What is the depth of the Mariana Trench in kilometers. The sensational discovery of the Challenger team. Video: inhabitants of the Mariana Trench

Mariana Trench - the most deep place on our planet. I think almost everyone heard about it or studied it at school, but I myself, for example, have long forgotten both its depth and the facts about how it was measured and studied. So I decided to “refresh” my and your memory

This absolute depth got its name thanks to the nearby Mariana Islands. The entire depression stretched along the islands for one and a half thousand kilometers and has a characteristic V-shaped profile. In fact, this is an ordinary tectonic fault, the place where the Pacific plate comes under the Philippine, just Mariana Trench- this is the deepest place of this kind) Its slopes are steep, on average about 7-9 °, and the bottom is flat, from 1 to 5 kilometers wide, and divided by rapids into several closed sections. The pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench reaches 108.6 MPa - this is more than 1100 times more than normal atmospheric pressure!

The first who dared to challenge the abyss were the British - the military three-masted corvette "Challenger" with sailing equipment was rebuilt into an oceanographic vessel for hydrological, geological, chemical, biological and meteorological work in 1872. But the first data on the depth of the Mariana Trench were obtained only in 1951 - according to measurements, the depth of the trench was declared equal to 10,863 m. After that, the most deep point The Mariana Trench became known as the Challenger Deep. It is hard to imagine that in the depths of the Mariana Trench the most high mountain our planet - Everest, and above it there will still be more than a kilometer of water to the surface ... Of course, it will fit not in area, but only in height, but the numbers are still amazing ...

The next explorers of the Mariana Trench were already Soviet scientists - in 1957, during the 25th voyage of the Soviet research vessel Vityaz, they not only announced the maximum depth of the trench equal to 11,022 meters, but also established the presence of life at depths of more than 7,000 meters , thereby refuting the then prevailing idea that life was impossible at depths of more than 6000-7000 meters. In 1992, the Vityaz was handed over to the newly formed Museum of the World Ocean. For two years, the ship was being repaired at the plant, and on July 12, 1994, it was permanently moored at the museum pier in the very center of Kaliningrad

On January 23, 1960, the first and only human dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench was carried out. Thus, the only people who have been “at the bottom of the Earth” were US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and researcher Jacques Picard.

During the dive, they were protected by armored, 127 millimeter thick, walls of a bathyscaphe called “Trieste”

Bathyscaphe was named after Italian city Trieste, in which the main work on its creation was carried out. According to the instruments on board the Trieste, Walsh and Picard dived to a depth of 11,521 meters, but this figure was later slightly corrected - 10,918 meters.

The dive took about five, and the rise - about three hours, the researchers spent only 12 minutes at the bottom. But even this time was enough for them to make a sensational discovery - at the bottom they found flat fish up to 30 cm in size, similar to flounder !

Studies in 1995 showed that the depth of the Mariana Trench is about 10,920 m, and the Japanese probe "Kaik?", descended into the Challenger Deep on March 24, 1997, recorded a depth of 10,911.4 meters. Below is a diagram of the cavity - when clicked, it will open in a new window in normal size

The Mariana Trench has repeatedly frightened researchers with monsters lurking in its depths. For the first time, the expedition of the American research vessel Glomar Challenger encountered the unknown. Some time after the start of the descent of the apparatus, the sound-recording device began to transmit some kind of metallic rattle to the surface, reminiscent of the sound of sawn metal. At this time, some indistinct shadows appeared on the monitor, similar to giant fairy-tale dragons with several heads and tails. An hour later, scientists became worried that the unique equipment, made in the NASA laboratory from beams of ultra-strong titanium-cobalt steel, having a spherical structure, the so-called “hedgehog” with a diameter of about 9 m, could remain in the abyss of the Mariana Trench forever - so it was decided to immediately raise apparatus on board the ship. The “Hedgehog” was retrieved from the depths for more than eight hours, and as soon as it appeared on the surface, they immediately put it on a special raft. The TV camera and echo sounder were raised on the deck of the Glomar Challenger. The researchers were horrified when they saw how deformed the strongest steel beams of the structure were, as for the 20-cm steel cable on which the “hedgehog” was lowered, the scientists were not mistaken in the nature of the sounds transmitted from the abyss of water - the cable was half sawn. Who tried to leave the device at a depth and why - will forever remain a mystery. Details of this incident were published in 1996 by the New York Times.

