With large parts of the world’s seas and oceans yet to be explored, one sure thing is every large water body comes with its mysteries. For instance, while every ocean is deep, the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean makes some look like the shallow end of a swimming pool. Located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of the Mariana Islands, the Mariana Trench is the deepest oceanic island. With depths of about 11 kilometers (about 7 miles), the Mariana Trench is one of the most fascinating parts of the ocean. This article explores some intriguing Mariana Trench facts you (probably) didn’t know.
1. The Mariana Trench Is Named After the Nearby Islands
The name “Mariana Trench” comes from the nearby (well, not so near because they are over 124 miles away) Mariana Islands. The islands themselves got the name from Las Marianas, one of the former Spanish Queens.
2. The Deepest Part of the Mariana Trench Is Called the Challenger Deep
After a successful global navigation, the Mariana Trench was pinpointed in 1875. Interestingly, the region is not flat; some are deeper than others. Currently, the Challenger Deep is recognized as the deepest section. Over time, it has attracted visits from explorers and filmmakers alike.
3. Some Animals Can Survive in the Mariana Trench
Although the region is generally dark, has high water pressure levels, and is mainly acidic, there are some animals living in the Mariana Trench. As it stands, more than 200 microorganisms and small creatures comfortably live there.
4. The First Visitors to the Mariana Trench Were Very Courageous
When the first two people were diving into the Mariana Trench in 1960, they noticed that one of the outer window panes of their bathysphere had cracked. They chose to continue the trip, anyway, and they succeeded.
To put this into perspective, after the first dive, humans chose to send robots to the Mariana Trench rather than going themselves. It wasn’t until 2012 that James Cameron made the second dive.
5. There Were Proposals to Bury Nuclear Waste at the Bottom of the Mariana Trench
While this isn’t unique to the Mariana Trench, there were proposals to make the oceanic trenches a site for nuclear waste disposal. The hope was that the tectonic plate subduction that occurs in this region would eventually push the nuclear waste deep into the Earth’s mantle.
This plan made perfect sense, especially considering water is an impressive radiation blocker and that the ultra-dense nuclear waste would sink exceptionally fast. However, Japan could not continue with its plan to dump low-level atomic wastes near Maug in the Northern Marianas in 1989. This is because international laws prohibit the dumping of nuclear waste into the ocean. Also, the effects of long-term nuclear waste disposal on the Mariana Trench were very unpredictable.
6. An Explorer Once Found a Plastic Bag with Sweets Wraooers at the Mariana Trench
In 2019, an explorer dived into the Mariana Trench and was surprised to find a plastic bag and sweet wrappers.
7. Most of the Dives to The Mariana Trench Have Happened Recently
The latest descent to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench happened in July 2022, when Dawn Wright visited the region. So far, about 21 people have managed this monumental feat, with the majority of the trips happening between 2019 and 2023.
Before then, only the legendary James Cameron (March 25, 2012) and Don Walsh Jaques Piccard (January 23, 1960) had descended to the Mariana Trench.
8. Kathy Sullivan Was The First Woman to Go to Space and Dive into The Mariana Trench
In June 2020, Kathy Sullivan, the first American woman to spacewalk, became the first person to visit both the space and the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.
9. The Mariana Trench Isn’t Quite
Given that it is the deepest part of the ocean, the general feeling would be that the Mariana Trench is super silent. However, that isn’t always the case. In 2015, a scientist dropped a microphone deep into the Mariana Trench and was surprised by the results.
The mic picked up sounds of ships, earthquakes, a category 4 typhoon, and distinct moans from suspected baleen whales.
10. The Mariana Trench Is a United States National Monument
Although the Mariana Trench is not in the United States, it is the country’s national monument. The United States could do that because, according to international law, the maritime exclusive economic zones of the adjacent Northern Mariana Islands and Guam fall within its jurisdiction.
11. The Mariana Trench Is Ridiculously Deep
As aforementioned, The Mariana Trench (at the Challenger Deep) is about 11 kilometers (about 7 miles) below the Earth’s surface. To put this into perspective, commercial airlines fly at an altitude lower than the Challenger Deep. The Mariana Trench is also 2,550 km (1,500 miles) long and has a width of about 69 kilometers (43 miles).
12. The Kola Superdeep Borehole Was Deeper Than the Mariana Trench
After learning about how deep the Mariana Trench is, it’s easy to assume that it might be the deepest place on Earth. Interestingly, the Russian-dug Kola Superdeep Borehole was deeper than the Mariana Trench.
Recognized as the deepest human-made hole on Earth, the Kola Superdeep Borehole measured 12,262 meters (40,230 feet, 7.619 miles). For the longest time, the borehole was the deepest until it was surpassed by Qatar’s hydrocarbon extraction borehole in 2008.
13. Vanessa O’Brien Was the First Woman to Reach Earth’s Highest and Lowest Points
As far as records go, Vanessa O’Brien, an American mountaineer, was the first woman to reach Earth’s highest and lowest points. She achieved this in 2020 when she dived into the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.
Vanessa O’Brien also successfully scaled Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. She was awarded a Guinness World Record for her exploits.