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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hadal zone | 2/2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadal_zone | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T07:34:56.432817+00:00 | kb-cron |
== Exploration == The exploration of the hadal zone requires the use of instruments that are able to withstand pressures of up to a thousand or more atmospheres. A few haphazard and non-standard tools have been used to collect limited, but valuable, information about the basic biology of a few hadal organisms. Manned and unmanned submersibles, however, can be used to study the depths in greater detail. Unmanned robotic submersibles may be remotely operated (connected to the research vessel by a cable) or autonomous (freely moving). Cameras and manipulators on submersibles allow researchers to observe and take samples of sediment and organisms. Failures of submersibles under the immense pressure at hadal zone depths have occurred. HROV Nereus is thought to have imploded at a depth of 9,990 meters while exploring the Kermadec Trench in 2014.
== Notable missions ==
The first manned exploration to reach Challenger Deep, the deepest known part of the ocean located in the Mariana Trench, was accomplished in 1960 by Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh. They reached a maximum depth of 10,911 metres (35,797 ft) in the bathyscaphe Trieste. James Cameron also reached the bottom of Mariana Trench in March 2012 using the Deepsea Challenger. The descent of the Deepsea Challenger reached a depth of 10,908 metres (35,787 ft), slightly less than the deepest dive record set by Piccard and Walsh. Cameron holds the record for the deepest solo dive. In June 2012, the Chinese manned submersible Jiaolong was able to reach 7,020 m (23,030 ft) deep in the Mariana Trench, making it the deepest diving manned research submersible. This range surpasses that of the previous record holder, the Japanese-made Shinkai, whose maximum depth is 6,500 m (21,300 ft). Few unmanned submersibles are capable of descending to maximum hadal depths. The deepest diving unmanned submersibles have included the Kaikō (lost at sea in 2003), the ABISMO, the Nereus (lost at sea in 2014), and the Haidou-1.
== See also ==
Abyssal plain – Flat area on the deep ocean floor Deep sea – Lowest layer in the ocean Deep submergence vehicle – Self-propelled deep-diving crewed submersible Abyssal zone – Deep layer of the ocean between 4000 and 9000 meters Sunlight zone – Uppermost layer of a sea water column that is exposed to sunlightPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets; includes shallow waters and coral reefs
== References ==
== External links == Forscher filmen lebende Fische in Rekordtiefe (In German) from Spiegel 10/09/2008 about an expedition filming fish at a depth of more than 7,000 m Hadal highlights. Schmidt Ocean Institute. 11 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 – via YouTube.