Human impact reaches Marianas Trench
The Marianas Trench continues to be a mysterious place for scientists and human beings in general. It remains one of the most inaccessible places on our planet where species of some known and unknown creatures inhabit the area. That’s why it was surprising to know that radioactive material was detected in one of the most remote regions in the Pacific. The Marianas Trench is a crescent-shaped trough located in the Western Pacific Ocean. It is believed to be roughly 2,550 kilometers long and 69 kilometers wide, with a depth of 36,201 feet below sea level. It is located 200 miles east of the Marianas island chain, in between Japan and Papua New Guinea. Despite its remote location, this has not stopped humanity to have an environmental impact on its unique ecosystem. A group of scientists, led by earth experts from the Shanghai Ocean University, found traces of the radioactive element Carbon-14, which dates back from the nuclear weapons detonations conducted in the mid-1940s. Tra