Our amazing planet.

Guam: Island Near the Ocean's Deepest Point

News
By published
Guam, as seen by NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite
Guam, as seen by NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite. (Image credit: NASA)

Situated in the tropical Pacific Ocean, the U.S. territory of Guam lies at the end of the Mariana Island archipelago, which shares it's name with the Mariana Trench , the deepest point in Earth's oceans.

As the largest island in that archipelago, Guam stretches roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) from northeast to southwest. Fields, forests, military bases, and settlements all mix on the landscape and can be seen in this image taken by NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite on Dec. 30, 2011. Two prominent airstrips run northeast-southwest, one at the northeastern tip of the island, and the other in central Guam.

But just a couple hundred miles from the island, the ocean gets much deeper. Guam is the closest land mass to the Mariana Trench, which dips down about 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) below sea level — the deepest point on the planet's surface. Only two humans have made the submarine dive into the trench  — in 1950, Lt. Don Walsh of the U.S. Navy and scientist Jacques Piccard descended some 35,797 feet (10,911 meters) down into the Challenger Deep in the trench.

Live Science Staff
Live Science Staff
For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.