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Ocean

Origin Of Ocean Water, Lithospheric Plates And The Origin Of The Seafloor, Weather Effects Of Ocean WatersHydrologic cycle



Oceans are large bodies of saltwater that surround Earth's continents and occupy the basins between them. Ocean basins are the part of the seafloor that lies beyond the margins of the continents, generally in water deeper than 600 ft (183 m). Therefore, an ocean is both larger in area and deeper than a sea.




It may be that most of the water on Earth today has been cycling between the oceans, the land, and Earth's atmosphere for more than four billion years. However, small amounts of "new" water escape the planet's interior, from volcanoes, even today.


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