Going Off the (Really) Deep End
Muse Science Magazine for Kids|July/August 2023
DIVING INTO THE DEEPEST PLACE ON EARTH, CHALLENGER DEEP IN THE MARIANA TRENCH
Carrie Clickard
Going Off the (Really) Deep End

Help Wanted: Expedition seeks explorers brave enough to face bizarre, glow-in-the-dark creatures. Must be able to navigate safely past vents spewing liquid carbon dioxide, erupting mud volcanoes, and a treacherous lake of molten sulfur.

What strange corner of the universe is this expedition headed for? It's a cozy little planet known as Earth and a spot miles under the surface of the Pacific Ocean called the Mariana Trench.

A Hole in the Ocean Floor

In 1872, the HMS Challenger expedition set out to map the ocean floor. The explorers spent four years crisscrossing the globe, sailing 70,000 miles (112,654 kilometers)-one-third of the distance to the Moon. It was backbreaking, boring work. Sail about 200 miles (322 kilometers), drop a weighted rope into the water. Measure how much rope it took to hit bottom. Sail another 200 miles and do it again. And again. This expedition was a total snooze fest, until a day in 1875 about 200 miles (322 kilometers) off the coast of Guam. That morning, when the to pe was dropped, the ocean swallowed up five miles (eight kilometers) of it. The Challenger's crew had discovered a "hole" in the ocean floor.

Braving the Depths

It wasn't until the 1950s that we knew just how big Challenger's discovery was. Scientists turned to sonar, an instrument that sends out sound waves and measures how long it takes them to come back. They discovered that the hole is actually a trench. It is crescent-shaped and twice as long as the state of California and 43 miles (69 kilometers) wide. Parts of the trench are only five miles (eight kilometers) deep, but at its southern end, the trench drops to almost seven miles (11 kilometers). That means if you planted Mount Everest on the bottom and stacked three Empire State buildings on top, you still wouldn't reach the surface of the ocean.

この記事は Muse Science Magazine for Kids の July/August 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Muse Science Magazine for Kids の July/August 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

MUSE SCIENCE MAGAZINE FOR KIDSのその他の記事すべて表示
A Mars Rock Found With Leopard Spots Could Be a Sign of Ancient Life
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

A Mars Rock Found With Leopard Spots Could Be a Sign of Ancient Life

IN JULY, NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER CAME ACROSS A SPOTTED ROCK IN WHAT WAS ONCE A RIVERBED IN THE JEZERO CRATER ON MARS.

time-read
1 min  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
Para Athlete Uses Exoskeleton Suit to Carry the Olympic Torch
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Para Athlete Uses Exoskeleton Suit to Carry the Olympic Torch

In July, a 36-year-old French tennis para athlete, Kevin Piette, got a chance to participate in this summer’s Olympic torch relay without using a wheelchair.

time-read
1 min  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
Ancient Egyptians May Have Used a Water System to Lift Stones to Build Pyramid
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Ancient Egyptians May Have Used a Water System to Lift Stones to Build Pyramid

HOW ANCIENT EGYPTIANS BUILT THE MASSIVE PYRAMIDS IN EGYPT MORE THAN 4,000 YEARS AGO HAS LONG BEEN A TOPIC OF WONDER AND DEBATE.

time-read
1 min  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
Seals Can Make Big Dives Thanks to Their Big Hearts
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Seals Can Make Big Dives Thanks to Their Big Hearts

SEALS AND SEA LIONS, WHICH ARE SEMI-AQUATIC MAMMALS, CAN HOLD THEIR BREATHS UNDERWATER FOR ESPECIALLY LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

time-read
1 min  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
THE BIG-CITY LIFE OF STEVEN J.BIKE SHOP RABBIT IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

THE BIG-CITY LIFE OF STEVEN J.BIKE SHOP RABBIT IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

Bicycle Roots is a full-service bike shop. It's in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Joe Lawler is the co-owner and service manager. Perhaps more important, he's \"dad\" to the shop's most popular employee. That's Steven J. Lawler.

time-read
1 min  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
Wild Ones
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Wild Ones

WHAT FACTORS DRIVE PEOPLE TO BUY MONKEYS, TIGERS, AND OTHER WILD ANIMALS?

time-read
3 分  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
HOW TO CONQUER THE WORLD
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

HOW TO CONQUER THE WORLD

A brief history

time-read
4 分  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
What would happen if meteors hit Earth?
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

What would happen if meteors hit Earth?

You may have seen Ameteors fly into Earth's atmosphere, in the form of shooting stars.

time-read
2 分  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
WORKING WORMS
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

WORKING WORMS

DON'T JUST THROW THOSE TABLE SCRAPS AWAY! LET A BOX OF WORMS TURN THEM INTO SOMETHING USEFUL.

time-read
5 分  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind
Dog Rescue Saves Lives
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Dog Rescue Saves Lives

THE ARGUMENT FOR ADOPTING A NO-KILL GOAL

time-read
4 分  |
Muse November-December 2024: Pets on the Mind