Scientist Finds 4 New Underwater Mountains, Triple The Height Of Burj Khalifa
Oceans are full of wonders. You never know what lies beneath the water’s surface. In a surprising discovery, Schmidt Ocean Institute has discovered four new seamounts, or underwater mountains, during a recent transit from Costa Rica to Chile.
The research reveals that the tallest peak rises over 1.5 miles from the seafloor, adding to other mountain discoveries in the region. The four newly discovered seamounts range in height from approximately 1,591 meters (5,220 feet) to 2,681 meters (8,796 feet). The tallest undersea mountain towers over 5,220 feet high, even taller than the iconic Burj Khalifa skyscraper.
These massive seafloor features were found by the team examining gravity anomalies and subtle changes in the ocean’s surface shape indicating underwater topography shifts. The mountains first manifested as slight surface depressions and bumps picked up via satellite data. This latest discovery adds to a 1,600-meter-tall underwater mountain mapped in November 2022 off Guatemala’s coast.
Significance of Ocean Mapping
The discoveries highlight gaps in the current understanding of the seafloor. Detailed mapping enables better resource management, navigation safety, and biodiversity protection. Schmidt Ocean Institute is a partner in the Seabed 2030 project to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Only 25% is mapped currently.
Seamounts often host vibrant coral reefs, sponges, anemones and other organisms. They provide food, shelter and surfaces to cling to. Every such discovery reveals new and understudied marine biodiversity hotspots. More mapping leads to incredible new species finds.