Another collision with the inexplicable in the depths of the Mariana Trench occurred with the German research apparatus "Highfish" with a crew on board. At a depth of 7 km, the device suddenly stopped moving. To find out the cause of the malfunctions, 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, sinking its teeth into the bathyscaphe, tried to crack it like a nut. Recovering from the shock, the crew activated a device called an "electric gun", and the monster, struck by a powerful discharge, disappeared into the abyss ...

On May 31, 2009, the Nereus automatic underwater vehicle sank to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. According to measurements, he sank 10,902 meters below sea level.

At the bottom, Nereus filmed a video, took some photos, and even collected sediment samples from the bottom.

Thanks to modern technologies, the researchers managed to capture a few representatives Mariana Trench I invite you to get to know them :)

So now we know that in Mariana Depths different octopuses live

Scary and not so scary fish)

And various other obscure creatures :)

Perhaps not much time is left before the moment when technology will allow you to get to know the inhabitants in all their diversity. Mariana Trench and others ocean depths but so far we have what we have

In our article, we want to talk about the mysterious Mariana Trench. This is the deepest point on the surface of the Earth. By and large, this is where our knowledge of this place ends. But the Mariana Trench, the monsters that live in it, are eternal and assumptions. Her secrets are as deep as she is.

The first mystery of the Mariana Trench

One of the mysteries of the depression is its depth. Until recently, it was believed that the Mariana Trench, as it is more correct to call this place from a scientific point of view, has a depth of more than eleven kilometers. However, the latest modern technical measurements give a value of 10994 kilometers. Although, it is worth noting that this value is also very relative, since diving to the bottom of the Mariana Trench is a technically very complex event, which is influenced by many factors. Scientists talk about a possible error of forty meters.

Where is the Mariana Trench located?

The Mariana Trench is located in the western Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Guam and Micronesia. Its deepest point is called the Challenger Abyss and is located 340 kilometers from

Answering the question where the Mariana Trench is located, you can give its exact geographical coordinates- 11°21′ s. sh. 142°12′ E e. This place got its name due to the fact that nearby are located part of a state such as Guam.

What is the Mariana Trench?

What is the Mariana Trench? The ocean carefully hides its true size. One can only guess about them. It's not just a "very deep hole". The gutter itself stretched along the seabed for one and a half thousand kilometers. The cavity has a V-shape, that is, it is much wider from above, and the walls narrow down.

The bottom of the Mariana Trench is characterized by a flat relief, and the width varies from 1 to 5 kilometers. Its upper part is eighty kilometers wide.

This place is one of the most inaccessible on our earth.

Do you need to explore the cavity?

It seems that life at such depths is simply impossible. Therefore, it makes no sense to study such an abyss. However, the secrets of the Mariana Trench have always interested and attracted researchers. It's hard to believe, but in our time space is easier to explore than such depths. Many people have been outside the Earth, and only three brave men have sunk to the bottom of the trough.

Gutter study

The British were the first to explore the Mariana Trench. In 1872, the Challenger ship with scientists entered the waters of the Pacific Ocean to study the trench. It was found that given point is the deepest the globe. Since then, people have been haunted by the secrets and creatures of the Mariana Trench.

Time passed, research was carried out, a new depth value was established - 10863 meters.

Research is carried out by descent deep-sea vehicles. Most often these are unmanned automatic vehicles. And in 1960, Jacques Picard and Don Walsh descended to the very bottom on the Trieste bathyscaphe. In 2012, ventured into Jace Cameron on the machine Deepsea Challenger.

