A series of “perfectly aligned” holes were found on the Mid-Atlantic ocean bottom, as seen in footage taken by a remotely operated submarine from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
According to NOAA Ocean Exploration, the federal agency responsible for studying the oceans, the public has proposed several theories about how these holes formed.
A lot of information is lacking regarding what may have caused the holes. However, a relatively smooth ocean floor was surrounding the area where the mysterious holes were found. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that humans were involved due to the depth — 1.7 miles or around 3 kilometers beneath the surface — at which the marks were made.
An organized series of holes have been discovered on the Atlantic Ocean floor, which seems to have been made by humans — except for the very likely fact that they were not, given the depth of the ocean floor in the region.
NOAA researchers studying the ocean floor aboard the Okeanos Explorer discovered the “perfectly aligned” holes on 23 July, but they had previously been reported from the area.
In an effort to determine how these holes formed, NOAA Ocean Exploration has invited the public to share their theories.
“On Saturday’s Okeanos dive, we observed several sublinear sets of holes in the sediment. These holes have been previously reported in the region. However, their origin remains a mystery,” NOAA wrote in a Facebook post.
“While they look almost human-made, the little piles of sediment around the holes make them seem like they were excavated by… something,” revealed the federal organization.
On Saturday, scientists visited the summit of a volcano beneath the Azores – an autonomous region of Portugal in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean – at a depth of about 3km.
The mysterious holes were recorded using a remotely operated camera.
During the Okeanos vessel’s Voyage to the Ridge 2022 expedition, scientists explored and mapped low-depth areas of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and Azores Plateau which are poorly understood.
Great ideas re: origin of mysterious holes seen at 2,540 m (1.6 mi) depth during #Okeanos Voyage to the Ridge 2022! This wasn't 1st time these were seen & while scientists aren't sure how holes formed, they suspect their origin is likely biological: https://t.co/yGpbuz7phP pic.twitter.com/dOuIjPlHX9
— NOAA Ocean Exploration (@oceanexplorer) July 27, 2022
“During Dive 04 of the second Voyage to the Ridge 2022 expedition, we observed several of these sublinear sets of holes in the sediment,” NOAA Ocean Exploration said.
The federal organization shared the discovery images and invited the public to share their theories in a Facebook post. “What’s your hypothesis?” it asked.
During the expedition, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – a frequent earthquake site – will be studied over more than 16,000 kilometers.
It is considered one of the world’s longest mountain ranges and a prominent geological as revealed by NOAA.
According to scientists, most of the ridge lies underwater and has largely remained unexplored.
In this exploration mission, scientists will use remotely operated vehicles to map and dive along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (north of the Azores) and the Azores Plateau.
This mission will provide data on coral communities, sponge communities, and Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone communities in deep-sea environments along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Azores Plateau, and Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone.
A NOAA statement noted that despite recent research has made significant advancements in our understanding and appreciation of corals and sponges, more work needs to be done. This is especially true in the unexplored and poorly understood deepwater areas we plan to explore.
Next month, they will focus their mapping efforts on the Azores Plateau and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge – south of the Azores. NOAA said that during dives, the team would explore deep-sea coral and sponge habitats, potential hydrothermal vents and extinct polymetallic sulfide systems, fracture and rift zones, and the water column.
It is no surprise to make such unexpected discoveries at the bottom of the ocean. Most of the seabed floor remains unexplored. Earlier this ear, we reported a strange discovery made at the bottom of the ocean floor by another expedition that discovered a mysterious “yellow brick road.”
Unlike the enigmatic holes discovered near the Azores, the “yellow brick road” was likely formed by a geological process.
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