Mariana Trench
| Mariana Trench | |
|---|---|
Mariana Trench | |
| Coordinates | 11°21′N 142°12′E / 11.350°N 142.200°E |
| Type | Oceanic trench |
| Ocean/sea sources | Pacific Ocean |
| Managing agency | United States Northern Mariana Islands (U.S.) Guam (U.S.) |
| Max. length | 2,550 km (1,580 mi) |
| Max. width | 69 km (43 mi) |
| Max. depth | 10,984 ± 25 metres (36,037 ± 82 ft; 6,006 ± 14 fathoms; 6.825 ± 0.016 mi) (Challenger Deep) |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Mariana Trench | |
The Mariana Trench is an oceanic trench located in the western Pacific Ocean, about 200 kilometres (124 mi) east of the Mariana Islands; it is the deepest oceanic trench on Earth. It is crescent-shaped and measures about 2,550 km (1,580 mi) in length and 69 km (43 mi) in width. The maximum known depth is 10,984 ± 25 metres (36,037 ± 82 ft; 6,006 ± 14 fathoms; 6.825 ± 0.016 mi) at the southern end of a small slot-shaped valley in its floor known as the Challenger Deep. The deepest point of the trench is more than 2 km (1.2 mi) farther from sea level than the peak of Mount Everest.
At the bottom of the trench at around 11,000 metres below the sea surface, the water column above exerts a pressure of 1,086 bar (15,750 psi), approximately 1,071.8 times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level or eight tons per square inch. The temperature at the bottom is 1 to 4 °C (34 to 39 °F).
In 2009, the Mariana Trench was established as a US National Monument, Mariana Trench Marine National Monument.
Single-celled organisms called monothalamea have been found in the trench at a record depth of 10.6 km (35,000 ft; 6.6 mi) below the sea surface by researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Data has also suggested that microbial life forms thrive within the trench.