“Awe”: a huge underwater mountain discovered off the coast of America

A peak in the depths of the sea twice as tall as the Burj Khalifa

A huge underwater mountain, twice the height of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, has been discovered off the coast of Guatemala . The seamount covers 5.4 square miles of seafloor and is 5,249 feet high. This is twice the height of the Burj Khalifa, which is 2,722 feet high.

Photo: Schmidt Ocean Institute

Scientists who mapped the sea bottom off the coast of Guatemala, they discovered a huge underwater mountain, writes Daily Mail.

The seamount is 5,249 feet (1,600 m) tall, making it twice as tall as the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building (2,722 feet).

Experts from the Schmidt Oceanological Institute discovered it using a "multi-beam echo sounder" ; on the research vessel Falkor.

“On every expedition, those aboard Falkor find the unexpected, the awe-inspiring, the new,” says Wendy Schmidt, co-founder and president of the institute. “Even though we have become so much realize as discoveries become clearer, there is so much that remains unknown in our oceans – and we are very excited to continue our exploration.”

Covering an area of ​​5.4 square miles (14 square kilometers), the newly discovered seamount lies 7,874 feet (2,400 m) below sea level.

The team discovered it by chance during a six-day trek this summer from Puntarenas, Costa Rica, to the East Pacific Rise, writes the Daily Mail.

“The over 1.5 km high seamount that was until now hidden under the waves really highlights how much we still have to discover,” says Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the institute. – Complete Marine Map The seabed is fundamental to understanding our oceans, so it's exciting to live in an era when technology allows us to map and see these amazing corners of our planet for the first time.»

Seamounts are known to be hotspots of biodiversity, providing surfaces for a range of creatures from deep-sea corals to sponges, as well as a variety of invertebrates.

The team believes this new seamount could be one of many.

The team believes this new seamount could be one of many.

The team believes this new seamount could be one of many.

The team believes this new seamount could be one of many.

The team believes this new seamount could be one of many.

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Recent satellite estimates indicate that there may be more than 100,000 unexplored seamounts greater than 3,280 feet (1,000 m) in height, according to the institute.

Since 2013, the research institute has mapped 555,9871 square miles (44 million square kilometers) of ocean floor, discovering more than 20 underwater features.

Even though it only launched in March, Falkor is responsible for nine discoveries, including two unexplored seamounts in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, three new hydrothermal vent deposits, a new ecosystem beneath hydrothermal vents and two pristine cold-water coral reefs.

According to the Daily Mail, Schmidt Institute of Oceanology is a partner in the Seabed 2030 project, which aims to map the entire seabed by the end of the decade.  This map will not only shed light on the topography of the oceans, but will also help ships navigate more safely.  

The institute said: "The lack of detailed underwater topography or bathymetric data makes it difficult for ships to navigate safely at sea, sustainably manage marine resources, and protect coastal communities."