Everyone is curious to know about the deepest point of the ocean, and researchers have made significant efforts to answer this question. The Mariana Trench is the spot you should visit if you want to see what’s at the bottom of the ocean. The trench is 11 kilometers (about 7 miles) at its deepest point and about five times wider than it is deep.
The Mariana Trench is so deep that it takes in all the water that comes from Mount Everest, and whatever lives down there does so among the cold and high pressure. Recently, the bottom of the Mariana Trench was explored by a deep-sea submersible carrying scientists on board. James Cameron was the first one to complete a solo dive to the Challenger Deep, which is the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, in 2012.
Scientists have found that the average ocean depth is 3,682 meters (12,080 feet). The Challenger Deep, located in the western Pacific Ocean in the Mariana Trench, is the lowest point of the ocean. The deepest point of the ocean is called Challenger Deep, and it stands at 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) below the surface. It was given the name Challenger Trench after HMS Challenger’s crew sounded the trench in 1875.
What Is the Mariana Trench and How Deep Is It?
The Mariana Trench is known as the deepest part of the world's oceans, situated in the western Pacific Ocean, east of the Mariana Islands. It creates a crescent-shaped scar in the Earth's crust and is the result of one tectonic plate being forced beneath another—a process known as subduction.
The depth of this part (Mariana Trench) is called Challenger Deep, which results in 10,984 meters (36,037), feet deep, according to a 2021 dive by explorer Victor Vescovo, through measurements this measurement may vary slightly by source.
When was the Mariana Trench Discovered
An expedition known as the Challenger first sounded (measured) the trench in 1875 with a weighted rope. That is where the Challenger Deep got its name as well. Near the start of the 20th century, echo sounding made it possible to get more accurate measurements.
Just like things found above on dry land, the bottom of the ocean contains many mountains and large valleys as well.
There are a lot of deep trenches and caves, one such as Challenger Deep is found more than 35,800 feet down at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
In 2012, Canadian filmmaker and ocean explorer James Cameron dove alone into the abyss. Ever since, more than a few ocean explorers have managed to reach the floor of the Mariana Trench, and numerous remote-controlled vehicles have visited the trench as well.
Key Takeaways on the Mariana Trench
The Mariana Trench is located in the ocean and is the deepest place found there. The deepest point on Earth is the Challenger Deep, situated at which goes of approximately 10,984 meters or 36,037 feet.
A group from the British Royal Navy, led by the Challenger expedition, identified the Mariana Trench for the first time in 1875. During that voyage, which took place from 1872 to 1876, the researchers were focusing on the depths of the oceans.
Very few humans have reached the Challenger Deep, which is at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Examples of this are the 1960 trip to the depths by Jacques Picard and Don Walsh in the Trieste, James Cameron’s solo dive in 2012, and Victor Vescovo’s expedition in 2019.
What’s it Like Down There?
As we go deeper into the sea, the pressure increases 1,000 times greater than what we experience at sea level. The temperature of the water is hovering around freezing, and everything is shrouded in absolute darkness.
Surprisingly, very little living matter is found at the bottom of the Challenger Deep, while scientists think this may have been where life on Earth originated. The mineral-rich water coming from deep hydrothermal vents, for example, those at the Mariana Trench, could have provided the right conditions for the appearance of life on Earth. The organic compounds that lead to life forms today might have been formed from the chemical reactions produced by these vents.
Though it’s fairly silent where most of us live, evidence shows that deep in the ocean, it’s very noisy. Led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a group including the U.S. Coast Guard and Oregon State University members deployed a hydrophone into the Challenger Deep in the year 2015. In just 23 days, the storage of the device was full. On analyzing the recordings, the researchers pointed out that they heard earthquakes, typhoons, whales calling, and boat engines from the area.
Conclusion
Many stunning discoveries have not been made yet. Researchers are struggling hard to discover more things that are yet undiscovered, but people know there must be some astonishing things down there. The discovery of the Mariana Trench is a next-level research and discovery made in this era. Thinking about the life bottom there might seem impossible at this time, but as technology grows, everything can be possible in no time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Where is the very deepest location in the ocean?
The Challenger Deep is where you’ll find the deepest point of all the world’s oceans, in the western Pacific Ocean the south of the Mariana Trench, close to the Federated States of Micronesia.
2. Why can’t we go to the Mariana Trench?
The depth of the Mariana Trench is extremely great. It goes quite far and is deep. Challenger Deep is located in this place and holds the title of Earth’s deepest point. In addition, that situation is quite frightening because the deeper you dive, the more the pressure increases.
3. Has anyone reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench?
Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh became the first people to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960.
