The ocean is much closer to us than the planets of the solar system. However, its bottom has been studied only by 5 percent. And how many more secrets do the waters of the oceans keep? This is the greatest mystery of our planet.

Max Depth

The Mariana Trench, or otherwise the Mariana Trench, is the deepest place in the world's oceans. Amazing creatures live here and there is practically no light. However, this is the most famous place, which is still not fully understood and is fraught with many unsolved mysteries.

Diving into the Mariana Trench is a real suicide. After all, the water pressure here is thousands of times higher than the pressure at sea level. The maximum depth of the world's oceans is approximately 10,994 meters with an error of 40 meters. However, there are daredevils who descended to the very bottom, risking their own lives. Of course, this was not without modern technology.

Where is the deepest place in the oceans

The Mariana Trench is located in the region, and to be more precise, in its western part, closer to the east, near Guam, about 200 kilometers from the deepest place in the world's oceans, it resembles a crescent-shaped trench in shape. The depression is approximately 69 kilometers wide and 2,550 kilometers long.

Mariana Trench coordinates: East longitude - 142°35', North latitude - 11°22'.

bottom temperature

Scientists have suggested that at the maximum depth there should be a very low temperature. However, they were very surprised by the fact that at the bottom of the Mariana Trench this indicator remains above zero and is 1 - 4 ° C. Soon this phenomenon was found and an explanation.

Hydrothermal springs are located approximately at a depth of 1600 meters from the surface of the water. They are also called "white smokers". Jets of very hot water come out of the springs. Its temperature is 450° Celsius.

It is worth noting that this water contains a huge amount of minerals. It is these chemical elements that support life at great depths. Despite such a high temperature, which is several times higher than the boiling point, the water does not boil here. And this is due to the relatively high pressure. At this depth, this figure is 155 times higher than at the surface.

As you can see, the deepest places in the oceans are not so simple. There are still many mysteries hidden in them that need to be unraveled.

Who lives at such a depth

Many people think that the deepest place in the world's oceans is an abyss where life cannot exist. However, this is not the case. At the very bottom of the Mariana Trench, scientists have discovered very large amoebas, which are called xenophyophores. Their body length is 10 centimeters. These are very large unicellular organisms.

Scientists suggest that this type of amoeba has acquired such dimensions due to the environment in which they have to exist. It is worth noting that these single-celled creatures were found at a depth of 10.6 kilometers. Many factors influenced their development. This is the lack of sunlight, and rather high pressure, and, of course, cold water.

In addition, xenophyophores have simply unique abilities. Amoebas tolerate exposure to many chemicals and elements, including lead, mercury and uranium.

shellfish

The pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is very high. In such conditions, even creatures with bones or a shell have no chance to survive. However, not so long ago, mollusks were found in the Mariana Trench. They live near hydrothermal springs, because serpentine contains methane and hydrogen. These substances allow a living organism to fully form.

It is still not known how mollusks manage to keep their shells in such conditions. In addition, hydrothermal springs release another gas - hydrogen sulfide. And he, as you know, is fatal to any mollusks.

Liquid carbon dioxide in its purest form

The Mariana Trench is a deep place in the oceans, as well as an amazing world with many inexplicable phenomena. There are hydrothermal vents located near Taiwan, outside the Okinawa Trench. This is the only underwater area currently known where liquid carbon dioxide is present. This place was discovered back in 2005.

Many scientists believe that it was these sources that allowed life to originate in the Mariana Trench. After all, here is not only the optimum temperature, but also chemicals are present.

Finally

The deepest places in the oceans simply amaze with the extraordinary nature of their world. Here you can meet living organisms that feel great in complete darkness and at high pressure and cannot exist in another environment.

It is worth noting that the Mariana Trench has the status of a national monument of the United States. This marine reserve is the largest in the world. Of course, for those who want to visit here, there is a certain list of rules. Mining and fishing is strictly prohibited in this place.

