The Earth’s oceans are vast and largely unexplored, covering over 70% of the planet’s surface. Despite our limited knowledge of the depths below, scientists have been able to determine both the average and maximum depths of the oceans through a variety of methods. Understanding these depths is crucial for a range of scientific and practical purposes, from predicting oceanic currents to exploring the mysteries of deep-sea life.
So, how deep is the ocean on average, and what about the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world’s oceans? This amazing video published by National Geographic below provides insights into these depths and answers this fascinating question.
On March 26, 2012, Canadian film director James Cameron (born August 16, 1954) reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the submersible vessel Deepsea Challenger. He is the first person to do this on a solo descent and is only the third person to do so ever.
The first multi-person crewed descent was performed by using Swiss-designed, Italian-built, United States Navy-owned bathyscaphe Trieste which reached the bottom at 1:06 pm on 23 January 1960, with Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard on board. An iron shot was used for ballast, with gasoline for buoyancy.
The onboard systems indicated a depth of 11,521 meters (37,799 feet), but this was later revised to 10,916 meters (35,814 feet). There were also two uncrewed descents: ROVs Kaikō in 1996 and Nereus in 2009.
These first three expeditions directly measured very similar depths of 10,902 to 10,916 meters.
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How Deep is the Ocean?
The average ocean depth is 3,682 meters (12,080 feet), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service (source).
Highlights from the National Geographic’s Video
The video above covers Cameron’s descent to the Mariana Trench in one minute.
- 0-660 feet (0-200 meters): 90% of ocean life lives here.
- 800 feet (243 meters): Dive depth of the nuclear submarine.
- 1,090 feet: Deepest recorded scuba dive. Note: The video says 1044 feet, but it was then. In 2014, Ahmed Gabr, a 41-year-old Egyptian diver broke the record with 1090 feet 4.5 inches (332.35 meters). Ahmed’s amazing dive broke the previous mark of 318.25 m (1,044 ft) by South African Nuno Gomes in 2005, also off the coast of Dahab.
- 3,300 feet (~1,000 meters): Latest trickle of sunlight.
- 9,816 feet (2,992 meters): Deepest diving whale (Cuvier’s Beaked Whale). Note: In the video, it is marked as 8200 feet, but in 2014, Cuvier’s Beaked Whale Set Records for the Longest and Deepest Dive by reaching a depth of 2,992 meters (1.9 miles or 9816.27 feet). Cuvier’s beaked whale is a deep-diving marine mammal known for its elongated body and distinctive beak. It can reach depths of over 2,000 meters and is rarely seen.
- 12,467 feet (3,800 meters): Titanic‘s final resting place. The Titanic was a British passenger liner that sank on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg during its maiden voyage. Over 1,500 lives were lost in the disaster.
- 14,000 feet (4267 meters): Average depth of the ocean. Note: according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service, the average depth of the World’s oceans is 3,682 meters (12,080 feet).
- 25,262 feet (7,700 meters): Snailfish, the deepest living fish ever filmed.
- 29,029 feet (8,848 meters): The height of Mount Everest, the World’s highest mountain, from sea level.
- 35,813.65 feet (10,916 meters): This is the depth Trieste reached with Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard on board. The Trieste, a deep-diving submersible, reached the Mariana Trench’s Challenger Deep on January 23, 1960. Piloted by Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard, it descended approximately 10,916 meters (35,814 feet), making it the first crewed vessel to explore this extreme depth. Their groundbreaking expedition provided valuable insights into deep-sea environments.
- 36,070 feet (10,994.136 meters): James Cameron reached in 2012 in the submersible vessel Deepsea Challenger.
- 36,069.55 feet ± 131.234 feet (10,994 meters ± 40 meters): maximum-known depth of the Mariana Trench. Note: Some unrepeated measurements place the deepest portion at 11.03 kilometers (6.85 miles or 36,187.664 feet).
Sources
- Mariana Trench on Wikipedia
- How deep is the ocean? on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service website
- Deep sea on Wikipedia
- “How deep is the ocean? Extremes, Comparisons, and Facts” on the Encyclopedia Britannica website
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