The Five Deeps Expedition has measured the extreme depths of the World’s 5 Oceans – Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic & Southern ocean (also known as Antarctic ocean).
- The Challenger Deep (10, 924 m) in Mariana Trench in Pacific Ocean remains the Deepest Trench in the world.
- The 2nd Deepest Trench in the world is the Horizon Deep (10, 816 m) in the Tonga Trench, Pacific Ocean.
Ocean & Deepest Points
- Atlantic Ocean – Brownson Deep (8, 378 m) in Puerto Rico Trench
- Southern Ocean (Antarctic ocean) – Factorian Deep (7, 432 m) in South Sandwich Trench
- Indian Ocean – Unnamed Deep (7, 187 m) in Java Trench
- Pacific Ocean – Challenger Deep (10, 924 m) in Mariana Trench (deepest trench in the world).
- Arctic Ocean – Molloy Hole (5, 551 m)
Importance of deep sea measurements
i.The findings were published in the Geoscience Data Journal.
ii.Around 80% of the global ocean floor remains unsurveyed.
iii.The findings will be handed over to the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, which will compile a full-ocean depth map by the end of 2030.
iv.It will be essential for navigation, laying underwater cables, fisheries management and conservation.
- Forecast of future climate change – The rugged seafloor influences the behaviour of ocean currents and vertical mixing of water, this will be essential to forecast future climate change (oceans play a major role in moving heat around the planet).
Five Deeps Expedition
- American undersea explorer Victor Lance Vescovo of the US launched the Five Deeps Expedition in 2018.
- The Five Deeps Expedition was the first to reach the deepest point in each of the Earth’s five oceans.
Bathymetry is the study of underwater depth of ocean floors or lake floors.
Recent Related News:
November 27, 2020, The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is set to launch an ambitious ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ for underwater exploration of minerals, energy and marine diversity; it will enhance India’s presence in the Indian Ocean. Its expected outlay is over Rs 4,000 crore.