THE DEEPEST POINTS IN THE WORLD

LITKE DEEP, EURASIAN BASIN,

DEEPEST POINT IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN

We think more of Earth’s highest mountain than its deepest trench

(way deeper than Everest). The next five in our list are the deepest

points in our oceans (and thus our world) from shallowest to deepest.

Starting off the list is the deepest point in the Arctic Ocean.

The Litke Deep, at 17,881 feet (5,450 m), is located just (350 km) north

of Svalbard, Norway. Though it’s the deepest in the Arctic Ocean,

it’s only the 20th deepest oceanic trench in the world.

SOUTH SANDWICH TRENCH

DEEPEST POINT IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

The South Sandwich Trench (named after the South Sandwich Islands

[named after John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich]) is the

deepest point in the Southern Ocean, the waters encircling Antarctica.

At 23,737 feet (7,235 m) deep, the South Sandwich Trench is formed

at the intersection of the South American Plate and the

South Sandwich Plate.

SUNDA TRENCH

DEEPEST POINT IN THE INDIAN OCEAN

The Sunda Trench, formerly known as the Java Trench, is the

deepest point in the Indian Ocean. Stretching down 23,812 feet (7,258 m)

and part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Sunda Trench has scientists

on high alert – it’s believed all the recent earthquakes in the area

could lead to the Sunda Plate shifting, causing massive tsunamis.

MILWAUKEE DEEP, PUERTO RICO TRENCH

DEEPEST POINT IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN

The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean isn’t in the centre of the ocean

but a mere 76 miles (122 km) north of Puerto Rico. The Milwaukee Deep,

at its deepest 27,493 feet (8,380 m) – was found in 1939 by its

namesake: the USS Milwaukee cruiser.

CHALLENGER DEEP, MARIANA TRENCH, PACIFIC OCEAN

DEEPEST POINT IN ALL OF THE EARTH

The prize for the deepest point in all Earth’s oceans goes to the

Challenger Deep at the southern end of the Mariana Trench.

This Pacific Ocean indent goes down to 35,994 feet (10,971 m).

If that’s hard to conceptualize – you could fit 238 copies of the

Statue of Liberty end to end and barely break the water’s surface.