Ocean trenches are found in every ocean basin on the planet, although the deepest ocean trenches ring the Pacific as part of the so-cal led “ Ring of Fire ” that also includes active volcanoes and earthquake zones. Ocean trenches are a result of tectonic activity, which describes the movement of the Earth’s lithosphere
Lithosphere
A lithosphere is the rigid, outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite that is defined by its rigid mechanical properties. On Earth, it comprises the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of thousands of years or greater. The oute…
What is the trench in the ocean?
Where are the deepest ocean trenches?
What is the hill called when the subducting plate begins to buckle and fall beneath the more buoyant plate?
How do ocean trenches form?
What is the deepest layer of the ocean?
How many people have visited the Challenger Deep?
How much pressure is there in the deepest ocean trench?
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Where are most of the oceanic trenches located?
the PacificOcean trenches are found in every ocean basin on the planet, although the deepest ocean trenches ring the Pacific as part of the so-called “Ring of Fire” that also includes active volcanoes and earthquake zones. Ocean trenches are a result of tectonic activity, which describes the movement of the Earth's lithosphere.
What are the two ocean trenches?
Deepest oceanic trenchesTrenchOceanLowest PointMariana TrenchPacific OceanChallenger DeepTonga TrenchPacific OceanHorizon DeepPhilippine TrenchPacific OceanEmden DeepKuril–Kamchatka TrenchPacific Ocean7 more rows
Where are oceanic trenches found quizlet?
Most of the trenches are found along the margin of the pacific ocean basin because they contain converging plates and mostly trenches formed at the site of plate convergence.
Where are trenches created on the seafloor quizlet?
Ocean trenches are deep sections of the ocean where an oceanic plate is usually sinking below a continental plate. How are they formed? They are formed in the subduction zone as the denser oceanic plate is subjected under the continental plate.
Where are trenches usually formed?
Trenches are long, narrow depressions on the seafloor that form at the boundary of tectonic plates where one plate is pushed, or subducts, beneath another.
Where does the oceanic trench formed?
Deep-sea trenches generally lie seaward of and parallel to adjacent island arcs or mountain ranges of the continental margins. They are closely associated with and found in subduction zones—that is, locations where a lithospheric plate bearing oceanic crust slides down into the upper mantle under the force of gravity.
In which of the following ocean basins are the most trenches found?
the Pacific OceanMost trenches are located in the Pacific Ocean - the deepest is the Marianas Trench—10,994 meters (36,070 feet) (Figure 15-16). Trenches occur where mobile lithospheric plates plunge into the mantle (subduction zones). Ocean crust is in contact with cold ocean water.
How do ocean floor features such as trenches and mid-ocean ridges form?
As plates converge, one plate may move under the other causing earthquakes, forming volcanoes, or creating deep ocean trenches. Where plates diverge from each other, molten magma flows upward between the plates, forming mid-ocean ridges, underwater volcanoes, hydrothermal vents, and new ocean floor crust.
Do divergent plate boundary occur at deep ocean trenches or mid-ocean ridges?
Divergent boundaries are spreading boundaries, where new oceanic crust is created to fill in the space as the plates move apart. Most divergent boundaries are located along mid-ocean oceanic ridges (although some are on land).
At which type of plate boundary do the deepest parts of the ocean occur quizlet?
Where does a Deep-Ocean Trench occur? A convergent plate boundary where one continental plate and one oceanic plate collide.
How does seafloor spreading explain the features of mid-ocean ridges?
Mid-ocean ridges and seafloor spreading can also influence sea levels. As oceanic crust moves away from the shallow mid-ocean ridges, it cools and sinks as it becomes more dense. This increases the volume of the ocean basin and decreases the sea level.
What are trenches?
1a : a long cut in the ground : ditch especially : one used for military defense often with the excavated dirt thrown up in front.
What are three ocean trenches?
The Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean, Molly Deep of the Arctic Ocean, Puerto Rico Trench of the Atlantic Ocean, South Sandwich Trench of the Southern Ocean, and the Diamantina Trench of the Indian Ocean are the deepest parts of oceans.
What's the name of the trench in the ocean?
the Mariana TrenchIf Mount Everest were dropped into the Mariana Trench, its peak would still be more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) underwater. The Mariana Trench is part of a global network of deep troughs that cut across the ocean floor. They form when two tectonic plates collide.
What is the second deepest trench?
Five deepest points of the world's oceansRankNameTrench1Challenger DeepMariana2Brownson DeepPuerto Rico3Factorian DeepSouth Sandwich4(Unnamed deep)Java1 more row•May 11, 2021
What is the name of the trench in the Atlantic Ocean?
The deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean is thought to be the Milwaukee Deep within the roughly east-west oriented Puerto Rico Trench, located around 120 km north of the island of Puerto Rico (Lyman, 1954) (Fig.
What are Ocean Trenches and How are They Formed?
The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ is a horseshoe-shaped, 25,000 mile belt surrounding the Pacific stretch that encompasses about three-fourth of the volcanoes on the globe. It is known to be surrounded by a relentless array of oceanic trenches, which includes 17 out of the 20 major trenches known so far. The Earth consists of many layers or spheres concentric to a molten core.
The Deepest Oceanic Trenches In The World - WorldAtlas
Tonga Trench . The Tonga Trench is the second deepest site in the ocean floor at 35,702 feet below the level of the sea floor. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean, on the northern side of the Kermadec-Tonga Subduction Zone.
Deep Ocean Trench: Definition & Examples - Study.com
Definition of an Ocean Trench. Let's take a trip to the deepest valley on Earth. This valley is so deep that if you were to place Mount Everest at the bottom of the valley and stand on the summit ...
Where are trenches found?
Finding Trenches. Ocean trenches exist in all the world's oceans. They include the Philippine Trench, Tonga Trench, the South Sandwich Trench, the Eurasian Basin and Malloy Deep, the Diamantina Trench, the Puerto Rican Trench, and the Mariana.
What are the deep trenches in the ocean called?
Some are so deep that their bottoms are as far away from us as the upper reaches of our atmosphere. These regions are called the deep ocean trenches and if they were on a continent, they'd be deep jagged canyons.
Why Do Ocean Trenches Exist?
They form as a result of tectonic plate motions. The study of Earth science and tectonic plate motions, explains the factors in their formation, as well as the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that occur both underwater and on land.
Why are deep ocean trenches so inhospitable to humans?
That's because there were no vessels that could explore those regions. Visiting them requires specialized submersible craft. These deep ocean canyons are extremely inhospitable to human life. Although people did send diving bells into the ocean prior to the middle of the last century, none went as deep as a trench. The pressure of the water at those depths would instantly kill a person, so no one dared venture into the deeps of the Mariana Trench until a safe vessel was designed and tested.
What are the black smokers in the ocean?
In addition, the bottoms of many trenches are filled with volcanic vents, called "black smokers". These continually vent lava, heat, and chemicals into the deep sea.
Why is the trench called the Ring of Fire?
That action cracked Earth's surface and the resulting fracture zone became the trench. Most of the deepest trenches are found in the Pacific Ocean, which overlies the so-called "Ring of Fire". That region gets the name due to tectonic activity that also spurs the formation of volcanic eruptions deep beneath the water.
Why do trenches have deeper sediments?
Older sections of the sea floor have deeper trenches, which happens because heavier rock tends to sink over time.
How deep are ocean trenches?
Generally, oceanic trenches reach between 1.9 and 2.5 miles below the nearby ocean floor. This article takes a look at some of the deepest oceanic trenches in the world.
What is the deepest trench in the world?
A map showing the location of the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench known to mankind.
What is the fourth deepest ocean trench?
