Mariana Trench and Challenger Deep: 10-Question Ocean Quiz

Ten explainable NOAA-backed questions about Challenger Deep, ocean pressure, subduction and mapping.

Choose one answer per question. There’s no timer. You can skip a question; unanswered questions count as incorrect.

QUESTION 01Where is Challenger Deep located?

Within the Mariana TrenchIn the Gulf of MexicoBeneath Lake SuperiorUnder the Mediterranean Sea

QUESTION 02In which ocean is the Mariana Trench found?

Atlantic OceanPacific OceanIndian OceanArctic Ocean

QUESTION 03What approximate depth does NOAA cite for Challenger Deep?

3,682 meters5,000 meters10,935 meters25,000 meters

QUESTION 04What is approximately the average depth of the global ocean according to NOAA?

10,935 meters18,000 meters500 meters3,682 meters

QUESTION 05Which geological process formed the Mariana Trench?

SubductionGlacial melting aloneMeteor excavationRiver erosion alone

QUESTION 06Which tectonic plate subducts beneath the Philippine Sea Plate at the Mariana system?

African PlatePacific PlateNorth American PlateAntarctic Plate

QUESTION 07Roughly how much deeper must a diver travel for one additional atmosphere of water pressure?

One meterOne hundred kilometersAbout ten metersOne nautical mile

QUESTION 08What is the name for using echoes of sound to measure the seabed?

Magnetometry onlyPhotography onlyIce coringSonar sounding

QUESTION 09What do satellite observations indirectly detect to help infer large seafloor features?

Tiny variations in sea-surface shapePhotographs through all ocean waterVisible cracks on a shipThe names of fish species

QUESTION 10Why can two published Challenger Deep depths differ slightly?

Every ocean trench moves daily by kilometersMethods and measurement uncertainty differThe Pacific has no seafloorScientists never report uncertainty

Keep your curiosity going.