McMurdo Sound at a glance
- 572 maverage depth
- 577 mmedian depth
- 1,397 mmaximum depth
- 71,775 km²water area
McMurdo Sound is a sound. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 71,775 km² of water, with an average depth of about 572 m (the middle value is 577 m) and a maximum of 1,397 m, found at 75.32° S, 163.59° E.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the McMurdo Sound?
The bar splits the McMurdo Sound's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 6.6%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 90.9%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 2.4%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Iulia Mud Volcano (85 km), Drygalski Basin (100 km), Glomar Challenger Basin (501 km), Lyall Basin (550 km).
The McMurdo Sound if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the McMurdo Sound's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 337 km² | 0.5% |
| 20 m | 694 km² | 1% |
| 50 m | 1,407 km² | 2% |
| 80 m | 2,002 km² | 2.8% |
| 120 m | 2,655 km² | 3.7% |
| 200 m | 4,758 km² | 6.6% |
| 500 m | 27,582 km² | 38.4% |
| 1,000 m | 70,033 km² | 97.6% |
| 2,000 m | 71,775 km² | 100% |
| 3,000 m | 71,775 km² | 100% |
| 4,000 m | 71,775 km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 71,775 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Ross Sea average depth about 2,026 m
- Amundsen Sea average depth about 603 m
- Davis Sea average depth about 1,562 m
- Weddell Sea average depth about 1,552 m
- Bellingshausen Sea average depth about 524 m
- Tasman Sea average depth about 3,360 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the McMurdo Sound?
On average about 572 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 577 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 1,397 m, at 75.32° S, 163.59° E.
How big is the McMurdo Sound?
About 71,775 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the McMurdo Sound would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 50 m lower, about 1,407 km² (2%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the sound. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.