The fourth deepest oceanic trench in the world is the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, located in the northwest region of the Pacific Ocean. This trench reaches 34,449 at its deepest. It runs from a junction of the Ulakhan and Aleutian Trenches and crosses the Japan Trench to the southwest. The formation of this trench dates back to the Cretaceous era and the subduction that led to the creation of the Kuril Island Arc and the Kamchatka Volcanic Arc. Today, the Pacific Plate continues to slide under the Othotsk Plate, producing extreme volcanism and seismic activity in the area. This movement is taking place at a rate of between 75 and 83 millimeters per year.
What is the Tonga trench?
The Tonga Trench is the second deepest site in the ocean floor at 35,702 feet below the level of the sea floor. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean, on the northern side of the Kermadec-Tonga Subduction Zone. This area is considered an active submergence zone, which means the Pacific plate is continuing to slide beneath both the Tonga and Indo-Australian plates. This makes the Tonga Trench an important site for further scientific research into the formation of the ocean floor and oceanic trenches. The rate at which these plates are converging is the fastest-recorded in the world, reaching between 6 and 9 inches per year. Interestingly, this trench is also the site of the radioisotope thermoelectric generator from the Apollo 13 mission.
How deep is Galathea?
It is located in the western Pacific Ocean, within the Philippine Trench. It reaches 34,580 feet below the level of the ocean floor. One of the first explorations of this site took place in 1950 by a Danish exploration team, whose original objective was to collect fauna ...
When was the second Deepsea descent?
The second descent was in 1995, this time by an unmanned remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), named Kaiko. In 2009, the ROV Nereus made the descent. The most recent descent was made in 2012 by a manned deep submergence vehicle, the Deepsea Challenger.
How deep is the Challenger Deep?
The Challenger Deep is the deepest spot in the ocean floor. It reaches between 35,755 and 36,197 feet below the nearby surface of the seabed, depending on how it is measured (either by sonar bathymetry or submersibles. It is located near the Mariana Islands of the Pacific Ocean within the Mariana Trench, which is also a significantly deep location ...
What boundary is the trench between two tectonic plates?
Ocean Trenches. Ocean trenches develop in subduction zones at a convergent boundary between two tectonic plates. When a continental plate collides with an oceanic plate the oceanic plate is forced beneath the lighter continental plate.
How many trenches are there on Earth?
There are 20 major trenches on Earth and 17 of these trenches can be found around the Pacific Ocean Basin. The Mariana Trench contains the Challenger Deep, which is the deepest known place on our planet.
What is the trench between two plates?
A trench forms between the two plates in a subduction zone. Trenches are depression in the ocean floor. They are also the deepest part of the seafloor. Trenches form natural boundaries between two tectonic plates.
What is the name of the mountain range that forms on the continental side of a trench?
Volcanic arcs. Volcanic mountain ranges form on the continental side of a trench where a continental and an oceanic plate converge. The mountain range is called a volcanic arc. If two oceanic crusts converge an island arc forms on the overriding plate parallel to the trench. Volcanic arcs and island arcs have volcanic mountains ...
How many sea mounts are there in the ocean?
Sea mount There are more than 60,000 sea mounts located in the world's oceans. Oceanic Zones Find out about the four major zones where plants and animals live in the ocean. Ocean Facts Discover what causes tsunamis, where ocean trenches are located and how the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was discovered.
Where is the Mid Atlantic Ridge?
Mid Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mountain range that runs down the center of the Atlantic Ocean through Iceland. Ocean Trenches Ocean trenches are found all around the Pacific Ring of Fire. Find out how and why they develop. Sea mount There are more than 60,000 sea mounts located in the world's oceans.
What is the trench in the ocean?
Ocean trenches are a result of tectonic activity, which describes the movement of the Earth’s lithosphere. In particular, ocean trenches are a feature of convergent plate boundaries, where two or more tectonic plate s meet.
Where are the deepest ocean trenches?
