<p>Like many people, while in school I learned there were four Oceans on Earth - Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic. In general I think it was described that the currents and the surrounding continents are what divided them into different oceans. </p>

<p>Now there is a Southern (Antarctic Ocean). I thought (when I was taught) that that area was just Southern Pacific and Southern Atlantic, but I'm sort of fuzzy.</p>

<p>How (or why) was it determined the Southern Ocean is an Ocean?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-22T00:58:12.300Z
See definitions section here http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean
f.thorpe
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-22T14:17:44.457Z
I once heard a lovely description of the world's seas (by a polar scientist) as "One ocean with three big estuaries" :-)
Semidiurnal Simon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-22T18:49:14.200Z
It's perhaps more of a question for the English Language & Usage site, or perhaps Geography (if there is one).  It's really just a naming convention, no different from the people who refuse to accept that Pluto is a planet.
jamesqf
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-22T21:17:25.830Z
@jamesqf Maybe, but I understand Pluto being in the Kuiper Belt because it's something with which I'm familiar. The Ocean thing has seemed out of my grasp.
Raystafarian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-23T05:19:03.547Z
@Raystafarian: Whereas I don't understand why being in the Kuiper Belt should make an object (which is gravitationally spherical, has several satellites, and interesting "geological" processes) not be a planet.  It seems that some people just like to categoize things... It seems that you could just as validly say there are 7 oceans, the Sorth & South Atlantic & Pacific being distinct.
jamesqf
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-23T05:20:06.080Z
@jamesqf that could be a question for astronomy SE. If the answer is I don't understand what an ocean is, please answer it that way.
Raystafarian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-23T05:21:58.760Z
@Raystafarian: It's not a question.  I understand their (for want of a better word) reasoning, I just think that it's a load of crap :-)
jamesqf
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-23T23:45:27.400Z
@jamesqf well what I meant is - if it's that I don't understand what an "ocean" is, that would be a valid answer.
Raystafarian
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-24T17:21:17.443Z
@Raystafarian: What I'm trying to say is that there really isn't an unambiguous definition of "ocean", it's just a matter of convention.  And (as with Pluto) there are always people who want to change the conventions...  Or perhaps a better example is that big land mass in the eastern hemisphere: some people say it's two continents, Europe and Asia, others that is one continent, Eurasia.
jamesqf
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-25T00:59:23.553Z
@jamesqf I guess I was just unaware of the debate swirling around the issue, maybe it's a bad question?
Raystafarian
<ocean>
Why are there 5 oceans?
Raystafarian
# Why are there 5 oceans?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-05-21)

Like many people, while in school I learned there were four Oceans on Earth - Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic. In general I think it was described that the currents and the surrounding continents are what divided them into different oceans.

Now there is a Southern (Antarctic Ocean). I thought (when I was taught) that that area was just Southern Pacific and Southern Atlantic, but I'm sort of fuzzy.

How (or why) was it determined the Southern Ocean is an Ocean?

**Tags:** ocean

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: See definitions section here http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean  
> **username_2**: I once heard a lovely description of the world's seas (by a polar scientist) as "One ocean with three big estuaries" :-)  
> **username_3**: It's perhaps more of a question for the English Language & Usage site, or perhaps Geography (if there is one).  It's really just a naming convention, no different from the people who refuse to accept that Pluto is a planet.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 Maybe, but I understand Pluto being in the Kuiper Belt because it's something with which I'm familiar. The Ocean thing has seemed out of my grasp.  
> **username_3**: @username_0: Whereas I don't understand why being in the Kuiper Belt should make an object (which is gravitationally spherical, has several satellites, and interesting "geological" processes) not be a planet.  It seems that some people just like to categoize things... It seems that you could just as validly say there are 7 oceans, the Sorth & South Atlantic & Pacific being distinct.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 that could be a question for astronomy SE. If the answer is I don't understand what an ocean is, please answer it that way.  
> **username_3**: @username_0: It's not a question.  I understand their (for want of a better word) reasoning, I just think that it's a load of crap :-)  
> **username_0**: @username_3 well what I meant is - if it's that I don't understand what an "ocean" is, that would be a valid answer.  
> **username_3**: @username_0: What I'm trying to say is that there really isn't an unambiguous definition of "ocean", it's just a matter of convention.  And (as with Pluto) there are always people who want to change the conventions...  Or perhaps a better example is that big land mass in the eastern hemisphere: some people say it's two continents, Europe and Asia, others that is one continent, Eurasia.  
> **username_0**: @username_3 I guess I was just unaware of the debate swirling around the issue, maybe it's a bad question?  

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