Russian researchers also studied the Mariana Trench. In 1957, the ship "Vityaz" headed for the gutter area. Researchers not only measured the depth of the trench (11022 meters), but also found the presence of life at a depth of more than seven kilometers. This event made a revolution in the world of science in the mid-twentieth century. At that time, it was believed that there could be no living creatures at such depths. This is where all the fun begins. How many stories and legends exist about this place - just do not count. So what exactly is the Mariana Trench? Do monsters really live here or are they just fairy tales? Let's try to figure it out.

Mariana Trench: monsters, riddles, secrets

As we mentioned earlier, the first brave daredevils to descend to the bottom of the depression were Jacques Picard and Don Walsh. They descended on a heavy bathyscaphe called Trieste. The thickness of the walls of the structure was thirteen centimeters. She was submerged to the bottom for five hours. Having reached the deepest point, the researchers managed to stay there for only twelve minutes. Then immediately began the ascent of the bathyscaphe, which took three hours. No matter how surprising this may seem, living organisms were found at the bottom. The fish of the Mariana Trench are flat creatures, similar to a flounder, no more than thirty centimeters long.

In 1995, the Japanese descended into the abyss. And in 2009, a miracle device called Nereus descended to the deepest point. He not only took a number of photos, but also took soil samples.

In 1996, the New York Times published the materials of the next dive of the apparatus from the research vessel Challenger. It turns out that when the equipment was lowered, after a while, the instruments recorded the strongest metal rattle. This fact was the reason for the immediate rise of equipment to the surface. What the researchers saw stunned them. The steel structure was badly dented, and the thick, strong cable looked like it had been sawn down. Here is such an unexpected surprise presented by the Mariana Trench. Whether the monsters crushed the technique so much, or representatives of an alien mind, or mutated octopuses ... A variety of proposals were made, each of which was more incredible than the previous one. However, no one ever found the true reason, since there was no evidence for any of the theories. All assumptions were at the level of fantastic guesses. But the secrets of the Mariana Trench have not yet been revealed.

Another mysterious story

Another incredible mysterious case happened with a team of German researchers who lowered their apparatus called the Highfish to the bottom. At some point, the device stopped diving, and the cameras installed on it gave an image of the huge size of the lizard, which was actively trying to chew on an unknown thing. The team drove the monster away from the device using an electrical discharge. The creature was frightened and swam away and did not appear again. It is unfortunate that such events were not recorded by the apparatus, so that there would be irrefutable evidence.

After this incident, the Mariana Trench began to grow with new facts, legends and conjectures. The crews of the ships now and then reported about a huge monster in these waters, which is towing ships at great speed. It became difficult to make out what is true and what is speculation. The Mariana Trench, whose monsters haunted many people, is still the most mysterious point on the planet.

Hard Facts

Along with the most incredible legends about the Mariana Trench, there are quite specific, but incredible facts. There is no doubt about them, since they are confirmed by evidence.

In 1948, lobster fishermen (Australian) reported a large transparent fish that was at least thirty meters long. They saw her at sea. Based on their description, it looks like a very ancient shark (species Carcharodon megalodon) that lived several million years ago. Scientists from the remains managed to restore the appearance of a shark. The monstrous creature was 25 meters long and weighed one hundred tons. Her mouth was two meters in size, and each tooth was at least ten centimeters. Just imagine this monster. It was the teeth of such a creature that were discovered by oceanologists at the bottom of the vast Pacific Ocean. The youngest of them is at least eleven thousand years old.

This unique find suggests that not all such creatures died out a couple of million years ago. Perhaps at the very bottom of the hollow, these incredible predators are hiding from human eyes. Exploration of the mysterious depths continues to this day, because the abyss is fraught with many secrets, to the disclosure of which people have not yet come close.