These chasm s are the deepest parts of the ocean—and some of the deepest natural spots on Earth. Ocean trenches are found in every ocean basin on the planet, although the deepest ocean trenches ring the Pacific as part of the so-called “ Ring of Fire ” that also includes active volcano es and earthquake zones.
What is the hill called when the subducting plate begins to buckle and fall beneath the more buoyant plate?
This hill, called the outer trench swell, marks the region where the subducting plate begins to buckle and fall beneath the more buoyant plate. Some ocean trenches are formed by subduction between a plate carrying continental crust and a plate carrying oceanic crust.
How do ocean trenches form?
How Ocean Trenches Form. When the leading edge of a dense tectonic plate meets the leading edge of a less-dense plate, the denser plate bends downward. This place where the denser plate subducts is called a subduction zone. Oceanic subduction zones almost always feature a small hill preceding the ocean trench itself.
What is the deepest layer of the ocean?
Ocean trenches occupy the deepest layer of the ocean, the hadalpelagic zone. The intense pressure, lack of sunlight, and frigid temperatures of the hadalpelagic zone make ocean trenches some of the most unique habitat s on Earth.
How many people have visited the Challenger Deep?
Only three people have visited the Challenger Deep, the deepest ocean trench in the world: a joint French-American crew (Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh) in 1960 and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron in 2012. (Two other unmanned expeditions have also explored the Challenger Deep.)
How much pressure is there in the deepest ocean trench?
Pressure. Pressure at the bottom of the Challenger Deep, the deepest spot on Earth, is about 12,400 tons per square meter (8 tons per square inch). Large ocean animals, such as sharks and whales, cannot live at this crushing depth.
Why Do Ocean Trenches Exist?
Finding Trenches
- Ocean trenches exist in all the world's oceans. They include the Philippine Trench, Tonga Trench, the South Sandwich Trench, the Eurasian Basin and Malloy Deep, the Diamantina Trench, the Puerto Rican Trench, and the Mariana. Most (but not all) are directly related to subduction actions or plates moving apart, which take millions of years to occur....
Exploring The Deeps
- The fact that these deep-ocean trenches existed at all remained a secret until well into the 20th century. That's because there were no vessels that could explore those regions. Visiting them requires specialized submersible craft. These deep ocean canyons are extremely inhospitable to human life. Although people did send diving bells into the ocean prior to the middle of the last ce…
The Weird Life in The Deep Ocean Trenches
- Surprisingly, despite the high water pressure and cold temperatures that exist at the bottoms of trenches, life does flourish in those extreme environments. It ranges from tiny one-celled organisms to tubeworms and other bottom-growing plants and animals, to some very strangel-looking fish. In addition, the bottoms of many trenches are filled with volcanic vents, called "blac…
Future Exploration of Deep Sea Trenches
- Since the sea bottom in these regions remains largely underexplored, scientists are eager to find out what else is "down there." However, exploring the deep sea is expensive and difficult, even though the scientific and economic rewards are substantial. It's one thing to explore with robots, which will continue. But, human exploration (like Cameron's deep dive) is dangerous and costly. …
Sources
- “Deepest Part of the Ocean.” Geology, geology.com/records/deepest-part-of-the-ocean.shtml.
- “Ocean Floor Features.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov/resource-collections/ocean-floor-features.
- “Ocean Trenches.” Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI, www.whoi.edu/main/topic/trenches.
- “Deepest Part of the Ocean.” Geology, geology.com/records/deepest-part-of-the-ocean.shtml.
- “Ocean Floor Features.” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.noaa.gov/resource-collections/ocean-floor-features.
- “Ocean Trenches.” Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI, www.whoi.edu/main/topic/trenches.
- US Department of Commerce, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “NOAA Ocean Explorer: Ambient Sound at Full Ocean Depth: Eavesdropping on the Challenger Deep.” 2016 Deepwater Explor...