The Mariana Trench is one of the most famous places on the planet. But this does not prevent him from being the keeper of secrets and mysteries. What is at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and which of the living creatures is able to withstand these incredible conditions?

The unique depth of the planet

The bottom of the Earth, the abyss of the Challenger, the deepest place on the planet ... What titles were given to the little-studied Mariana Trench. It is a V-shaped bowl with a diameter of about 5 km with steep slopes located at an angle of only 7-9 ° and a flat bottom. According to measurements in 2011, the depth of the trench is 10,994 km below sea level. It is hard to imagine, but Everest, the highest mountain on the planet, can easily fit in its depths.

The deep sea trench is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. The unique geographical point got its name in honor of the Mariana Islands located in the immediate vicinity. Along them, it stretched for 1.5 km.

This amazing place on the planet was formed as a result of a tectonic fault, where the Pacific plate partially overlaps the Philippine one.

Secrets and mysteries of the "Womb of Gaia"

There are many secrets and legends around the little-studied Mariana Trench. What is hidden in the depths of the gutter?

Japanese scientists who have been studying goblin sharks for a long time claim that they saw a gigantic creature while feeding predators. It was a 25-meter shark that came to feed on goblin sharks. It is assumed that they had the good fortune to see a direct descendant of the megalodon shark, which, according to the official version, died out 2 million years ago. In support of the fact that these monsters could well have survived in the depths of the gutter, scientists have provided giant teeth found at the bottom.

The world knows many stories about how corpses of unknown giant monsters were found thrown out by the waters on the shores of nearby islands.

An interesting case is described by the participants in the descent of the German bathyscaphe "Highfish". At a depth of 7 km there was a sudden stop of the self-propelled vehicle. To find out the reason for the stop, the researchers turned on the searchlights and were horrified by what they saw. In front of them was a prehistoric deep-sea lizard that was trying to chew through an underwater vessel. The monster was scared away only by a tangible electrical impulse from the outer skin of the self-propelled vehicle.

Another inexplicable incident occurred during the sinking of an American deep-sea vessel. At the moment of lowering the apparatus on titanium cables, the researchers heard the rattle of metal. To find out the reason, they removed the apparatus back to the surface. As it turned out, the ship's beams were bent, and the titanium cables were practically sawn through. Which of the inhabitants of the Mariana Trench tried their teeth remained a mystery.

Amazing Gutter Dwellers

The pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench reaches 108.6 MPa. This parameter is more than 1100 times higher than normal atmospheric pressure. It is not surprising that for a long time people believed that there was no life at the bottom of the trough in the icy cold and unbearable pressure.

But in spite of everything, at a depth of 11 kilometers, there are deep-sea monsters that have managed to adapt to these terrible conditions. So who are these representatives of the animal world, who have successfully mastered the deepest place on the planet and feel comfortable within the walls of the Mariana Trench?

sea ​​slug

These amazing creatures, living at a depth of 7-8 km, in appearance are more reminiscent of not the “surface” fish we are used to, but rather tadpoles.

The body of these amazing fish is a jelly-like substance, the density parameter of which is slightly higher than water. This feature of the device allows sea slugs to swim with minimal energy costs.

The body of these deep-sea inhabitants is predominantly dark in color from pink-brown to black. Although there are also colorless species, through the transparent skin of which muscles are visible.

The size of an adult sea slug is only 25-30 cm. The head is pronounced and strongly flattened. A well-developed tail is more than half the length of the body. A powerful tail and well-developed fins are used by the fish for locomotion.

Jellyfish traditionally live in the upper water layers. But bentocodon feels comfortable at a depth of about 750 meters. Outwardly, the amazing inhabitant of the Mariana Trench resembles a red flying saucer D 2-3 cm.

