The ocean remains one of the least explored areas on Earth. The ocean is a natural paradise with beautiful landscapes that also hold many mysteries. Research on the ocean is being conducted in various parts of the world to explore and understand more about the creatures and activities in the deep sea. Join us as we explore the 7 deepest ocean trenches on Earth in the article below.
Exploring the Deepest Ocean Trenches in the World
1. Mariana Trench: 11,034m
The Mariana Trench, also known as the Mariabena Trench or Mariana Abyss, is the deepest ocean trench on Earth. Located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, east of the Mariana Islands, it stretches approximately 2,550 km from the Mariana Islands to near Japan. Its width is relatively modest, measuring around 69 km.
The deepest point of the Mariana Trench is called Challenger. (Photo: NatGeo)
The deepest point is located at 11°21′ North and 142°12′ East and is known as Challenger Deep. This name was given in honor of the HMS Challenger II, the first survey vessel to discover the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in 1951.
In June 2020, scientists used the most modern deep-sea submersible to measure the depth of this trench. Using the Simrad EM120 underwater positioning system, they determined the maximum depth of the Mariana Trench to be 10,935m (almost 11 km).
2. Tonga Trench: 10,882m
The Tonga Trench is an ocean trench located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is the deepest trench in the Southern Hemisphere and the second deepest on Earth. The deepest point of the Tonga Trench, known as Horizon Deep, is located at 23°15’30” South and 174°43’36” West. It was named after the research vessel Horizon from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, whose crew discovered this deep area in December 1952.
The Tonga Trench is the deepest in the Southern Hemisphere and the second deepest on Earth. (Photo: NatGeo)
On June 5, 2019, the deep-sea support vessel DSSV, equipped with the Kongsberg SIMRAD EM124 multibeam sonar system, embarked on an expedition to the deepest points of the five oceans worldwide. This vessel measured the deepest point of the Tonga Trench at 10,882 m using direct CTD pressure measurements.
3. Philippine Trench: 10,540m
The third position goes to the Philippine Trench, located in the central part of the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean. Also known as the Mindanao Trench, it is situated near the eastern coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines. This trench is nearly 1,320 km long and about 30 km wide, extending from the central Luzon Island to the north of the Moluccas, which are part of Indonesia.
The Philippine Trench is nearly 1,320 km long and about 30 km wide. (Photo: NatGeo)
The deepest point of the Philippine Trench has been measured at 10,540 m. Scientists estimate that the trench is less than 8-9 million years old. It was first explored in 1927 by the German ship Emden.
4. Kuril-Kamchatka Trench: 10,500m
The Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, or simply the Kuril Trench, located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, is the fourth deepest point on Earth. The Kuril-Kamchatka Trench is the result of subsidence created by the Kuril Island arc. Here, the Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the Okhotsk Plate, leading to strong volcanic activity.
The Kuril-Kamchatka Trench is the fourth deepest point on Earth. (Photo: NatGeo)
The Kuril-Kamchatka Trench is located east of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, and Hokkaido in Japan. It stretches approximately 2,900 km in a north-south direction, with a maximum depth of 10,542 m and covering a total area of 264,000 square km.
5. Kermadec Trench: 10,047m
The deepest point of the Kermadec Trench, Scholl Deep, lies 10,047 m beneath the ocean surface. (Photo: NatGeo)
The Kermadec Trench is an ocean trench in the South Pacific, located more than 1,000 km northeast of New Zealand. This ocean trench extends over 1,000 km from the Louisville Seamount Chain in the north to the Hikurangi Plateau in the south. Its deepest point, Scholl Deep, lies 10,047 m below sea level. Along with the Tonga Trench to the north, it forms the nearly linear Kermadec-Tonga subduction system, which is 2,000 km long.
6. Japan Trench: 9,000m
The Japan Trench is an ocean trench that is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, located on the northern seabed of the Pacific Ocean off the northeastern coast of Japan. It extends from the waters off Hokkaido to the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo.
The deepest point of the Japan Trench has a depth of about 9,000m. (Photo: NatGeo)
On August 11, 1989, the manned submersible Shinkai 6500 descended to a depth of 6,526 m while exploring the Japan Trench. The deepest point of the trench is approximately 9,000 m.
7. Puerto Rico Trench: 8,605m
The Puerto Rico Trench is known as the deepest ocean trench in the Atlantic Ocean, with a depth of up to 8,800m. (Photo: NatGeo)
The Puerto Rico Trench is recognized as the deepest ocean trench in the Atlantic, reaching depths of up to 8,800 m and extending over 800 km. It lies between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Puerto Rico Trench is the deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean, with its deepest point known as Milwaukee Deep (also called Brownson Deep) located at the western end of the trench. This area was first explored by French explorer Archimède in 1964.