At the bottom of the depression, living organisms experience tremendous pressure. It would seem that in such conditions, nothing living can exist. However, this opinion is erroneous. Mollusks calmly live here, their shells do not suffer from pressure at all. They are not even affected by hydrothermal vents that emit methane and hydrogen. Unbelievable, but true!

Another mystery is a hydrothermal spring called "Champagne". Bubbles of carbon dioxide seethe in its waters. This is the only such object in the world and it is located precisely in the depression, which gave scientists reason to talk about the possible origin of life in water in this very place.

The Daikoku volcano is located in the Mariana Trench. In its crater there is a lake of molten sulfur, which boils at a huge temperature of 187 degrees. You won't find anything like this anywhere else on earth. The only analogue of such a phenomenon is in space (on the moon of Jupiter called Io).

Amazing place

Giant single-celled amoeba live in the Mariana Trench, the size of which reaches ten centimeters. They live next to uranium, lead, and mercury that are harmful to living beings. However, they not only do not die from them, but also feel great.

The Mariana Trench is the most great miracle on the ground. It combines everything inanimate and living. Everything that kills life under normal conditions, at the bottom of the depression, on the contrary, gives strength to the survival of living organisms. Isn't it a miracle? How much still unknown is fraught with this place!

Land Unknown: Mariana Trench

Despite the fact that humanity has stepped far ahead, there has appeared a large number of technology that allows us to accomplish the seemingly impossible, there are corners of the Earth where it is almost impossible to reach. Thanks to this, in such corners, pristine nature has been preserved, untouched by man.

Mariana Trench (or Mariana Trench) - oceanic deep sea trench in the western Pacific Ocean, the deepest known on Earth. It is named after the nearby Mariana Islands.

The deepest point of the Mariana Trench is the Challenger Deep. It is located in the southwestern part of the depression, 340 km southwest of the island of Guam (point coordinates: 11°22′ N 142°35′ E (G) (O)). According to measurements in 2011, its depth is 10,994 ± 40 m below sea level.

The Mariana Trench is the deepest place on our planet. I think almost everyone heard about it or studied it at school, but I myself, for example, have long forgotten both its depth and the facts about how it was measured and studied. So I decided to “refresh” my and your memory

The entire depression stretched along the islands for one and a half thousand kilometers and has a characteristic V-shaped profile. In fact, this is an ordinary tectonic fault, the place where the Pacific plate comes under the Philippine, just the Mariana Trench is the deepest place of this kind) Its slopes are steep, on average about 7-9 °, and the bottom is flat, with a width of 1 to 5 kilometers , and divided by thresholds into several closed sections. The pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench reaches 108.6 MPa - this is more than 1100 times more than normal atmospheric pressure!

Shot from space

The first who dared to challenge the abyss were the British - the military three-masted corvette "Challenger" with sailing equipment was rebuilt into an oceanographic vessel for hydrological, geological, chemical, biological and meteorological work in 1872. But the first data on the depth of the Mariana Trench were obtained only in 1951 - according to the measurements, the depth of the trench was declared equal to 10,863 m. After that, the deepest point of the Mariana Trench was called the “Challenger Deep”. It is hard to imagine that the highest mountain of our planet, Everest, can easily fit in the depths of the Mariana Trench, and more than a kilometer of water will remain above it to the surface ... Of course, it will fit not in area, but only in height, but the numbers are still amazing ...

