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 180 million years old.
Despite the lack of light and the hostile, acidic conditions in the trench, a surprising number of organisms live there. There are more than 200 known microorganisms and small creatures that live there, including crustaceans and amphipods.
The Mariana Trench was first pinpointed in 1875 during the undertaking of a global circumnavigation. It was found by utilizing sounding equipment on the HMS Challenger. It was named for the nearby Mariana Islands.
Some points of the trench are deeper than others, with the deepest section being called the Challenger Deep. It was named for two ships that have explored its depths with sounding equipment – the HMS Challenger and the HMS Challenger II.
Scientist Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh earned the distinction of being the first people to reach the Challenger Deep in a deep boat. It happened in 1960.
The water there tends to range between 34 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit. But what’s surprising is how hot the water can get, too. There are hydrothermal vents throughout the trench. The water that comes out of those vents would be enough to scald anyone at 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
James Cameron, the famed director, manned an expedition to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 2012. While there, he took pictures – the first snapshots ever in the Challenger Deep.
The trench’s mystery and allure has spawned some fictional accounts of what could be going on down there. One such tale was the book, “Meg,” by New York Times bestselling author Steve Alten.
President George W. Bush signed the act naming the trench as a National Monument in 2009.