- #1
- 22,046
- 6,641
https://www.yahoo.com/news/startlingly-round-formation-steep-smooth-141125280.htmlA seamount, as underwater mountains are called, was discovered by a seafloor mapping drone and its shape is more like a giant tower than a mountain.
It rises about 3,300 feet, has “relatively steep, smooth sides” and is rounded, with a diameter of nearly 3,000 feet, officials say.
The summit of the seamount is about 11,352 feet below sea level. Meanwhile, the crater at the top of it is 1,200 feet deep, data shows.
“There is a broad size distribution for seamounts but to be classified as a seamount, the feature must have a vertical relief of at least 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above the surrounding seafloor.”
The U.S. Geological Survey reports “there are at least 63 seamounts” off California, and most of them are 100 miles offshore and a mile deep. It’s estimated they are 10 million to 25 million years old, and none are active volcanoes, the USGS says.