Scientists noticed rows of holes on the sea floor about 2.5 kilometers below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Such holes were observed in this region 18 years ago, but experts are still confused about how they formed. And they ask for help finding the answer.
The mysterious holes at the bottom were encountered in late July while exploring the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, an underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean, by the crew of the Okeanos Explorer used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The scientists found a few straight lines lined up with the holes. They occur at regular intervals and there are small mounds of sediment around each.
Not the first time
This is again when such holes were spotted on the ocean floor. They were noticed by divers in this area in July 2004, descending with search instruments to a depth of about 2,100 meters. At the time, scientists proposed a theory that a creature living in the depths was behind the creation of the holes. However, it was not possible to find its trace.
You can also see two red dots in the image below for one row of holes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said these were laser points that were 10 centimeters apart at the time the image was taken. This distance is approximately between each of the visible holes. It is not known how deep the holes are and whether they are connected under the bottom.
“What is your hypothesis?”
“They’ve been seen before, but their origins remain a mystery,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on social media. We read: “It looks like man-made, but the sediments around it give the impression that it was dug up by doing something.”
In the same entry, NOAA encouraged people to share their thoughts on where the holes came from. What is your hypothesis? – It was written. Various ideas have already been presented in the comments. According to netizens, the holes may be caused by rising gas from the bottom of the sea or may be, for example, caused by unknown types of crabs.
LiveScience, oceanexplorer.noaa.gov
Main image source: NOAA Ocean Exploration, Journey to the Ridge 2022
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