For everyone and about everything. The deepest continental depressions of the earth

The Mariana Trench (or the Mariana Trench) is the deepest place on the earth's surface. It is located on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, 200 kilometers east of the Mariana Archipelago.

Paradoxically, humanity knows much more about the secrets of space or mountain peaks than about ocean depths. And one of the most mysterious and unexplored places our planet is just 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 rope of the lot went overboard, but there was no bottom! And only at a depth of 8184 meters the descent of the rope stopped. Thus, the deepest underwater crack on Earth was discovered. It was named the Mariana Trench, after the nearby islands. Its shape (in the form of a crescent) and the location of the deepest section, called the "Challenger Abyss", were determined. It is located 340 km. south of the island Guam and has coordinates 11°22′ s. sh., 142°35′ E d.

“The fourth pole”, “the womb of Gaia”, “the bottom of the world” has since been called this deep-water depression. Oceanographic scientists have long tried to find out its true depth. Research different years gave different values. The fact is that at such a colossal depth, the density of water increases as it approaches the bottom, so the properties of the sound from the echo sounder also change in it. By using barometers and thermometers together with echo sounders on different levels, in 2011 the depth value in the "Challenger Abyss" was set at 10994 ± 40 meters. This is the height of Mount Everest plus another two kilometers from above.

The pressure at the bottom of the underwater crevasse is almost 1100 atmospheres, or 108.6 MPa. Most of the deep-sea vehicles are designed for a maximum depth of 6-7 thousand meters. Since the opening deepest canyon, it was possible to successfully reach its bottom only four times.

In 1960, the Trieste deep-sea bathyscaphe, for the first time in the world, descended to the very bottom of the Mariana Trench in the area of the Challenger Abyss with two passengers on board: US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Picard.

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 an important environmental significance: based on it, the nuclear powers refused to be buried at the bottom of the Mariana failure radioactive waste.

In the 90s, the gutter 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, raising samples of silt, minerals, samples of deep-sea fauna and photos of inhabitants of unknown depths from the bottom.

In 2012, James Cameron, the author of Titanic, Terminator and Avatar, dived into the abyss alone. He spent 6 hours at the bottom, collecting samples of soil, minerals, fauna, as well as taking photographs and 3D video. Based on this material, the film "Challenge to the Abyss" was created.

Amazing discoveries

In the trench at a depth of about 4 kilometers is the active Daikoku volcano, spewing liquid sulfur, which boils at 187 ° C in a small depression. The only lake of liquid sulfur was discovered only on Jupiter's moon Io.

At 2 kilometers from the surface, "black smokers" swirl - sources of geothermal water with hydrogen sulfide and other substances that, upon contact with cold water are converted to black sulfides. The movement of sulfide water resembles puffs 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 "boilers" that one should look for the origins of life on Earth. Hot springs "warm up" the icy waters, supporting life in the abyss - the temperature at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is in the range of 1-3 ° C.

Life beyond life

It would seem that in an atmosphere of complete darkness, silence, icy cold and unbearable pressure, life in the hollow is simply unthinkable. But studies of the depression prove the opposite: there are living creatures almost 11 kilometers under water!

The bottom of the sinkhole is covered with a thick layer of mucus from organic sediments that have been descending from the upper layers of the ocean for hundreds of thousands of years. Mucus is an excellent nutrient medium for barrophilic bacteria, which form the basis of the nutrition of protozoa and multicellular organisms. 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, a small amount of oxygen and a high concentration of toxic substances. Life in such unbearable conditions gave many inhabitants of the abyss a frightening and unattractive look.

Deep-sea fish have incredible mouths, seated 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, living at a depth of 2000 meters, generally reach 5-6 meters in length.

Representatives of different types of living organisms live at different depths. The deeper the inhabitants of the abyss, the better their organs of vision are, allowing them to catch the slightest glimmer of light on the body of their prey in complete darkness. Some individuals themselves are able to produce 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 lose their color more and more, the bodies of many of them are almost transparent.

On the slopes where the “black smokers” live, mollusks live, having learned to neutralize the sulfides and hydrogen sulfide that are fatal to them. And, which remains a mystery to scientists so far, under conditions of enormous pressure at the bottom, they somehow miraculously manage to keep their mineral shell intact. Similar abilities are shown by other inhabitants of the Mariana Trench. The study of fauna samples showed a multiple excess of the level of radiation and toxic substances.

