Scientists have made an extraordinary underwater discovery in the Pacific ocean.
An expedition to a deep-sea ridge north of the Hawaiian islands revealed what looks eerily like a yellow brick road. Watch below:
The crew of the Exploration Vessel Nautilus found the rock formation using a remotely operated vehicle to study the Lili’uokalani Ridge Seamounts in Hawaii.
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Their aim was to investigate a split in the seamount trail, with the origin of thousands of seamounts in the central and western Pacific oceans not completely understood.
They documented their findings live, which saw them stumble across the formation of what looks like a man-made yellow brick road with distinct rectangular blocks.
Their reactions from the moment they discovered the formation was published in a highlight reel on YouTube.
One researcher said: “It’s the road to Atlantis.”
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Another voice commented: “The yellow brick road?”
One member chimed in, saying: "This is bizarre. Are you kidding me? This is crazy?”
Looks like Dorothy may have to get her swimming trunks on.
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However, while it did look like some sort of supernatural or historical discovery, the crew did actually have a logical answer to what the formation actually was.
The YouTube video described the geographical formation as ‘an example of ancient active volcanic geography.’
The description continued: “At the summit of Nootka Seamount, the team spotted a "dried lake bed" formation, now IDed as a fractured flow of hyaloclastite rock (a volcanic rock formed in high-energy eruptions where many rock fragments settle to the seabed).”
While the scientists explained that the reason the volcanic rock looked bizarrely similar was ‘related to heating and cooling stress’ from multiple volcanic eruptions.
The Nautilus vessel is operated by nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust, live streaming the adventures of its crew so viewers can see firsthand what the vehicles are exploring.
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Back in March, they found an interesting looking sea creature while exploring the Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge, which is considered one of the most pristine coral reef ecosystems in the world.
They spotted a ‘toothy’ anglerfish, which apparently was grinning at the camera.
A statement from Nautilus Live said: “This anglerfish ... was first recorded on video over 1,000 meters deep and has hands down the coolest facial expression underwater.”
As for the yellow brick road, while it may not have been the road to the lost city, it does signal an intriguing discovery and greater understanding of seabed geology.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/EVNautilus.