The Mariana Trench is One of the Strangest Natural Phenomena, What's the Reason?

Have you ever heard of the Mariana Trench, my friends?

The Mariana Trench is the deepest ocean trench in the world, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines.

An ocean trench is an underwater geographical feature that forms a deep trough.

According to National Geographic, the Mariana Trench reaches a depth of 11,034 meters, my friends.

With such extraordinary depth, the Mariana Trench is considered one of the strangest natural phenomena ever recorded in Asia.

Now, to help you understand the uniqueness of the Mariana Trench even more, let's explore some interesting facts about this phenomenon from this article.

Formation of the Mariana Trench

In the field of geography, the formation of ocean trenches can be explained through scientific knowledge.

Ocean trenches are actually subduction zones, formed by the interaction of two tectonic plates in a region.

In the case of the Mariana Trench, the Pacific Plate is subducting beneath the Philippine Plate.

Tectonic plates are massive slabs of rock that can be as thick as 97 kilometers.

When the Pacific Plate dives beneath the Philippine Plate, strong gravitational forces and immense pressure occur.

This subduction process leads to the formation of the Mariana Trench.

The bending of the Earth's surface causes the creation of a long trough known as a trench.

The depth of the Mariana Trench also results in tremendous pressure inside, reaching 703 kilograms per square meter, my friends.

This pressure is equivalent to 1,000 times the pressure experienced at normal sea levels. 

To put it in perspective, the pressure in the Mariana Trench is like stacking 50 jumbo jets on top of each other.

Are There Animals in the Mariana Trench?

Despite the extreme conditions in the Mariana Trench, research has revealed the surprising presence of marine life in this trench.

At the deepest point of this ocean, there are actually pinkish fish with slimy bodies that resemble large tadpoles.

Interestingly, these fish populations can survive in complete darkness and tremendous pressure.

These fish are known to be top predators in the deep-sea region, which means there are other animals that they prey upon.

A group of researchers from China attempted to understand the anatomy and genetics of the fish from the Mariana Trench and published their findings in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

They discovered some peculiarities, such as the presence of small openings in the fish's skulls that help them balance internal and external pressure.

Secondly, most of the bones supporting their bodies are cartilaginous, allowing them to swim flexibly and withstand pressure.

Within the Mariana Trench, there are also microbes that survive on chemicals like methane or sulfur.

The most common organisms found in the Mariana Trench are giant amoebas (xenophyophores), non-shelled shrimp (Amphipoda), and dwarf sea cucumbers (holothurians).

According to a newly published study in 2016, there are also small bioluminescent jellyfish species found in the Mariana Trench.

In addition to living organisms, pollutants can also reach the deepest point, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

PCBs are synthetic chemicals widely used in electrical equipment, ink, paint, and adhesives.