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, resembling 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)

Research vessel "Vityaz"

Soviet scientists were also explorers of the Mariana Trench - in 1957, during the 25th voyage of the Soviet research vessel Vityaz, they not only declared the maximum depth of the trench equal to 11,022 meters, but also established the presence of life at depths of more than 7,000 meters, thus refuting the then prevailing idea that life was impossible at depths of more than 6000-7000 meters. In 1992, the Vityaz was handed over to the newly formed Museum of the World Ocean. For two years, the ship was being repaired at the plant, and on July 12, 1994, it was permanently moored at the museum pier in the very center of Kaliningrad

According to the results of measurements carried out in 1957 during the 25th voyage of the Soviet research vessel "Vityaz" (headed by Alexei Dmitrievich Dobrovolsky), the maximum depth of the chute is 11023 m (updated data, the depth of 11034 m was originally reported) in that the speed of sound in water depends on its properties, which are different at different depths, so these properties must also be determined at several horizons with special instruments (such as a bathometer and a thermometer), and a correction has been made to the depth value shown by the echo sounder .Studies in 1995 showed that it is about 10920 m, and studies in 2009 - that 10971 m. The latest research in 2011 gives a value of - 10994 m with an accuracy of ± 40 m

Single-seat Deepsea Challenger

It should be noted that the latest research conducted by the American oceanographic expedition from the University of New Hampshire (USA) discovered real mountains on the surface of the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

The research took place from August to October 2010, when a bottom area of 400,000 square kilometers was studied in detail using a multibeam echo sounder. As a result, at least 4 oceanic mountain range 2.5 kilometers high, crossing the surface of the Mariana Trench at the point of contact between the Pacific and Philippine lithospheric plates.

One of the researchers commented on this: “In this place geological structure the oceanic crust is very complex ... These ridges were formed about 180 million years ago in the process of constant movement of lithospheric plates. Over the course of millions of years, the marginal part of the Pacific plate gradually “creeps” under the Philippine one, as it is older and “heavier” ... During this process, folding is formed ”

diving

So, a person could never resist the desire to explore the unknown, but the rapidly developing world technical progress allows deeper penetration into secret world 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?

The first human dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench was made on January 23, 1960 by US Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh and explorer Jacques Picard in the Trieste bathyscaphe, designed by Jacques' father Auguste Picard. The instruments recorded a record depth of 11521 meters (corrected value - 10918 m). At the bottom, the researchers unexpectedly met flat fish up to 30 cm in size, similar to flounder. During the dive, they were protected by armored, 127 mm thick walls of a bathyscaphe called “Trieste”

The dive took about five, and the ascent took about three hours, the researchers spent only 12 minutes at the bottom. But even this time was enough for them to make a sensational discovery - at the bottom they found flat fish up to 30 cm in size, similar to flounder!

The Japanese probe Kaiko, which was lowered to the area of the maximum depth of the depression on March 24, 1995, recorded a depth of 10911.4 meters. Living organisms, foraminifera, were found in the silt samples taken by the probe.

On May 31, 2009, the Nereus automatic underwater vehicle (see Nereus, ancient Greek mythology) sank to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The device descended to a depth of 10,902 meters, where it filmed a video, took several photos, and also collected sediment samples at the bottom.

to the Mariana Trench

While he was at the deepest point in the world's oceans, he came to the shocking conclusion that he was completely alone. There were no scary sea monsters or any miracles in the Mariana Trench. According to Cameron, the very bottom of the ocean was "lunar...empty...lonely" and he felt "complete isolation from all mankind"

On March 26, 2012, director James Cameron became the third person in history to reach the deepest point in the world's oceans, and the first to do it alone. Cameron dived on a single Deepsea Challenger equipped with everything necessary for photography and video filming. Filming was carried out in 3D, for this the bathyscaphe was equipped with special lighting equipment. Cameron reached the "Challenger Abyss" - a section of the depression at a depth of 10898 meters (accurate calculations show that the bathyscaphe reached a depth of 10908 meters, and not 10898 - the depth recorded by the device during the dive). He took samples of rocks, living organisms and filmed using 3D cameras. The footage shot by the director formed the basis of the eponymous scientific documentary film (2013) on the National Geographic Channel

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). IN Lately the veil of secrecy was 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.

Scheme of the formation of the Mariana Trench.
The trench stretched along the Mariana Islands for 1,500 km. It has a V-shaped profile: steep (7-9°) slopes, 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 about 1072 times the normal atmospheric pressure at the level of the World Ocean. The depression is located on the border of the junction of two tectonic plates, in the fault movement zone where the Pacific Plate goes under the Philippine Plate.