Bentocodon feeds on unicellular and crustaceans, which exhibit bioluminescent properties in the depths of the sea. According to marine biologists, the red coloring was donated by nature to these jellyfish for the purpose of camouflage. If they had a transparent color, as their high waters gather, then when swallowing the crustaceans glowing in the dark, they would immediately become noticeable to larger predators.

macropina barrel-eye

Among the amazing inhabitants of the Mariana Trench, an unusual fish called the small-mouthed macropina arouses genuine interest in itself. She is awarded by nature with a transparent head. The eyes of the fish, located deep inside the transparent dome, can rotate in different directions. This allows the barrel eye to search in all directions without moving, even in dim and diffused light conditions. False eyes located at the front of the head are actually organs of smell.

The laterally compressed body of the fish is shaped like a torpedo. Thanks to this structure, it is able to "hang" in one place for several hours. To give the body acceleration, the macropin simply presses the fins to the body and begins to actively work with the tail.

A cute animal that lives at a depth of 7 thousand meters, is the deepest octopus known to science. Due to the wide bell-shaped head and sweeping elephant "ears", it is often called the Dumbo octopus.

The deep-sea creature has a soft semi-gelatinous body and two fins located on the mantle, interconnected by wide membranes. The octopus carries out soaring movements above the bottom surface due to the work of the siphon funnel.

Soaring along the seabed, he looks out for prey - bivalve molluscs, worm-like animals and crustaceans. Unlike most cephalopods, Dumbo does not peck at its prey with its beak-like jaws, but swallows it whole.

Small fish with bulging telescopic eyes and huge open mouths live at a depth of 200-600 meters. They got their name for the characteristic shape of the body, resembling a cutting tool equipped with a short handle.

Hatchet fish living in the depths of the Mariana Trench have photophores. Special luminous organs are located in the lower half of the body in small groups along the abdomen. By emitting diffused light, they create an anti-shadow effect. This makes hatchets less visible to bottom-dwelling predators.

Osedax Bone Eaters

Among those who live at the bottom of the Mariana Trench are polychaete worms. They reach a length of only 5-7 cm. As food, osedax use substances contained in the bones of dead marine life.

By secreting an acidic substance, they penetrate the skeleton, extracting from it all the microelements necessary for life. Tiny bone eaters breathe through fluffy processes on the body that can extract oxygen from the water.

Of no less interest is the way these creatures adapt. Males, whose size is ten times smaller than females, live on the body of their ladies. Inside the dense gelatinous cone framing the body, up to a hundred males can simultaneously coexist. They leave their shelter only at the moments when the female prey finds a new source of food.

active bacteria

During the last expedition, Danish scientists found colonies of active bacteria at the bottom of the trench, which are of great importance in maintaining the carbon cycle of the ocean.

It is noteworthy that at a depth of 11 km, bacteria are 2 times more active than their counterparts, but living at a depth of 6 km. Scientists explain this by the need to process the colossal volumes of organic material that fall here, sinking from shallower depths, and as a result of earthquakes.

underwater monsters

The vast thickness of the ocean in the Mariana Trench is filled with not only cute and harmless creatures. The deep monsters leave the most indelible impression.

Unlike the above-mentioned inhabitants of the Mariana Trench, the needlefish has a very formidable appearance. Its long body is covered with slippery scaleless skin, and its terrible muzzle is "decorated" with huge teeth. The monster lives at a depth of 1800 m.

Since the sun's rays practically do not penetrate into the depths of the gutter, many of its inhabitants have the ability to glow in the dark. Iglorot is no exception.

On the body of the fish there are photophores - glow glands. Their deep-sea dweller uses them for three purposes at once: to protect against large predators, communicate with their own kind, and bait small fish. During hunting, the needleworm also uses a special mustache - a luminous thickening. A potential victim takes a luminous strip for a small fish and, as a result, she falls for the bait herself.

Fish are amazing not only in appearance, but also in their way of life. She got the nickname "angler" for a remarkable process on her head filled with bioluminescent bacteria. Attracted by the glow of the "fishing rod", a potential victim swims up to a close distance. The angler can only open his mouth to meet her.

These deep sea predators are very voracious. To accept prey that exceeds the size of the predator itself, the fish is able to stretch the walls of its stomach. For this reason, in the event of an anglerfish attacking a prey that is too large, both may die as a result.

