Molloy Deep
| Molloy Deep | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 79°8′12″N 2°49′0″E / 79.13667°N 2.81667°E |
| Type | Oceanic trench |
| Etymology | Arthur E. Molloy |
| Part of | Fram Strait |
| Max. depth | 5,550 m (18,210 ft) |
| Water volume | 600 km3 (140 cu mi) |
The Molloy Deep (also known as the Molloy Hole) is a bathymetric feature in the Fram Strait, within the Greenland Sea east of Greenland and about 160 km (100 mi) west of Svalbard. It is the location of the deepest point in the Arctic Ocean. The Molloy Deep, Molloy Hole, Molloy Fracture Zone, and Molloy Ridge were named after Arthur E. Molloy, a U.S. Navy research scientist who worked in the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Arctic Oceans in the 1950s–1970s.
The outer rim of the trench is at a depth of 2,700 m (8,900 ft) and contains about 600 km2 (230 sq mi) inside the rim, descending to approximately 5,550 m (18,210 ft) at its greatest depth. The basin floor measures about 220 km2 (85 sq mi) and is the deepest point in the Arctic Ocean. The only person to have reached the bottom of the Molloy Deep is American explorer Victor Vescovo as part of his Five Deeps Expedition.