Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is an island country that borders three of the world's oceans: the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Southern Ocean. The Northern Territory and Western Australia border the Indian Ocean, while Western Australia, South Australia, and Victoria share a coastline with the Southern Ocean. The Indian Ocean is further subdivided into the Timor Sea and the Arafura Sea, which are located to the northwest and north of the country, respectively.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bodies of water bordering Western Australia | Bass Strait, Tasman Sea, Great Australian Bight, Timor Sea, Indian Ocean |
| Bodies of water bordering Australia | Arafura Sea, Coral Sea, South Pacific Ocean, Tasman Sea, Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean, Timor Sea |
| Official gazette name of the body of water south of Australia | Southern Ocean |
| Designation by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) | Indian Ocean |
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What You'll Learn
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering 70,560,000 km2 (27,240,000 sq mi) or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west, and Australia to the east. The Indian Ocean is crucial for global trade, especially in oil and hydrocarbons. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Western Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean.
The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from the oil fields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. The maritime part of the Silk Road leads through the Indian Ocean, where a large part of the global container trade is carried out. The ocean is also important for the fishing industry in Western Australia.
The Indian Ocean is geologically the youngest of the oceans, with distinct features such as narrow continental shelves. Its average depth is 3,741 meters. It is the warmest ocean, with a significant impact on global climate due to its interaction with the atmosphere. Its waters are affected by the Indian Ocean Walker circulation, resulting in unique oceanic currents and upwelling patterns. The West Australian Current, for example, is a relatively cold surface current of the southeast Indian Ocean, part of the general counterclockwise movement in the southern section of that ocean.
The inflow of deep water into the Indian Ocean is 11 Sv, most of which comes from the Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW). The CDW enters the Indian Ocean through the Crozet and Madagascar basins and crosses the Southwest Indian Ridge at 30°S. In the Mascarene Basin, the CDW becomes a deep western boundary current before it is met by a re-circulated branch of itself, the North Indian Deep Water.
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Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, is one of the five great ocean basins on Earth. It is the youngest ocean basin, having formed around 34 million years ago when Antarctica and South America drifted apart, creating the Drake Passage. The Southern Ocean is the only ocean that flows uninterrupted by land around the globe, encircling Antarctica.
The Southern Ocean covers almost three-quarters of the planet and is made up of portions of the world ocean south of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, along with their tributary seas surrounding Antarctica below 60 degrees south. It has an average depth of 10,728 feet (3,270 meters) and a maximum depth of 24,383 feet (7,432 meters) in the South Sandwich Trench. The ocean has a total area of 8,479,000 square miles (21,960,000 square kilometers), which is approximately one-sixteenth of Earth's total ocean area.
The Southern Ocean plays a crucial role in regulating the global climate by absorbing heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It also drives global ocean circulation as the primary mixing zone between the world's major oceans. The Antarctic Convergence, or Polar Front, is a natural, biological boundary around the ocean's northern limit, where cold waters from the south meet warmer waters from the north. This convergence provides ideal conditions for Antarctic wildlife to flourish, with temperatures north and south of the convergence differing significantly.
While the Southern Ocean is recognized by many nations and organizations, there has been disagreement over its official designation. Australia, for example, officially considers the body of water south of the continent as the Southern Ocean, while the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) designates it as part of the Indian Ocean.
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Timor Sea
The Timor Sea is a relatively shallow sea in the Indian Ocean, lying southeast of the island of Timor, Indonesia, and northwest of Australia. The sea is bounded to the north by the island of Timor, with Timor-Leste to the north, Indonesia to the northwest, the Arafura Sea to the east, and Australia to the south. The Timor Sea is about 300 miles (480 km) wide and covers an area of about 235,000 square miles (610,000 square km).
The deepest point of the Timor Sea is the Sunda Trench, which is more than 3,300 metres deep and separates the continents of Oceania in the southeast and Asia to the northwest and north. The sea is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis north of the Sunda Trench, due to its location on the Ring of Fire, as well as volcanic activity. The sea also experiences major cyclones and typhoons due to its proximity to the Equator and the monsoon belt.