Thus, at depths of 6,000 - 11,000 km, the following were found: - barophilic bacteria (developing only at high pressure); - from 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 - a frightening-looking worms 1.5 meters long, without a mouth and anus, mutant octopuses, unusual starfish and some soft-bodied creatures two meters long, which have not yet been identified at all.

Going down to such a depth, we expect that it will be very cold there. The temperature here reaches just above zero, varying from 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 temperature of the water, which is hundreds of degrees above the boiling point, it does not boil here due to the incredible pressure, 155 times higher than on the surface.

Giant toxic amoeba

A few years ago, at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, they discovered giant 10-centimeter amoebas, called xenophyophores.

These single-celled organisms probably got so big because of the environment they live in at a depth of 10.6 km. The cold temperature, high pressure, and lack of sunlight most likely contributed to these amoeba got huge.

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.

shellfish

The strong water pressure in the Mariana Trench does not give any animal with a shell or bones a chance to survive. However, in 2012, shellfish were discovered in a trough near serpentine hydrothermal vents. Serpentine contains hydrogen and methane, which allows living organisms to form.

TO How did mollusks keep their shells under such pressure?, remains unknown.

In addition, hydrothermal vents release another gas, hydrogen sulfide, which is deadly to shellfish. However, they learned to bind the sulfur compound into a safe protein, which allowed the population of these mollusks to survive.

pure liquid carbon dioxide

hydrothermal source 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, got its name from the bubbles that turned out to be carbon dioxide.

Many believe that these springs, called "white smokers" because of the lower temperature, 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 originate.

Slime

If we had the opportunity to swim to the very depths of the Mariana Trench, then we would feel that it covered with a layer of viscous mucus. Sand, in its usual form, does not exist there.

The bottom of the depression mainly consists of crushed shells and plankton residues that have accumulated at the bottom of the depression for many years. Due to the incredible pressure of the water, almost everything there turns into fine greyish-yellow thick mud.

liquid sulfur

Volcano Daikoku, which is located at a depth of about 414 meters on the way to the Mariana Trench, is the source of one of the rarest 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 "cauldron", a seething black emulsion boils at 187 degrees Celsius. Although scientists have not been able to explore this place 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 all living and non-living things are 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 pass into the air and back to land again.

Bridges

At the end of 2011, in the Mariana Trench, it was discovered four stone bridges, which stretched 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 a small mountain. At the highest 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 discovered these formations is amazing.

Not far from Japan, in the depths of the sea, the deepest trench in the world's oceans, the Mariana Trench, hid. This name is geographical feature received thanks to the islands of the same name located nearby. Scientists call this phenomenon the "Fourth Pole", along with the South, North and most high point planet - Mount Everest.

Geolocation

The coordinates of the Mariana Trench are 11°22` north latitude and 142°35` east longitude. coastal islands the trench surrounds for a length of more than 2.5 thousand km, and a width of about 69 km. In its form, it resembles English letter V, widened at the top and narrowed at the bottom. This formation was the result of the impact of the boundaries of tectonic plates. Max Depth world ocean in this place is 10994 (plus or minus 40 m).

Rice. 1. Mariana Trench on the map

Compared to Everest, the largest depression is farther from the surface of the Earth than the largest high peak. The mountain has a length of 8848 m, and climbing it was much easier than overcoming the incredible pressure, plunging into the abyss of the sea.

The deepest place in the Mariana Trench is the Challenger Deep point, which means “Challenger Deep” in English. It was first explored by a British ship of the same name. They recorded a depth of 11521m.

