East China Sea at a glance
- 403 maverage depth
- 109 mmedian depth
- 3,720 mmaximum depth
- 720,109 km²water area
East China Sea is a sea. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 720,109 km² of water, with an average depth of about 403 m (the middle value is 109 m) and a maximum of 3,720 m, found at 23.72° N, 123.94° E.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the East China Sea?
The bar splits the East China Sea's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 64.8%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 20.8%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 14.4%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Iriomote Submarine Volcano (95 km), Hatoma Knoll (128 km), Unnamed volcano (217 km), Aka Seamount (233 km).
The East China Sea if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the East China Sea's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 17,522 km² | 2.4% |
| 20 m | 35,757 km² | 5% |
| 50 m | 107,124 km² | 14.9% |
| 80 m | 229,894 km² | 31.9% |
| 120 m | 393,992 km² | 54.7% |
| 200 m | 466,382 km² | 64.8% |
| 500 m | 519,951 km² | 72.2% |
| 1,000 m | 616,102 km² | 85.6% |
| 2,000 m | 701,089 km² | 97.4% |
| 3,000 m | 719,012 km² | 99.8% |
| 4,000 m | 720,109 km² | 100% |
| 6,000 m | 720,109 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
- Inner Sea average depth about 38 m
- Yellow Sea average depth about 46 m
- Bo Hai average depth about 18 m
- Philippine Sea average depth about 4,472 m
- Sibuyan Sea average depth about 608 m
- Samar Sea average depth about 150 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the East China Sea?
On average about 403 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 109 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 3,720 m, at 23.72° N, 123.94° E.
How big is the East China Sea?
About 720,109 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the East China Sea would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 10 m lower, about 17,522 km² (2.4%) 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 sea. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.