Indian Ocean Facts

The Indian Ocean is 10,000 km across at its widest point, between Africa and Australia.
The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean. It is about half the size of the Pacific Ocean and covers one-fifth of the world’s ocean area. It has a total area of 73,426,000 sq km.
The average depth of the Indian Ocean is 3890 m.
The deepest point is the Java Trench off Java, in Indonesia, which is 7450 m deep. It marks the line where the Australian plate is being subducted (see converging plates) under the Eurasian plate. 364
Scientists believe that the Indian Ocean began to form about 200 million years ago when Australia broke away from Africa, followed by India.
The Indian Ocean is getting 20 cm wider every year.
The Indian Ocean is scattered with thousands of tropical islands such as the Seychelles and Maldives.
The Maldives are so low lying that they may be swamped if global warming melts the polar ice.
Unlike in other oceans, currents in the Indian Ocean change course twice a year. They are blown by monsoon winds towards Africa in winter, and then in the other direction towards India in summer.
The Persian Gulf is the warmest sea in the world; the Red Sea is the saltiest.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.