed much earlier by at least ca. The Jack Hills detrital zircons provide an actual timeline that records the magmatic oxygen isotope compositions of magmas on the young Earth. In this regard, the detrital zircons actually record a boundary condition that marks when surface weathering, and hence the presence of oceans, occurred.

Cavosie A. Liu D. Wilde S. Weiblen P. Valley J. Precambrian Res. F Magmatic O in Ma detrital zircons: a record of the alteration and recycling of crust in the early Archean. Earth Planet. Nutman A. Nature , Bryden, H. July 05, By: Jessica Carilli. Aa Aa Aa. How old is the ocean? References Elkins-Tanton, L. Email your Friend. Submit Cancel. September 15, Thanks for the good times! Here's Where To Find Shelter. August 09, What are coral atolls made of?

December 03, Underwater nursing: how marine mammals feed the August 24, How can you yes, you! July 16, Runoff: How activities near and far from the oc