Facts on UnderWater Mountain Ranges

Mountain ranges across the globe look stunning in all forms and shapes.

But people often get surprised when they learn about mountain ranges that exist far below sea level.

The presence of mountain ranges under the sea seems impossible, but there exists a completely new world under the ocean.

Entire mountain ranges are found beneath the deep sea. Underwater mountains are home to various types of marine animals.

These include some of the most diverse ecological systems under the ocean.

What Are Underwater Mountains?

Underwater mountains, also known as seamounts, are extinct volcanoes that rise thousands of meters on the seafloor.

The active volcanoes release huge piles of molten lava that eventually turn into underwater mountains.

At times these mountains can also be seen above the surface of the water.

The Mauna Kea Mountains, the tallest mountain in the world underwater in Hawaii, is one such example.

It also happens to be the tallest dormant volcano when measured from its foot to summit.

The height of this mountain is approximately 13000 feet above sea level, but under the sea, it's around 30,000 feet in height. It even stands taller than the mighty Mount Everest.

According to scientific estimates, underwater volcanic mountains cover an approximate area of 29 million square kilometers on the planet.

This is even more than the habitable area on earth.

Underwater mountains are categorized as ranges that stand more than a thousand feet above the seafloor.

Underwater mountains that are relatively smaller in size are known as sea knolls.

Seamounts that have a flat top are termed as guyots.

The peak of underwater mountains becomes flattened and eroded due to weather and waves. 

Island versus Seamount

Seamounts are mostly formed due to hot spots.

These are places on the earth's surface where the plumes of hard Magma rise upward.

When the tectonic plates move over an unusually hot portion of the earth's mantle, mountain ranges are formed.

Seamounts are a result of volcanic activity on earth and the ocean's surface.

When seamounts start to grow and break the surface of the ocean, they are termed Islands.

The plumes that release from the hotspots are mostly stationary while the tectonic plates are moving continuously.

As a result, the volcanoes move away from the hotspot. The volcanoes eventually cool down and become extinct.

This is a very slow process, and underwater mountains often remain active even after millions of years.

As the tectonic plates move, more volcanoes are created.

The Hawaiian Islands are one of the most notable examples of a seamount volcano.

It is believed to remain active for over 70 million years.

It created a chain of Islands spread across 6000 km under the Pacific Ocean.

Mid-Ocean Ridges

Mid-oceanic ridges comprise an extensive chain of mountains that are estimated to be 65000 km in length.

One of the most notable aspects of this chain is that a major part of it is situated on the ocean.

Mid-oceanic ridges are typically found alongside deviating plate boundaries.

These ridges are formed when tectonic plates start moving away from one another.

When the plates start to separate, magma starts rising from the deeper layers of the earth onto the seafloor.

This leads to volcanic eruptions and forms a range of mountains.

The process of mountain formation is very slow.

Underwater mountain ranges shift between 1 and 20 centimeters every year.

The irregular and steep topography of the mountain indicates a slow-spreading nature.

Mountain ranges that have a faster spread are known to have moderate slopes.

Significance of Seamounts

Seamount is known for having incredible ecological diversity.

These are learning grounds for scientists about the existence of life under the sea.

It is believed that until now, only one-tenth of the underwater mountain range has been explored.

Scientists found that these are mostly home to endemic species.

These species are only found in a single location.

There are over 1300 different species of marine life that can be found on seamounts.

The elaborate ecosystem of an underwater mountain is still mostly unknown. 

The abundance of marine life on underwater mountains makes it a suitable choice for deep-sea fisheries.

A heavily weighted net is dragged across the mountains for capturing large schools of fish that live around these places. However, such practices severely impact the existence of endemic species.  

Most of the underwater mountains known have become a research ground for explorers.

There is a whole new world of species on seamounts. Unique forms of life likely reside on underwater mountains.

Exploring seamounts can bring a major breakthrough in the field of science.