The Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench is the deepest spot in all the world's oceans. It is located in the western Pacific Ocean, near the Mariana Islands. The deepest point is called Challenger Deep. It is nearly 36,000 feet below the surface of the water.

How Deep Is It

The Mariana Trench is so deep that Mount Everest could fit inside it with room to spare. The water pressure at the bottom is crushing. It is more than 1,000 times the pressure at the surface. The water is near freezing and completely dark.

Exploring the Trench

In 1960, two explorers named Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh went to the bottom in a special vessel. In 2012, filmmaker James Cameron made the trip alone. Scientists have found strange creatures living in the trench, even in the deepest parts.

Fun Facts

• If you dropped a heavy steel ball into the Mariana Trench, it would take over an hour to reach the bottom.
• Tiny shrimp-like creatures called amphipods live at the very bottom of the trench.
• The Mariana Trench is about 1,580 miles long.

Did You Know?

The Mariana Trench formed millions of years ago when one piece of the Earth's crust slid under another!