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Challenger Deep

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A detailed map showing the deep ocean trenches of the Challenger Deep, highlighting the deepest point on Earth measured during a scientific expedition.

The Deepest Spot on Earth

The Challenger Deep is the deepest part of the ocean. It is found in the Mariana Trench, deep in the Pacific Ocean. This amazing place is almost 11 kilometers below the surface of the water!

A Very Deep Place

The Challenger Deep is a narrow, slot-shaped area at the bottom of a much larger crescent-shaped oceanic trench. It has three basins. Each basin is about six to ten kilometres long, two kilometres wide, and over 5,930 fathoms deep. The closest land to the Challenger Deep is Fais Island, southwest of it, and Guam, northeast of it.

People Who Went There

Scientists have studied this deep place for many years. The area was first found during an expedition by the British Royal Navy survey ships HMS Challenger from 1872 to 1876. Later, in 1950 to 1952, another ship called HMS Challenger II helped scientists learn just how deep it is.

In January 1960, a special vehicle called a bathyscaphe named Trieste made the first trip down to the Challenger Deep. Since then, only a few people have ever made the journey to this incredible place. It remains one of the most exciting challenges in exploration.

Tiny Creatures Live There

Even in this very deep place, scientists have found tiny creatures. The first discovery of life in the Challenger Deep happened during the HMS Challenger expedition. They found tiny, single-celled creatures in samples from the deep. More recent explorations found other simple creatures at the bottom, like sea cucumbers, small worms, and tiny shrimp. These tiny creatures seem to be specially adapted to live in such deep, high-pressure places.

Images

A map showing the location of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.
Chief Scientist Tom Gaskell aboard HMS Challenger II in 1951, exploring the ocean and advancing scientific discovery.
The Vityaz research ship on display at the World Ocean Museum in Kaliningrad, Russia.
Research vessel Hakuho Maru leaving the Port of Fremantle in Western Australia.
Research Support Vessel Yokosuka on display during an open house event at JAMSTEC Headquarters in Yokosuka, Japan.
Research ship Kairei docked at Yokohama Port during a public event.
The R/V Melville is a research ship used by scientists to study the ocean. It has been in service since 1967 and is the oldest active vessel in the academic research fleet.
A research ship called R/V Kilo Moana is shown participating in an ocean science project in Honolulu, helping scientists study the ocean and improve communication technologies.
Control panel of the Kaikō Mk-IV submersible on the research ship Kairei.
The USCGC Sequoia is a United States Coast Guard ship used for maintaining buoys at sea.
Research vessel RV Sonne, a German ship used for scientific exploration.
The R/V Sally Ride, a research vessel, is shown sailing in the Pacific Ocean during a science verification cruise to test its systems for future research missions.
A scientific map showing the depths of the Challenger Deep and Sirena Deep in the Mariana Trench, with locations of submarine dives marked.

Related articles

Mariana Trench
Pacific Ocean
Guam
Shrimp
Pressure

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Challenger Deep, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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