Is there life at the bottom of the Mariana Trench? How many people have been to the bottom of the Mariana Trench? Where is the Mariana Trench located?
The Mariana Trench is one of the most famous places on the planet. But this does not prevent him from being the keeper of secrets and mysteries. What is at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and which living beings are able to withstand these incredible conditions?
Unique depth of the planet
The bottom of the Earth, the Challenger Deep, the deepest place on the planet... What titles have not been awarded to the little-studied Mariana Trench. It represents a V-shaped bowl with a diameter of about 5 km with steep slopes located at an angle of only 7-9° and a flat bottom. According to measurements in 2011, the depth of the trench is 10,994 km below sea level. It’s hard to imagine, but Everest can easily fit in its depths - the most high mountain planets.
The deep-sea trench is located in the western Pacific Ocean. Its name is unique geographical point received in honor of the Mariana Islands located in close proximity. Along them it stretches for 1.5 km.
This amazing place on the planet formed as a result of a tectonic fault, where the Pacific plate partially overlaps the Philippine plate.
Secrets and riddles of “The Womb of Gaia”
There are many secrets and legends around the little-studied Mariana Trench. What is hiding in the depths of the trench?
Japanese scientists for a long time Those who studied goblin sharks claim that while feeding predators they saw a creature of gigantic size. It was a 25-meter shark that came to feed on goblin sharks. It is assumed that they had the good fortune to see a direct descendant of the megalodon shark, which official version went extinct 2 million years ago. To confirm that these monsters could well have been preserved in the depths of the trench, scientists provided giant teeth found at the bottom.
The world knows many stories about how corpses of unknown giant monsters were found washed up on the shores of nearby islands.
An interesting case is described by the participants in the descent of the German bathyscaphe “Haifish”. At a depth of 7 km, the self-propelled vehicle suddenly stopped. To find out the reason for the stop, the researchers turned on the spotlights and were horrified by what they saw. In front of them was a prehistoric deep-sea lizard that was trying to chew through an underwater vessel. The monster was scared away only by a noticeable electrical impulse from the outer skin of the self-propelled vehicle.
Another inexplicable incident occurred during the dive of an American deep-sea vessel. As the device was lowered on titanium cables, the researchers heard the grinding of metal. To find out the reason, they brought the device back to the surface. As it turned out, the beams of the ship were bent, and the titanium cables were almost sawed through. Which of the inhabitants of the Mariana Trench tested their teeth remains a mystery.
Amazing inhabitants of the gutter
The pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench reaches 108.6 MPa. This parameter is more than 1100 times higher than normal atmospheric pressure. It is not surprising that people for a long time believed that there was no life at the bottom of the gutter, with icy cold and unbearable pressure.
But despite everything, at a depth of 11 kilometers there are deep-sea monsters that have managed to adapt to these terrible conditions. So who are these representatives of the animal world who have successfully mastered the deepest place on the planet and feel comfortable within the walls of the Mariana Trench?
sea slug
These amazing creatures, living at a depth of 7-8 km, in appearance are more reminiscent not of the “surface” fish we are used to, but rather of tadpoles.
The body of these amazing fish is a jelly-like substance whose density parameter is slightly higher than water. This feature of the device allows sea slugs to swim with minimal energy expenditure.
The body of these deep-sea inhabitants is predominantly dark in color from pink-brown to black. Although there are also colorless species, through the transparent skin of which the muscles are visible.
The size of an adult sea slug is only 25-30 cm. The head is pronounced and strongly flattened. A well-developed tail makes up more than half the body length. The fish uses its powerful tail and well-developed fins for movement.
Jellyfish traditionally live in the upper layers of water. But bentocodon feels comfortable at a depth of about 750 meters. Outwardly, the amazing inhabitant of the Mariana Trench resembles a red flying saucer, D 2-3 cm. The edges of the “plate” are framed by 1.5 thousand thin tentacles, which help the jellyfish navigate in space and move quickly, overcoming the water column.
Bentocodon feeds on unicellular and crustaceans, which sea depths exhibit bioluminescent properties. According to marine biologists, the red color was given by nature to these jellyfish for the purpose of camouflage. If they had a transparent color, like their amphibians, then when swallowing glow-in-the-dark crustaceans, they would immediately become noticeable to larger predators.
