Technical boundaries of oceans

Question

i live in Melbourne Australia and i want to know which of oceans that are shown on varying maps. is the one we are on. Indianian , pacific , tasman , southern ocean are all shown to be on our coast line.

Answer 1

Pacific Ocean joins Austrailia.

Answer 2

we're generally thought to be in the pacific..

Answer 3

This is a good question, and raises matters of uncertainty and controversy.

If you live in Australia (which you do); you would consider that the ocean to the South of Australia is part of the Southern Ocean, and Cape Leeuwin in WA is the boundary between the Indian ocean and the Southern Ocean (there is a plaque on the site, noting that fact).

Melbourne lies on Bass Strait, which  separates the Tasman Sea (part of the Pacific) from the Great Australian Bight (part of the Southern Ocean).  This would put Melbourne on the Southern Ocean.

However, there is no agreed boundary to the Southern ocean, and different countries cannot come to a conclusion.  Some say that the boundary is arbitrarily placed at the Antarctic Circle; others point out that hydrographically, the boundary should be considered to be at the Antarctic convergence; further to the north.  

Some even say that there is no such thing as the Southern Ocean at all; it is only an extension of the southern Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans (but this ignores the hydrographical distinction of the Southern Ocean).

The problem then arises, if there is no Southern ocean, or if its boundary lies further to the south than Australia; what ocean then lies to the south of Australia?  Is it then the Pacific; or the Indian?  There is no defined boundary between these oceans.

In the event of there being no Southern Ocean, then, I would conclude that the Western end of Bass Strait and the Great Australian Bight are part of the Indian Ocean, as the Indian convergence ridge lies to the soutjh of Tasmania.   But I would stick to my guns, claiming that melbourne is on the Great Southern Ocean

Those who say that Australia is in the Pacific Ocean ignore the fact that two thirds of the continent do not front that ocean.

ps: here's an interesting Wikipedia page about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Oc...

Answer 4

first of all its the Indian ocean plus there aren't the tasman and southern oceans (they are seas). I'd say you guys are in the pacific.

Answer 5

ITS DUMB TO NAME OCEANS!  THE WHOLE WORLD IS TECHNICALLY AN ISLAND  

Answer 6

???I KNOW!!!

Answer 7

Indian, Pacific and Tasman Sea. The Southern Ocean only reaches as far as 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The map at the first link shows this quite clearly.