Unfortunately, deep sea creatures die due to the change in pressure with any attempt to bring them to the surface. Only thanks to modern deep-sea vehicles it became possible to study the inhabitants of the depression in their natural environment. Representatives of the fauna unknown to science have already been identified.

Secrets and mysteries 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! Confirmation is 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 are still preserved in the depths of the failure.

There are many stories about the corpses of giant monsters thrown ashore. When descending into the abyss of the German bathyscaphe "Highfish", 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 crack open some prehistoric lizard! Only a pulse of electric current through the outer skin managed to scare away the monster.

On another occasion, when an American submersible was submerging, a scraping of metal began to be heard from under the water. The descent was stopped. When inspecting the lifted equipment, it turned out that the titanium alloy metal cable was half sawn (or gnawed), and the beams of the underwater vehicle were bent.

In 2012, the video camera of the unmanned vehicle "Titan" from a depth of 10 kilometers transmitted a picture of metal objects, presumably UFOs. Soon the connection with the device was interrupted.

Unfortunately, there is no documentary evidence of these interesting facts; they are all based only on eyewitness accounts. Every story has its fans and skeptics, its pros and cons.

Before a risky dive into the trench, James Cameron said that he wanted to see with his own eyes at least some of those secrets of the Mariana Trench, about which there are so many rumors and legends. But he did not see anything that would go beyond the cognizable.

So what do we know about her?

To understand how the Mariana Underwater Gap was formed, it should be remembered that such gaps (troughs) are usually formed along the edges of the oceans under the action of moving lithospheric plates. The oceanic plates, being older and heavier, "creep" under the continental ones, forming deep dips at the junctions. The deepest is the junction of the Pacific and Philippine tectonic plates close to Mariana Islands(Mariana Trench). The Pacific Plate is moving at a speed of 3-4 centimeters per year, resulting in increased volcanic activity along both of its edges.

Throughout the entire length of this deepest failure, four so-called bridges were found - transverse 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, strongly widening upwards 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 sheer and is only 7-8°. The depression stretches from north to south for 2500 kilometers. The gutter has average depth about 10,000 meters.

Only three people have been to the very bottom of the Mariana Trench to date. In 2018, another manned dive to the “bottom of the world” is planned at its deepest section. This time the well-known will try to conquer the hollow and find out what it hides in its depths Russian traveler Fedor Konyukhov and polar explorer Artur Chilingarov. At present, a deep-sea bathyscaphe is being manufactured and a research program is being drawn up.

February 16th, 2010

Mariana Trench, or Mariana Trench- an oceanic trench in the western Pacific Ocean, which is the deepest known geographic feature on Earth.
The depression stretches along the Mariana Islands for 1500 km; it has a V-shaped profile, steep (7–9°) slopes, and a flat bottom 1–5 km wide, which is divided by rapids into several closed depressions. At the bottom, the water pressure reaches 108.6 MPa, which is more than 1100 times higher than the normal atmospheric pressure at the level of the World Ocean. The depression is located at the border of the docking of two tectonic plates, in the zone of movement along faults, where the Pacific plate goes under the Philippine plate.

The study of the Mariana Trench was initiated by the British expedition of the Challenger vessel, which carried out the first systematic measurements of the depths of the Pacific Ocean. This military three-masted corvette with sailing equipment was rebuilt into an oceanographic vessel for hydrological, geological, chemical, biological and meteorological work in 1872. Soviet researchers also made a significant contribution to the study of the Mariana Trench. In 1958, an expedition on the Vityaz established the existence of life at depths of more than 7000 m, thereby refuting the then prevailing idea that life was impossible at depths of more than 6000-7000 m. In 1960, the Trieste bathyscaphe was immersed to the bottom Mariana Trench to a depth of 10915 m.

The device recording sounds began to transmit noises to the surface, reminiscent of the grinding of saw teeth on metal. At the same time, vague shadows appeared on the TV monitor, similar to giant fairy dragons. These creatures had several heads and tails. An hour later, scientists on the American research vessel Glomar Challenger became worried that the unique apparatus, made from beams of ultra-strong titanium-cobalt steel in the NASA laboratory, having a spherical structure, the so-called "hedgehog" with a diameter of about 9 m, could remain in the abyss forever. It was decided to raise it immediately. "Hedgehog" was removed from the depths for more than eight hours. As soon as he appeared on the surface, he was immediately put on a special raft. The TV camera and echo sounder were lifted onto the deck of the Glomar Challenger. It turned out that the strongest steel beams of the structure were deformed, and the 20-centimeter steel cable on which it was lowered turned out to be half sawn. Who tried to leave the “hedgehog” at depth and why is an absolute mystery. The details of this most interesting experiment, conducted by American oceanologists in the Mariana Trench, were published in 1996 by the New York Times (USA).

