Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
New Hebrides Trench
submarine trench, Pacific Ocean
New Hebrides Trench, submarine trench in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, on the periphery of the Coral Sea, between the islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia. It reaches maximum depths of some 25,000 feet (7,600 metres) or more, the deepest soundings in the whole Coral Sea region. The trench is about 750 miles (1,200 km) long and 45 miles (70 km) wide and covers an area of 32,400 square miles (84,000 square km). The trench curls around the southern end of Vanuatu in a manner suggesting a diagonal symmetry with the northern end of the nearby Tonga Trench. It is an example of a bathymetric feature whose existence was expected from the evidence of the New Hebrides seismic zone; it was first discovered in 1910 by a German naval vessel.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.