Which term refers to the deepest layer commonly called the abyss?

• A. Abyss
• B. Abyssopelagic zone
• C. Hadopelagic zone
• D. Bathypelagic zone

Answer: (A)

The deepest part of the open ocean that people often call the abyss is described scientifically by the abyssopelagic zone. This zone runs roughly from 4,000 to 6,000 meters below the surface, where sunlight doesn’t reach, temperatures are near freezing, and pressure is extreme. It’s darker and more remote than the shallower bathypelagic zone (about 1,000 to 4,000 meters). In trenches, depths exceed 6,000 meters and enter the hadopelagic zone, which is even deeper. So when identifying the term for the deepest layer commonly referred to as the abyss, the abyssopelagic zone is the precise match. The word abyss is a descriptive label for these depths, but the formal name for that deepest pelagic band is abyssopelagic.