Macropina barrel eye
Among the amazing inhabitants of the Mariana Trench, an unusual fish called smallmouth macropine is of genuine interest. She was awarded by nature with a transparent head. The fish's eyes, located deep inside the transparent dome, can rotate in different directions. This allows the barrel eye to search in all directions without moving, even in dim and diffused light. Located at the front of the head, the false eyes are actually olfactory organs.
The laterally compressed body of the fish is shaped like a torpedo. Thanks to this structure, it is able to “hang” in one place for several hours. To accelerate the body, the macropin simply presses its fins to the body and begins to actively work with its tail.
This cute animal, living at a depth of 7 thousand meters, is the deepest-sea octopus known to science. Due to its wide bell-shaped head and sweeping elephant ears, it is often called the Dumbo octopus.
The deep-sea creature has a soft semi-gelatinous body and two fins located on the mantle, connected by wide membranes. The octopus carries out hovering movements above the bottom surface due to the operation of a siphon funnel.
Hovering along the seabed, it looks out for prey - bivalves, worm-like animals and crustaceans. Unlike most cephalopods, Dumbo does not peck its prey with beak-like jaws, but swallows it whole.
Small fish with bulging telescopic eyes and huge open mouths live at a depth of 200-600 meters. They got their name from their characteristic body shape, which resembles a chopping tool equipped with a short handle.
Hatchetfish living in the depths of the Mariana Trench have photophores. Special luminescent organs are located in the lower half of the body in small groups along the abdomen. By emitting diffused light, they create an anti-shadow effect. This makes hatchets less noticeable to bottom-dwelling predators.
Osedax Bone Eaters
Among those who live at the bottom of the Mariana Trench are polychaete worms. They reach a length of only 5-7 cm. Osedaxes use substances contained in the bones of dead sea inhabitants as food.
Secreting an acidic substance, they penetrate the skeleton, extracting from it all the microelements necessary for life. Tiny bone eaters breathe through fluffy appendages on their bodies that can extract oxygen from water.
The way these creatures adapt is no less interesting. Males, which are tens of times smaller in size than females, live on the bodies of their females. Up to a hundred males can coexist simultaneously inside the dense gelatinous cone framing the body. They leave their shelter only at moments when the female breadwinner finds a new source of food.
Active bacteria
During the latest expedition, Danish scientists discovered depressions and colonies of active bacteria at the bottom, which are of great importance in maintaining the ocean carbon cycle.
It is noteworthy that at a depth of 11 km, bacteria are 2 times more active than their counterparts, but living at a depth of 6 km. Scientists explain this by the need to process colossal volumes of organic material that fall here, falling from shallower depths, and as a result of earthquakes.
Underwater monsters
The huge thickness of the ocean in the Mariana Trench is filled not only with cute and harmless creatures. The deepest monsters leave the most indelible impression.
Unlike the above-mentioned inhabitants of the Mariana Trench, the eaglorot has a very menacing appearance. Its long body is covered with slippery, scaleless skin, and its terrible muzzle is “decorated” with huge teeth. The monster lives at a depth of 1800 m.
Since the sun's rays practically do not penetrate into the depths of the trench, many of its inhabitants have the ability to glow in the dark. Eggworm is no exception.
On the body of the fish there are photophores - luminescent glands. The deep-sea inhabitant uses them for three purposes at once: to protect himself from large predators, communicate with his own kind, and attract small fish. During the hunt, the needle mouth also uses a special whisker - a luminous thickening. The potential victim mistakes the luminous strip for a small fish and eventually falls for the bait.
The fish is amazing not only in appearance, but also in its way of life. She received the nickname “angler fish” for a remarkable appendage on her head filled with bioluminescent bacteria. Attracted by the glow of the “fishing rod”, the potential victim swims up to close quarters. The angler can only open his mouth towards her.
These deep-sea predators are very voracious. To accept prey that exceeds the size of the predator itself, the fish is able to stretch the walls of its stomach. For this reason, if an anglerfish attacks a prey that is too large, both may die as a result.
The Predator has a very unusual appearance: a long body with short fins, a frightening face with a giant beak-like nose, huge jaws protruding forward and unexpectedly pink skin.
