The Deepest Point in the Ocean: Challenger Deep

The absolute deepest point on Earth is the Challenger Deep, located at the southern end of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean.

Key Facts

• Depth: **10,935 meters (35,876 feet)** below sea level (2021 multibeam sonar measurement; historically cited as 11,034 m / 36,201 ft).
• Location: ~200 miles (322 km) southwest of Guam; 11°22′N, 142°35′E.
• Pressure: ~1,100 atmospheres (16,000 psi) — over 1,000 times surface pressure.
• Temperature: 1–4°C (34–39°F).
• Light: Perpetual darkness (aphotic zone).

Formation

Created by the **subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Mariana Plate**. The descending slab bends downward, forming the trench. The Challenger Deep is a slot-shaped depression at the trench's deepest point.

Exploration

First reached in **1960** by **Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard** in the bathyscaphe *Trieste*. **James Cameron** solo dived in 2012 (*Deepsea Challenger*). Recent robotic and crewed missions (e.g., *Limiting Factor*) have mapped it in high resolution.

Life

Despite extremes, life exists: **xenophyophores** (giant single-celled organisms), **amphipods**, **holothurians** (sea cucumbers), and microbial mats—all adapted to high pressure, low food, and darkness.

Mount Everest (8,849 m) could fit inside with over 2 km to spare.