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Top 10 Deepest Ocean Trenches

The deepest points in Earth's oceans, ranked by maximum recorded depth.

Updated July 8, 2026 10 ranked 4 sources

Quick answer: 1. Mariana Trench, 2. Tonga Trench, 3. Kuril–Kamchatka Trench, 4. Philippine Trench, 5. Kermadec Trench, 6. Izu–Bonin Trench (Izu–Ogasawara Trench), 7. South Sandwich Trench, 8. Japan Trench, 9. Puerto Rico Trench, 10. Peru–Chile Trench (Atacama Trench).

Ocean trenches are the deepest places on Earth — narrow, V-shaped depressions in the seafloor formed by tectonic plate subduction. These extreme environments are home to unique life adapted to crushing pressures that would instantly destroy human-occupied submersibles. This list ranks the ten deepest ocean trenches by their maximum recorded depth, drawing on data from the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), NOAA, and the Five Deeps Expedition.

Maximum depth (m)

Maximum depth (m)
10,994
Mariana Trench
10,882
Tonga Trench
10,542
Kuril–Kamchatka Trench
10,540
Philippine Trench
10,047
Kermadec Trench
9,810
Izu–Bonin Trench (Izu–Ogasawara Trench)
8,428
South Sandwich Trench
8,412
Japan Trench
8,376
Puerto Rico Trench
8,065
Peru–Chile Trench (Atacama Trench)

The ranking

1

Mariana Trench

The Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean is the deepest place on Earth. Its deepest point, the Challenger Deep, reaches approximately 10,994 meters below sea level — nearly 11 kilometers down. Only three crewed descents have ever been made to the bottom: the Trieste in 1960, James Cameron's Deepsea Challenger in 2012, and Victor Vescovo's DSV Limiting Factor in 2019. The pressure at the bottom exceeds 1,100 atmospheres.

Location: Western Pacific, near GuamLength: ~2,550 kmPlate boundary: Pacific Plate subducting under Mariana Plate
2

Tonga Trench

The Tonga Trench in the southwestern Pacific reaches a maximum depth of approximately 10,882 meters at the Horizon Deep. It is the second deepest trench in the world and the fastest-moving subduction zone on Earth, with the Pacific Plate moving westward at about 24 cm per year. The trench runs parallel to the Tonga island chain.

Location: Southwest Pacific, near TongaLength: ~1,400 kmPlate boundary: Pacific Plate subducting under Indo-Australian Plate
3

Kuril–Kamchatka Trench

The Kuril–Kamchatka Trench in the northwest Pacific reaches a maximum depth of approximately 10,542 meters — just two meters deeper than the Philippine Trench at rank 4. It stretches from the Kamchatka Peninsula southward past the Kuril Islands to Japan. The trench is seismically very active, having generated several of the largest recorded earthquakes, including the 1952 Kamchatka earthquake (magnitude 9.0).

Location: Northwest Pacific, off KamchatkaLength: ~2,900 kmPlate boundary: Pacific Plate subducting under Okhotsk Plate
4

Philippine Trench

The Philippine Trench (also called the Mindanao Trench) reaches a maximum depth of approximately 10,540 meters at the Galathea and Cape Johnson Deeps. It lies east of the Philippine islands and is one of the deepest trenches in the western Pacific. The trench marks the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Sunda Plate.

Location: East of the PhilippinesLength: ~1,320 kmPlate boundary: Philippine Sea Plate subducting under Sunda Plate
5

Kermadec Trench

The Kermadec Trench in the southwestern Pacific reaches a maximum depth of approximately 10,047 meters. It runs northeast from New Zealand's North Island, and together with the Tonga Trench to its north forms a nearly continuous subduction zone over 2,500 km long. The trench was explored in detail during the Five Deeps Expedition.

Location: Southwest Pacific, northeast of New ZealandLength: ~1,200 kmPlate boundary: Pacific Plate subducting under Indo-Australian Plate
6

Izu–Bonin Trench (Izu–Ogasawara Trench)

The Izu–Bonin Trench reaches a maximum depth of approximately 9,810 meters. Located south of Japan, it connects the Japan Trench in the north with the Mariana Trench in the south. The trench was the site of the first-ever direct sampling of the Earth's upper mantle during the 1960s Mohole drilling project.

Location: Southeast of JapanLength: ~850 kmPlate boundary: Pacific Plate subducting under Philippine Sea Plate
7

South Sandwich Trench

The South Sandwich Trench is the deepest trench in the Southern Ocean, reaching a maximum depth of approximately 8,428 meters at the Meteor Deep. It lies east of the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic, where the South American Plate subducts beneath the small Sandwich Plate. The trench is extremely remote and was the last of the world's deepest trenches to have its maximum depth confirmed during the Five Deeps Expedition.

Location: Southern Ocean, east of South Sandwich IslandsLength: ~965 kmPlate boundary: South American Plate subducting under Sandwich Plate
8

Japan Trench

The Japan Trench reaches a maximum depth of approximately 8,412 meters. This trench is one of the most seismically active subduction zones on Earth, responsible for the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake (magnitude 9.1) and subsequent tsunami that caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The trench lies east of Japan where the Pacific Plate slides beneath the Okhotsk Plate.

Location: East of JapanLength: ~800 kmPlate boundary: Pacific Plate subducting under Okhotsk Plate
9

Puerto Rico Trench

The Puerto Rico Trench is the deepest trench in the Atlantic Ocean, reaching a maximum depth of approximately 8,376 meters at the Milwaukee Deep. It lies along the boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, north of Puerto Rico. The trench is associated with earthquake and tsunami risks for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Location: North of Puerto Rico (Atlantic Ocean)Length: ~800 kmPlate boundary: North American Plate subducting under Caribbean Plate
10

Peru–Chile Trench (Atacama Trench)

The Peru–Chile Trench runs along the western coast of South America and reaches a maximum depth of approximately 8,065 meters at the Richards Deep. It is the deepest trench in the southeastern Pacific and is the site of the Nazca Plate subducting beneath the South American Plate, which has created the Andes mountain range. The trench is exceptionally long, stretching over 5,900 km.

Location: Southeast Pacific, off Peru and ChileLength: ~5,900 kmPlate boundary: Nazca Plate subducting under South American Plate

Full comparison

# Name LocationLengthPlate boundary
1 Mariana Trench Western Pacific, near Guam~2,550 kmPacific Plate subducting under Mariana Plate
2 Tonga Trench Southwest Pacific, near Tonga~1,400 kmPacific Plate subducting under Indo-Australian Plate
3 Kuril–Kamchatka Trench Northwest Pacific, off Kamchatka~2,900 kmPacific Plate subducting under Okhotsk Plate
4 Philippine Trench East of the Philippines~1,320 kmPhilippine Sea Plate subducting under Sunda Plate
5 Kermadec Trench Southwest Pacific, northeast of New Zealand~1,200 kmPacific Plate subducting under Indo-Australian Plate
6 Izu–Bonin Trench (Izu–Ogasawara Trench) Southeast of Japan~850 kmPacific Plate subducting under Philippine Sea Plate
7 South Sandwich Trench Southern Ocean, east of South Sandwich Islands~965 kmSouth American Plate subducting under Sandwich Plate
8 Japan Trench East of Japan~800 kmPacific Plate subducting under Okhotsk Plate
9 Puerto Rico Trench North of Puerto Rico (Atlantic Ocean)~800 kmNorth American Plate subducting under Caribbean Plate
10 Peru–Chile Trench (Atacama Trench) Southeast Pacific, off Peru and Chile~5,900 kmNazca Plate subducting under South American Plate

How we ranked this

Ranked by maximum recorded depth in meters below sea level. Data sources include the GEBCO global bathymetric grid, peer-reviewed sonar surveys, and direct measurements from crewed and uncrewed submersible dives (including Victor Vescovo's Five Deeps Expedition, 2018–2019). Only named trenches with confirmed primary depth measurements are included; sub-trenches and unnamed deeps within a single trench system are consolidated under the parent trench name.

FAQ

How do scientists measure the depth of an ocean trench?

Modern depth measurements use multibeam sonar from research ships combined with satellite altimetry. The most accurate measurements come from direct pressure and acoustic readings during crewed submersible dives or autonomous deep-sea landers.

Has anyone been to the bottom of the Mariana Trench?

Yes — three crewed descents have reached Challenger Deep: the US Navy bathyscaphe Trieste (1960), James Cameron in the Deepsea Challenger (2012), and Victor Vescovo in the DSV Limiting Factor (2019). Additionally, multiple uncrewed robotic dives have been made.

What is the pressure like at the bottom of these trenches?

At the Challenger Deep, the pressure is about 1,100 times standard atmospheric pressure (roughly 110 megapascals). At these pressures, air-filled cavities collapse instantly, and most submersibles use a 9 cm-thick titanium pressure sphere to keep their crew safe.

Sources