First studies

The deepest point of the oceans was conquered only in 1960 by two daredevils: Don Walsh and Jacques Picard. They dived on the Trieste bathyscaphe and became the first people in the world to descend first to a depth of 3,000 meters, and then to 10,000 meters. The bottom mark was recorded as early as 30 minutes after the dive. In total, they spent about 3 hours at a depth, and froze significantly. Indeed, in addition to the enormous pressure, there is also low temperature water - about 2 degrees Celsius.

Rice. 2. Mariana Trench in section

In 2012 deepest depression conquered the famous director James Cammeron (“Titanic”), becoming the third person on Earth to descend this far. It was the most important expedition, during which unique photo and video materials were obtained, as well as bottom samples were taken. Contrary to popular belief, at the bottom is not sand, but mucus - a product of processing the remains of fish bones and plankton.

Flora and fauna

The underwater world of the largest crack has been studied very poorly. It was first discovered that life in this part of the Earth is possible in 1950. Then Soviet scientists suggested that some of the simplest creatures managed to adapt in chitinous pipes. The new family was named pogonophores.

What have we learned?

We learned which part of the Earth is the deepest. This is the Mariana Trench. The deepest point is the Challenger Abyss (11,521 m). The first expedition to the bottom ended successfully in 1960. In conditions of pitch darkness, pressure and constant toxic fumes, a special world with their unique animals and protozoa. It is very difficult to say what the world of the Mariana Trench really is, because it has only been studied by 5%.

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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 of the living creatures is able to withstand these incredible conditions?

The unique depth of the planet

The bottom of the Earth, the abyss of the Challenger, the deepest place on the planet ... What titles were given to the little-studied Mariana Trench. It is 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 is hard to imagine, but Everest, the highest mountain on the planet, can easily fit in its depths.

The deep sea trench is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Its name is unique geographic point received in honor of the Mariana Islands located in the immediate vicinity. Along them, it stretched for 1.5 km.

This amazing place on the planet was formed as a result of a tectonic fault, where the Pacific plate partially enters the Philippine plate.

Secrets and mysteries of the "Womb of Gaia"

There are many secrets and legends around the little-studied Mariana Trench. What is hidden in the depths of the gutter?

Japanese scientists who have been studying goblin sharks for a long time claim that they saw a gigantic creature while feeding predators. 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, according to official version died out 2 million years ago. In support of the fact that these monsters could well have survived in the depths of the gutter, scientists have provided giant teeth found at the bottom.

The world knows many stories about how corpses of unknown giant monsters were found thrown out by the waters on the shores of nearby islands.

An interesting case is described by the participants in the descent of the German bathyscaphe "Highfish". At a depth of 7 km there was a sudden stop of the self-propelled vehicle. To find out the reason for the stop, the researchers turned on the searchlights 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 tangible electrical impulse from the outer skin of the self-propelled vehicle.

Another inexplicable incident occurred during the sinking of an American deep-sea vessel. At the moment of lowering the apparatus on titanium cables, the researchers heard the rattle of metal. To find out the reason, they removed the apparatus back to the surface. As it turned out, the ship's beams were bent, and the titanium cables were practically sawn through. Which of the inhabitants of the Mariana Trench tried their teeth remained a mystery.

Amazing Gutter Dwellers

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 for a long time people believed that there was no life at the bottom of the trough in the icy cold and unbearable pressure.

But in spite of 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 of not the “surface” fish we are used to, but rather tadpoles.

The body of these amazing fish is a jelly-like substance, the density parameter of which is slightly higher than water. This feature of the device allows sea slugs to swim with minimal energy costs.

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 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 is more than half the length of the body. A powerful tail and well-developed fins are used by the fish for locomotion.

Jellyfish traditionally live in the upper water layers. 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.

Bentocodon feeds on unicellular and crustaceans, which in sea depths exhibit bioluminescent properties. According to marine biologists, the red coloring was donated by nature to these jellyfish for the purpose of camouflage. If they had a transparent color, as their high waters gather, then when swallowing the crustaceans glowing in the dark, they would immediately become noticeable to larger predators.

macropina barrel-eye

Among amazing inhabitants In the Mariana Trench, an unusual fish called the small-mouthed macropina arouses genuine interest in itself. She is awarded by nature with a transparent head. The eyes of the fish, located deep inside the transparent dome, can rotate in different directions. This allows the side eye to search in all directions without moving, even in dim and diffused light conditions. False eyes located at the front of the head are actually organs of smell.

