Robotic Explorers Uncover Unexpected Ancient Origins of Strange Seafloor Formations

Recent MBARI research has discovered that the large seafloor depressions off Central California, known as the Sur Pockmark Field, are maintained by sediment gravity flows rather than methane gas eruptions. This insight is pivotal for guiding seafloor management and offshore wind farm site assessments. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

“There are many unanswered questions about the seafloor and its processes,” said MBARI Senior Research Technician Eve Lundsten, who led this work. “This research provides important data about the seafloor for resource managers and others considering potential offshore sites for underwater infrastructure to guide their decision-making.”

“We collected a massive amount of data, allowing us to make a surprising link between pockmarks and sediment gravity flows. We were unable to determine exactly how these pockmarks were initially formed, but with MBARI’s advanced underwater technology, we’ve gained new insight into how and why these features have persisted on the seafloor for hundreds of thousands of years,” said Lundsten.Seafloor pockmarks have been found elsewhere around the world.

Past research by MBARI, BOEM, and USGS examined the biological communities within the Sur Pockmark Field. This new research aimed to understand the geological processes that form and maintain pockmarks within the field. The Continental Margin Processes Team conducted 30 dives with two of MBARI’s ROVs to get a closer look at 21 pockmarks within the field. The team recorded 185 hours of seafloor video footage inside and adjacent to pockmarks. MBARI’s ROValso collected 107 vibracores—a 1.5-meter core of sediment dislodged into a metal tube by high-frequency vibrations—and 433 pushcores—a shallower 24-centimeter sample of sediment—within and around five pockmarks.

Source: Tech Daily Report (techdailyreport.net)

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