Exploring the Marianas Trench: Depth, Life, and Geology Insights
School
Cochise County Community College District**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
GLG 101
Subject
Geology
Date
Dec 12, 2024
Pages
2
Uploaded by CaptainMantisPerson1219
Deepest Place on Earth 1.What type of lithospheric plate boundary is the Marianas Trench?The Marianas Trench is a convergent plate boundary.2.How deep is the Trench?The trench is 35,800 ft deep.3.For a long time Scientists believed that no life could exist under the crushing pressures of the ocean in the Marianas Trench. Did Piccard and Walsh find life in the Trench while in the Trieste? If so, what kind?Just before they landed Piccard and Walsh came across a flat fish about a foot long. A bottom dwelling fish.4. What ramifications did this life discovery have on the field of Biological/Ecological Science? This life discovery contradicted the belief that deep sea environments were inhospitable to anything living. 5.How does the seafloor record changes in the Earth’s Polarity?The seafloor records changes in the earth’s polarity through magnetic stripes, and seafloor spreading.6.What is the connection between the trench and the East Pacific Rise?The trench and the east pacific rise lie on opposite edges of the pacific plate. Sonar maps the east pacific ridge running parallel to the trench. 7.What type of geologic features did scientists find along the East Pacific Rise (and Atlantic Ridge) that proved crucial evidence of seafloor spreading? Scientists found underwater mountain ranges along the East Pacific Ridge. Strange stripes of magnetic rocks alternating positive and negative away from the ridges peak. Molten volcanic rock that swelled up from deep underground to create the ridges in the Atlantic Ridge and PacificRidge were found. The Zebra stripes are evidence of seafloor spreading.8.How do geologists know that ocean crust is being subducted in the Marianas Trench?
The vents are a decisive piece of evidence. The vents confirm that magma is continuously creating new crust at the ridge. Magnetic zebra stripes are proof that old crust is pushed away from the ridge towards the other side of the Pacific plate towards the Marianas Trench. Scientistsnotice the Mariana Islands chain mirrors the trenches' exact shape. Geologists believe that the trench formed the volcano by a process called subduction. 9.Why hadn’t any major earthquakes ever been recorded in the Marianas Trench?Underwater hills were discovered and drilled into by engineers. The hills were discovered to be volcanoes that spewed out mud. The mud is made out of serpentinite. The special kind of mud prevents earthquakes.10.Why is the challenger deeper than 2 miles deeper than the rest of the Marianas trench?A narrow slab of crust has torn away from the pacifics plate descending edge. The slab can sink almost vertically.11.Is it possible that there are other trenches that are deeper than the Marianas? Why or Whynot? I believe there is a very small chance that there are trenches to be deeper than the marianas but the plates that are moving fastest on the earth are the ones that have all the trenches. The pacific plate is the fastest moving of the nine major plates on the planet because it is surrounded by dozens of destructive trenches like the Marianas. However less than 5% of the oceans have been explored so there is a possibility.