Indian Ocean

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/indian-ocean

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is the Indian Ocean?70,560,000 km² (20% of Earth's water surface)
2. How deep is the Indian Ocean?3,741 meters
3. What is the geological age?Youngest of the world's major oceans, formed ~20 million years ago
4. What is the key oceanographic feature?Warmest ocean, influencing global climate
5. What makes the Indian Ocean the warmest ocean in the world?The Indian Ocean holds a lot of heat in its water, acting like a giant heat reservoir that warms the air above it.
6. Why is the Indian Ocean so young compared to other oceans?It formed only about 20 million years ago when the old Tethys Ocean broke apart.

Tethys Ocean: An ancient ocean that existed between the supercontinents of Gondwana and Laurasia.
Indian Ocean Walker Circulation: A coupled atmospheric and oceanic circulation pattern that influences weather and climate.
Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity, especially environmental pollution.