The Tonga Trench in the Pacific Ocean has what is considered the second deepest point in all the world’s oceans. Located about 75 mi (120.7 km) to the east of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean, the trench itself is about 50 mi wide (80.4 km) and runs north and south for about 850 mi (1,368 km).
The Tonga Trench has an average depth of 20,000 feet (6,096 m). It’s deepest point, known as Horizon Deep, reaches a maximum depth of 35,702 ft (10,882 m) below sea level. Horizon Deep is also the deepest point in the southern hemisphere.
The deepest point in the world’s oceans lies in the Marianas Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean. Known as Challenger Deep, that point is about 36,070 ft (10,994 m) below sea level.
Several cities in the U.S. had a dark smoggy cloud come over them last week as the American Lung Association (ALA) released its annual State of the Air report. The sobering and slightly depressing report uses data on particulate matter — otherwise known as “soot” — and ground-level ozone — otherwise known as “smog” — that was collected between 2015…read more
Almost all of what was the second-biggest island in the French Frigate Shoals disappeared on or around October 4 after having been hit by Hurricane Walaka. The category 4 storm’s high winds sent a storm surge over the small islet almost completely destroying it. The now-gone 11-acre island was known as East Island and was part of the Northwestern Hawaiian…read more
Finner, razorback, flathead, common rorqual, herring whale, finback whale — these are all names for the fin whale, an animal that few outside of the marine biology or maritime communities know or care about. But it is a majestic animal with sleek hydrodynamic lines and curves that roams the world’s oceans gulping down plankton and fish in astonishing quantities. Second…read more
A little over a week ago, the Lesedi La Rona diamond, the second-biggest gem-quality* diamond ever found, sold for a whopping $53 million. Well, whopping is a relative term here, just a few years prior the diamond had failed to sell at auction when nobody was willing to meet the opening bid price, which Sotheby’s had set at $70 million. At 1,109-carats (about…read more