Ten Facts You Didn’t Know About The Deepest Place On Earth

There's a place on Earth so deep underwater it's an environment of extremes no human could survive yet other life forms manage to thrive. It is called the Challenger Deep!

It is the home to the deepest points in all the Earth’s oceans. It is located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The Challenger Deep is 36,070 feet deep. If you put Mount Everest in it, the peak would still be 1.2 miles below sea level. The Mariana Trench was formed around 180 million years ago. The Challenger Deep was only discovered in 1875 with the use of sounding equipment. Only three people have ventured to its depths. Two of the six expeditions to the Mariana Trench used unmanned vessels.

The pressure at the bottom is over 1,000 times greater than on land. It would feel as if you were being crushed by 50 jumbo jets. The water temperature hovers between 34’ F and 39’ F. Water this cold would be unbearable for you. Vents on the floor of the trench emit highly acidic fluids. The fluids are rich in minerals and help sustain life in the area.

Hot water coming from the vents can reach 842’ F. The water doesn’t boil because of the very high pressure. The hot acidic fluids and cold water create a near toxic environment, but they also allow some new forms to thrive. It has deep-sea volcanoes seen nowhere else on Earth. These mud volcanoes could be the same as those where life on Earth first developed. These harsh conditions have surprisingly diverse life. Xenophyophores, amphipods and small sea cucumbers can all be found there.