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3,682 meters



Active hydrothermal vents with yellows and dark patterns actively releasing plumes into the surrounding water.
			
			*Active "smoker" hydrothermal vent chimneys about 9 meters tall are found deep in the Mariana Arc region in the Western Pacific Ocean. Credit: Pacific Ring of Fire 2004 Expedition. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration; Dr. Bob Embley, NOAA PMEL, Chief Scientist.*



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							Volumes of the Earth's Oceans (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information)



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**Last updated:**
                        
                             11/15/23
                        
                        **Author:** NOAA
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# **How deep is the ocean?**

## The average ocean depth is 3,682 meters (12,080 feet).

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An official website of the United States government.
				
				Here's how you know we're official.

**Official websites use .gov**
									A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

**Secure websites use HTTPS**
									
									A small lock or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to a .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

*Active "smoker" hydrothermal vent chimneys about 9 meters tall are found deep in the Mariana Arc region in the Western Pacific Ocean. Credit: Pacific Ring of Fire 2004 Expedition. NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration; Dr. Bob Embley, NOAA PMEL, Chief Scientist.*

The average depth of the ocean is about 3,682 meters (12,080 feet). The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) deep. It is named after the HMS *Challenger*, whose crew first sounded the depths of the trench in 1875.

Volumes of the Earth's Oceans (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information)



**Author:** NOAA

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