There are about 60,000 meters of rocky crust and hot magma separating the Earth’s surface from its molten core. But how deep can a human really go? It turns out we know more about the nearby stars than we do about our or own oceanic trenches.
Here are 7 of the deepest places on planet Earth.
Tsangpo Grand Canyon, China — 6,000 meters
The Tsangpo Canyon, located in Tibet, is over 6,000 meters in some spots, making it the deepest canyon in the world. One of the craziest peculiarities of this place is its ecosystem and climate, which varies from arctic to subtropical depending on the spot.
The Mariana Trench — 10,994 meters
The Mariana Trench is an oceanic deepest-sea trench on Earth. The deepest point of the Mariana Trench is the Challenger Abyss, which according to 2011 measurements, goes down to 10,994 meters below sea level. If you put the highest mountain, Everest, in this trench, there would still be enough space to drown a whole continent in it. This is one of the places on Earth that we know very little about, compared to our neighboring planets and even solar systems.
Milwaukee Depth, USA — 8,740 meters
Milwaukee Depth is the deepest point of the trench in Puerto Rico and the entire Atlantic Ocean. According to many geologists, a volcanic eruption may soon originate from this spot, causing a strong tsunami and possibly killing a lot of people.
Tau-Tona mines, South Africa — 4,500+ meters
The deepest mines in the world are located in South Africa and are more than 4500 m deep. You can imagine the extreme conditions the miners have to endure here. The temperature reaches 50-60°C, but it’s all for the gold. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for that glimmering metal, is there?
The Bingham Canyon Quarry, Utah — 970 meters
This quarry is the largest manmade hole on the planet. After more than a century of mining, a large 970-meter-deep crater was formed. This quarry could fit the entire Burj Khalifa — the tallest structure in the world, towering at 828 meters above sea level.
Vertigo Cave, Slovenia — 603 meters
Vertigo Cave in Slovenia was discovered by a joint Slovenian-Italian group of cave explorers in 1996. This cave has the deepest karst well in the world, going down as deep as 603 meters. If you accidentally fall into this hole, you will experience 11 seconds of freefall and unfathomable terror before you turn into a human pancake.
Lake Baikal, Russia — 1,642 meters
Baikal is the deepest lake on Earth. The current approximation of its maximum depth is 1,642 m, which is insane if you compare it to the deepest pool on the planet (40 meters.
