What is the largest ocean on Earth?

The largest ocean on Earth is a truly immense body of water, covering an astonishing expanse that dwarfs all other oceans and even surpasses the combined landmass of every continent. This colossal ocean encompasses approximately one-third of the Earth's total surface, stretching from the Arctic in the north to the Antarctic in the south, and bordered by Asia and Australia to the west and the Americas to the east. Its sheer size means it holds nearly half of the world's oceanic water, containing almost twice the volume of the second-largest ocean, the Atlantic.

Beyond its incredible surface area of about 165.2 million square kilometers (63.8 million square miles), this ocean is also the deepest. Its average depth is around 4,000 meters (13,000 feet), but it plunges to its most extreme point in the Mariana Trench. Located in the western part of this vast ocean, the Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench is the deepest known point on Earth, reaching depths of approximately 10,984 to 11,000 meters (35,853 to 36,070 feet) below sea level, a distance greater than the height of Mount Everest.

Named the "Pacific" by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1520, a term meaning "peaceful sea," this ocean is ironically one of the most geologically active regions on the planet. It is home to the infamous "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped belt of intense volcanic and earthquake activity that encircles much of its basin. This dynamic zone accounts for over 75% of the world's volcanoes and produces more than 90% of global earthquakes, a testament to the powerful tectonic forces constantly reshaping our planet beneath its seemingly calm surface.