Everest vs. Mariana Trench

Everest. Mariana Trench, Eyewire, citizen science

This one’s for all you adventurers out there! Are you feeling extreme? Starting at 11 AM EST on 1/11 and going for 24 hours, we’re throwing down for two of the most intense and iconic points on the world map. Which of these locales is more your style?

Everest

  • Known as Sagarmāthā in Nepali and Chomolungma in Tibetan, this is the highest point above sea level, at a height of 8,848 meters (29,028.9 feet), aka 8.85 kilometers (5.5 miles).
  • The first recorded human ascent to the summit was achieved in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, though earlier attempts had been made.
  • Most life forms cannot survive at the mountain’s highest altitudes, but a moss species and a jumping spider species have both been found above 6,000 meters.

Mariana Trench

  • Named for the Mariana Islands nearby, this is the lowest point below sea level, at a depth of 10,994 meters (36,070 feet), aka 10.99 kilometers (6.83 miles). And that’s just what we’re sure about.
  • The first human descent to the very bottom occurred in 1960 by the bathyscaphe Trieste, operated by Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard.
  • Despite the incredible pressure at that depth (15,750 psi), living creatures have been found there, including flatfish and shrimp!

The usual bonuses

Earn 5,000 points – 2,500 bonus
Earn 15,000 points – 5,000 bonus
Earn 25,000 points – 10,000 bonus
For every 25,000 points above 25,000 – 5,000 bonus
Member of winning team (if you’ve scored at least 2,500 points) – 10,000 bonus
Highest scorer on each team – 5,000 bonus
Player with #1 overall score – 10,000 bonus
Player with #2 overall score – 5,000 bonus
Player with #3 overall score – 2,500 bonus

For science!

Artwork by Zoe Gillette