This is not the only case of a collision with the inexplicable in the depths of the Mariana Trench. Something similar happened to the German research vehicle "Hyfish" with a crew on board. Once at a depth of 7 km, the device suddenly refused to float. Finding out the cause of the malfunction, the hydronauts turned on the infrared camera. What they saw in the next few seconds seemed to them a collective hallucination: a huge prehistoric lizard, biting its teeth into a bathyscaphe, tried to crack it like a nut. Having come to their senses, the crew activated a device called an "electric gun". The monster, struck by a powerful discharge, disappeared into the abyss.

The inexplicable and incomprehensible has always attracted people, so scientists around the world are so eager to answer the question: “What is the Mariana Trench hiding in its depths?”

Can living organisms live at such a great depth, and how should they look, given that they are pressed by huge masses of ocean water, the pressure of which exceeds 1100 atmospheres? The difficulties associated with the study and comprehension of the creatures that live at these unimaginable depths are enough, but human ingenuity knows no bounds. For a long time, oceanologists considered the hypothesis that at depths of more than 6000 m in impenetrable darkness, under monstrous pressure and at temperatures close to zero, life could exist to be insane. However, the results of research by scientists in the Pacific Ocean have shown that even at these depths, far below the 6000-meter mark, there are huge colonies of living organisms pogonophora ((pogonophora; from the Greek pogon - beard and phoros - bearing), a type of marine invertebrate animals that live in long chitinous tubes open at both ends). Recently, the veil of secrecy has been opened by manned and automatic, made of heavy-duty materials, underwater vehicles equipped with video cameras. As a result, a rich animal community was discovered, consisting of both well-known and less familiar marine groups.

Thus, at depths of 6000 - 11000 km, the following were found:

Barophilic bacteria (developing only at high pressure),

Of the protozoa, foraminifera (a detachment of the protozoan subclass of rhizopods with a cytoplasmic body dressed in a shell) and xenophyophores (barophilic bacteria from protozoa);

Of the multicellular - polychaete worms, isopods, amphipods, holothurians, bivalves and gastropods.

Not at depth sunlight, no algae, constant salinity, low temperatures, abundance of carbon dioxide, enormous hydrostatic pressure (increases by 1 atmosphere for every 10 meters). What do the inhabitants of the abyss eat?

The food sources of deep animals are bacteria, as well as the rain of "corpses" and organic detritus coming from above; deep animals or blind, or with very developed eyes, often telescopic; many fish and cephalopods with photofluores; in other forms, the surface of the body or parts of it glow. Therefore, the appearance of these animals is as terrible and incredible as the conditions in which they live. Among them are terrifying-looking worms 1.5 meters long, without a mouth and anus, mutant octopuses, unusual sea stars and some soft-bodied creatures of two meters in length, which have not yet been identified at all.

So, a person could never resist the desire to explore the unknown, but the rapidly developing world technical progress allows you to penetrate deeper and deeper into the secret world of the most inhospitable and recalcitrant environment in the world - the oceans. There will be enough objects for research in the Mariana Trench for many years to come, given that the most inaccessible and mysterious point of our planet, unlike Everest (altitude 8848 m), was conquered only once. So, on January 23, 1960, US Navy officer Don Walsh and Swiss explorer Jacques Picard, protected by armored, 12-centimeter-thick walls of a bathyscaphe called Trieste, managed to descend to a depth of 10,915 meters.

Despite the fact that scientists have made a huge step in the research of the Mariana Trench, the questions have not decreased, new mysteries have appeared that have yet to be solved. And the ocean abyss knows how to keep its secrets. Will people be able to reveal them in the near future?

On January 23, 1960, Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lieutenant Donald Walsh in the Trieste bathyscaphe at a depth of 10919 m reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest place in the World Ocean. The water temperature at this depth was 2.4 ° C (the minimum temperature is 1.4 ° С, was observed at a depth of 3600 m). The Trieste bathyscaphe was designed and developed by Jacques' father, the famous Swiss stratospheric explorer Auguste Piccard.

The dimensions of the capsule, which housed the researchers inside the bathyscaphe, are small in relation to the size of the submarine as a whole. In particular, it is markedly outnumbered by metal-ballasted tanks, one of which is visible at the top left.