The Timor Sea is home to a number of reefs, uninhabited islands, and significant hydrocarbon reserves. International disputes emerged after the discovery of these reserves, resulting in the signing of the Timor Sea Treaty between Australia and Timor-Leste in 2018. This treaty settled a long-running dispute, delimited maritime boundaries, and laid the foundation for a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries.
The Australian city of Darwin is located partly on the shore of the Beagle Gulf, which is an inlet of the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, and is the nearest large city to the Timor Sea. Rivers that flow into the sea from the Northern Territory include the Fish River, King River, Dry River, Victoria River, and the Alligator Rivers. The Kimberley region also contributes inflow through rivers such as the Ord River, Forrest River, Pentecost River, and Durack River.
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Arafura Sea
The Arafura Sea, also known as the Arafuru Sea, is a shallow sea located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, west of the Pacific Ocean. It is bordered by Australia to the south and New Guinea to the north and northeast. The sea lies over the Arafura Shelf, which is a section of the Sahul Shelf. The Arafura Shelf, the Gulf of Carpentaria, and the Torres Strait formed a large, flat land bridge during the last glacial maximum, facilitating human migration between Australia and New Guinea.
The Arafura Sea is bordered by several bodies of water, including the Gulf of Carpentaria and the continent of Australia to the south, the Timor Sea to the west, the Banda and Seram (or Ceram) Seas to the northwest, and the Torres Strait to the east. Just beyond the Torres Strait to the east lies the Coral Sea. The Arafura Sea is approximately 1,290 kilometres (800 miles) long and 560 kilometres (350 miles) wide, with a depth of 50–80 metres (160–260 feet) in most places, deepening towards the west.
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) categorises the Arafura Sea as one of the bodies of water of the East Indian Archipelago. The Arafura Sea is an important part of the thermohaline circulation, influencing global climate patterns. It is also a significant ecological zone, hosting an estimated 840 to 1,000 species, including various fish, corals, crustaceans, and other marine organisms.
The Arafura Sea is a rich fishery resource, particularly for shrimp and demersal fish. Economically important species include Barramundi, grouper, Penaeid shrimp, and Nemipteridae fishes. However, the Arafura Sea faces significant threats from overfishing, with shrimp and fish stocks being heavily exploited, leading to concerns about sustainability and the health of marine ecosystems. To address these concerns, collaborative efforts have been undertaken to promote sustainable fishing practices and protect the region's rich biodiversity.
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Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) across and 2,800 kilometres (1,700 miles) from north to south, enclosing a body of water about 1,400 miles (2,250 kilometres) wide and 900,000 square miles (2,300,000 square kilometres). The Tasman Sea was named after Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who, in 1642, was the first known person to cross it. The Māori people of New Zealand call this sea Te Moana-a-Rehua, meaning 'the sea of Rehua'.
The Tasman Sea is bounded on the west by a line from Gabo Island near Cape Howe to Flinders Island and Eddystone Point in Tasmania, then along the east coast to South East Cape, the southern point of Tasmania. The northern limit is defined by the parallel of 30°S from the Australian coast eastward. The eastern boundary is from the South East Rock to the North Cape in New Zealand.
The Tasman Sea is a significant shipping route, with lanes crossing between New Zealand and southeastern Australia and Tasmania. It is a preferred location for ships to berth due to the easy access to both Australia and New Zealand. The sea is also known for its fisheries and petroleum deposits in the Gippsland Basin at the eastern end of Bass Strait.
The seafloor of the Tasman Sea has a maximum depth of over 17,000 feet (5,200 metres) and is characterised by the Tasman Basin. The base of the sea is made up of globigerina ooze, with a small zone of pteropod ooze found south of New Caledonia. The southern extent of 30°S features siliceous ooze. The underwater currents in the Tasman Sea prevent small organisms or plankton from settling near the base. The sea is noted for its storminess, lying in the belt of westerly winds known as the "roaring forties".
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