Biologists believe that a long beak-shaped outgrowth is necessary for the predator to find food in pitch darkness. For such an unusual and even scary appearance, the predator is often called the goblin shark.
It is noteworthy that goblin sharks do not have a swim bladder. This is partially compensated by an enlarged liver, the weight of which in relation to the body can be up to 25%.
You can meet a predator only at a depth of at least 900 m. It is noteworthy that the older the individual, the deeper it will live. But even adult goblin sharks cannot boast of impressive sizes: the body length is on average 3-3.5 m, and the weight is about 200 kg.
frilled shark
This dangerous creature living in the depths of the Mariana Trench is rightfully considered the king underwater world. The most ancient species of sharks has a serpentine-shaped body covered with folded skin. The gill membranes intersecting in the throat area form a wide bag from skin folds that looks like a wavy cloak 1.5-1.8 meters long.
The prehistoric monster has a primitive structure: the spine is not divided into vertebrae, all fins are concentrated in one area, the caudal fin consists of only one accessory. The main pride of the cape bearer is its mouth, studded with 3 hundred teeth arranged in several rows.
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What do we know about the deepest place in the World Ocean? This is the Mariana Trench or Mariana Trench.
What is its depth? This is not a simple question...
But definitely not 14 kilometers!
In cross-section, the Mariana Trench has a characteristic V-shaped profile with very steep slopes. The bottom is flat, several tens of kilometers wide, divided by ridges into several almost closed areas. The pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is more than 1,100 times higher than normal atmospheric pressure, reaching 3,150 kg/cm2. Temperatures at the bottom of the Mariana Trench (Mariana Trench) are surprisingly high thanks to hydrothermal vents nicknamed “black smokers.” They constantly heat the water and maintain the overall temperature in the depression at about 3°C.
The first attempt to measure the depth of the Mariana Trench (Mariana Trench) was made in 1875 by the crew of the English oceanographic vessel Challenger during a scientific expedition across the World Ocean. The British discovered the Mariana Trench quite by accident, during a routine sounding of the bottom using a lot (Italian hemp rope and lead weight). Despite the inaccuracy of such a measurement, the result was amazing: 8367 m. In 1877, a map was published in Germany on which this place was marked as the Challenger Deep.
A measurement taken in 1899 from the American coal miner Nero showed a greater depth: 9636 m.
In 1951, the bottom of the depression was measured by the British hydrographic vessel Challenger, named after its predecessor, unofficially called Challenger II. Now, using an echo sounder, a depth of 10899 m was recorded.
The maximum depth indicator was obtained in 1957 by the Soviet research vessel “Vityaz”: 11,034 ± 50 m. It is strange that no one remembered the anniversary date of the generally epoch-making discovery of Russian oceanologists. However, they say that when taking readings, changing environmental conditions at different depths were not taken into account. This erroneous figure is still present on many physical-geographical maps published in the USSR and Russia.
In 1959, the American research vessel Stranger measured the depth of the trench in a rather unusual way for science - using depth charges. Result: 10915 m.
The last known measurements were made in 2010 by the American vessel Sumner; they showed a depth of 10994 ± 40 m.
It is not yet possible to obtain absolutely accurate readings even with the most modern equipment. The work of an echo sounder is hampered by the fact that the speed of sound in water depends on its properties, which manifest themselves differently depending on the depth.
This is what the most durable hulls of underwater vehicles look like after testing at extreme pressure. Photo: Sergey Ptichkin / RG
And now it is reported that Russia has developed an autonomous uninhabited underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of operating at a depth of 14 kilometers. From this it is concluded that our military oceanologists have discovered a depression in the World Ocean deeper than the Mariana Trench.
The message that the device was created and was tested at a pressure corresponding to a depth of 14,000 meters was made during an ordinary press trip of journalists to one of the leading scientific centers involved, among other things, in deep-sea vehicles. It’s even strange that no one paid attention to this sensation and has not yet voiced it. And the developers themselves did not particularly open up. Or maybe they are just playing it safe and want to get reinforced concrete evidence? And now we have every reason to expect a new scientific sensation.
It was decided to create an uninhabited deep-sea vehicle capable of withstanding pressure much higher than what exists in the Mariana Trench. The device is ready for use. If the depth is confirmed, it will become a super sensation. If not, the device will work to the maximum in the same Mariana Trench, studying it up and down. In addition, the developers claim that with not very complicated modifications, the AUV can be made habitable. And this will be comparable to manned flights into deep space.