Trieste, like other bathyscaphes, was a pressurized spherical steel gondola for the crew, attached to a large float filled with gasoline to provide buoyancy. A model was fixed on the outer wall of the Trieste bathyscaphe. wrist watch deep sea. A high degree of water protection was provided not only by a sealed case, but also by a special liquid that filled the inner chamber of the watch instead of air.

Bathyscaphe floats on the principle of an iron. In the surface state, it is held by a huge float filled with gasoline located above the gondola with the crew. The float has another important function: in a submerged position, it stabilizes the bathyscaphe vertically, preventing swinging and overturning. When gasoline is slowly released from the float, which is replaced by water, the bathyscaphe begins to dive. From this moment on, the apparatus has only one way - down to the bottom. In this case, of course, it is also possible to move in a horizontal direction with the help of propellers driven by the engine.

In order to rise to the surface, a metal ballast is provided in the bathyscaphe, which can be shot, plates or blanks. Gradually freed from the "excess weight", the apparatus rises. The metal ballast is held by electromagnets, so if something happens to the power supply system, then the bathyscaphe immediately, like a balloon starting into the sky, “soars” up.

One of the achievements of this dive, which had a beneficial effect on the ecological future of the planet, was the refusal of nuclear powers to bury radioactive waste at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The fact is that Jacques Picard experimentally refuted the opinion that prevailed at that time that at depths of more than 6000 m there is no upward movement of water masses.

Comparison with Everest

Which are distinguished by the highest pressure and darkness through which it is almost impossible to see anything. The deepest depressions on Earth, which will be discussed later, have not been fully studied by man to date.

Mariana Trench

She tops the ranking and is also known as the Mariana Trench. Its location is in the Pacific Ocean, not far from the fault. The depth of the fault is 10994 meters, however, according to scientists, this value can vary within 40 meters. First dive in Mariana Trench happened on January 23, 1960. The bathyscaphe, in which US Navy lieutenant Joe Walsh and scientist Jacques Picard were located, sank to 10,918 meters. The first explorers claimed that they saw fish below, appearance reminiscent of flounder. However, no photographs were taken. Later, two more dives were made. It turned out that the largest depression in the world has mountains at its bottom, which reach a height of about 2500 meters.

Trench Tonga

This depression is only slightly inferior to the Mariana and has a depth of 10882 meters. Its characteristic feature is the speed of movement, which reaches 25.4 cm per year (while the average value of this indicator is about 2 cm). An interesting fact relative to this trough is that at a depth of approximately 6 km, the Apollo 13 lunar landing stage is located here, which fell here from space.

Philippine Trench

It is located near Philippine Islands in and takes third place in such a ranking as "The Deepest Trench on Earth." The depth of the Philippine Trench is 10,540 meters. This depression was formed as a result of subduction and is not fully understood due to the fact that the Mariana is of much greater interest.

Kermadec

The gutter is connected in the northern part with the above-mentioned Tonga and reaches a depth of 10047 meters. A thorough study of it, which took place at a depth of about seven and a half kilometers, was carried out in 2008. During the study, rare living creatures were discovered that are distinguished by their original pink color.

Izu-Bonin Trench

The deepest depressions on Earth were predominantly discovered in the twentieth century. In contrast to them, the Izu-Bonin Trench, 9810 meters deep, was first discovered by man at the very end of the nineteenth century. This happened when determining the bottom depth for the gasket telephone cable. Later it turned out that the trench is an integral part of a whole chain of depressions in the ocean.

Kuril-Kamchatka Trench

The depth of this depression is 9783 meters. It was discovered during the exploration of the previous chute and is characterized by a very small width (59 meters). On the slopes there are many valleys with ledges, terraces and canyons. At the bottom there are depressions separated by thresholds. Detailed studies of it have not yet been carried out due to difficult access.

Puerto Rico Trench

The deepest trenches on Earth are not only in the Pacific Ocean. The Puerto Rico Trench formed on the border and caribbean. Its deepest point is located at around 8385 meters. The basin differs from others by relatively high seismic activity, as a result of which underwater eruptions and tsunamis sometimes occur in this place. It should also be noted that the depression is gradually lowering, which is associated with the lowering of the tectonic North American plate.

