The Sea of Atlas
The word Atlantic comes from the Greek word ‘Atlantikos’ meaning ‘Sea of Atlas’. Atlas was a titan who had to stand on the edge of the Earth and carry the heavens on his shoulders as punishment for fighting against the Olympian gods for the control of the heavens.
How old is the Atlantic Ocean?
Scientists believe the Atlantic Ocean first formed during the Jurassic Period when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. That’s around 145 million years ago!
Who was the first to cross the Atlantic?
The first aeroplane to cross the Atlantic was the American NC-4 in 1919. It did the trip in many stages.
Charles Lindbergh made the first solo non-stop flight by plane in 1927.
Amelia Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1928.
The first ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean with passengers on board was the Cunard Line in the 1850s.
The Gulf Stream
The Atlantic Ocean has many different currents. Current is a movement of seawater. One of these currents is called the Gulf Stream. It flows from the tip of Florida up the coast of the United States and over to Europe.
During its journey, water gets heated by the Sun in the Caribbean Sea (near Florida) before heading over to countries in Europe. This has a huge impact on the climate of these areas. Without the Gulf Stream, the climate of northeast Canada and northwest Europe would probably be very similar because they are both the same distance from the North Pole.
Fun facts about the Atlantic
There’s a mysterious triangle called the 'Bermuda Triangle' located in the Atlantic Ocean. Many mysterious shipwrecks, air crashes and strange disappearances have happened there.
The Atlantic Ocean is home to the second-largest barrier reef in the world, the Cancun Reef off the coast of Mexico. The largest is the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.
Many years ago people thought the Earth was flat and that ships could fall off the edge somewhere out in the Atlantic Ocean.
The strong winds that cause big waves in the South Atlantic Ocean, between the tip of South America and South Africa, are called the 'Roaring Forties'.
The Atlantic Ocean causes the highest tides in the world, which occur in the Bay of Fundy, Canada.
Diamonds can be found in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Southern Africa. They can be scooped from the sea bed.
