Question map
Which one among the following is considered the deepest point of the oceans?
Explanation
The Mariana Trench is widely recognized as the deepest point in the world's oceans [2]. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it was formed by the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Mariana Plate [1]. Its deepest section, known as the Challenger Deep, reaches a maximum depth estimated between 10,934 and 11,034 meters [1]. Other significant deep-sea trenches include the Tonga Trench, which is the second deepest at approximately 10,820 to 10,882 meters, and the Philippine Trench, which reaches about 10,540 meters. The Kermadec Trench follows with a depth of approximately 10,047 meters. These trenches are tectonic in origin, typically occurring at convergent plate boundaries where oceanic plates are forced into the mantle, creating narrow, steep-sided depressions that represent the most profound depths of the Earth's hydrosphere [2].
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 8: Convergent Boundary > The Mariana Trench or Marianas Trench > p. 115
- [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 31: Ocean Relief > Oceanic Deeps or Trenches > p. 482