The predator has a very unusual appearance: a long body with short fins, a frightening muzzle with a giant beak-like nose, huge jaws retracting forward and unexpectedly pink skin.

Biologists believe that a long outgrowth in the form of a beak is necessary for a predator to find food in pitch darkness. For such an unusual and even terrible appearance of a predator, the goblin shark is often called.

It is noteworthy that goblin sharks do not have a swim bladder. This is partially offset by an enlarged liver, which can weigh up to 25% relative to the body.

You can meet a predator only at a depth of at least 900 m. It is noteworthy that the older the individual, the deeper it will live. But even adults of goblin sharks cannot boast of impressive size: body length is on average 3-3.5 m, and weight is about 200 kg.

frilled shark

This dangerous creature that lives in the depths of the Mariana Trench is rightfully considered the king of the underwater world. The most ancient species of sharks has a serpentine body, covered with folded skin. The gill membranes intersecting in the throat area form a wide bag from the skin folds, outwardly resembling a wavy cloak 1.5-1.8 meters long.

The prehistoric monster has a primitive structure: the spine is not divided into vertebrae, all the fins are concentrated in one area, the caudal fin consists of only one mouth. The main pride of the cloaked man is his mouth, dotted with 3 hundred teeth arranged in several rows.

Frilled sharks live at a depth of more than 1.5 thousand meters. They feed on cephalopods, crustaceans and small fish. They attack by shooting with their whole body, like snakes. Due to the closing of the gill slits, they can create negative pressure in their mouths, literally sucking their victims whole.

In the field of view of people, frilled ones come across extremely rarely, when, with a lack of food or changes in temperature, they rise closer to the surface.

Despite the fact that the oceans are closer to us than the outer planets of the solar system, people explored only five percent of the ocean floor, which remains one of the greatest mysteries of our planet.

Here are other interesting facts about what you can meet along the way and at the very bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Temperature at the bottom of the Mariana Trench

1. Very hot water

Going down to such a depth, we expect that it will be very cold there. The temperature here reaches just above zero, varying 1 to 4 degrees Celsius.

However, at a depth of about 1.6 km from the surface of the Pacific Ocean, there are hydrothermal vents called "black smokers". They shoot water that heats up to 450 degrees Celsius.

This water is rich in minerals that help support life in the area. Despite the temperature of the water, which is hundreds of degrees above the boiling point, she does not boil here due to incredible pressure, 155 times higher than on the surface.

Inhabitants of the Mariana Trench

2. Giant toxic amoeba

A few years ago, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, they discovered giant 10-centimeter amoebas, called xenophyophores.

These single-celled organisms probably got so big because of the environment they live in at a depth of 10.6 km. The cold temperature, high pressure, and lack of sunlight most likely contributed to these amoeba got huge.

In addition, xenophyophores have incredible abilities. They are resistant to many elements and chemicals, including uranium, mercury and lead,which would kill other animals and people.

3. Clams

The strong water pressure in the Mariana Trench does not give any animal with a shell or bones a chance to survive. However, in 2012, shellfish were discovered in a trough near serpentine hydrothermal vents. Serpentine contains hydrogen and methane, which allows living organisms to form.

TO How did mollusks keep their shells under such pressure?, remains unknown.

In addition, hydrothermal vents release another gas, hydrogen sulfide, which is deadly to shellfish. However, they learned to bind the sulfur compound into a safe protein, which allowed the population of these mollusks to survive.

At the bottom of the Mariana Trench

4. Pure liquid carbon dioxide

hydrothermal source Champagne The Mariana Trench, which lies outside the Okinawa Trench near Taiwan, is the only known underwater area where liquid carbon dioxide can be found. The spring, discovered in 2005, got its name from the bubbles that turned out to be carbon dioxide.

Many believe that these springs, called "white smokers" because of the lower temperature, may be the source of life. It was in the depths of the oceans with low temperatures and an abundance of chemicals and energy that life could originate.

