Update: For more information about the graphic, see http://explainxkcd.com/1040/

The XKCD online comic strip frequently has some interesting graphics.

Below is one illustrating the relative depths (and some heights) of places on Earth. The depths and ship lengths show are all on the same scale; the horizontal scale is squeezed together, except for the two insert drawings.

A few things to look for:

• The world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
• The maximum diving depths of blue whales, sperm whales, and sea turtles
• The depth below sea level of the surface of the Dead Sea
• The depth of the Deepwater Horizon oil well (the source of the horrific spill in the Gulf of Mexico) — both where it started and how deep it reached!

Click on the image for a much larger, more readable version:

by