Bagaimana Palung Mariana Menyimpan Banyak Misteri? | #BelajarDuniaPurba

Summary

The Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, lies 10,934 meters below the ocean's surface, shrouded in darkness and extreme pressure. Home to bizarre and unique creatures like bioluminescent organisms and the Mariana snailfish, it remains a mystery to scientists. Early explorations, including the 1960 Trieste dive and the 2019 record-breaking descent by Victor Vescovo, have revealed the incredible resilience of life at these depths. Despite our growing understanding, 60% of the DNA found in samples remains unidentifiable, highlighting the vast unknowns of the ocean's deepest regions.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Earth’s surface is 30% land and 70% ocean, with the Mariana Trench being the deepest point on Earth.
• 😀 The Mariana Trench reaches a depth of 10,934 meters and is a vast 2,500 km-long abyss between the Pacific and Mariana tectonic plates.
• 😀 The extreme pressure at the trench's depth is over 1000 times that at sea level, equivalent to the weight of 50 jumbo jets stacked on top of each other.
• 😀 The trench was formed by the process of subduction, where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.
• 😀 At extreme depths, there is complete darkness, and lifeforms here have adapted to survive with features like large eyes or bioluminescence.
• 😀 The first scientific exploration of the trench was in 1875 with the Challenger expedition, which recorded a depth of 8,183 meters.
• 😀 In 1960, explorers Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh reached the trench’s deepest point in a specially designed submersible, the Trieste.
• 😀 In 2019, explorer Victor Vescovo reached an even deeper depth of 10,927 meters, documenting life forms at various depths.
• 😀 The ocean has five main zones: the photic zone (sunlit), twilight zone, midnight zone, hadal zone, and the Mariana Trench’s deepest hadal zone.
• 😀 Life in the trench includes strange creatures like the goblin shark and deep-sea dragonfish, which rely on bioluminescence and other survival mechanisms.

Q & A

What is the Mariana Trench, and why is it significant?

The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the Earth's oceans, reaching a depth of approximately 10,934 meters. It is significant because it represents the deepest known point on Earth and is home to unique and extreme forms of life that have adapted to the harsh conditions of extreme pressure and darkness.

How does the extreme pressure in the Mariana Trench affect living organisms?

The extreme pressure in the Mariana Trench is over 1,000 times that of sea level pressure. This immense pressure has shaped the biology of organisms living there, such as enabling them to develop special adaptations like bioluminescence and larger eyes to cope with the lack of light.

What is bioluminescence, and how does it help creatures in the Mariana Trench?

Bioluminescence is the ability of some organisms to produce and emit light. In the Mariana Trench, where sunlight cannot reach, bioluminescence helps creatures attract mates, lure prey, and navigate in the dark environment.

What makes the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench particularly mysterious?

The Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, is particularly mysterious due to the extreme conditions, including complete darkness, crushing pressure, and low temperatures. It has intrigued scientists and explorers who are keen to uncover what lies in its depths.

How was the Mariana Trench first explored?

The first major exploration of the Mariana Trench began in 1875 with the HMS Challenger expedition, which discovered the trench's extreme depth. Later, in 1960, scientists James Cameron and Don Walsh used a submersible called Trieste to reach the bottom of the trench, marking a significant moment in underwater exploration.

What did the first human exploration of the Mariana Trench reveal?

The first human exploration, by James Cameron and Don Walsh in 1960, revealed the presence of life at the bottom of the trench, including creatures like the flounder, despite the extreme conditions. This finding challenged the belief that life could not survive at such depths.

What are the main zones of the ocean, and how do they differ?

The ocean is divided into several zones based on depth: the photic zone (up to 200 meters, where sunlight supports life), the twilight zone (200-1000 meters, where light begins to fade), and the midnight zone (1000-6000 meters, where there is no sunlight). Below 6,000 meters is the hadal zone, which includes the Mariana Trench, with extreme pressure and cold.

How do creatures survive in the hadal zone of the Mariana Trench?

Creatures in the hadal zone, such as the Mariana snailfish, have evolved special adaptations like high concentrations of organic molecules that protect their cells from the extreme pressure. These organisms also rely on alternative sources of energy like chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis.

Why is it difficult to explore the Mariana Trench?

Exploring the Mariana Trench is challenging due to its extreme depth and pressure, which can crush conventional submarines. Specially designed submersibles are required to withstand the conditions, and even these can only stay at the bottom for short periods before their structural integrity is compromised.

What role do modern technologies like sonar and DNA analysis play in exploring the deep ocean?

Modern technologies such as sonar mapping and DNA analysis are crucial for exploring the deep ocean. Sonar helps map the ocean floor's topography, while DNA analysis has revealed that a significant portion of the organisms found in deep ocean samples are unknown to science, highlighting how little we understand about deep-sea life.