5. Slime

If we had the opportunity to swim to the very depths of the Mariana Trench, then we would feel that it covered with a layer of viscous mucus. Sand, in its usual form, does not exist there.

The bottom of the depression mainly consists of crushed shells and plankton residues that have accumulated at the bottom of the depression for many years. Due to the incredible pressure of the water, almost everything there turns into fine greyish-yellow thick mud.

Mariana Trench

6. Liquid sulfur

Volcano Daikoku, which is located at a depth of about 414 meters on the way to the Mariana Trench, is the source of one of the rarest phenomena on our planet. Here is lake of pure molten sulfur. The only place where liquid sulfur can be found is Jupiter's moon Io.

In this pit, called "cauldron", a seething black emulsion boils at 187 degrees Celsius. Although scientists have not been able to explore this place in detail, it is possible that even more liquid sulfur is contained deeper. It may reveal the secret of the origin of life on Earth.

According to the Gaia hypothesis, our planet is one self-governing organism in which all living and non-living things are connected to support its life. If this hypothesis is correct, then a number of signals can be observed in the natural cycles and systems of the Earth. So the sulfur compounds created by organisms in the ocean must be stable enough in the water to allow them to pass into the air and back to land again.

7. Bridges

At the end of 2011, in the Mariana Trench, it was discovered four stone bridges, which stretched from one end to the other for 69 km. They appear to have formed at the junction of the Pacific and Philippine tectonic plates.

One of the bridges Dutton Ridge, which was discovered back in the 1980s, turned out to be incredibly high, like a small mountain. At the highest point the ridge reaches 2.5 km over the Challenger Deep.

Like many aspects of the Mariana Trench, the purpose of these bridges remains unclear. However, the very fact that these formations were discovered in one of the most mysterious and unexplored places is amazing.

8James Cameron's dive into the Mariana Trench

Since opening the deepest place in the Mariana Trench - "Challenger Deep" in 1875, only three people were here. The first was an American lieutenant Don Walsh and researcher Jacques Picard who dived on January 23, 1960 on the Trieste.

After 52 years, another person dared to dive here - a famous film director James Cameron. So March 26, 2012 Cameron went down to the bottom and took some photos.

Sea abyss or from the history of the Mariana Trench

In the marginal parts of the oceans, special forms of bottom topography have been discovered - deep-sea trenches. These are relatively narrow depressions with steep, steep slopes, stretching for hundreds and thousands of kilometers. The depth of such depressions is very great. Deep-sea trenches have an almost flat bottom. It is in them that the greatest depths of the oceans are located. Typically, the trenches are located on the oceanic side of the island arcs, repeating their bend, or stretch along the continents. Deep sea trenches are the transition zone between the mainland and the ocean.

The formation of trenches is associated with the movement of lithospheric plates. The oceanic plate bends and, as it were, “dives” under the continental one. In this case, the edge of the oceanic plate, plunging into the mantle, forms a trough. Areas of deep-water trenches are located in zones of volcanism and high seismicity. This is explained by the fact that the trenches are adjacent to the edges of the lithospheric plates.

The deepest on Earth is the Mariana Trench. Its depth reaches 11022 m.

View of the Mariana Trench from space from a height of 5380 km

Mariana Trench(or the Mariana Trench) is an oceanic deep-sea trench in the western Pacific Ocean, the deepest known on Earth. It is named after the nearby Mariana Islands.

The deepest point of the Mariana Trench is the Challenger Deep. It is located in the southwestern part of the depression, 340 km southwest of the island of Guam (point coordinates: 11 degrees 22 min N, 142 degrees 35 minutes E). According to measurements in 2011, its depth is 10,994 ± 40 m below sea level.

The first measurements (and discovery) of the Mariana Trench were made in 1875 from the British three-masted corvette Challenger (Challenge). Then, with the help of a deep-water lot, the depth was set at 8367 meters (with a second measurement - 8184 m).