The existence of the Mariana Trench has been known for quite some time, and there are technical possibilities for going down to the bottom, but over the past 60 years only three people have had the opportunity to do this: a scientist, a military man and a film director.
During the entire study of the Mariana Trench (Mariana Trench), vehicles with people on board were lowered to its bottom twice and automatic vehicles were dropped four times (as of April 2017). This, by the way, is less than the number of people who have been to the Moon.
On January 23, 1960, the bathyscaphe Trieste sank to the bottom of the abyss of the Mariana Trench (Mariana Trench). On board were Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard (1922-2008) and US Navy lieutenant, explorer Don Walsh (born 1931). The bathyscaphe was designed by Jacques Piccard's father - physicist, inventor of the stratospheric balloon and bathyscaphe Auguste Piccard (1884-1962).
A black and white photograph from half a century ago shows the legendary bathyscaphe Trieste as it prepares to dive. The crew of two was in a spherical steel gondola. It was attached to a float filled with gasoline to provide positive buoyancy.
The descent of the Trieste lasted 4 hours 48 minutes, with the crew periodically interrupting it. At a depth of 9 km, the plexiglass glass cracked, but the descent continued until the Trieste sank to the bottom, where the crew saw a 30-centimeter flat fish and some kind of crustacean creature. After staying at a depth of 10912 m for about 20 minutes, the crew began the ascent, which took 3 hours 15 minutes.
Man made another attempt to descend to the bottom of the Mariana Trench (Mariana Trench) in 2012, when American film director James Cameron (born 1954) became the third to reach the bottom of the Challenger Deep. Previously, he repeatedly dived on Russian Mir submersibles into the Atlantic Ocean to a depth of over 4 km during the filming of the movie Titanic. Now, on the Dipsy Challenger bathyscaphe, he sank into the abyss in 2 hours 37 minutes—almost twice as fast as the Trieste—and spent 2 hours 36 minutes at a depth of 10,898 m. After which he rose to the surface in just an hour and a half. At the bottom, Cameron saw only creatures that looked like shrimp.
The fauna and flora of the Mariana Trench have been poorly studied.
In the 1950s Soviet scientists during the expedition of the Vityaz vessel discovered life at depths of more than 7 thousand m. Before this, it was believed that there was nothing living there. Pogonophorans were discovered - a new family of marine invertebrates that live in chitinous tubes. Disputes about their scientific classification are still ongoing.
The main inhabitants of the Mariana Trench (Mariana Trench), living at the very bottom, are barophilic (developing only at high pressure) bacteria, protozoan creatures - foraminifera - single-celled in shells and xenophyophores - amoebas, reaching 20 cm in diameter and living by shoveling silt.
Foraminifera were obtained by the Japanese automatic deep-sea probe "Kaiko" in 1995, which dived to 10,911.4 m and took soil samples.
The larger inhabitants of the trench live throughout its thickness. Life at depth made them either blind or with very developed eyes, often telescopic. Many have photophores - luminous organs, a kind of bait for prey: some have long processes, like an angler fish, while others have them right in the mouth. Some accumulate luminous liquid and, in case of danger, shower the enemy with it in the manner of a “light curtain”.
Since 2009, the territory of the depression has been part of the American Marine Protected Area national monument The Mariana Trench has an area of 246,608 km2. The zone includes only the underwater part of the trench and the water area. The basis for this action was the fact that the Northern Mariana Islands and the island of Guam - in fact American territory - are the island borders of the water area. The Challenger Deep is not included in this zone, as it is located on ocean territory Federated States Micronesia.
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Mariana Trench (or Mariana Trench) – deepest place earth's surface. It is located on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, 200 kilometers east of the Mariana Archipelago.
Paradoxically, but about the secrets of space or mountain peaks humanity knows much more than ocean depths. And one of the most mysterious and unexplored places on our planet is the Mariana Trench. So what do we know about him?
