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Researchers Just Found Thousands Of New Mountains On The Seafloor
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have successfully mapped the ocean floor with unprecedented detail, revealing thousands of previously unknown mountains. The stunning breakthrough is set to revolutionize our understanding of the Earth’s tectonic processes and has significant implications for navigation and underwater exploration.
Using data from NASA’s SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) mission, scientists were able to create a detailed map of the ocean floor, identifying thousands of new seamounts. These underwater mountains, previously undetected due to their size and location, are expected to significantly expand our knowledge of the Earth’s plate tectonics.
The SWOT satellite was designed to measure changes in water height across lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. However, researchers discovered that the mission’s data could be used to create a topographic map of the ocean floor. By analyzing the slight deformation of the sea surface above underwater features, scientists were able to detect even smaller seamounts than previously possible.
This discovery has immense implications for our understanding of the Earth’s plate tectonics and how these processes shape our planet. The data will also have significant practical applications, including improving navigation and laying underwater communications cables.
In addition to revealing thousands of new seamounts, the study published in Science highlights the importance of refining the depth of these features. Researchers plan to achieve this by calculating the depth of detected topographic changes.
The discovery is a major step towards mapping the entire ocean floor by 2030, an initiative led by the international scientific community. The study was made possible through collaboration between NASA and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Études Spatiales).
This breakthrough has the potential to transform our understanding of the Earth’s processes, providing invaluable insights for geologists, oceanographers, and the general public alike.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2025/03/31/researchers-just-found-thousands-of-new-mountains-on-the-seafloor/