Three-masted corvette "Challenger"

In 1951, an English expedition on the research ship Challenger recorded a maximum depth of 10,863 meters using an echo sounder. According to the results of measurements carried out in 1957 during the 25th voyage of the Soviet research vessel Vityaz (headed by Alexei Dmitrievich Dobrovolsky), the maximum depth of the chute is 11,023 m (updated data, the depth was originally reported as 11,034 m). The difficulty of measuring is that the speed of sound in water depends on its properties, which are different at different depths, so these properties must also be determined at several horizons with special instruments (such as a bathometer and thermometer), and in the depth value shown by the echo sounder , amended. Studies in 1995 showed that it is about 10,920 m, and studies in 2009 - that 10,971 m. The latest study in 2011 gives a value of 10,994 m with an accuracy of ± 40 m. ”(Eng. Challenger Deep) is further from sea level than Mount Everest is above it.

Research vessel "Vityaz"

It should be noted that the latest research conducted by the American oceanographic expedition from the University of New Hampshire (USA) discovered real mountains on the surface of the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

The studies took place from August to October 2010, when a bottom area of ​​400,000 square kilometers was studied in detail using a multibeam echo sounder. As a result, at least 4 oceanic mountain ranges 2.5 kilometers high were discovered, crossing the surface of the Mariana Trench at the point of contact of the Pacific and Philippine lithospheric plates.

Where would Everest be if it "grew" from the deepest point of the Mariana Trench

One of the researchers commented on this: “In this place, the geological structure of the oceanic crust is very complex ... These ridges were formed about 180 million years ago in the process of constant movement of lithospheric plates. Over the course of millions of years, the marginal part of the Pacific plate gradually “creeps” under the Philippine one, as it is older and “heavier” ... During this process, folding is formed ”.

The first human dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench was made on January 23, 1960 by US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and explorer Jacques Picard in the Trieste bathyscaphe, designed by Jacques' father Auguste Picard. The instruments recorded a record depth - 11,521 meters (adjusted value - 10,918 m). The dive lasted 4 hours 48 minutes and ended at 10911 m relative to sea level. At this terrible depth, where a monstrous pressure of 108.6 MPa (which is more than 1,100 times greater than normal atmospheric pressure) flattens all living things, the researchers made the most important oceanological discovery: they saw two 30-centimeter fish, similar to flounder, swim past the porthole. Before that, it was believed that at depths exceeding 6000 m, no life exists. Thus, an absolute record of diving depth was set, which cannot be surpassed even theoretically.

French explorer Jacques Picard and US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh inside the Bathysquaff

The Japanese probe Kaiko, which was lowered to the region of the maximum depth of the basin on March 24, 1995, recorded a depth of 10,911.4 meters. Living organisms - foraminifers - were found in the samples of silt taken by the probe.

May 31, 2009 at the bottom of the Mariana Trench plunged automatic underwater vehicle Nereus ("Nereus"). The device descended to a depth of 10,902 meters, where it filmed a video, took several photographs, and also collected sediment samples at the bottom.

Nereus apparatus

On March 26, 2012, director James Cameron became the third person in history to reach the deepest point in the world's oceans, and the first to do it alone. Cameron dived on a single Deepsea Challenger equipped with everything necessary for photography and video filming. Filming was carried out in 3D, for this the bathyscaphe was equipped with special lighting equipment. Cameron reached the Challenger Abyss - a section of the depression at a depth of 10,898 meters (accurate calculations show that the bathyscaphe reached a depth of 10,908 meters, and not 10,898 - the depth recorded by the device during the dive). He took samples of rocks, living organisms and filmed using 3D cameras. The shots taken by the director formed the basis of the scientific documentary film of the National Geographic Channel.

Single-seat Deepsea Challenger

The trench stretched along the Mariana Islands for 1500 km. It has a V-shaped profile: steep (7-9 degrees) slopes, a flat bottom 1-5 km wide, which is divided by rapids into several closed depressions. At the bottom, the water pressure reaches 108.6 MPa, which is about 1072 times the normal atmospheric pressure at the level of the World Ocean.

