Chapter 1: The Challenger Deep

The Challenger Deep, situated in the western Pacific Ocean at the southern end of the Mariana Trench near the Mariana Islands, is a remarkable location. According to the Gebco Gazetteer of Undersea Feature Names from August 2011, this abyss reaches depths of approximately 10,920 ± 10 m (32.81 ft). This area falls within the maritime boundaries of the Federate States of Micronesia.

The trench was named after the HMS Challenger, a British Royal Navy survey ship that conducted the first depth measurements during its expedition from 1872 to 1876. The sheer depth of the Mariana Trench results in perpetual darkness and frigid temperatures, just slightly above freezing. At its bottom, the water pressure is an astonishing eight tons per square inch, roughly a thousand times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.

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The first and only human descent into the Challenger Deep occurred over half a century ago. In 1960, Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh achieved this milestone in a U.S. Navy submersible known as the Trieste. After a five-hour journey, they spent only about 20 minutes at the ocean floor and were unable to capture any photographs due to the silt that obscured visibility.

Section 1.1: Understanding the Pressure

At the depths of the Mariana Trench, the pressure is staggering, measuring around 1092 bars, with temperatures hovering around 1 °C and a salinity level of 35 grams of salt per kilogram of water. For comparison, the atmospheric pressure in an average home or office is about 14.7 pounds (6.67 kg) per square inch, while at the bottom of the trench, it exceeds 16,000 PSI.

The First Deep Dive

The U.S. Navy's Trieste, helmed by Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh, reached an unprecedented depth of 35,797 feet (10.91 km). Designed by Jacques and his father, Auguste Piccard, in Italy, the Trieste was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1958. The craft had a diving capability of 20,000 feet, allowing access to 98% of the ocean floor. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) also commissioned a second pressure sphere for the Trieste that could reach depths of 36,000 feet (10.97 km).

The Trieste began its descent at 08:23, leaving behind the tumult of surface waves at around 80 feet (24.38 meters). As it dove deeper, communication via underwater telephone became feasible, with the support of both Lewis and the Navy tug USS Wandank (ATA-204).

Chapter 2: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Ocean

In the first video, titled "This Is What We Found Deep Below The Ocean | A Compilation of Scary Ocean Stories," viewers are taken on a journey exploring the eerie and mysterious discoveries lurking in the ocean's depths.

The second video, "The Deepest Part of the Ocean is Not Empty - by Jesse Clark | Ft. Mother Creepy Pasta," delves into the rich and sometimes unsettling life that thrives in the deepest parts of the ocean, challenging the notion that these depths are barren.