Lakes and ocean depth comparison

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The world ocean covers more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface, and around 95 percent of the ocean is unexplored.

The Mariana Trench, located in the western Pacific Ocean, is the deepest known oceanic trench on Earth. It reaches a maximum depth of approximately 36,070 feet (10,994 meters) at the Challenger Deep, which is the lowest point in the trench. To put this into perspective, if Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, were placed at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, its peak would still be over a mile underwater.

The Tonga Trench is situated in the South Pacific Ocean and is the second-deepest trench in the world. It has a maximum depth of about 35,702 feet (10,882 meters) and is located to the east of the Tonga Islands.

The illustration below created by xkcd shows the typical topography of lakes and oceans.

While the Marianas Trench is the deepest place of the planet’s oceans, Lake Baikal is the deepest of all the lakes in the world. Its depth is 1 642 meters (5 387 feet).

Compared to Lake Baikal, the depth of the Great Lakes is more modest. For example, the deepest point in Lake Superior is 400 meters (1,300 feet) below the surface, while Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. – 594 meters (1,949 feet).

You can learn more about oceans from:

• Dive Atlas of the World
• Maps of the World’s Oceans