In general, the most gutters are in the Pacific Ocean. And here is a list of the deepest trenches of the Earth, indicating the depth in meters and location:

Mariana Trench 11022 Quiet
Tonga (Oceania) 10882 Quiet
Philippine Trench 10265 Quiet
Kermadec (Oceania) 10047 Quiet
Izu-Ogasawara 9810 Quiet
Kuril-Kamchatka Trench 9783 Quiet
Puerto Rico Trench 8742 Atlantic
Japanese chute 8412 Quiet
South Sandwich Trench 8264 Atlantic
Chile Trench 8180 Quiet
Aleutian Trench 7855 Quiet
sunda trench 7729 Indian
Central American Trench 6639 Quiet
Peruvian Trench 6601 Quiet

There are many amazing places in this world that are still not explored by man. It turns out that only 5% of the ocean area is subject to science, the rest remains a mystery for her, covered in darkness. One of these mysterious places is the Mariana Trench, the depth of which is of the greatest importance among all the explored areas of the seabed. The Mariana Trench is another name for the place.

Under the thickness of sea water, the pressure is a thousand times higher than the pressure that is recorded in the normal sea. But high-tech devices and caring risky people helped to learn at least a little about the deep cleft. The Pacific Ocean is a true nature reserve, which is not only inhabited by exotic unique animals, but also has remarkable topographical features.

Everyone knows about the existence of this amazing object. Information about it is given to us from a young age, but over time we forget both the numbers and curious facts about this strange and enchanting place. We decided to remind you where the Mariana Trench is located and what it is. You can learn a lot about the object of the ocean surface.

The heroine of our article is called by the name of the islands, which are located near the "bottom of the earth". It is located along the islands. In the Mariana Trench, the depth of which, it would seem, is capable of destroying all life, there are some microorganisms that have mutated due to high pressure. This tectonic fault has steep slopes - about 8⁰. Below - a wide platform about 5 km, which is divided by stone rapids. The pressure at the very bottom is 108.6 MPa - more than anywhere else on planet Earth.

The history of the study of the phenomenon

1872 is considered the date of discovery of the Mariana Trench, photos of the object appear a little later. The tectonic fault was explored as well as possible by the British on a military corvette in 1951. The depth of the Mariana Trench becomes known - 10863 meters. Since it was the Challenger ship that sank to the very bottom, to the deepest point, it became known as the Challenger Abyss.

Soviet scientists join the study. Since 1957, the scientific vessel "Vityaz" begins to surf the ocean and discovers that the depth of the Mariana Trench is even greater than previously stated - more than 11 kilometers. Our marine researchers established the fact of life at great depths, destroying the scientific stereotypes of that time. Subsequently, the ship was decommissioned into a museum value. Experiments continue to this day. Five years ago, the “bottom of the world” was visited by the automatic device Nereus, which descended 11 km below ocean level, took new photos and videos.

Diving to the "bottom of the Earth" is at least five hours. The ascent is somewhat faster. It is impossible to stay at the very bottom for more than 12 minutes, taking into account the technology that was at the disposal of the then researchers. Cosmic sums have to be allocated for the study of such terrestrial objects, so the work is going slowly.

Where is it

The Mariana Trench is located in the western Pacific Ocean, two hundred meters from the islands of the same name. It looks like a crescent-shaped crevice, its length is more than 2550 km, and its width reaches almost 70 km.

The results of the study showed that the depth in the Mariana Trench is about 11 thousand meters. Everest reaches only 8840 m. If you need a comparison, then the highest mountain on Earth can be turned over and placed entirely on the bottom of the Mariana Trench, but there will still be more than 2 km of water column above the top. We are talking only about the height, the width of the depression and the mountain do not match.

Curious facts and stories

• It's hot there. At this crazy depth, it turns out that it is not cold. The thermometer shows a positive value - up to 4⁰С. There are hot springs in the gorge, they make the water a hundred points hotter. Boiling the water column does not give high pressure.

