Giant volcanic superstructure found in the Pacific Ocean

A giant volcanic superstructure, the size of the US state of Idaho, has been found in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists resolved the mystery of how a volcanic superstructure the size of Idaho grew beneath the Pacific Ocean.

An international research team found the giant volcanic superstructure in the Melanesian Border Plateau, Pacific Ocean. It is a more than 85,000-square-mile structure formed when dinosaurs existed on the Earth 145 to 66 million years ago. However, it is still rising now.

Researchers used seismic data, geological samples, and computer models to discover four eras of volcanic eruptions deep beneath the surface that began 100 million years ago. Scientists also found that the volcanic structure contains rare elements used in smartphones, laptops, and medical gadgets.

In the latest study, an international team of scientists led by Kevin Konrad gathered relevant data to determine the age of the Melanesian Border Plateau. Kevin is an assistant professor of geoscience at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

During an oceanic exploration in 2013, Kevin and his colleagues collected rock samples from various locations on the Plateau by digging deep down along its slopes from a ship.

Giant volcanic superstructure found in the Pacific Ocean

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Scientists have known bits and pieces about how the Melanesian Border Plateau evolved. But they have not been able to piece together a whole image until now. Scientists solved the puzzle pieces by analyzing the ages and chemical compositions of rocks.

The research is challenging because the water nearby can go as deep as 2,000 feet. The research study provides a view into the forces that shaped the Earth. It may also provide information on what our planet’s future holds.

Underwater volcanoes may exist throughout the world’s oceans. Their eruptions created island chains such as Hawaii and Japan and undersea mountains and ridges that never reached the ocean’s surface.