Scientists have made an incredible discovery while on a research voyage from Golfito in Costa Rica to Valparaiso in Chile. They found four underwater mountains, with one towering over 2.5 kilometers high—three times taller than the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
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| (Image: Google) |
These underwater mountains, or seamounts, vary in size from around 1,591 kilometers to over 2,681 kilometers high. The team from the Schmidt Ocean Institute made this remarkable find, adding to their previous discovery of a 1,600-meter tall mountain off the coast of Guatemala last November.
Using advanced technology and expert analysis, marine technicians confirmed that these mountains had not been documented before. They came across them while studying gravity anomalies during their journey. Changes in the seafloor's shape cause subtle shifts on the ocean surface. A deep trench creates a small depression, while a mountain forms a slight bump.
John Fulmer, one of the researchers, explained, "We looked for bumps on a map, and when we did, we located these very large seamounts while staying on schedule for our first science expedition in Chile at the start of this year."
The Schmidt Ocean team has been using research vessels like the Falkor and Falkor (too) to map vast areas of the ocean floor. In total, they've mapped about 1.5 million square kilometers and discovered 29 underwater features, including mountains, hills, and trenches. This work is crucial because underwater trenches often support diverse ecosystems, including deep-sea coral reefs, sponges, and anemones, providing habitats for various marine life.
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