New Delhi: In a major development, the National Geography cartographers have now identified the Southern Ocean as the fifth ocean on the planet. The major discovery has come on the occasion of World Oceans Day which was celebrated on June 8. Notably, this new ocean has been identified by the National Geography Society which has been making maps since 1915 and had so far recognised the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic oceans.
Apart from this, the Southern Ocean has also been recognised by the US Board on Geographic Names as the body of water extending from the coast of Antarctica to the line of latitude at 60 degrees South.
“Anyone who has been there will struggle to explain what’s so mesmerising about it, but they’ll all agree that the glaciers are bluer, the air colder, the mountains more intimidating, and the landscapes more captivating than anywhere else you can go,” National Geography quoted Seth Sykora-Bodie, a marine scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as saying.
In a report, the National Geography said while other oceans are identified by the region they surround, the Southern Ocean is defined by its current.