Famous Trenches

Trenches come in many shapes and sizes. Some exist on a massive scale at the bottom of the ocean while others are hand-dug just a few feet into the earth. Are you familiar with some of the world's most famous trenches, either from history or that still exist today? If not, take a seat and listen up. It's time for a lesson in the trenches.

Marianas Trench

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

If you're looking for the deepest oceanic trench in the world, look no further than the western Pacific Ocean just east of the Mariana Islands. The Marianas or Mariana Trench reaches a maximum known depth of 11,034 meters as measured by a Soviet vessel in 1957. That's almost 7 miles underwater. At that depth, the atmospheric pressure is over 1,000 times greater than at sea level, and the temperature hovers just above freezing.

Japan Trench

Photo courtesy of civil.engg.world.blogspot.com

Located off the eastern shore of Japan, this trench was once thought to be the deepest point in the world. At 8,513 meters (5.3 miles) below sea level at its deepest point, it was a reasonable assumption for many years. However, when the Marianas Trench was found in the 50s, the Japan Trench lost its status as the deepest place in the world.

Trans-Alaska Pipeline Trench

Photo courtesy of PBS

While this trench is now filled by an oil pipeline, it was once a massive man-made trench. The pipeline was completed in 1977, but before that, 800 miles of trenches had to be dug to carry oil from Prudhoe Bay in north Alaska to Valdez in the south. Trenches were primarily carved out of the earth by construction equipment, but in areas inaccessible to heavy equipment, laborers had to dig with shovels. It was a painstaking construction project in the harsh Alaskan wilderness that took three years to complete and claimed the lives of 32 laborers.

World War I Trenches

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

While trench warfare has been employed since ancient times, WWI was the first time it was used on such an unprecedented scale. By the end of 1914, 475 miles of trenches spanned the Western Front between the North Sea and the Swiss frontier. Most trenches of this era included a 10-foot-high front wall (known as the parapet), two to three feet of sandbags piled above ground level, and a fire step that let soldiers see above the high wall and shoot at their enemies. Life in the trenches was muddy and miserable, to say the least.

Trenchless Pipe Repair

Trenches have their place - whether it's on the ocean floor or spanning the state of Alaska - but they don't belong in your backyard. Before you allow a pipe repair company to dig your very own Marianas Trench, consider that trenchless pipe repair might be a feasible option. As the name suggests, trenchless pipe repair is a method of fixing damaged pipes without digging holes and removing the pipes in a traditional way. All the crew needs is a small access point and they can either pull a new pipe into the place of the old one or rehabilitate the damaged pipe by relining it. Call Mr. Rooter® today to find out if trenchless pipe repair is an option for you.