Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of Earth's oceans. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, about 200 miles (320 km) east of the Mariana Islands, it is a narrow, crescent-shaped trench ~1,500 miles (2,400 km) long and 43 miles (70 km) wide.
The deepest point, Challenger Deep, plunges ~36,000 feet (11,000 meters) below sea level—pressure there is ~1,100 times surface atmospheric pressure. Steep cliffs surround a floor covered in sediment and volcanic rock.
Life & Exploration: Despite extreme conditions, the trench hosts fish, shrimp, sea cucumbers, and hydrothermal vent communities. Scientific expeditions (e.g., NOAA 2012) have explored its geology and biology. It lies in the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.