Why is the Pacific sea level higher than the Atlantic?
609027
The Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have different heights with the highest sea surface in the Western Pacific. But don't worry about all that Pacific water rushing into the Atlantic and flooding the Texas coast.\n\nAs far as equalizing levels, this has occurred but introduces an idea that many people find hard to imagine. The difference in heights is a result of a "dynamic equilibrium". Dynamic means changing, but equilibrium means balance, which we usually think of as no change. How can this be? Think of an unchanging balance as one like you can find on a scale where you place the same weight on both sides and it will balance -- always and forever. There is no new weight added or removed, no energy added or removed. This is Static equilibrium, an unchanging balance. A dynamic equilibrium involves the balance of changes. Imagine on your scale that you have cups instead of weights. Each cup the same size and is being dripped into and overflows but it will still balance if the fluid dripping in and out balances on both sides. Here there is a dynamic equilibrium with changes in mass or weight. If we want to imagine an equilibrium that also includes energy, let's have one side of the scale have a smaller cup than the other. Water drips in and overflows, but the two sides can never balance because the two cups can never hold the same amount of water. This gets a little complicated, so hang in there. The cups can't balance each other with weight alone. The lighter cup will go up and the heavy cup will go down. You can make a dynamic equilibrium by pushing down on the lighter cup. Now you have two cups with different amounts of water that balance. Hmmm? This can only happen with the addition of energy.\n\nThis is similar to how the sea surface heights can be different -- there is a dynamic equilibrium. It is indeed affected by the rotation of the Earth which is where some of the energy used to maintain the balance comes from. More comes from the Sun and its heat. The energy acts through winds on the sea surface and currents which tend to cause water to "pile up" where currents are swift. Imagine the surface of your morning juice in its cup. If you swirl that juice, the surface is no longer 'level' but slanted (and the slant rotates with the swirl). This slant is maintained as long as you continue to swirl the cup. You have an equilibrium that requires energy. The moment you stop adding energy by swirling, the surface of the juice levels out. It is now a static system with a static equilibrium that is simple to understand.\n\nThere is a huge science project (yes, scientists do science projects too) called TOPEX/Poseidon that looks at the sea surface (and other ocean information) from orbiting satellites. And there are oceanographers who specialize in studying the sea surface and what causes it to be different from flat. Some of this information is available on the Internet including really cool pictures made from satellite information.
961956
Coz the water comes from the Pacific and goes into the Atlantic
215327
The seas, ocaena, rivers, and lakes of the world are all composed of similar material to different degrees. For example the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean all have different amounts of salt in them. When the Panama canal was built a division between the regions was seen. Not so much with eyes but with equipment. True, those who named regions of water may not have had any idea that they were slightly different but they are. On a ship it'll be pretty hard to tell which ocean you're in if you awoke from a concussion and just stared out at sea. Maritime borders are only used as a political tool. Every second some of teh ATlantic mixes with the Pacific and vice versa.
1005012
Maybe it has something to do with grounding. If a ship is in the ocean and not touch anything then there is no reason for the current to go up right?
40679
In the southern half of the ocean the Humboldt Current flows north along the coast of South America. The cold mineral rich waters support many millions of small fish, which are eaten by larger fish and seabirds.\nAt regular intervals a huge area of the Pacific becomes warmer. Because warm water rises above cold, the sea-level increases. This change in temperature and level causes an alteration in the pattern of the winds. The warm water travels across the Pacific at 100 kms a day. This phenomenon, known as El Nino, deflects the Humboldt Current. 1997 saw the highest temperature recorded of this warm water during the last 150 years.
929832
the pacific on the west coast at least. there is the gulf current that runs along the east coast which brings warm water fromt he gulf up. on the western side of the pacific (japan) there are warm currents there also called the kiroshio(sp?) current. it depends what part of the atlantic or pacific you are in =)
980032
pacific ocean and atlantic ocean\n\n:> peace\n.
263889
This will depend on where in Panama you are but basically, it is due to the hook shape of the archipelago that Panama is on.  At one point, there is a curve that allows an arm of the Atlantic to extend southward, ending up on the west side of the land.  That same curve allows an arm of the Pacific to extend northward, placing it on the east side of the land.  If you are standing at this land point, you can see the sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic.
339284
Because there is a bloody big ocean in between!
817654
Gravity...or if you mean why doesn't it come over the land...then that is because the land is higher then the sea, hence there is not enough water in the sea to raise it above the land.
847104
I can see that you have never been to the Panama Canal and discovered that the Pacific Ocean is higher than the Gulf of Mexico...a sea level ditch would cause the Pacific Ocean to flow into the Gulf of Mexico until it had reached an equal hieght...flooding all cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
637484
heheh in the ocean, it doesn't rain IN the ocean, but the average rainfall for the pacific is 6 to 7 inches a month, atlantic is 4 to 5 inches
40193
WHOI (Woods Hole Institute of Oceanography) has posted some bathymetry maps showing the highest points to be around 2500 meters (8366 feet) deep. However, the East Pacific Rise is a large area, so it is difficult to answer your question with much more than just an example. The base of the features on their maps is about 3000 meters (9842 feet). You can see the maps at:
496521
The concentration of salt in seawater varies with temperature.  Because the Arctic and Antarctic oceans are colder than the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, the salt is less soluble.  By the same principle, seawater near the floor of the ocean would be less salty because it's cold down there.  Throw in a few baby volcanoes, the Atlantic rift and a few dozen fumaroles, etc...  Then, you would have to know how many liters of water are in the oceans and that quantity is constantly changing.  Now, are you talking about common NaCL?  Or do you want to include all the sulfates, carbonates, phosphates, etc... which are all in the ocean?  Thanks for the easy 2 points!
1082968
I read in new scientist that there there is a certain current in the Atlantic that transports hotter ocean water from the south to the north.\n\nWhat happens here is the arctic ice will cool the temperature of the water down and it will thus flow south again.\n\nWith global warming there will be a constant flow of hot water to the north thus raising the water level there. So all places on the northern hemisphere would get affected first. \n\nI'm not too sure I got all the facts right but it has something to do with a current though.
138727
The continental plates float on the LITHOSPHERE because the continents, including the mountain ranges, are composed of LIGHTER materials than the partial BASALT of which the seafloors are composed and of which the lithosphere is composed.  Even GRANITE weighs less.\n\nThe lithosphere is very hot in comparison to the crust of the earth.  The materials there are 'plastic' and flowing.  this enables crustal adjustments to granitational, earthquake and other stresses.\n\nIt is all somewhat similar to bread floating on the top of pea soup (representing the molten sea of cushiony basalt).  If you put two large pieces there (continents), ones that fill nearly the whole surface, and if you push one down, the other will rise.\n\nWith erosion onto the sea floor continental masses also become lighter.  This can make land masses rise.  The pressure of the ocean waters also keeps the continents up.\n\nThe heavier ocean floor plates dive under the continental plates where these two thrust into one another.  There are such areas around the Pacific rim.  Deep marine trenches are associated with these.\n\nLook on the internet for tectonic plates, deep marine trenches, basalt (also from Hawaiian volcanoes) and you will find lots of info.
1055667
It would still be at sea level.