• Population. Ignoring the unsuitable conditions for life, the inhabitants of the "bottom of the world" got along well. Huge xenophyophore amoebas live there - up to 10 cm. These are the simplest, but they mutated due to hot water and pressure. Amoeba are able to survive in an environment filled with dangerous chemical elements.

• The inhabitants of the Mariana Trench also became mollusks, although the form from the cover should have simply cracked under great pressure. But hot springs contain serpentine rich in hydrogen and methane. It is these substances that allow mollusks to survive. They managed to adapt even to hydrogen sulfide secretions, converting them into protein compounds.

• The birthplace of life on the planet. The Champagne Key at the bottom of the ocean is a unique area underwater that contains liquid CO2. It forms specific bubbles, similar to those in a glass of sparkling wine. Scientists have suggested that a primary form of life could have appeared around this key in due time. This is due to the presence of all the necessary substances.

• The depression is slippery. There is no sand or anything like that. At the very bottom there is a thickness of small shells and dead plankton accumulated over thousands of years. The pressure makes this mass look like slime.

• Sulfur in a liquid aggregate state. The Mariana Trench, which is not so easy to take a photo of, is rich in various geoformations. At a depth of more than 400 meters, on the way to it, there is a whole volcano. Near Daikoku there is a large lake filled with liquid sulfur, which is not found anywhere else on Earth. The substance boils at a temperature of 187⁰С, and under it, it is believed, there is an even larger layer of liquid sulfur, which could also contribute to the formation of life on our planet.

• There are bridges there. In 2011, a group of research scientists discovered stone bridges in the Mariana Trench. Four structures stretched between the abyss for almost 70 km. They are located between two tectonic plates - the Pacific and the Philippine. One of them was discovered even earlier, in the 80s of the XX century. It is very high, over 2.5 km.

• The first person at this depth. Since the beginning of its discovery in 1875, only three people have plucked up the courage to dive into the Mariana Trench. The first was an American, Lieutenant Don Walsh, and with him the scientist Jacques Piccard in 1960. The dive was made on board the Challenger. In 2012, film director James Cameron visited the Mariana Trench on a bathyscaphe, and took a photo of it as a keepsake. The man had a painful impression of complete loneliness from this place

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• The riddle of sawn cables. Incredible depths are terrifying. And the first explorers were afraid of unprecedented monsters inside the Mariana Trench. The first fact of a collision with the unknown happened at the time of the Glomar Challenger dive. The registrar began to record a metallic sound, like a screech, and shadows that appeared around the ship. The teachings became concerned about the expensive equipment made of titanium in the shape of a hedgehog, and a decision was made to take the research vessel onto the ship. The “Hedgehog” was damaged after extraction, the titanium 20-centimeter cables were crumpled, or rather, half sawn. There was a complete impression that someone wanted to stop the ship at a depth.

• Prehistoric lizard. There was a hitch during the dive of the Highfish ship with scientists on board. The device reached a depth of 7 km and stopped. The researchers turned on the infrared camera. She suddenly snatched out of the ocean darkness a huge dinosaur that was biting into the bathyscaphe. With the help of an electric gun, he was driven away.

• The inhabitants of the Mariana Trench are protected by law. This is a national American monument, rightfully the largest nature reserve in the world. There are several restrictions on staying in this area. Mining is prohibited here, you can not fish, but you can swim.

The Mayan Trench is inhabited by:

1. Terrible and not so fish

2. Various octopuses

3. And other strange creatures

We are close to the fact that the Mariana Trench will soon become closer to modern man. Perhaps in the near future there will even be tourism. But for now, this option remains on a par with the possibility of affordable space tourism. It is amazing how similar an earthly object is to distant stars in this respect. It is just as unexplored as the celestial bodies. But we at least know for sure that life exists in the Mariana Trench. According to a common hypothesis, it could have come from there. In this case, the study of the deepest place of the World Ocean acquires global significance.

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