The Mariana Trench, located in the western Pacific Ocean, has been lesser-explored than the other mysterious places in the world. Itsmystery has absolutely nothing to do with just its length and depth.
Every ocean is mystical and profound on its own. When talking about the Mariana Trench, things get a little more mysterious than usual.
Here are five facts about the Mariana Trench that you should know:
Mariana Trench is much deeper than the highest mountain, Mt Everest. This mountain is well-renowned amongst mountain climbers because of its height. However, if you position Mount Everest inside Mariana Trench, there would still be more than one mile left under the ocean. The trench is at least 36,070 feet deep.
Researchers think that a lot of ancient animals are still living hidden within the trench. Even in the absence of light and the hostile conditions, various organisms live deep inside the Mariana Trench. There are more than 250 micro-organisms and other living animals that are active inside in Mariana Trench. It is also rumoured that Megalodon – an extinct type of shark that lived roughly 23 to 3.6 million years earlier – lives here. However, no physical sightings have been recorded of the beast to date.
The deepest part of the trench is known as Challenger Deep.Some places within the trench are much deeper than others. Challenger Deep was named after the two ships that explored its depths using the sounding devices named HMS Challenger 1 and HMS Challenger 2.
People have actually taken a trip to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.Researcher Jacques Piccard and the United States Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh got an opportunity to take a Mariana Trench trip for the first time in 1960. It was an eventful mission.
Many people assume that the ocean water inside the Mariana Trench is too cold as no sunshine reaches its depth. However, the water can get to boiling point as well! There are hydrothermal vents at many places inside the trench. The water exiting from these vents can go upto 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
James Cameron, the well-known Hollywood director, manned an exploration trip to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. He made the trip in 2012. While there, he took pictures –which were the very first photos ever taken in the Challenger Deep.To do this, Cameron had a 24-foot submersible vehicle created that had a window that was nine and a half inches thick to endure the massive pressure of the water.