People have always been attracted by heights. To do this, they created aircraft, conquered the most high mountain and build high skyscrapers. But, the situation with depths is quite different. Especially if it's the most deep depression on land or at the bottom of the ocean. Everyone approaches such places with apprehension and, of course, not everyone dares to look there. But, this did not stop the scientists, and in order to study such places, they spare no effort, no time, no finances. Where are the biggest depressions?

ghor

The record holder for depth on our planet is the formation of the tectonic nature of Ghor, which has another name - El Gor. It is located on the territory of Western Asia, namely on the border of Syria, Jordan and Israel. In its depths there is a river system Dead Sea. Ghor is surrounded by steep slopes, the height of which in some places reaches 1400 m, sandstones and lava fields. Semi-desert climate prevails in these places.

The depth of this formation is 400 m below the level of the world ocean, and the length is as much as 200 km.

This name has a tectonic depression located in China, which is considered the lowest point in East Asia - 154 m below sea level. The natural formation is 200 km long and about 70 km wide. In its central part, you can find the ruins of the ancient Chinese city of Yanghai.

The climate in these places is sharply continental, with maximum temperature+39.7 degrees and a minimum of -2.2 degrees. It is very dry here, and the average annual rainfall almost never exceeds 20 mm. Therefore, the vegetation in the region is sparse (camel thorn, saltpeter, etc.). Saxaul and comb growers grow on the shore of Lake Aydinkel. As far as agriculture is concerned, locals grapes, mulberry, gourds, peaches and figs are grown. But, due to the lack of moisture, the fruits contain a high level of sugars.

Scientists call this place the only one on the planet where it is possible to explore the ocean ridges without sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The Danakil Desert, Lake Assal, located at a level of 155 m below the level of the World Ocean, are also located here. largest volcano Earth - Erta Ale. The only water artery of the basin is the Awash River.

There is lava at the bottom of the basin. And its platform is in constant motion, which is why earthquakes constantly occur here.

The climate here is very hot, and the temperature ranges from +25 degrees during the rainy season to +48 degrees during the dry season. The average annual rainfall rarely exceeds 100-200 mm. The only green strip of the depression is the coast of Awash.

Approximately 1200 km² of the Afar Basin is under a thick layer of salt, which has become local population practically the only possible source of income.

The Kattar depression is considered the only one absolutely waterless and therefore lifeless on Earth. Its depth is 133 meters below the level of the oceans. It is located in the northern part of the Libyan desert. The bottom of the depression is covered with solonchak, and only a small area in the west of the Kattar basin has a small Kara oasis.

Due to the lack of water, people have never lived here, and the only people you can meet in these places are nomadic pastoralists who graze their cattle near the oasis.

The occurrence of reservoirs in Qattara is hindered by extremely low rainfall (less than 55 mm per year). And the moisture that falls out instantly evaporates. This is facilitated strong winds and high air temperature - about 36 degrees.

Under the local salt marshes in the last century, deposits of oil and natural gas were discovered. Therefore, in order to create optimal living conditions here, several projects have been proposed to improve climatic conditions and flooding of the area. However, none of them has been implemented to date.

You can find the Karagie depression 50 km from Alatau in Kazakhstan, not far from the Caspian Sea. Its depth is 132 m, length is 40 km, and width is 10 km. Scientists who studied this place came to the conclusion that rain clouds are forming over Karagiye.

At the very bottom of the depression, you can see Lake Batyr, the exact area and depth of which cannot be determined, since they are constantly changing. During the dry period of the year, Batyr completely dries up, and a salt marsh appears in its place.

A depression with such a frightening name is located in California. Its depth is 86 m. A huge national park with the same name. Visitors to the Valley of Death immediately pay attention to natural contrasts - sand dunes framed by snow mountain peaks, salt marshes on the site of dried-up lakes and craters of extinct volcanoes.

Directors often use the valley to shoot space landscapes. Due to the uniqueness of the landscape and the huge number of collected in one place geological wonders, this depression is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

This place got its ominous name back in the days of the "gold rush". It was through the valley that the main route of the searchers passed. But, due to the hellish heat and the lack of water here, many could not reach the end.

But, despite the hellish climate and 50-degree heat, people live in these places - Timbisha Indians. In fact, there are very few of them left.

The depth of the depression is 81 m. The length is 50 km, and the width is 6 km. The depression is located on the territory of modern Turkmenistan in the famous Karakum desert. Its feature can be called mountain ranges surrounding her. The slopes of the mountains look like multi-colored steps, due to the presence of mineral and metal deposits in them.

In the rainy season, streams flow down the slopes of the mountains, which are made in limestone and other rocks hollows, which looks incredibly impressive.