Mariana Trench - the bottom of the world
In 1875, the crew of the British corvette Challenger discovered Pacific Ocean a place where there was no bottom. Kilometer after kilometer the line of the lot went overboard, but there was no bottom! And only at a depth of 8184 meters the descent of the rope stopped. This is how the deepest underwater crack on Earth was discovered. It was called the Mariana Trench, named after the nearby islands. Its shape (in the form of a crescent) and the location of the deepest section, called the “Challenger Deep,” were determined. It is located 340 km south of the island Guam and has coordinates 11°22′ N. latitude, 142°35′ e. d. 
Since then this deep-sea depression has been called the “fourth pole”, “the womb of Gaia”, “the bottom of the world”. Oceanographers have long tried to find out its true depth. Research different years gave different meanings. The fact is that at such a colossal depth, the density of water increases as it approaches the bottom, therefore the properties of the sound from the echo sounder in it also change. Using barometers and thermometers at different levels along with echo sounders, in 2011 the depth in the Challenger Deep was determined to be 10994 ± 40 meters. This is the height of Mount Everest plus another two kilometers above.
The pressure at the bottom of the underwater chasm is almost 1100 atmospheres, or 108.6 MPa. Most deep-sea vehicles are designed to maximum depth at 6-7 thousand meters. During the time that has passed since the opening deepest canyon, it was possible to successfully reach its bottom only four times. 
In 1960, the deep-sea bathyscaphe Trieste, for the first time in the world, descended to the very bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Challenger Deep area with two passengers on board: US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard.
Their observations led to an important conclusion about the presence of life at the bottom of the canyon. The discovery of the upward flow of water also had important environmental significance: based on it, the nuclear powers refused to dump radioactive waste at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. 
In the 90s, the trench was explored by the Japanese unmanned probe "Kaiko", which brought samples of silt from the bottom in which bacteria, worms, shrimp were found, as well as pictures of a hitherto unknown world.
In 2009, the American robot Nereus conquered the abyss, picking up from the bottom samples of silt, minerals, samples of deep-sea fauna and photos of the inhabitants of unknown depths. 
In 2012, James Cameron, the author of Titanic, Terminator and Avatar, dived alone into the abyss. He spent 6 hours at the bottom, collecting samples of soil, minerals, fauna, as well as taking photographs and 3D video filming. Based on this material, the film “Challenge the Abyss” was created.
Amazing discoveries
Located in a trench at a depth of about 4 kilometers active volcano Daikoku, spewing liquid sulfur that boils at 187 ° C in a small depression. The only lake of liquid sulfur was discovered only on Jupiter’s moon, Io. 
“Black smokers” swirl 2 kilometers from the surface - sources of geothermal water with hydrogen sulfide and other substances that, upon contact with cold water, turn into black sulfides. The movement of sulfide water resembles clouds of black smoke. The water temperature at the point of release reaches 450° C. The surrounding sea does not boil only because of the density of the water (150 times greater than at the surface). 
In the north of the canyon there are “white smokers” - geysers spewing liquid carbon dioxide at a temperature of 70-80 ° C. Scientists suggest that it is in such geothermal “cauldrons” that one should look for the origins of life on Earth. Hot springs “warm up” icy waters, supporting life in the abyss - the temperature at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is within 1-3 ° C. 
Life beyond life
It would seem that in an environment of complete darkness, silence, icy cold and unbearable pressure, life in the depression is simply unthinkable. But studies of the depression prove the opposite: there are living creatures almost 11 kilometers under water! 
The bottom of the hole is covered with a thick layer of slime from organic sediments that have been sinking from the upper layers of the ocean for hundreds of thousands of years. Mucus is an excellent breeding ground for barrophilic bacteria, which form the basis of nutrition for protozoa and multicellular organisms. The bacteria, in turn, become food for more complex organisms. 
The ecosystem of the underwater canyon is truly unique. Living beings have managed to adapt to an aggressive, destructive environment under normal conditions, with high pressure, lack of light, low amounts of oxygen and high concentrations of toxic substances. Life in such unbearable conditions gave many of the inhabitants of the abyss a frightening and unattractive appearance. 
Deep-sea fish have incredibly large mouths lined with sharp, long teeth. High pressure made their bodies small (from 2 to 30 cm). However, there are also large specimens, such as the xenophyophora amoeba, reaching 10 cm in diameter. The frilled shark and goblin shark, which live at a depth of 2000 meters, generally reach 5-6 meters in length. 
