Marianas trench where is it

See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. How deep is the Mariana Trench? Is Astrology Real? Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Every ocean is deep and mysterious in its own way.

But compared to the Mariana Trench, some parts of the ocean look like the shallow end of a pool. The Mariana Trench sometimes called Marianas Trench , found in the western Pacific Ocean, is the deepest part located in any ocean. The truly impressive part of the Mariana Trench has nothing to do with its length and everything to do with its depth. Everyone knows that Mount Everest is a massive challenge for mountain climbers everywhere because of its insane height and the weather conditions associated with it.

But if Mount Everest were ever placed in the Mariana Trench, the peak of the mountain would still be more than one mile underwater. The trench is believed to be one of the most ancient seabeds on the planet at approximately million years old. A CT scan of the Mariana snailfish. Despite the lack of light and the hostile, acidic conditions in the trench, a surprising number of organisms live there. There are more than known microorganisms and small creatures that live there, including crustaceans and amphipods.

Commonwealth, the United States has jurisdiction over the Mariana Trench. In , President George W. Bush established the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, which created a protected marine reserve for the approximately , square miles , square km of seafloor and waters surrounding the remote islands. It includes most of the Mariana Trench, 21 underwater volcanoes and areas around three islands.

The Mariana Trench was created by the process that occurs in a subduction zone , where two massive slabs of oceanic crust collide. At a subduction zone, one piece of oceanic crust is pushed and pulled underneath the other, sinking into the Earth's mantle, the layer under the crust.

Where the two pieces of crust intersect, a deep trench forms above the bend in the sinking crust. In this case, the Pacific Ocean crust is bending below the Philippine crust. The Pacific crust, also called a tectonic plate, is about million years old where it dives into the trench.

The Philippine plate is younger and smaller than the Pacific plate. As deep as the trench is, it is not the spot closest to the center of Earth. Because the planet bulges at the equator, the radius at the poles is about 16 miles 25 km less than the radius at the equator. The crushing water pressure on the floor of the trench is more than 8 tons per square inch kilograms per square meter.

This is more than 1, times the pressure felt at sea level, or the equivalent of having 50 jumbo jets piled on top of a person. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website.

You cannot download interactives. Students read about the establishment of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument and discuss why it is important to preserve the Mariana Trench and surrounding area. Ocean trenches are long, narrow depressions on the seafloor. These chasms are the deepest parts of the ocean—and some of the deepest natural spots on Earth.

Marine microbiologist Dr. Douglas Bartlett and marine geologist Dr. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom.

Ask: What is the highest point in the world and where is it located? Mount Everest at approximately 8, meters, or 29, feet; located on the borders of Nepal and China What is the deepest location on Earth and where is it located? Learning Objectives Students will: locate the Mariana Trench on a map identify the depth, length, and width of the Trench identify the country that has jurisdiction over the Mariana Trench.

Teaching Approach Learning-for-use.