Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists aboard a research vessel traveling from Golfito in Costa Rica to Valparaiso in Chile have announced the discovery of four underwater mountains. The Schmidt Ocean Institute revealed this groundbreaking find.
The tallest of these newly discovered underwater mountains measures over 2.5 kilometers in length, making it more than three times taller than the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.
This discovery builds upon the same crew's previous identification of a 1,600-meter tall mountain off the coast of Guatemala in November last year.
Marine technicians and hydrographic experts from the Schmidt Ocean Institute confirmed that these mountains were previously undocumented. They identified the formations while analysing gravity anomalies during their voyage from Costa Rica to Chile.
The scientists utilized satellite altimetry data to identify gravity anomalies, indicating changes in the seafloor's shape. By plotting a course to investigate these anomalies, they successfully mapped previously unknown underwater features.
John Fulmer, one of the researchers involved in the expedition, explained that they planned their mapping route based on gravity anomalies, enabling them to locate these substantial seamounts while adhering to their scheduled science expedition.
Scientists aboard the research vessels Falkor and Falkor (too) have mapped approximately 1.5 million square kilometres of the ocean floor and have identified a total of 29 underwater mountains, hills, and trenches. The latest discovery was made using Falkor (too).
This discovery holds significance as underwater trenches often serve as habitats for deep-sea coral reefs, sponges, and anemones, providing a home for various marine organisms.