Representatives of different species of living organisms live at different depths. The deeper the inhabitants of the abyss, the better developed their organs of vision are, allowing them to catch the slightest reflection of light on the body of prey in complete darkness. Some individuals themselves are capable of producing directional light. Other creatures are completely devoid of organs of vision; they are replaced by organs of touch and radar. With increasing depth, underwater inhabitants increasingly lose their color; the bodies of many of them are almost transparent. 
On the slopes where the “black smokers” are located, mollusks live that have learned to neutralize sulfides and hydrogen sulfide that are lethal to them. And, which still remains a mystery to scientists, under conditions of enormous pressure at the bottom, they somehow miraculously manage to keep their mineral shell intact. Other inhabitants of the Mariana Trench show similar abilities. The study of fauna samples showed many times higher levels of radiation and toxic substances. 
Unfortunately, deep-sea creatures die due to changes in pressure when any attempt is made to bring them to the surface. Only thanks to modern deep-sea vehicles has it become possible to study the inhabitants of the depression in their natural environment. Representatives of fauna unknown to science have already been identified. 
Secrets and riddles of the “womb of Gaia”
The mysterious abyss, like any unknown phenomenon, is shrouded in a mass of secrets and mysteries. What does she hide in her depths? Japanese scientists claimed that while feeding goblin sharks, they saw a shark 25 meters long devouring goblins. A monster of this size could only be a megalodon shark, which became extinct almost 2 million years ago! This is confirmed by the findings of megalodon teeth in the vicinity of the Mariana Trench, whose age dates back to only 11 thousand years. It can be assumed that specimens of these monsters still exist in the depths of the hole. 
There are many stories about the corpses of giant monsters washed up on the shore. When descending into the abyss of the German bathyscaphe "Haifish", the dive stopped 7 km from the surface. To understand the reason, the passengers of the capsule turned on the lights and were horrified: their bathyscaphe, like a nut, was trying to chew some kind of prehistoric lizard! Only a pulse of electric current through the outer skin managed to scare away the monster.
Another time, when an American submersible was diving, the grinding of metal began to be heard from under the water. The descent was stopped. Upon inspection of the raised equipment, it turned out that the titanium alloy metal cable was half sawed (or chewed), and the beams of the underwater vehicle were bent. 
In 2012, the video camera of the Titan unmanned aerial vehicle from a depth of 10 kilometers transmitted a picture of metal objects, presumably a UFO. Soon the connection with the device was interrupted.
Unfortunately, there is no documentary evidence of these interesting facts none, they are all based only on eyewitness accounts. Each story has its fans and skeptics, its arguments for and against. 
Before the risky dive into the trench, James Cameron said that he wanted to see with his own eyes at least part of the secrets of the Mariana Trench, about which there are so many rumors and legends. But he did not see anything that went beyond the knowable. 
So what do we know about her?
To understand how the Mariana underwater gap was formed, it should be remembered that such gaps (trenches) are usually formed along the edges of the oceans under the influence of moving lithospheric plates. Oceanic plates, being older and heavier, “crawl” under continental plates, forming deep gaps at the junctions. The deepest is the junction of the Pacific and Philippine tectonic plates near the Mariana Islands (Mariana Trench). The Pacific plate is moving at a rate of 3-4 centimeters per year, resulting in increased volcanic activity along both its edges. 
Along the entire length of this deepest failure, four so-called transverse bridges were discovered. mountain range. The ridges were presumably formed due to the movement of the lithosphere and volcanic activity. 
The gutter is V-shaped in cross-section, greatly expanding at the top and narrowing downwards. The average width of the canyon in the upper part is 69 kilometers, in the widest part - up to 80 kilometers. The average width of the bottom between the walls is 5 kilometers. The slope of the walls is almost vertical and is only 7-8°. The depression stretches from north to south for 2,500 kilometers. The trench has an average depth of about 10,000 meters. 
Only three people to date have visited the very bottom of the Mariana Trench. In 2018, another manned dive to the “bottom of the world” in its deepest section is planned. This time, the famous Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov and polar explorer Artur Chilingarov will try to conquer the depression and find out what it hides in its depths. Currently, a deep-sea bathyscaphe is being manufactured and a research program is being drawn up.
