NOAA looks for answers in the mysterious Mariana Trench
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is undertaking a three-month investigation of one of the most mysterious places on Earth: the Mariana Trench.
From April 20 to July 10, NOAA鈥檚 Okeanos Explorer, a former Navy ocean surveillance vessel repurposed for scientific research, is conducting three separate expeditions around the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM) and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a US commonwealth in the Pacific ocean. Through the 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition, NOAA wants to collect more data on the area so they can better protect the deepest part of the planet.
鈥淒espite decades of previous work in the region, much of the Monument and ,鈥� NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research says in a press release. 鈥淚n the coming months, we expect to explore bottomfish habitats, new hydrothermal vent sponge communities, and seamounts, as well as subduction zone and trench areas.鈥�
The Mariana Trench , says National Geographic, because the same adaptations that allow organisms to live in the Trench鈥檚 extreme conditions could also lead to breakthroughs in medicine and biotechnology. Rocks from the trench could lead to a better understanding of Earth鈥檚 plate tectonics, and the area鈥檚 frequent earthquakes and tsunamis. Additionally, scientists believe the trench鈥檚 mud volcanoes may have provided the perfect conditions for Earth鈥檚 first life to thrive.
But exploring the Mariana Trench is not easy. The trench's deepest portion, Challenger Deep,聽southwest of Guam, is seven miles beneath the ocean鈥檚 surface. To put this depth in perspective, even if Mount Everest were submerged to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, there would still be a mile of water between the mountain鈥檚 peak and the ocean鈥檚 surface. And at 16,000 pounds per square inch, the pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench is about 1,088 times that of sea level.
And because of these difficulties, new revelations about the area are still emerging. In March, for example, a team of researchers from the NOAA, the US Coast Guard and Oregon State University dropped a microphone the 36,200 feet down to the bottom of the Challenger Deep, only to discover that the area is actually extremely noisy, with sounds reverberating from whales, ships, and typhoons miles above the Trench.
To help the public better understand this natural wonder, NOAA is of their findings during the exploration. Thus far, NOAA has captured purple sea cucumbers, pillow lava, and a predatory jellyfish.
鈥淭his expedition provides extensive opportunities for ,鈥� says NOAA. 鈥淭he live video feeds are available to anyone online, providing the public with a front row seat to exploration activities and discoveries as they are made.鈥�
The Trench was designated as a National Monument in 2009, 鈥渇or the purpose of 鈥� such as hydrothermal vents, underwater volcanoes, and the many diverse species that call the area home.
The first leg of the 69-day expedition, which explored and mapped the southern half of MTMNM and CNMI, ends on Wednesday. The second leg of the mission, from May 20 to June 11, and the third leg of the mission, from June 17 to July 10, will both focus on the northern areas of the trench.
