Some scientific trivia is so astounding that we have to double check it to make sure we heard right. And one particular claim is is just that: that the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest point on earth, can hold the entirety of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, in it.
We have seen this bit of information proliferate across the internet for a long time and decided to take a look at it. For starters, the Mariana Trench is in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines, and is considered the deepest place on earth, at 11,034 meters, or 36,201 feet deep, which is almost seven miles, according to the National Geographic. The deepest part of the trench is the Challenger Deep. According to ArcGIS, a geographic information software company, this sits at 10,924 meters, or 35,840 feet, and is the furthest from the water's surface. Scientific American reports that the Challenger Deep is 36,070 feet below sea level. NASA states that the Challenger Deep is 10,994 meters deep, or 36,069 feet, plus or minus 40 meters.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific region office tweeted a video about the depth of the trench, writing "The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is deeper than Mount Everest is tall."
By contrast, Mount Everest, which borders Nepal and China, reaches around 29,032 feet, or around 8,849 meters above sea level, according to LiveScience. NASA estimates it has an altitude of 29,035 feet, or 8,850 meters. This means that if one were to place the mountain inside the trench, the peak of Everest would still be an estimated 7,000 feet below sea level, including if it somehow managed to fit in the Challenger Deep.
So there you have it: Even if you do manage to climb Mount Everest, you still have a long way to go if you want to reach the bottom of the trench. The pressure on its floor is reportedly so intense that it is the equivalent of having 50 jumbo jets piled on top of a person.
We rate this claim as "True."
