Tethys Ocean

The Tethys Ocean is the largest ocean on Materia. It straddles the equator and extends south from the southern coast of Selea to the northern edges of Pandora and Iksel.

Overview
The Tethys Ocean covers 168,618,298.4 sq kilometers, a full 30% of Materia's surface area. The lowest point on Materia, the Karos Depp, lies 12,042 meters below the surface of the Tethys Ocean, and the average depth is 5,624 meters. While Tethys is usually peacefully, large storms do happen, and tsunamis cross the ocean with striking regularity.

The Tethys Ocean is generally dividing into the smaller North Tethys Ocean and the much larger South Tethys.

About 70% of Materia's islands are located in the Tethys Ocean. The Tethys Ocean is also home to the largest number of Lost Grounds on Materia.

Water Characteristics
The water temperature of the Tethys Ocean varies from 1°C at the southern pole to around 28°C near the equator. Salinity also varies greatly by latitude. The water at the equator has a lower concentration of salt since there is a larger amount of precipitation at the equator.

The waters of the Tethys Ocean generally move clockwise in the north and counterclockwise in the south. The North Equatorial Current (NEC) flows westward until it hits Parava Island, where it turns north, forming the Parapi current. The Parapi current forks into the Akashima strait, where it becomes the Clockwork current, and the remainder of the water continues across the southern coast of Selea. It hits the opposite side of Parava Island and combines with the Nilong current to head south to reform the NEC.

The Southern Equatorial Current (SEC) turns south at Parava Island, becoming the Iskel current. It hits the Novalzen current, turning eastward. The Novalzen current forks at the southern tip of Pandora. It heads north as the Pandora current and returns to the SEC

Geology
The Tethys plate forms the northern half of the Tethys Ocean. At Karos Depp, the southern boundary of this plate forms a subduction zone with the Pandora plate. Thus, the Tethys Ocean is slowly shrinking in size, while the Solaran Ocean is growing. Eventually the continents of Selea and Pandora will collide, forming a supercontinent called Tethysia.

Major Ports
Haven Bastion Port Hope Ziche