Since most people will never experience this firsthand, it’s natural—and perhaps enjoyable—to speculate about what the trench might look like.
I imagine it as a shadowy, cave-like expanse filled with intriguing fish and vibrant aquatic flora. However, the actual situation is much more alarming.
Wright detailed her journey in an op-ed for the Los Angeles Times, sharing her intention to explore an untouched section of the trench and employ high-resolution sonar to develop both an elevation model and a visualization akin to an aerial photograph.
Before even surfacing, Wright noticed something embedded in the sediment at the trench’s base.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t marine life, aquatic flora, or an ancient shipwreck—it was a beer bottle.
Wright recounted in her op-ed: “It had traveled more than 6.7 miles to the darkest depths of the Pacific, label still intact. This discarded trash had managed to reach an unsullied part of our world before we actually did — a symbol of how deeply and irrevocably humans are affecting the natural world.”
This sobering revelation reinforced for Wright the necessity of using mapping technology to thoroughly explore Earth’s every detail, enhancing our grasp of how it is transforming and the consequences of those transformations.
Wright outlined the potential of utilizing geographic information system (GIS) technology to map the entire ocean in detail by 2030.
She emphasized the importance of gaining detailed insights into the ocean floor, as it aids in understanding how heat propagates through the water, influencing the layers above.
Eventually, this water affects the atmosphere and weather, and Wright noted that a better understanding of heat movement in the ocean can help predict when it will intensify hurricanes, which are growing more severe due to climate change.