Another important geological discovery has occurred that has stunned the world! In a huge breakthrough, scientists have discovered a huge underwater mountain, identified as a seamount, on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Guatemala. According to an ocean survey by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the seamount is believed to be the remnant of an extinct volcano and resembles other seamounts.
You will be shocked to know that the height of the seamount is 1600 m ( 5,249 feet), which is almost twice the height of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world! The seamount was discovered during an expedition by the non-profit organization Schmidt Ocean Institute.
This colossal discovery, covering an area of 14 square kilometers and located at a depth of 2,400 m (7,874 ft) below sea level, occurred in July in as part of the institute's ongoing ocean exploration efforts using the research vessel Falkor.
Falkor, equipped with a multi-beam echo sounder, used sound waves to map the seafloor by sending them out in a fan shape and measuring the time it took for the sound to reach the bottom of the ocean and return back. Tomer Ketter, a hydrographer and marine technician at the Schmidt Ocean Institute, noted that the seamount was not in any deep ocean databases, including the General Bathymetric Map of the Oceans.
Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director Schmidt Ocean Institute, expressed her enthusiasm, saying: “The seamount, more than 1.5 kilometers high, which until now was hidden under the waves, really highlights how much we still have to discover.”
She emphasized the importance of a comprehensive map of the seafloor to understanding the ocean and celebrated the era of technology to explore and visualize these previously unseen aspects of our planet.
Les Watling, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, emphasized that the study seamounts began relatively recently thanks to advances in human-capable submersibles and high-performance remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
The discovery occurred in 84 sea miles from Guatemala's exclusive economic zone. According to NOAA, there are more than 100,000 seamounts taller than 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) worldwide, but less than one-tenth of one percent have been explored to date.
Source: timesofindia
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