Deeper than the Tallest Mountain

Our second session of oceanography started with hands on exploration of Pacific and Atlantic shells. We have identified them, looked under light to determine if there are multiple minerals in it or just one, we have organized them by shape and mineral composition. All of them were taken with the beauty of the shells shapes and structure.

We moved to farther conceptualize the depth of the oceans by taking the height of the highest mountain on Earth and putting it into the deepest depth of the ocean (Marina Trench). We found out that the Marina Trench is far deeper than Mount Everest's highest peak! To get an understanding of the depth, Mount Everest's official height is 8,848 m (29,029 ft), 5.5 miles tall. The Marina Trench on the other hand is 10,994 m (36 070 ft) deep. Imagine The Hancock, a 60-story, 790-foot (240 m) skyscraper in Boston — The Marina Trench is deep enough to allow for 45 Hancock's to be stacked on one another or one 2700-story Hancock. Now that is tall, or should we say, deep!

Now, that we have mapped the bottom of the ocean and its depths we have brain stormed what else we would like to learn about the oceans on our planet!

Learn more about the Marina Trench at The National Geographic.