Oceanographers Team Discover Over 19,000 of Underwater Volcanoes
- NOAA
VoxPop – The team of oceanographers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, Chungnam National University in South Korea, and the University of Hawaii discovered over 19,000 new underwater volcanoes by used radar satellite data to map the volcanoes, and published their findings in the Earth and Space Science journal.
There could be over a million underwater volcanoes across the sea floor, but nobody knows just how many as much of the ocean's floor has still not been explored. According to the study, only 20 percent of the seafloor has been mapped by ships.
Julie Gevorgian, a research data analyst at The Scripps Institution of Oceanography and co-author of the study, said: "There have been a handful of studies that predicted there could be thousands of seamounts on the ocean floor. Even then, 19,000 new seamounts is still incredible to think about."
"Especially when you realize just how big these seamounts are and how they were previously unknown. It really is all due to the improvement in the gravity data from satellite altimetry throughout the last few years which has allowed scientists to better understand the topography of the seafloor," he added.
Gunung bawah laut.
- www.dailymail.co.uk/University of Tasmania and Australia Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The same as land volcanoes, underwater volcanoes either form by tectonic plates colliding, or a volcanic eruption. Underwater volcanoes are also known as seamounts.
Seamounts are valuable, knowing where they are can assist with sea mining efforts as well as bettering submarine pathways. Two U.S. submarines have run into seamounts before, which can pose danger to the crew, a press release detailing the study said.
Mapping the location of seamounts can also help scientists understand the Earth's tectonic plates and geomagnetic field. The study said the volcanoes can be an insight into the composition and temperature of the Earth's mantle.
Seamounts affect deep ocean currents. When currents collide with seamounts, they get pushed toward the surface, carrying cold water. As the oceans are absorbing more carbon dioxide due to climate change, this can be important to analyze. Seamounts are vibrant with minerals and can provide a habitat for an abudance of marine life.
