There are five "brothers and sisters" in the world's oceans, namely the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Southern Ocean. They each have their own charm and different temperaments. Among them, the Pacific Ocean is the leader. It not only has dazzling titles such as the largest area, the deepest water depth, and the most islands, but is also famous for its frequent stormy waves on the sea. Why is this not peaceful ocean called the Pacific Ocean? There is actually a very interesting story here!
In the early 16th century, the famous Portugal navigator Magellan formed an expedition composed of more than 270 sailors and five ships, and began their first sea journey around the world. The majestic fleet set out from Spain and sailed south along the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way, the sea was rough and the sea conditions were very bad. The expedition team went through hardships and lost more than half of its crew and ships before crossing the southernmost tip of South America and entering the Pacific Ocean. After more than three months of arduous sailing, they finally crossed Guam and arrived at the Philippine Islands. During the voyage from Guam to the Philippine Islands, due to entering the equatorial winless zone, the sea was calm and the ship seemed to be sailing on a calm lake, without the uncomfortable bumps. Such comfortable sea conditions made the crew members, who had suffered from strong winds and waves, very happy. They sighed and said: "This is really a Pacific Ocean!" From then on, people called the ocean between America, Asia, and Oceania the Pacific Ocean.
However, except for the waters located in the equatorial winless zone, most of the Pacific Ocean is not always so peaceful. In the vast Pacific Ocean, there are also trade wind belts, westerlies and polar easterly belts that can create wind and waves. These wind belts are located at different latitudes and run east-west across the broad Pacific Ocean, like rows of giant blowers, stirring the originally calm sea.
The wind belt is distributed near 5° to 25° north and south of the Pacific Ocean. The northeastern trade wind is prevalent in the northern hemisphere, and the southeastern trade wind is prevalent in the southern hemisphere. Compared with the westerly belt, the winds in the trade wind belt are relatively mild and it is difficult to set off strong winds and waves. But don't you think that the low-latitude waters of the Pacific Ocean must be windy and the huge waves have disappeared. In the low latitudes of the Pacific, there is another natural force that can create stormy waves. It is typhoons (lower-intensity ones are called tropical storms). In late summer and early autumn every year, violent typhoons often form in low-latitude seas such as the east of the Philippines and the South China Sea of China. As the typhoon moves, huge waves and squally showers will be set off on the sea, which is very unfavorable to maritime navigation and operations.
The mid-latitude waters of the Pacific Ocean (30°-60 ° north and south) are mainly controlled by the westerly belt. Under the action of geostrophic deflection, southwest winds prevail in the northern hemisphere, and northwest winds prevail in the southern hemisphere. The winds in the westerly belt are generally strong and can cause huge storms at sea. When China's "Xuelong" scientific research ship departed from Shanghai to the Antarctic for scientific exploration, the westerly belt was the area it must pass through. Despite the harsh sea conditions, the scientific expedition team members were able to overcome difficulties every time and successfully reach their destination.
The polar easterly belt is another important force creating wind and waves in the Pacific Ocean, and controls parts of the Pacific Ocean's high latitudes. Especially in winter, the front of the polar easterly belt is very fierce, and the biting and strong cold wind often sets off strong waves on the sea.