From the name it becomes clear that the location of this tectonic depression, 81 m deep, is Baja California. The climate of this area is desert. The average annual rainfall is within 100 mm. The local flora is poor, there are cacti, yuccas and other plants adapted to life in the desert.

Nature often brings surprises that enchant and frighten at the same time, such as a thunderstorm or a storm. We will talk about another similar phenomenon - huge karst funnels that sometimes appear out of the blue in a matter of minutes.

sky pit - sinkhole in China, located in the Chongqing region. It is a double sinkhole that measures 662 meters deep, 626 meters long and 537 meters wide; its upper “bowl” goes 320 meters deep, and the lower one another 342 meters. Such a huge depression, of course, did not appear overnight, but was formed gradually over 128 thousand years. It is so big that it is often visited by extreme people who want to get an adrenaline rush by jumping down from a huge height with a parachute or on a rope.

Funnel in the city of Berezniki, Russia

This failure, about two hundred meters deep, has a length of 80 meters and a width of 40. It appeared in 1986 as a result of an accident, due to which the potash mine in the area was flooded and the soil slid. As the depression continues to grow, experts believe it could destroy the railroad that is connected to the potash mine. Now they are looking for ways to eliminate this problem, since about 10 percent of the world's potassium production is mined in Berezniki.

Dead Sea sinkholes, Israel

In the vicinity of the city of Ein Gedi, standing on the shores of the Dead Sea, there are several thousand karst depressions. At last count, there are approximately 3,000 open depressions, plus, experts believe that there are still about the same number of failures that have not yet been discovered. All of them were formed due to chronic lack of water in an area where the population is growing rapidly. There are also many tourists here, who spend more more water and there are more failures. Which in turn attract more tourists. In addition, the situation is aggravated by the presence of several chemical plants in the area.

The Qattara Depression in Egypt is the largest of its kind. This waterless depression stretches for 80 kilometers in length and 120 in width. The failure was formed naturally due to the winds that dispelled the sands and formed a depression. The depression is so huge that the Egyptian authorities are looking for ways to use it to generate electricity. As soon as they design a channel for water from the Mediterranean Sea, which will flow into a giant well, shield gates will be installed that will contribute to the generation of electricity.

Devil's Hollow is located in Edward County, Texas. Its dimensions are 12 by 18 meters, and the depth is 122 meters. The well is made entirely of limestone and is home to the Mexican tailed bat. Observers claim that more than three million bats live in this place.

Depression in Guatemala City, Guatemala

In the capital of Guatemala, in fact, not one, but two giant "wells". The first was formed in 2007 due to a collapsed sewer under a city street, killing two people and leading to the evacuation of thousands of residents. It is an almost perfect circle and has solid depth. Three years later, another sinkhole 60 meters deep and 18 meters wide “ate” a three-story building in the city. Although the depression developed gradually, continuous rain accelerated the process. Luckily no one died this time.

The Bimma well formed naturally in the city of Dibab in Oman and filled with groundwater. The water in this well is blue and clear, which is why the locals and authorities decided to equip it and turn it into a wonderful place for swimming, which attracts both local and foreign tourists.

In the mountains of Venezuela, which are called "tepui", there are four incredible wells. Two of the four, namely Sima Humboldt and Sima Martel are simply huge - 352 meters wide and 314 meters deep. These two wells isolated the forest ecosystems covering the bottom. Another depression is called the "Rain Abyss" and is over a kilometer long. It is used as a platform for scientific research by scientists who study the process of erosion in tepui.

The Bahamas are considered beach paradise because of their wonderful waters, complemented by generous sunshine and big amount sand. And the Mecca area is also popular among scuba divers, because there is a well-known failure blue hole. It extends to a depth of 203 meters, which is why it attracts diving enthusiasts. It was here that a man named William Trumbridge set the record for free diving to a depth of 92 meters. Dean's Hole is also probably one of the most picturesque depressions on Earth.

The Great Blue Hole is an underwater well off the coast of Belize. The bowl-shaped sinkhole is 300 meters in diameter and 124 meters deep. It is located in the center barrier reef Belize. The Blue Hole has an unusual feature - strange ancient stalactites that cover the surface of the Barrier Reef, which are already on the UN list of study and preservation.

The deepest continental depression in the world relative to sea level(excluding subglacial depressions of Antarctica and shelf seas) is the Baikal Rift with the most deep lake the world of Baikal. The depth of the lake is 1637m - below the ocean level at 1185m; however, taking into account the mountains surrounding Baikal up to 2432 m above sea level. ocean, the height difference in the rift reaches 3617m.

