Southern Ocean

Some authorities call the body of water encircling the continent of Antarctica the Southern Ocean, a term that has been rejected by the National Geographic Society and some other leading geographic authorities who continue to use the traditional "South Pacific", "South Atlantic", and "Indian" Ocean terms. A decision of the International Hydrographic Organization in 2000 was immediately disputed by the IHO member nations who were widely split over what line of latitude would be the northern boundary of the "ocean" and whether a globe-circling imaginary latitude line could in fact even define an ocean. The IHO decision reflected the recent findings in oceanography of the importance of ocean currents.

Related Topics:
Antarctica - National Geographic Society - International Hydrographic Organization - 2000 - Oceanography - Ocean current

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