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Undersea Mountain 2,680 Meters High. PHOTO/ IFL
ALASKA – Scientists have discovered a new underwater mountain range that rises more than 2,680 meters above the sea floor. These mountains, located in the South Pacific Ocean, were discovered using gravity anomaly data.
As reported by IFL Science, gravitational anomalies are small variations in the Earth's gravitational force caused by differences in mass beneath the Earth's surface.
These underwater mountains have a greater mass than the surrounding water, causing gravitational anomalies that can be detected by satellites.
Scientists used satellite data to create a map of gravity anomalies in the South Pacific Ocean. This map shows areas with high gravity anomalies, which are likely the locations of underwater mountains.
To confirm the existence of these underwater mountains, scientists used sonar to map the seabed.
Sonar sends sound waves to the ocean floor and measures the time it takes to return. Sonar data shows that there are underwater mountains that are about 1,500 kilometers long and about 500 kilometers wide.
This underwater mountain range has not yet been named, but scientists estimate its height to be 2,680 meters. This makes this mountain range one of the highest underwater mountains in the world.
The discovery of these underwater mountains is important because it can help scientists to better understand the geology of the seabed and how underwater mountains form. These underwater mountains can also be a habitat for various kinds of marine life.
(wbs)