UiT researchers, along with researchers from Ocean Reef discovered a new mud volcano in the southwestern Barents Sea, about 80 nautical miles south of Bjørnøya. The discovery took place on May 7 this year.
Located at a depth of 400 metres, the volcano has been named Borealis Mud Volcano and is the second active volcano to be found in Norwegian waters.
The volcanic area is about 300 meters wide and 25 meters deep, and it releases mud, liquids, and gas from the Earth’s interior. This will provide new insights into geoscience, say the researchers.
The volcano itself has a diameter of seven meters and a height of 2.5 meters, and it constantly emits liquids rich in methane.
Researchers from the Arctic University of UiT Norway, in collaboration with REV Ocean, have discovered the second mud volcano ever found in Norwegian waters.
– KLet’s see that our Earth “breathes”
The volcano was discovered using seismic data and the video was captured using a remotely operated underwater robot (ROV).
This discovery will help scientists understand the impact of local but persistent phenomena on the global methane budget and their impact on ecosystems. She says pUiT Professor Giuliana Bagneri, campaign leader and principal investigator AKMA project.
– We showed that there is a formation in this area, because we could see the crater. But we didn’t think we’d find a volcano. It was very unexpected. No one has been there before, so this is the first time anyone has ever seen this volcano. I felt it was a surreal experience and we could see our earth “breathing” through this volcano. It was so surreal and so wonderful for our team. “We are all very excited about the discovery,” the professor tells NRK.
The volcano is located south of Bjornoa in the Barents Sea.
Graphics: UIT
It does not rule out that they will discover more mud volcanoes in the Barents Sea.
– Only thanks to good cooperation and advanced technology can we make such discoveries. Reminds me of seeing an underwater mudslide in real time where “Alive” Paneri says our planet.
According to the research team, these strange volcanoes provide evidence of past environments that once existed on Earth.
Understanding the evolution and composition of fluids helps us understand their potential impact on the global methane budget and can explain what is happening on other planets. Professor Stefan Boyens in the research team says: press release.
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