Why Don't the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Mix

The Pacific Ocean lies between America in the east and Asia in the west, staying just like a sandwich in between. It is the deepest and largest ocean on earth, spread over approximately 165 million square kilometers with a depth of approximately 4280 meters. The Atlantic Ocean is nevertheless much smaller than the Pacific Ocean. It has an average depth of 3646 meters and spreads across 107 million square kilometers. These two giant, big oceans are separated by the continents of North and South America. Something that often comes to our minds is why don’t the Atlantic and Pacific oceans mix together or if they ever really mix.

The myth: why don’t the Atlantic and Pacific oceans mix?

In reality there is no border or boundary between these two big oceans. The geographical boundaries across the ocean are human-created, and they define the zones of jurisdictions and national rights. Before venturing into the commonly discussed question of why don’t the Atlantic and Pacific oceans mix together, let’s understand if any convergence point really exists between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The invisible boundary, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean

Cape Horn, the southernmost point of southern Chile, located at Hornos Island, is a place where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet together. The different water body colors of two oceans are clearly visible at this place. There is not much mystery about the separation of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. This place, the confluence of these two big oceans, is a turbulent area.

The journey through Cape Horn is dangerous and claimed many lives in history because of strong currents, large waves, heavy winds, and adverse climate. Cape Horn was used as the only connector between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans before the opening of the Panama Canal.

Science behind why don’t the Atlantic and Pacific oceans mix together

One can easily discover the green/shallow water of the Atlantic and the dark blue water of the Pacific Ocean never mixing with each other at the convergence point. There is a scientifically strong reason behind the prevalent concern over why don’t the Atlantic and Pacific oceans mix together. Two distinct watercolors of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean at Cape Horn are due to the different biological and physical characteristics.

Salinity

The water bodies of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean have different salinity, the amount of salt present in the water. The Pacific Ocean has lower salinity and less salty water, whereas the Atlantic Ocean has high-salinity water. The Pacific Ocean receives higher rainfall in its area, causing less diluted salt in the water. Due to the difference in salinity, there is a slow mixing process at the boundaries of the two oceans.

Density

The Atlantic Ocean experiences a higher evaporation rate due to its climate. The high temperature of water makes the evaporation rate faster in the Atlantic Ocean and makes the concentration much higher. On the contrary, the Pacific Ocean has low-density water with less salt due to excess rainfall and climate. The difference in density of water in two oceans is also a reason for the slow mixing process.

Ocean Current

The flow of ocean currents in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean are different, which is also a major reason behind the slow mixing process of these two ocean waters. The motion of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean is normally in the clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere and the anticlockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere. But, due to differences in salinity and temperature, the thermohaline circulation creates variation in ocean currents.

The Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean is a powerful ocean current that moves from the equator to Europe. This is the reason the water mixing processes at the boundaries are much slower in these two oceans. The list of ocean currents is given below for the Atlantic and Pacific.

The ocean currents in the Atlantic Ocean are Angola Current, Antilles Current, North Atlantic Current, South Atlantic Current, Cape Horn Current, Brazil Current, Florida Current, and Falkland Current
The ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean are the Alaska Current, Humboldt Current, Kamchatka Current, North Pacific Current, and Kuroshio Current.

Temperature

There is a significant difference in the temperature of the water surface, which is also a reason behind the question, Why don’t the Atlantic and Pacific oceans mix together? The Atlantic Ocean is normally warmer in tropical regions, whereas the Pacific Ocean is cooler in most parts due to cold currents and exposure to higher rainfall.

Surface Tension

The strength of molecular attraction or surface tension is also a factor behind the slow mixing process of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The difference in surface tensile strength also does not allow water bodies of these oceans to mix together. However, still they can mix with each other, but there is also a strong presence of opposite ocean currents, which creates a problem in mixing.

Conclusion

There are no specific geographical boundaries that can separate the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, in natural phenomena, these two oceans meet each other with distinct visible lines, which clearly depict that two oceans with different water colors are mixing together. Scientifically, there is a valid answer to this question why don’t the Atlantic and Pacific oceans mix together? The differences in temperature, salinity, ocean current , density, and molecular surface tension are the reasons that slow down the water mixing process, but it does not mean that water never gets mixed; the process becomes slower due to these factors.

FAQs

Q1. Do the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean mix anywhere?

Yes, by natural phenomenon they meet with each other at Cape Horn, Chile. However, there is a distinct line between the two cities due to differences in water characteristics.

Q2. Why does the water of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean not mix easily?

These two oceans have different ocean currents, temperatures, salinity, and densities, which creates obstacles in mixing the water easily.

Q3. What are the places where water resists mixing?

The difference in water characteristics of the Baltic Sea and North Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Atlantic Ocean does not allow their waters to mix easily.

Q4. Which continents are dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean ?

North America and South America lie between these two oceans.