This is an area on the bottom of the ocean just north of the Hawaiian Islands. The seafloor was being investigated by the Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus underwater vessel and this was an unexpected find.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00This is an area on the bottom of the ocean just north of the Hawaiian Islands.
00:08The seafloor was being investigated by the Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus underwater
00:13vessel and this was an unexpected find.
00:16It looks like a road on the seafloor, nearly 3,280 feet below the surface, well over half
00:22a mile down.
00:23I feel like I'm looking at like a road to Atlantis.
00:27So what is it?
00:28Well scientists say while it looks like the road to Atlantis, this is actually an ancient
00:32lake bed.
00:33And the dry appearance is likely the result of volcanic activity literally baking the
00:37crust into this brick-like appearance.
00:39With the research team writing about it, quote, the unique 90 degree fractures are likely
00:43related to heating and cooling stress from multiple eruptions at this baked margin.
00:48With each brick being a tiny fracture caused by this stress, lining up just like bricks
00:52in a road.
00:53The Ocean Exploration Trust is constantly pushing the boundaries of deep sea surveying
00:57And with only 3% of the ocean's floor mapped, they certainly have their work cut out for them.