Challenger Deep

WHY IN NEWS?

• Former NASA astronaut Kathy Sullivan became the first woman to reach Challenger Deep, the deepest point in the ocean.
• Sullivan was also the first American woman to complete a spacewalk over 36 years ago.

THE CHALLENGER DEEP:

• The Challenger Deep is located in the Western Pacific Ocean, at the southern end of the Mariana Trench near the Mariana Islands group.
• According to NOAA, the average depth of the ocean is about 12,100 feet and the deepest part is called the Challenger Deep, which is located below the surface of the western Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 36,200 feet deep.

PRELIMS QUESTION:

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Challenger deep:

1. Challenger deep is located in Pacific-ocean.

2. It is the deepest point in Earth’s hydrosphere.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims question