On July 23, during an exploration of the sea floor near Portugal’s mainland, scientists came across dozens of holes resembling tracks at a depth of 1.6 miles. Then on July 28, more holes were found at the Azores Plateau, a place of underwater terrain where three tectonic plates meet. These holes were a mile deep and were found about 300 miles away from the July 23 exploration.
Though scientists don’t know what the holes are, and their origin continues to be a mystery, scientists consider them signs of life. They ask themselves and the public, what in the world is creating these holes, spaced 4 or more inches apart and lined in 5 foot stretches on the ocean floor?
A Twitter post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean Exploration project says, “The holes look human-made, but the little piles of sediment around them suggest they were excavated by … something.” Even weirder, it appears these holes aren’t something very new. NOAA spokesperson Emily Crum says similar holes were found 27 miles away from the recent discovery nearly two decades ago.
Micheal Vecchione, NOAA deep-sea biologist involved in this latest exploration says, “There is something important going on there and we don’t know what it is. This highlights the fact that there are still mysteries out there.” These holes are but one of the mysteries found by scientists as they probe the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent boundary and a section of deep-sea mountains that stretches for over 10,000 miles.
NOAA is seeking answers with three expeditions called Voyage to the Ridge 2022, with journeys that start from Newport, Rhode Island, travel to the Azores, and then journey back to the Caribbean. These expeditions will help experts understand the environment deep down in the ocean depths, how underwater volcanoes support life, and what happens when these processes stop.
“They [the experts] are paying close attention to deep-sea coral and sponge communities, which are ‘some of the most valuable marine ecosystems on Earth.’” said Derek Sowers, expedition coordinator aboard NOAA ship: the Okeanos Explorer.
In the second exploration of the Voyage to the Ridge 2022, the last dive will be livestreamed for all to see. The third voyage begins on 8/7.
Meanwhile, the public is going wild with possible theories for what made these mysterious ocean floor holes. Those in tinfoil hats will say they were made by aliens or by the government, but there are more logical answers. Some think they are tracks made by a submarine, while others think they are breathing holes for some underground creature.
According to Dr. Vecchione, the breathing holes theory isn’t that far-fetched. In a paper about the holes spotted almost two decades ago, Dr. Vecchione, along with Odd Aksel Bergstad, proposed two explanations. One was marine creatures walking or swimming upon the sand, poking these holes like the footprints of the dinosaurs. The other theory was that the holes were made from below by some creature that burrowed into the sand and then jabbed up holes.
Dr. Vecchione says the holes seen on July 28th appear to be made from underneath. He is pleased that scientists have encountered the mysterious ocean holes again but is “a little disappointed” that they still don’t know the exact cause of them.
Until scientists find the true reason these holes exist on the ocean floor near plate boundaries, conspiracy theorists are going to have a lot of material.
Original Article:
There-Are-Holes-on-the-Ocean-Floor.-Scientists-Dont-Know-Why.-The-New-York-Times-4
Download
Though scientists don’t know what the holes are, and their origin continues to be a mystery, scientists consider them signs of life. They ask themselves and the public, what in the world is creating these holes, spaced 4 or more inches apart and lined in 5 foot stretches on the ocean floor?
A Twitter post from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Ocean Exploration project says, “The holes look human-made, but the little piles of sediment around them suggest they were excavated by … something.” Even weirder, it appears these holes aren’t something very new. NOAA spokesperson Emily Crum says similar holes were found 27 miles away from the recent discovery nearly two decades ago.
Micheal Vecchione, NOAA deep-sea biologist involved in this latest exploration says, “There is something important going on there and we don’t know what it is. This highlights the fact that there are still mysteries out there.” These holes are but one of the mysteries found by scientists as they probe the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent boundary and a section of deep-sea mountains that stretches for over 10,000 miles.
NOAA is seeking answers with three expeditions called Voyage to the Ridge 2022, with journeys that start from Newport, Rhode Island, travel to the Azores, and then journey back to the Caribbean. These expeditions will help experts understand the environment deep down in the ocean depths, how underwater volcanoes support life, and what happens when these processes stop.
“They [the experts] are paying close attention to deep-sea coral and sponge communities, which are ‘some of the most valuable marine ecosystems on Earth.’” said Derek Sowers, expedition coordinator aboard NOAA ship: the Okeanos Explorer.
In the second exploration of the Voyage to the Ridge 2022, the last dive will be livestreamed for all to see. The third voyage begins on 8/7.
Meanwhile, the public is going wild with possible theories for what made these mysterious ocean floor holes. Those in tinfoil hats will say they were made by aliens or by the government, but there are more logical answers. Some think they are tracks made by a submarine, while others think they are breathing holes for some underground creature.
According to Dr. Vecchione, the breathing holes theory isn’t that far-fetched. In a paper about the holes spotted almost two decades ago, Dr. Vecchione, along with Odd Aksel Bergstad, proposed two explanations. One was marine creatures walking or swimming upon the sand, poking these holes like the footprints of the dinosaurs. The other theory was that the holes were made from below by some creature that burrowed into the sand and then jabbed up holes.
Dr. Vecchione says the holes seen on July 28th appear to be made from underneath. He is pleased that scientists have encountered the mysterious ocean holes again but is “a little disappointed” that they still don’t know the exact cause of them.
Until scientists find the true reason these holes exist on the ocean floor near plate boundaries, conspiracy theorists are going to have a lot of material.
Original Article:
There-Are-Holes-on-the-Ocean-Floor.-Scientists-Dont-Know-Why.-The-New-York-Times-4
Download
