In 2009, the ROV Nereus made the descent. The second descent was in 1995, this time by an unmanned remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), named Kaiko. The first descent took place in 1960 by a manned bathyscaphe vehicle, the Trieste.

The Challenger Deep has been descended on 4 separate occasions. It is located near the Mariana Islands of the Pacific Ocean within the Mariana Trench, which is also a significantly deep location in the ocean floor. It reaches between 35,755 and 36,197 feet below the nearby surface of the seabed, depending on how it is measured (either by sonar bathymetry or submersibles. The Challenger Deep is the deepest spot in the ocean floor. The Four Deepest Oceanic Trenches In The World Challenger Deep This article takes a look at some of the deepest oceanic trenches in the world. Generally, oceanic trenches reach between 1.9 and 2.5 miles below the nearby ocean floor. The trench is created when one of the plates slides below the lithospheric slab. These plates slowly move toward each other at distances that range from a few millimeters per year to more than 10 centimeters. These trenches are considered the deepest part of the ocean floor, occurring at the boundary between convergent plates and lithospheric plates. What Is An Oceanic Trench?Īn oceanic trench is a long and narrow depression in the ocean floor.

And they will research how animals in the hadal zone are able to withstand extreme hydrostatic pressure.The Deepest Oceanic Trenches In The World A map showing the location of the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench known to mankind. Bacteria and other microbes make up the base of the food web at these depths, so researchers will also work to better understand the relationships between microbes, marine snow (sources of carbon), and larger organisms.

The HADEX program is setting out to compare life found in the hadal zone by studying its abundance and diversity in 1,000-meter intervals from 4,000 meters to the deepest points of trenches. One of their primary benefits is their ability to reconfigure their mission on the fly if they encounter unexpected issues. Orpheus AUVs can work independently or in a “swarm” to explore, map, and analyze the water, seafloor, and organisms in the hadal zone. These small AUVs can withstand pressure greater than 1,000 times that at the ocean’s surface (as occurs at the deepest points), and they can navigate narrow, rocky sections of trenches. Together, WHOI and NASA have developed Orpheus autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). This project is not without challenges, given the remote location and extreme topography and pressures found in ocean trenches. To do so, WHOI’s HADEX program is collaborating with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop technology that allows exploration of the hadal zone. Researchers are actively working to investigate trenches and the waters within them. What are ocean scientists doing to better understand the hadal zone? Other Expeditions Highlighting WHOI Research.Expedition to Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.How do polynyas help feed emperor penguins?.Why is pressure different in the ocean?.What’s the difference between climate and weather?.How does ocean warming affect fisheries?.

Ocean trenches meaning