The Caspian depression is the most extensive and the second deepest inland depression of the planet relative to the ocean level. Maximum depth of the Caspian Sea - 1025m (in the South Caspian Basin) - this is 1054m below the ocean level(Caspian level - minus 29m). The depth of the Central Caspian Basin is 787m. Relative to the Damavend volcano (5596m) located 70 km from the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in the Elburs mountains (geomorphologically they do not belong to the depression), the elevation difference here reaches 6650m.

Issyk-Kul basin with lake Issyk-Kul(Kyrgyzstan) with a depth of 702m, lies 898m above the ocean level. Taking into account the mountains surrounding Issyk-Kul in a continuous ring and reaching a height of 5147m above the ocean level, the elevation difference here reaches 4249m.

In the Andes, in the depression of Lake Titicaca (the mirror of the lake lies at an altitude of 3830m; depth - 281m), the elevation difference reaches 2844m relative to the top of Ankohuma - 6393m located 20km from the coast.

Deepest inside continental depressions, where are the most low points are below ocean level:
1. depression of Lake Baikal (Russia, Siberia) (depth 1637m) - minus 1185 m;
2. South Caspian basin (depth 1025m) - minus 1054 m;
3. Central Caspian Basin (depth 787m) - minus 816 m;
4. Ghor with dead lake(Israel-Jordan) (ch. 388m) - minus 804 m;
5. Lake Tanganyika (Zaire-Tanzania) (depth 1470m) - minus 696 m ;
6. Great Slave Lake (Canada) (depth 614m) - minus 458 m;
7. Khantai lake (Russia, Putorana plateau) (depth 420m) - minus 356 m;
8. Big Bear Lake (Canada) (depth 446m) - minus 288 m;
9. Lake Garda (Italy) (depth 346m) - minus 283 m;
10. Lake Nyasa (Malawi) (depth 704m) - minus 227 m;
11. Lake Ladoga(north-western Russia) (depth 230m) - minus 223 m;
12. Lake Superior (USA-Canada) (depth 405m) - minus 220 m;
13. Afar with Lake Assal (Djibouti) - minus 194 m;
14. lakes of Ontario (USA-Canada) (depth 244m) - minus 167 m;
15. Turfan (China) - minus 154 m;
16. Karagie (Kazakhstan) - minus 134 m;
17. Qattara (Egypt) - minus 130 m;
18. Danakil with Lake Bachili (Ethiopia) - minus 130 m;
19. Lake Michigan (USA) (depth 281m) - minus 104 m;
20. Lake Onega(northwestern Russia) - minus 94 m;
21. Death Valley (USA, California) - minus 86 m;
22. Akchagaya (Turkmenistan) - minus 80 m;
23. Karynzharyk (Kazakhstan) - minus 75 m.

The deepest basins of the sea basins which are part of the oceans, but flooding the continents (shelf seas). It does not take into account the depths of the sides, slopes and plains of the shelves that are geomorphologically not belonging to the depressions:
1. Ikaria depression Aegean Sea- minus 1518 m;
2. Thermaikos Gulf of the Aegean - minus 1242 m;
3. Sea of Marmara - minus 1221 m;
4. South Skyros basin of the Aegean Sea - minus 915 m;
5. North Skyros basin of the Aegean Sea - minus 888 m;
6. Skagerrak Strait between North and - minus 725 m;
7. South Ikaria basin of the Aegean Sea - minus 721 m;
8. Baltic Sea - minus 470 m;
9. Wycount Melville Strait in Canada arctic archipelago- minus 465 m;
10. central basin of the Barents Sea - minus 382 m;
11. White Sea - minus 350 m;
12. Boothia Bay in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago - minus 323 m;
13. Hudson Sea (Hudson Bay) - minus 301 m;
14. Maracaibo lagoon (Venezuela) - minus 250 m;
15. North Sea - minus 238 m.

Notes:
1. The deepest point of the under-ice relief of Antarctica lies below ur. ocean at 2555m in the center of Baird's Plain. The depth of the largest Antarctic subglacial Lake Vostok is about 800 m.
2. Gorges that geomorphologically do not belong to the concept of a depression are not taken into account here.
3. Mediterranean (depth 5121m) and Black Sea (2210m) inland sea basins fenced off from the oceans by the Gibraltar Barrier, the Aegean shelf and Sea of Marmara geologically, they do not belong to continental depressions, since their bottom is composed of oceanic crust. The Mediterranean and Black Seas are the remnants of the vanished Tethys Ocean.
4. All of the above depressions have a tectonic origin, except for the Karagie, Karynzharyk and Akchagaya depressions, formed sea currents, as well as North American lake basins, Ladoga and Onega lakes of glacial-tectonic nature.

