The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean or South Polar Ocean, is the youngest ocean.
Formation of the Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean formed approximately 34 million years ago. This relatively recent formation occurred when Antarctica and South America separated, creating the Drake Passage. This separation allowed the continuous, uninterrupted flow of water around Antarctica, making it unique among the world's oceans. [Source: Introduction. The Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean) is one of the five great ocean basins on Earth. It was formed around 34 million years ago when Antarctica and South America drifted apart, creating the Drake Passage. This makes it the youngest ocean basin on earth.]
Several sources corroborate this information:
- Guinness World Records: Confirms the Southern Ocean as the youngest. [Source: Google search results about the question: Title: Youngest ocean | Guinness World Records Snippet: The Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean) is the youngest. It formed when Antarctica split away from Australia and South… ]
- Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC): Supports the 34-million-year-old formation timeframe and highlights the ocean's unique circumpolar current. [Source: Title: Welcome to the Southern Ocean - Antarctic and Southern Ocean ... Snippet: This makes it the youngest ocean basin on earth. Today, it is the only ocean that flows around the globe uninterrupted by land, encircling Antarctica like a… ]
It's important to differentiate between the age of the ocean basin itself and the age of the water within the ocean. The water in all the world's oceans is interconnected and much older than the formation of the individual ocean basins.
