The deep unknown
Ocean trenches
The deepest places on Earth. Formed by tectonic subduction, trenches descend kilometres below the abyssal plain and host unique communities adapted to crushing pressure and total darkness.
Pacific
Mariana Trench
Western Pacific, east of the Mariana Islands
Max depth
10,935 m
Length
2,550 km
Pacific
Tonga Trench
South Pacific, east of Tonga
Max depth
10,882 m
Length
860 km
Pacific
Kuril–Kamchatka Trench
Northwest Pacific, off Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands
Max depth
9,600 m
Length
2,100 km
Pacific
Philippine Trench
East of the Philippine archipelago
Max depth
10,540 m
Length
1,320 km
Atlantic
Puerto Rico Trench
Northern Caribbean, north of Puerto Rico
Max depth
8,376 m
Length
800 km
Southern
South Sandwich Trench
South Atlantic / Southern Ocean, east of the South Sandwich Islands
Max depth
8,265 m
Length
965 km
Indian
Java (Sunda) Trench
Eastern Indian Ocean, south of Java and Sumatra
Max depth
7,290 m
Length
3,200 km
Pacific
Peru–Chile (Atacama) Trench
Eastern Pacific, off the coast of South America
Max depth
8,065 m
Length
5,900 km