Shore of the Dead Lake. Israel. Fotokanal.com

Issyk-Kul. South coast. Located 12 km from the south coast deepest point lakes - 702m.Photo Alexander Babkin

Karagie depression - minus 134m (the fourth land depression in the world). Photo Alexander Babkin

Acid basins of the Dallol volcano in the Danakil depression. Ethiopia. Photo Chalanrat Rerkrat and Carmen J. Fuentes Sanchez

The bottom of Lake Baikal at a depth of 1372m. Photo from bathyscaphe "Mir-1"

The island of Ikaria rises above the Ikaria depression in the Aegean Sea. photo imuke

People have always been attracted by heights. To do this, they created airplanes, conquered the highest mountain and build high skyscrapers. But, the situation with depths is quite different. Especially if it is the deepest depression on land or at the bottom of the ocean. Everyone approaches such places with apprehension and, of course, not everyone dares to look there. But, this did not stop the scientists, and in order to study such places, they spare no effort, no time, no finances. Where are the biggest depressions?

ghor

The record holder for depth on our planet is the formation of the tectonic nature of Ghor, which has another name - El Gor. It is located on the territory of Western Asia, namely on the border of Syria, Jordan and Israel. In its depths is located the river system of the Dead Sea. Ghor is surrounded by steep slopes, the height of which in some places reaches 1400 m, sandstones and lava fields. Semi-desert climate prevails in these places.

The depth of this formation is 400 m below the level of the world ocean, and the length is as much as 200 km.

The climate in these places is sharply continental, with a maximum temperature of +39.7 degrees and a minimum of -2.2 degrees. It is very dry here, and the average annual rainfall almost never exceeds 20 mm. Therefore, the vegetation in the region is sparse (camel thorn, saltpeter, etc.). Saxaul and comb growers grow on the shore of Lake Aydinkel. As for agriculture, the locals grow grapes, mulberries, gourds, peaches and figs. But, due to the lack of moisture, the fruits contain a high level of sugars.

Scientists call this place the only one on the planet where it is possible to explore the ocean ridges without sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The Danakil Desert, Lake Assal, located at a level of 155 m below the level of the World Ocean, and the largest volcano on Earth, Erta Ale, are also located here. The only water artery of the basin is the Awash River.

There is lava at the bottom of the basin. And its platform is in constant motion, because of which, earthquakes constantly occur here.

Approximately 1200 km² of the Afar Basin is under a thick layer of salt, which has become almost the only possible source of income for the local population.

Due to the lack of water, people have never lived here, and the only people you can meet in these places are nomadic pastoralists who graze their cattle near the oasis.

The occurrence of reservoirs in Qattara is hindered by extremely low rainfall (less than 55 mm per year). And the moisture that falls out instantly evaporates. This is facilitated by strong winds and high air temperature - about 36 degrees.

Oil and natural gas deposits have been discovered under the local salt marshes in the last century. Therefore, in order to create optimal living conditions here, several projects were proposed to improve climatic conditions and flood the area. However, none of them has been implemented to date.

A depression with such a frightening name is located in California. Its depth is 86 m. A huge National Park with the same name is open here. Visitors to the Valley of Death immediately pay attention to natural contrasts - sand dunes framed by snow-capped mountain peaks, salt marshes in place of dried-up lakes and craters of extinct volcanoes.

Filmmakers often use the valley to shoot spacescapes. Due to the uniqueness of the landscape and the huge number of geological wonders collected in one place, this depression has become one of the most beautiful places in the world.

But, despite the hellish climate and 50-degree heat, people live in these places - Timbisha Indians. In fact, there are very few of them left.

The depth of the depression is 81 m. The length is 50 km, and the width is 6 km. The depression is located on the territory of modern Turkmenistan in the famous Karakum desert. Its feature can be called mountain ranges surrounding it. The slopes of the mountains look like multi-colored steps, due to the presence of mineral and metal deposits in them.

In the rainy season, streams flow down the slopes of the mountains, which make hollows in limestone and other rocks, which looks incredibly impressive.