The Mariana Trench

The deepest part of the ocean is the Mariana Trench and it is also one of the least studied. Only four successful descents have been recorded since the deep sea pioneering mission Trieste first reached the bottom of the Challenger Deep. The Mariana Trench is located in the Pacific Ocean, just east of the 14 Mariana Islands (11″21′ North latitude and 142″ 12′ East longitude).

Our insightful infographic helps shed light on some of the facts:

• The Challenger Deep plunges to a staggering depth of 36,201 ft (11,034 m), the deepest recorded in the ocean.
• 4 descent missions were successful in exploring the area in 1960, 1995, 2009 and the most recent in 2012.
• The average width is 43 miles (69 km).
• It extends to 1,580 miles (2,543 km) long!
• At it’s deepest, it exerts over 1000 times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level (15,750 psi)
• Two tectonic plats formed the boundary of the trench – The Izu-Bonin Mariana Subduction System

Want to learn more about the deepest part of the ocean? The Pentarius Project dives into the Mariana Trench to take on the Challenger Deep.