Despite the fact that the oceans are closer to us than the distant planets of the solar system, people Only five percent of the ocean floor has been explored, which remains one of greatest mysteries of our planet.
Here are other interesting facts about what you can find along the way and at the very bottom of the Mariana Trench.
Temperature at the bottom of the Mariana Trench
1. Very hot water
Going down to such depths, we expect it to be very cold. The temperature here reaches just above zero, varying 1 to 4 degrees Celsius.
However, at a depth of about 1.6 km from the surface of the Pacific Ocean there are hydrothermal vents called “black smokers”. They shoot water that heats up to 450 degrees Celsius.
This water is rich in minerals that help support life in the area. Despite the water temperature being hundreds of degrees above boiling point, she doesn't boil here due to incredible pressure, 155 times higher than on the surface.
Inhabitants of the Mariana Trench
2. Giant toxic amoebas
A few years ago, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, giant 10-centimeter amoebae called xenophyophores.
These single-celled organisms likely became so large because of the environment they live in at a depth of 10.6 km. Cold temperatures, high pressure and lack of sunlight likely contributed to these amoebas have acquired enormous dimensions.
In addition, xenophyophores have incredible abilities. They are resistant to many elements and chemicals, including uranium, mercury and lead,which would kill other animals and people.
3. Shellfish
The intense water pressure in the Mariana Trench does not give any animal with a shell or bones a chance of survival. However, in 2012, shellfish were discovered in a trench near serpentine hydrothermal vents. Serpentine contains hydrogen and methane, which allows living organisms to form.
TO How did mollusks preserve their shells under such pressure?, remains unknown.
In addition, hydrothermal vents emit another gas, hydrogen sulfide, which is lethal to shellfish. However, they learned to bind the sulfur compound into a safe protein, which allowed the population of these mollusks to survive.
At the bottom of the Mariana Trench
4. Pure liquid carbon dioxide
Hydrothermal source of Champagne The Mariana Trench, which lies outside the Okinawa Trench near Taiwan, is the only known underwater area where liquid carbon dioxide can be found. The spring, discovered in 2005, was named after the bubbles that turned out to be carbon dioxide.
Many believe these springs, called "white smokers" due to their lower temperatures, may be the source of life. It was in the depths of the oceans, with low temperatures and an abundance of chemicals and energy, that life could begin.
5. Slime
If we had the opportunity to swim to the very depths of the Mariana Trench, we would feel that it covered with a layer of viscous mucus. Sand, in its familiar form, does not exist there.
The bottom of the depression mainly consists of crushed shells and plankton remains that have accumulated at the bottom of the depression for many years. Due to the incredible water pressure, almost everything there turns into fine grayish-yellow thick mud.
Mariana Trench
6. Liquid sulfur
Daikoku Volcano, which is located at a depth of about 414 meters on the way to the Mariana Trench, is the source of one of the most rare phenomena on our planet. Here is lake of pure molten sulfur. The only place where liquid sulfur can be found is Jupiter's moon Io.
In this pit, called the "cauldron", there is a bubbling black emulsion boils at 187 degrees Celsius. Although scientists have not been able to explore this site in detail, it is possible that even more liquid sulfur is contained deeper. It may reveal the secret of the origin of life on Earth.
According to the Gaia hypothesis, our planet is one self-governing organism in which everything living and nonliving is connected to support its life. If this hypothesis is correct, then a number of signals can be observed in the natural cycles and systems of the Earth. So the sulfur compounds created by organisms in the ocean must be stable enough in the water to allow them to move into the air and return to land.
7. Bridges
At the end of 2011, it was discovered in the Mariana Trench four stone bridge , which extended from one end to the other for 69 km. They appear to have formed at the junction of the Pacific and Philippine tectonic plates.
One of the bridges Dutton Ridge, which was discovered back in the 1980s, turned out to be incredibly high, like small mountain. In the most high point, the ridge reaches 2.5 km over the Challenger Deep.
Like many aspects of the Mariana Trench, the purpose of these bridges remains unclear. However, the very fact that in one of the most mysterious and unknown places The discovery of these formations is amazing.
8. James Cameron's Dive into the Mariana Trench
Since opening the deepest part of the Mariana Trench - the Challenger Deep in 1875, only three people visited here. The first were American Lieutenant Don Walsh and researcher Jacques Picard, who dived on January 23, 1960 on the ship Trieste.
