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How do the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern oceans compare in average depth?

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Map graphic showing the boundaries of the five oceans-Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern-using color-coded regions. Four different map projections are included: North Pole view, South Pole view, International Date Line view, and Greenwich Meridian view, each displaying the oceans' extents around the continents. — ocean Earth's oceans and their marginal seas cover nearly 71 percent of the planet's surface.

The average depth of the world's oceans varies significantly across the five major basins. The Pacific Ocean is the deepest, while the Arctic Ocean is the shallowest.1

The following table summarizes the average depth for each ocean:

| Ocean | Average Depth (meters) | Average Depth (feet) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Pacific Ocean | 3,970 | 13,025 |
| Indian Ocean | 3,741 | 12,274 |
| Atlantic Ocean | 3,646 | 11,962 |
| Southern Ocean | 3,270 | 10,728 |
| Arctic Ocean | 1,205 | 3,953 |

These measurements are derived from the total volume of each ocean divided by its surface area. While the Pacific holds the record for the greatest mean depth, it also contains the deepest known point on Earth, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. In contrast, the Arctic Ocean's relatively shallow average depth is influenced by its extensive continental shelves, which underlie nearly one-third of its total area.123