26 November 2023 , 13:05
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A jaw-dropping map shows an underwater mountain twice the size of the imposing Burj Khalifa sitting 2,000m below sea level.
Experts mapping the ocean floor off the coast of Guatemala were stunned to discover the enormous underwater seamount which stood at 5,249ft. That is double the size of the world's tallest building in Dubai - and they hope it will help them to understand what's under the waves a lot better.
Scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute made the incredible find using a multibeam echosounder on board the Falkor research vessel and Dr Jyotika Virmani says the 1,600m tall mountain tall was totally unexpected. Covering 5.4 square miles, they say it could be of real significance.
Experts mapping the seafloor off the coast of Guatemala were left stunned (Schmidt Ocean Institute)The executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute said: "A seamount over 1.5 kilometres tall which has, until now, been hidden under the waves really highlights how much we have yet to discover. A complete seafloor map is a fundamental element of understanding our Ocean so it's exciting to be living in an era where technology allows us to map and see these amazing parts of our planet for the first time!"
Wendy Schmidt, the co-founder and president of Schmidt Ocean Institute, went on: "On every expedition, those aboard Falkor have found the unexpected, the awe-inspiring, the new. 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."
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The Schmidt Ocean Institute's map shows the sheer scale of the incredible discovery (Schmidt Ocean Institute)So far in 2023, the world's oceanographic community have built a public map of almost one quarter of the ocean's floor. Over the last decade, the Schmidt Ocean Institute's surveys have added around 1.4 million square kilometers of data. But the mountain is not the only find to leave people stunned in 2023.
Scientists found a golden orb at the bottom of the ocean earlier this year - and they admit they have no idea what it is. Researchers operating a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) spotted the shiny mystery 3.2km deep off the coast of Alaska on 30 August. A team from the U.S. government's NOAA Ocean Exploration department were left confused and excited by the sighting.
In footage from the find, a member of the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition crew is heard to say "it's like the beginning of a horror movie", while another suggests "I'm pretty sure this is how the first episode of the X-Files started." Upon spotting the orb, the team made suggestions on what it could be, including a yellow hat, a face, an egg casing or a dead sponge. One researcher says: "It's almost like it was a face and whatever it was on it fell off." Another says: "It's definitely got a big old hole in it, so something tried to get in or get out."