volcano

Volcanic Underwater World Discovered Off Coast of Tasmania

18 October, 2018

Source: News18

Scientists claim to have discovered a new underwater world off the Tasmanian coast made up of volcanic mountain peaks that tower about 3km from the seafloor.

During a 25-day research expedition, a team of researchers from the Australia National University detected the chain of volcanic seamounts 400km east of Tasmania using detailed seafloor mapping technology.

A seamount is a mountain that rises from the ocean floor but remains below the water surface.

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Whales, seabirds drawn to chain of volcanic seamounts off Tasmanian coast

8 October, 2018

Source: ABC News
Author: Carla Howarth

Scientists have uncovered a chain of volcanic seamounts towering up to three kilometres from the seafloor off Tasmania’s east coast which are proving a food magnet for marine life.

The underwater mountains, which are nearly 2 kilometres below the surface, were mapped by the CSIRO’s research vessel Investigator, 400 kilometres off the coast.

Dr Tara Martin, from the CSIRO mapping team, said some of the seamounts have sharp peaks while others have wide flat plateaus.

Continue reading Whales, seabirds drawn to chain of volcanic seamounts off Tasmanian coast

Observing the development of a deep-sea greenhouse gas filter

28 September, 2018

Source: Science Daily
Author: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology

Large quantities of the greenhouse gas methane are stored in the seabed. Fortunately, only a small fraction of the methane reaches the atmosphere, where it acts as a climate-relevant gas, as it is largely degraded within the sediment. This degradation is carried out by a specialized community of microbes, which removes up to 90 percent of the escaping methane. Thus, these microbes are referred to as the “microbial methane filter.” If the greenhouse gas were to rise through the water and into the atmosphere, it could have a significant impact on our climate.

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