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Showing posts with label strange news Holsworthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strange news Holsworthy. Show all posts
Deep-sea researchers have spotted a rock formation that resembles a 'yellow brick road' off coast of Hawaii
They said: 'What may look like the road to Atlantis is really an example of ancient active volcanic geology'
Feature was located in Liliʻuokalani Ridge in the Papahānaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Pacific
The crew of Exploration Vessel Nautilus caught sight of the formation and described it as a 'yellow brick road'
It may look similar to the
yellow brick road in The Wizard of Oz, or perhaps a hidden path to the
mythical lost city of Atlantis.
But deep-sea researchers who
spotted the incredible rock formation say it is actually an example of
ancient active volcanic geology on the ocean floor near Hawaii.
The
strange-looking feature, which resembles a road paved in cobblestones,
was located in the Liliʻuokalani Ridge in the Papahānaumokuakea Marine
National Monument (PMNM) in the Pacific Ocean.
PMNM
is one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world – bigger
than all the national parks in the US combined – and researchers have
only explored about three per cent of its sea floor.
The
crew of Exploration Vessel Nautilus research ship caught sight of the
formation and described it as a 'yellow brick road' and 'the road to
Atlantis' in a video of the discovery.
'It's the road to Atlantis,' a researcher on the radio can be heard saying.
'The yellow brick road?' another adds, while a separate member team member calls it 'bizarre' and 'crazy'.
The
team said: 'What may look like a "yellow brick road" to the mythical
city of Atlantis is really an example of ancient active volcanic
geology!
'Our
Corps of Exploration have witnessed incredibly unique and fascinating
geological formations while diving on the Lili*uokalani Ridge within
Papah*naumokuakea Marine National Monument.'
Nautilus
spent most of April studying the geology and biological systems of
'seamounts' – underwater mountains with volcanic origins.
The
team added in a statement: 'At the summit of Nootka Seamount, the team
spotted a "dried lake bed" formation, now IDed as a fractured flow of
hyaloclastite rock (a volcanic rock formed in high-energy eruptions
where many rock fragments settle to the seabed).
'The unique 90-degree fractures are likely related to heating and cooling stress from multiple eruptions at this baked margin.
'Throughout
the seamount chain, the team also sampled basalts coated with
ferromanganese (iron-manganese) crusts from across different depths and
oxygen saturations as well as an interesting-looking pumice rock that
almost resembled a sponge.'
The
exploration vessel is operated by the non-profit Ocean Exploration
Trust, which livestreams what its remote-operated diving vehicles see in
the deep.
The bizarre rock formation
was spotted during Ocean Exploration Trust's Expedition NA138 to explore
the Papah*naumoku*kea Marine National Monument (PMNM), in partnership
with the NOAA Ocean Exploration and the Office of National Marine
Sanctuaries.
Nautilus has recorded all sorts of unusual sea life, including dumbo octopuses and 'piglet squids'.
The
team said the primary objective of their latest expedition was to
gather samples to determine the geologic origin and age of seamounts to
gain a better understanding of the formation of the northwestern
Hawaiian Islands.
They added that the
seamounts would also be surveyed for biodiversity, in the hope of
finding rich coral and sponge communities commonly found at these
depths.
'Considering the presumed
Cretaceous age of the Liliʻuokalani Ridge seamounts, it is expected that
relatively thick ferromanganese crusts have formed on exposed rock
surfaces, particularly on the flanks of the seamounts where
sedimentation is minimised,' they added.
An
E/V Nautilus spokesperson said: 'Our exploration of this
never-before-surveyed area is helping researchers take a deeper look at
life on and within the rocky slopes of these deep, ancient seamounts.
'These studies will help
provide baseline information on the living communities of seamounts
which can inform management and conservation measures.'
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT ATLANTIS?
Atlantis was recorded in the writings of the famed Greek philosopher Plato around 400 BC.
He described an advanced island civilisation that ruled a vast maritime empire.
According to Plato, Atlantis existed some 9,000 years before his own era.
The
city of Atlantis at the centre of this empire was described as having,
among other features, an enormous harbour wall and huge entrance
pillars.
It had a temple to the god Poseidon and massive circular pieces of land carved out by the Atlanteans to live on.
It
is thought a cataclysmic natural disaster, such as a tsunami or
volcanic event, eventually wiped out the Atlanteans, consigning their
legacy to legend.
Scientists are yet to
find conclusive evidence that Atlantis ever existed, and many scholars
believe Plato invented the myth as a way to present his philosophical
theories.
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The yellow brick road to Atlantis? Incredible rock formation spotted on ocean floor near Hawaii