The deepest known place on Earth is the Challenger Deep, located within the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Mariana Islands.
How deep is it?
- Estimated depth: about 35,800–36,100 feet (10,900–11,000 meters) below sea level.
- That’s nearly 7 miles (11 km) deep.
- If you placed Mount Everest inside it, the summit would still be over a mile underwater.
What is it like down there?
- Pressure exceeds 1,000 times atmospheric pressure at sea level.
- Temperature is just above freezing, around 34–39°F (1–4°C).
- No sunlight reaches this depth; it is in the ocean’s “hadal zone.”
Has anyone been there?
Yes. Notable descents include:
- Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh in 1960 aboard the Trieste.
- James Cameron in 2012 aboard the Deepsea Challenger.
- Several recent scientific expeditions using advanced deep-sea submersibles.
Perspective
| Location | Depth |
|---|---|
| Average ocean depth | ~12,100 ft (3,700 m) |
| Titanic wreck | ~12,500 ft (3,800 m) |
| Grand Canyon depth | ~6,000 ft (1,800 m) |
| Challenger Deep | ~36,000 ft (11,000 m) |