July 21, 2026

Less than 30% of the ocean floor has been mapped in high detail.

Although we’ve mapped the surfaces of the Moon and Mars in remarkable detail, more than 70% of Earth’s seafloor still hasn’t been mapped at high resolution. Scientists know the general shape of the ocean floor from satellite measurements, but detailed maps require ships equipped with sonar, and that work is slow and expensive.

Why it matters:

There are likely thousands of underwater mountains, canyons, and volcanoes that remain poorly documented.
Better maps improve navigation, earthquake and tsunami research, cable routing, and marine conservation.
New species are regularly discovered in deep-sea habitats that have never been explored.

The deepest known point in the ocean, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, is nearly 11 kilometers (about 7 miles) below sea level—deep enough that if you placed Mount Everest in it, the mountain’s peak would still be more than a mile underwater.

The ocean covers about 71% of Earth’s surface, yet much of its depths remain one of the least explored places on our planet.

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