Cayman Trough facts for kids
The Cayman Trough (also known as the Cayman Trench or Bartlett Deep) is the deepest part of the Caribbean Sea. This amazing underwater valley is found between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. It's a key part of the boundary where two huge pieces of Earth's crust, called tectonic plates, meet. These plates are the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. The Trough stretches from Cuba all the way towards Guatemala.
This narrow underwater valley runs from east-northeast to west-southwest. It reaches an incredible depth of about 25,217 feet (7,686 meters). On land, this formation continues as the Motagua Fault in Guatemala. It even extends into the Pacific Ocean, where it meets another deep area called the Middle America Trench.
Scientists from the United Kingdom have made exciting discoveries here. They found special openings on the ocean floor called hydrothermal vents. In 2012, they announced that super-hot water comes out of these vents. The water can be hotter than 842°F (450°C)! They also found new kinds of animals living there. One amazing discovery was an eyeless shrimp that has a special organ on its back to sense light.
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Amazing Facts About the Cayman Trough
Deepest Part of the Caribbean
The Cayman Trough is the deepest spot in the entire Caribbean Sea. Imagine a valley so deep that it could easily swallow several of the world's tallest buildings! This makes it a very special place for scientists to study.
Home to Hot Vents
This deep trench is home to some of the deepest and hottest hydrothermal vents on Earth. These vents release superheated water and chemicals from inside the Earth. They create unique environments where strange and wonderful creatures can live, even without sunlight.
A Link to the Past
The Cayman Trough might hold many secrets about deep-sea life around the world. This is because it's located where the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean used to be connected in the deep sea. This connection existed before North America and South America joined together. Studying the Trough can help us understand how ocean life spread in the past.
Extreme Pressure
Life at the bottom of the Trough is very challenging. The pressure there is enormous – about 500 times stronger than the air pressure we feel on land! This is like having the weight of a large family car pushing down on every square inch of a creature's body. Yet, many amazing animals thrive in these extreme conditions.
Images for kids
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False-color image of the Cayman Trough, created from digital maps of the seafloor.
See also
In Spanish: Fosa de las Caimán para niños
