- Zhemchug Canyon
Zhemchug Canyon is a giant underwater
canyon located in the middle of theBering Sea . Thissubmarine canyon is the largest canyon in the ocean.Normark, W.R. and Carlson, P.R., 2003, Giant submarine canyons: Is size any clue to their importance in the rock record? in Chan, M.A., and Archer, A.W., eds., Extreme depositional environments: Mega end members in geologic time: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Special Paper 370, p. 1–15] The canyon has a vertical relief of 2600 meters dropping from the shallow shelf the Bering Sea to the depths of theAleutian Basin . Zhemchug Canyon is deeper than theGrand Canyon [Forces of Nature: [http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/flash/phenomena.swf "Bering Sea Canyons."Retrieved March 21, 2007.] ] . Zhemchug Canyon has two main branches, each larger than typicalcontinental margin canyons such as theMonterey Canyon .What makes the Zhemchug Canyon the largest canyon in the world is not only its great depth, but its large cross-sectional area. Zhemchug Canyon is the largest submarine canyon in the world, based on drainage area (11,350 km2) and volume (5800 km3).
Ocean wildlife
Zhemchug canyon is important habitat for many species of ocean wildlife. The endangered
short-tailed albatross congregates to feed over the surface waters of the canyon. Marine mammals such asNorthern Fur Seal feed in the canyon as do many species of whales. Habitat-forming invertebrates such asbubblegum coral ,bamboo coral , soft corals,Hexactinellid sponges, and other sponges have been identified duringtrawl surveys in the canyon.References
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