Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

The Jimmy

Carter Library

and Museum

opened in

Atlanta, Georgia,

in 1986.

It houses the

official documents

as well

as letters and

photographs

of the 39th

president of the

United States.

220 Atlantic Ocean BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

cools and hardens as it spreads out on

both sides of the ridge. Volcanoes and

earthquakes are common near the ridge.

Undersea volcanoes have formed some

of the Atlantic’s islands. Examples

include the Cape Verde Islands, near

Africa, and Bermuda, near North

America. Iceland is a volcanic island that

rises from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Other Atlantic islands are parts of the

same land as nearby continents.

Examples include the islands of Great

Britain, near Europe, and the Falkland

Islands, near South America.

Currents and Climate

The waters of the ocean move in patterns

called currents. Currents carry heat

and affect climate. In general, the main

currents of the Atlantic Ocean move in a

clockwise direction in the northern part

of the ocean. In the southern part they

move in a counterclockwise direction. At

the equator, the currents move from east

to west. There the water picks up heat.

The water then slowly cools as the currents

move away from the equator.

Large, circular storms called hurricanes

often develop in the warm parts of the

Atlantic. Hurricanes usually hit coastal

areas in the Caribbean Sea and southeastern

North America.

Economy

The Atlantic produces much of the

world’s fish. The ocean is also a source

of many minerals. Large deposits of oil,

natural gas, and coal are found in the

Atlantic. In addition, many cargo ships

use the ocean as a trade route.

Exploration

The ancient Egyptians, Celts (Europeans),

Phoenicians (Middle Easterners),

and Romans sailed on the Atlantic. No

one knows how far west they went, however.

In about AD 1000 Vikings from

northern Europe crossed the Atlantic.

They probably reached the island of

Newfoundland, off the coast of North

America.

In 1492 Christopher Columbus made

his famous voyage across the Atlantic in

search of a new trading route to Asia. In

1520 Ferdinand Magellan sailed around

South America. He discovered the strait

(passage), now named after him, that

links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Environmental Issues

Humans have heavily polluted some

areas of the Atlantic Ocean. This pollution

includes sewage from cities, waste

from factories, and fertilizers and pesticides

from farms. Oil spills from ships or

offshore oil wells are sources of pollution,

too.

A hurricane swirls off the eastern coast of

the United States. Hurricanes often form

over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Atlantic Ocean 221

 

Overfishing is another important environmental

issue in the Atlantic. So many

fish have been caught that some types

are in danger of disappearing entirely.

Some countries have set limits on how

many fish can be caught in certain areas.

They have also set up programs to protect

the fish that are left and to rebuild

the fish populations.

#More to explore

Ocean • Pacific Ocean

Atlas

In ancient Greek mythology Atlas was

doomed to carry the heavens on his

shoulders. In some stories, he had to

support the pillars that separate heaven

and Earth. Artists often pictured him

carrying the heavens or a globe.

Atlas’ mother was Clymene, a minor

goddess known as a nymph. His father

was Iapetus, a Titan. The Titans were

giants who ruled the world. Atlas fought

with the Titans in a war against Zeus.

When Zeus won the war, he became

chief god. Zeus punished Atlas by making

him hold up the sky.

Another story told that Atlas was the

father of nymphs called the Hesperides.

They guarded a tree that bore golden

apples. The hero Heracles (Hercules)

had to perform 12 tasks to make up for

killing his children. One of these tasks

was to steal the golden apples. Heracles

asked Atlas to help. He offered to carry

the heavens for Atlas while Atlas got the

apples. Atlas agreed and fetched the

apples. He planned to refuse to take

back the heavens. But Heracles tricked

Atlas into picking up his burden again.

In another story Perseus turned Atlas into

a mountain by showing him the head

of the monsterMedusa. The Atlas

Mountains of Africa were named for him.

#More to explore

Greece, Ancient • Heracles • Mythology

• Titans • Zeus

222 Atlas BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Atlas

An atlas is a bound collection of maps.

Atlases vary in size and in the information

presented. Some travelers carry

small atlases that give road and street

directions. Other atlases are huge, very

detailed books that need a reading stand

for support. A general reference atlas

focuses on place locations. A specialsubject

atlas deals with a single subject,

such as agriculture or climate.

In Greek mythology Atlas was a giant

condemned to hold up the heavens. In

the 1500s a man named Gerardus Mercator

put together a collection of maps.

His collection included a picture of Atlas

holding a globe on his shoulders. From

then on, the word atlas was commonly

used to describe a collection of maps.

#More to explore

Map and Globe

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is the layer of gas that

surrounds Earth. It is often called air.