Is it true that the Pacific and Atlantic oceans do not mix their waters?

The Pacific and Atlantic oceans are the largest bodies of water on the planet today, although water in general cannot be boundary. But many are wondering: where exactly do the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific converge? And why do some people think that their waters do not mix? And can water from two different sources not actually mix?

The main differences between the two surroundings

The Pacific Ocean is located between the Americas in the east and Oceania and Asia in the west. The Atlantic is also located between Europe and Africa in the east and the Americas in the west. The Pacific is the largest and deepest ocean in the world, covering approximately 165 million square kilometers. Its average depth is 4280 meters. The Atlantic comes in second place with an area of about 107 million square kilometers and an average depth of 3646 meters.

According to the Astrophysical Data System (ADS) website, temperature, salinity and density vary between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in the upper kilometer. The surface of the Pacific also rises about 40 centimeters higher than the Atlantic.

In addition to the obvious differences between the Atlantic and Pacific waters, each ocean and sea on the planet has its own unique characteristics. The salinity of the Atlantic surface is higher than that of the Pacific and Indian oceans, while the closed waters of the Red Sea and the Mediterranean are saltiest. This is because water with low salinity from the deep sea cannot easily flow upwards, and water evaporates faster from the surface before being replaced by rainwater.

Traveling around Cape Horn is a turbulent and dangerous journey that sailors have feared since its discovery in the 16th century (Getty Images)

Pacific and Atlantic. Where do they meet?

The Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet in the southernmost region of South America, known as Cape Horn.

Australia's Blogpatagonia notes that topography experts confirm that the line that marks the Atlantic and Pacific border runs directly between Cape Horn and Antarctica.

This narrow body of water is called the Drake Strait, after explorer Sir Francis Drake. However, this line of separation between the bodies of the two oceans is indistinguishable with the naked eye. Ocean boundaries are very random, just like boundaries between neighborhoods in a city.

The Drake Pass is 850 kilometers wide. It is called the "bottleneck" in the ocean that separates South America and Antarctica. In this region, a strong current carries water from west to east, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

Travelling around Cape Horn is a turbulent and dangerous journey that sailors have feared since it was first discovered in the 16th century, claiming many lives due to extreme currents, strong winds and unpredictable weather. Before the construction of the Panama Canal, it was the only route by sea between the Pacific and the Atlantic.

Do the Atlantic and the Pacific mix?

In recent years, several videos have gone viral showing the ocean with the water on one side of it a clear dark blue, and on the other side green.

Many of these circulating videos suggest that this is the dividing line between the Atlantic and the Pacific, with the claim that the water in it defies all laws and refuses to mix.

But according to scientists, Atlantic and Pacific waters certainly blend more than most places in the world's oceans. But what happens with this type of video is another matter that has nothing to do with the confluence of the waters of the planet's two largest oceans.

While the Atlantic and Pacific waters do mix, they do not merge together quietly and evenly due to the different salinity, density, and currents in the two oceans. When ocean currents from both collide at Cape Horn, different densities, currents and temperatures create rough seas that have made Cape Horn an ever-popular area.

The freshwater flow of the Fraser River into the saltwater Georgia Strait produces a distinctive milk column as it enters the strait (NASA)

Visible water boundaries already exist

Sally Warner, a professor and physical oceanographer at Brandeis University, told howstuffworks that there are places around the world where water boundaries come together, leaving visible lines in surface water that are easy to see in the open ocean. This occurs when fresh water meets salty ocean water. And also when water currents of different temperatures mix.

For example, the water around Antarctica is colder than the water in the north. What people think defines Atlantic waters from Pacific waters is probably a place that defines the cooler waters of Antarctica from the warmer waters of the north.

On the other hand, the place where fresh river water meets salty ocean water is the easiest place to see the boundaries between the waters, which fascinate many people when they see them.

This is because river water is often very muddy by the time it reaches the ocean, giving it a chocolate milk-like appearance, which contrasts sharply with dark or dark ocean water.

In addition, fresh river water and salty ocean water have different densities, so it is as if the river water remains separated from the ocean water, but they will definitely mix together eventually, and it may take a day or two for their water to mix completely.

Thus, if there is a visible water line anywhere, it will most likely have to do with water of different density or two different temperatures together.