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 give the body acceleration, the macropin simply presses the fins to the body and begins to actively work with the tail.

A cute animal living at a depth of 7 thousand meters is the deepest octopus among known to science. Due to the 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, interconnected by wide membranes. The octopus carries out soaring movements above the bottom surface due to the work of the siphon funnel.

Soaring along the seabed, he looks out for prey - bivalve molluscs, worm-like animals and crustaceans. Unlike most cephalopods, Dumbo does not peck at its prey with its 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 for the characteristic shape of the body, resembling a cutting tool equipped with a short handle.

Hatchet fish living in the depths of the Mariana Trench have photophores. Special luminous 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 visible 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. As food, osedax use substances contained in the bones of dead marine life.

By secreting an acidic substance, they penetrate the skeleton, extracting from it all the microelements necessary for life. Tiny bone eaters breathe through fluffy processes on the body that can extract oxygen from the water.

Of no less interest is the way these creatures adapt. Males, whose size is ten times smaller than females, live on the body of their ladies. Inside the dense gelatinous cone framing the body, up to a hundred males can simultaneously coexist. They leave their shelter only at the moments when the female prey finds a new source of food.

active bacteria

During the last expedition, Danish scientists found colonies of active bacteria at the bottom of the trench, which are of great importance in maintaining the carbon cycle of the ocean.

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 the colossal volumes of organic material that fall here, sinking from shallower depths, and as a result of earthquakes.

underwater monsters

The vast depth of the ocean Mariana Trench filled with not only cute and harmless creatures. The deep monsters leave the most indelible impression.

Unlike the above-mentioned inhabitants of the Mariana Trench, the needlefish has a very formidable 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 gutter, many of its inhabitants have the ability to glow in the dark. Iglorot is no exception.

On the body of the fish there are photophores - glow glands. Their deep-sea dweller uses them for three purposes at once: to protect against large predators, communicate with their own kind, and bait small fish. During hunting, the needleworm also uses a special mustache - a luminous thickening. A potential victim takes a luminous strip for a small fish and, as a result, she falls for the bait herself.

Fish are amazing not only in appearance, but also in their way of life. She got the nickname "angler" for a remarkable process on her head filled with bioluminescent bacteria. Attracted by the glow of the "fishing rod", a potential victim swims up to close quarters. The angler can only open his mouth to meet 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, in the event of an anglerfish attacking a prey that is too large, both may die as a result.

The predator has a very unusual appearance: a long torso with short fins, a frightening muzzle with a giant beak-like nose, huge jaws retracting forward and unexpectedly pink skin.

Biologists believe that a long outgrowth in the form of a beak is necessary for a predator to find food in pitch darkness. For such an unusual and even terrible appearance of a predator, the goblin shark is often called.

It is noteworthy that goblin sharks do not have a swim bladder. This is partially offset by an enlarged liver, which can weigh up to 25% relative to the body.

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 adults of goblin sharks cannot boast of impressive size: body length is on average 3-3.5 m, and weight is about 200 kg.

frilled shark

This dangerous creature that lives in the depths of the Mariana Trench is rightfully considered a king underwater world. The most ancient species of sharks has a serpentine body, covered with folded skin. The gill membranes intersecting in the throat area form a wide bag from the skin folds, outwardly resembling a wavy cloak 1.5-1.8 meters long.

The prehistoric monster has a primitive structure: the spine is not divided into vertebrae, all the fins are concentrated in one area, the caudal fin consists of only one mouth. The main pride of the cloaked man is his mouth, dotted with 3 hundred teeth arranged in several rows.