Temperature

The average temperature of the whole surface of the World Ocean is ~17.5�C. The highest temperature, >36�C is found in the Red Sea and the lowest,Warmer surface and near-surface layers transmit heat to underlying waters, forming a productive layer. Hydrological, biological and other processes act within it. The thickness of an active layer ranges from 200-400 m. Down to depths of 1,000-1,800 m, the temperature gradually decreases, and below 1800 m, cold waters of almost constant temperature exist.

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Text and images are from Man and the Ocean, a CD-ROM produced by the Russian Head Department of Navigation and Oceanography (HDNO).

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