Record #00489Nature archive
The Peru–Chile Trench extends roughly 5,900 km along the Pacific margin of South America, where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath the South American Plate, and is widely described in geoscience literature as the longest ocean trench.
Current Record
about5,900km
Current record value
The trench roughly parallels the coasts of Peru and Chile, reflecting subduction of the Nazca Plate below South America. Its tectonic setting is closely linked to regional earthquakes and the Andean volcanic arc.
A 1996 USGS comparison lists the Peru–Chile Trench at 5,900 km, longer than other major trenches in the table. Marine sediment studies report the same approximation. Some papers loosely refer to the Atacama hadal segment as the whole trench, so its full length must not be inferred from the subsection alone.
Credible sources support core facts; the comparison scope or corroboration remains incomplete.
Basis: direct confirmation by an authority
The 1996 USGS table lists Peru–Chile at 5,900 km, longer than the other major trenches shown, and a peer-reviewed marine study calls it the world's largest trench. The figure refers to the full trench axis; Atacama-section naming and geological endpoint definitions vary, so developing is retained.
Trench length depends on continuity and geographic delimitation; 5,900 km is an approximate research value.
Current Entry identifies the current entry in this archive; it does not establish that the record is still held today.
The record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
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