deep-sea trench

Any long, narrow, steep-sided depression in the ocean bottom in which maximum oceanic depths (24,000–36,000 ft, or 7,000–11,000 m) occur. The deepest known depression of this kind is the Mariana Trench. Most trenches occur at subduction zones, where one tectonic plate is thrust under another.

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Continuous, submarine mountain chain extending approximately 50,000 mi (80,000 km) through all the world's oceans, separating them into distinct basins. The main ridge extends down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, passes between Africa and Antarctica, turns north to the Indian Ocean, then continues between Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica and across the Pacific basin to the mouth of the Gulf of California. Lateral ridges extend from islands on the axis of the oceanic ridge to coasts of adjacent continents. The oceanic ridge system is the largest feature of the Earth's surface after the continents and the ocean basins themselves; it is explained by the theory of plate tectonics as a boundary between diverging plates where molten rock is brought up from deep beneath the Earth's crust. Seealso subduction zone.

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Large submarine elevation rising sharply at least 660 ft (200 m) above the surrounding seafloor and having an extensive, relatively flat or gently tilted summit. Most plateaus are steplike interruptions of the continental slopes. Some, however, occur well beyond the continental margins. They stand alone, high above the surrounding seafloor, and are believed to be fragments of continents that were isolated during continental drift and seafloor spreading.

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Literary, performing, and visual arts of the Pacific islands of Oceania, including Australia as well as Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. Their isolation and wide range of environmental conditions led to the development of a rich variety of artistic styles. Religion and ritual strongly influence every aspect of Oceanic life, and their association with the arts is especially close. Religious symbolism infuses not only the objects, dances, and speeches used in ritual but also the materials and tools used to create them. Oceanic literature includes both complex oral traditions and a more modern body of works written primarily in English. The traditional oral transmission of literature necessitated rhythmic cadences and stock formulas to aid memory. Favoured subjects are tales of the gods and spirits and creation myths. Musical styles are multitudinous, though all regions, with some Melanesian exceptions, emphasize vocals using instruments to produce supranormal voices. Consequently most instruments are technically crude though often elaborately decorated in keeping with their extramusical function as gifts and cult objects. Polynesian song and dance is rooted in societal structure, and chants praise chiefs or high-ranking guests while the dancers' movements narrate rather than act out the meaning. Australian and Melanesian dance has a historical function describing the activities of gods and ancestors—in the latter instance, dancers don elaborate costumes and masks. In all the islands the significant movements are made with the upper half of the body, while the feet merely keep time. The visual arts display ingenious use of environmental possibilities: a staggering range of materials are used, often in collage-style combination. Wood is the main artistic medium; secondary materials included clay, shell, and stone. Extant works include wooden masks, clubs, and religious effigies; carved stone sculptures; feather cloaks and helmets; and bark cloth stenciled with bold, dense geometric designs The most famous monuments of Oceanic art are the gargantuan stone figures of Easter Island. With the arrival of European colonists, the arts in these regions began to reflect European traditions and styles. Seealso bisj pole.

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• Of or relating to the ocean
• Of or relating to Oceania
• A person or the peoples of Oceania, also called "Pacific Islander(s)"
• The Oceanic languages
• Oceanic climate

Ships

• RMS Oceanic (1870)
• RMS Oceanic (1899)
• Oceanic (unfinished ship), a project of the 1930s
• SS Oceanic (1950), built as SS Independence in 1950
• SS Oceanic (1965)

Businesses

• Oceanic Time Warner Cable, a division of Time Warner cable based in Hawaii
• An aquarium manufacturer
• Oceanic (scuba gear makers), a manufacturer of scuba gear

Music

• Oceanic (band), a 90's UK dance act
• Oceanic (Isis album)
• Oceanic (Vangelis album)
• Oceanic (Falco Lombardi album)

In fiction

• Oceanic Airlines, often used in disaster movies
• Oceanic Flight 815, a flight in the television series Lost
• Oceanic, short sci-fi story by Greg Egan