52 years later, another person dared to dive here - a famous film director. James Cameron. So On March 26, 2012, Cameron sank to the bottom and took some photos.
The Mariana Trench is a fracture in the earth's crust located in the ocean. It is one of the famous objects in the world. Let's find out where the Mariana Trench is located on the map and what it is known for.
What it is?
The Mariana Trench is an oceanic trench, or a break in the earth's crust, located under water. It got its name from the nearby Mariana Islands. In the world, this object is known as the deepest place. The depth of the Mariana Trench in meters is 10994. This is 2000 meters more than the highest mountain on the planet - Everest.
The British first learned about this depression in 1875 on the Challenger ship. At the same time, the first measurement of its depth was made, which was 8367 meters.
How was the Mariana Trench formed?
It represents the boundary between two lithospheric plates. Here there is a fault in the earth's crust, formed as a result of the movements of these plates. The depression is shaped like a V and its length in kilometers is 1,500.
Location
How to find the Mariana Trench on a world map? It is located in the Pacific Ocean, in its eastern part, between the Philippine and Mariana Islands. The coordinates of deep point the depression is 11 degrees north latitude and 142 degrees east longitude.
Rice. 1. The Mariana Trench is located in the Pacific Ocean
Research
The enormous depth of the Mariana Trench determines the pressure at the bottom, which is 108.6 MPa. This is a thousand times more pressure on the Earth's surface. Naturally, conducting research in such conditions is extremely difficult. However, the secrets and mysteries of the deepest place in the world attract many scientists.
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As already mentioned, the first studies were carried out in 1875. But the equipment of that time did not allow not only to descend to the bottom of the depression, but even to accurately measure its depth. The first dive was carried out in 1960 - then the bathyscaphe “Trieste” sank to a depth of 10915 meters. There are many interesting facts in this study, which, unfortunately, still have no explanation.
The devices recorded sounds reminiscent of the grinding of a saw on metal. With the help of monitors, unclear shadows were visible, with outlines reminiscent of dragons or dinosaurs. The recording was carried out for an hour, then the scientists decided to urgently raise the submersible to the surface. When the device was lifted, many damages were discovered on the metal, which at that time was considered super-strong. The cable was enormously long and 20 cm wide and was half sawn through. Who could have done this is still considered unknown.
Rice. 2. The bathyscaphe Trieste dived into the Mariana Trench
The German Haifish expedition also sank its bathyscaphe into the Mariana Trench. However, they only reached a depth of 7 km and then encountered some difficulties. Attempts to remove the device were unsuccessful. Turning on the infrared cameras, scientists saw a huge lizard holding the bathyscaphe. Whether this was true - today no one can say.
The deepest part of the depression was recorded in 2011 using a special robot diving to the bottom. It reached 10994 meters. This area was called the Challenger Deep.
Is there anyone who went down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, other than robots and bathyscaphes? Such dives were carried out by several people:
- Don Walsh and Jacques Picard, research scientists, descended on the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960 to a depth of 10,915 meters;
- James Cameron, an American director, made a solo dive to the very bottom of the Challenger Deep, collecting many samples, photographs and video materials.
In January 2017, he announced his desire to dive into the Mariana Trench famous traveler Fedor Konyukhov.
Who lives at the bottom of the depression
Despite the enormous depth and high pressure of the water column, the Mariana Trench is not uninhabited. Until recently, it was believed that life ceases at a depth of 6000 m and no animals are able to withstand the enormous pressure. In addition, at the level of 2000 m the passage of light stops and below there is only darkness.
Recent research has discovered that even below 6000 m there is life. So, who lives at the bottom of the Mariana Trench:
- worms up to one and a half meters long;
- crustaceans;
- shellfish;
- octopuses;
- sea stars;
- many bacteria.
All these inhabitants have adapted to withstand pressure and darkness, therefore they have specific shapes and colors.
Rice. 3. Mariana Trench Inhabitant
What have we learned?
So, we found out in which ocean the Mariana Trench is located - the deepest place in the world. Its depth significantly exceeds the height itself. big mountains peace. Despite the harsh conditions, the depression is inhabited by a diverse population. Until now, this place is a big mystery, which scientists from all over the world are trying to unravel.
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