Essentials of Geology (Fifth Edition)
Essentials of Geology (Fifth Edition)
5th Edition
ISBN: 9780393263398
Author: Stephen Marshak
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
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Chapter 15, Problem 1RQ
To determine

The area covered by oceans in the Earth’s surface.

Expert Solution & Answer
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Answer to Problem 1RQ

70.8% of the Earth’s surface, which is about 360 million square kilometers, is covered by the five oceans such as the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Antarctic.

Explanation of Solution

When viewing from space, the Earth glows blue in color; the presence of oceans are the reason for this blue color. Oceans serve as a giant reservoir for water and other chemicals and the resting place for sediment particles eroded and transported from the continents.

Oceans are the bodies of saline water that composes much of the Earth’s hydrosphere. The Earth has approximately a 510 million square kilometers area and the Oceans cover almost 70.8% of the area on the Earth’s surface, which denotes that approximately 360 million square kilometers are occupied by the five oceans such as the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Antarctic.

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