What is the name of the largest submarine canyon in the world?

The largest submarine canyon in the world is Zhemchug Canyon, a vast underwater canyon in the Bering Sea. It is also regarded as the world’s deepest submarine canyon, with a vertical relief of about 2,600 metres (8,530 feet).

Zhemchug Canyon lies between the Siberian and Alaskan coastlines and cuts through the broad Bering Sea shelf toward the Aleutian Basin. It extends for approximately 160 kilometres (99 miles). Its enormous scale is measured not only by depth and length, but also by its cross-sectional area, drainage area and total volume—characteristics that distinguish it from better-known canyons such as Monterey Canyon.

The canyon’s name comes from the Russian word “жемчуг,” meaning “pearl.” Its steep topography influences water circulation and helps bring nutrient-rich deep water upward. That upwelling supports a productive marine ecosystem in the otherwise cold, challenging waters of the Bering Sea. Although the Grand Canyon is far more famous, Zhemchug Canyon is substantially deeper when its underwater vertical relief is compared with the Grand Canyon’s land-based depth.