A great mass of submerged land was discovered projecting vertically up from the ocean floor by scientists aboard research vessel Falkor (too), operated by the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI), during a survey 84 miles off the Guatemalan coast, SOI stated in a press release.
The colossal seamount, as they are termed, measures 1,600 meters (5,249 feet) tall at its peak, rising from a depth of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) at the seafloor to a height 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) below sea level. The cone-shaped underwater mountain located in international waters is twice the size of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
“A seamount of 1.5 kilometers [0.9 miles] tall which has, until now, been hidden under the waves really highlights how much we have yet to discover,” executive director of SOI Jyotika Virmani stated.
Outfitted with its multibeam EM124 echosounder, the vessel discovered the mass covering 14 square kilometers (5.4 square miles) during a seafloor mapping expedition that launched last March. This marks the Falkor (too)’s ninth seabed discovery since setting sail, SOI stated.
Other marine finds include two other seamounts in the Galapagos Islands Marine Reserve, three hydrothermal vents, an ecosystem beneath the vents, and two cold-water coral reefs.
It is notable how the vertical cliffs of the new seamount make it a biodiversity hotspot, experts said. Most of the ocean is composed of loose, muddy sediment but such mud does not stick to the rocky seamount sides, which then form habitats for sponges, corals, and a host of invertebrates, SOI stated.
There are still over 100,000 unexplored seamounts taller than 1,000 meters (3,280.84 feet), according to estimates based on satellite data provided by NOAA.
Continuing its research, SOI hopes its explorations and surveys of the deep sea will create more accurate and higher-resolution maps that will help guide further scientific research and make new discoveries.
“On every expedition, those aboard Falkor (too) have found the unexpected, the awe-inspiring, the new,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder and president of Schmidt Ocean Institute. “While there is so much we’ve come to understand as discoveries tumble ever faster into view, so much remains unknown in our Ocean—and we are thrilled to continue exploring.”
