Summary:
- The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean on Earth, covering an area of about 63 million square miles (163 million square kilometers).
- The Pacific Ocean's size is due to the movement of tectonic plates, which have been pushing apart for millions of years, creating new seafloor and expanding the ocean basin.
- The Pacific Ocean's depth, with an average depth of about 4,280 meters (14,040 feet), is also a result of the tectonic plate movement, as the ocean floor continues to sink and create deeper basins.