Today, we talk toLife at the bottom of the ocean is extreme. It's pitch black, the temperature hovers right above freezing and the pressure is immense.
Challenger Deep is in the Pacific Ocean inside of the Marina Trench. It's just shy of 11,000 meters, or 6.7 miles, below the ocean surface. In July 2022, Wright and pilot and ocean explorer Victor Vescovo descended in a small submersible, then called theWright likens the experience to being in a space capsule."You're in a very small space. You're surrounded by instrumentation," she says.
By mapping the seafloor, scientists can identify and monitor underwater areas that are earthquake-prone. That could give coastal areas more warning time in the event of a tsunami.The bottom of the ocean also serves as an important site for human innovations. For example, submarine cables stretching between continents account for the vast majority of our internet traffic. Also, offshore wind farm developers need to know the composition of the seafloor to anchor turbines.