Source: TH
Context: Scientists have discovered 19,325 new seamounts through new high-resolution data, adding to the 24,000 seamounts already mapped in a 2011 census.
About seamounts:
| Information | |
| Seamounts are underwater mountains formed through volcanic activity and are recognized as hotspots for marine life. | |
| Formation | Near mid-ocean ridges, intraplate hotspots, or oceanic island chains |
| Mapping | Echo sounders/multibeam sonar on ships for topographic mapping, or satellite altimetry for gravity-field mapping |
| Importance | Provide information about mantle composition and tectonic plate evolution, influence ocean circulation and absorption of heat/CO2, and support diverse biological communities |
| Example | The Emperor Seamounts, a chain of seamounts in the Pacific Ocean |
| India’s contribution | The SARAL satellite, developed in collaboration with France, helped expand the seamount catalogue through improved radar noise reduction |
| Seamounts Vs Guyots | Seamounts differ from Guyots, which are also formed from undersea volcanoes but were once above the surface of the ocean and have since submerged to form flat-topped undersea mountains. |
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