A new study calls an underwater volcano in Australia the Eye of Sauron as it looked like an eye when they saw it using their equipment. Scientists conducted a voyage to investigate the waters of the land down under, especially the geological activity.
Researchers saw the appearance of eyes burning under the sea, just like a fictional character made by J.R.R Tolkien. It is also found on the coast of Australia.
While exploring the Indian Ocean controlled by Australia, CSIRO, the Australian scientific agency, employed undersea sonar to survey the seafloor.
'Eye of Sauron' seen underwater
While exploring the sea bottom, the research ship 'Investigator' and its equipment say an odd underwater formation. A bizarre geological formation like an eye is seen at a depth of 10,171 feet below sea level, just 174 miles southeast from Christmas Island, reported the Daily Mail
Sonar impressions show an undersea volcano that is an oval shape depression, 3.9 by 3 miles across, with a height of 984 feet at the rim. A formation that looks like a pupil was seen.
Several discoveries are the sea mountain with several volcanic cones to the south and a flat-topped seamount covered with pumice to the north.The scientist gave names like Barad-dûr and Ered Lithui, which were locations in the fictional Middle Earth.
According to Tim O'Hara, per the Conversation, these structures were part of the Karma cluster of seamounts about 100 million years old. An underwater volcano in Australia, the Eye of Sauron, takes prominence among them.
The Victoria marine biologist was formed near an old sea ridge, according to the Museums Victoria. It's thought to have existed when Australia was much further southward, near Antarctica.'
Flattened by erosion, the summit Ered Lithui over time caused wave erosion when it was above the ocean's surface. It sank into the waves and disappeared.
Confusion over the 'Eye of Baradur'
O' Hara is confused over the volcanic eye under the sea, and it has contradictions. The caldera looks new, not more than the estimated 100 million years old it should be.
He observed that the peak of Ered Lithui is encrusted under 300 feet of mud and sand deposits which formed over eons from the remains of dead marine life dropping to the seabed.
The sediments have covered the caldera, but other volcanoes have formed after the first one. Nothing stands still on earth. On Ered Lithui, there is life despite the volcanic activity and has a developed ecosystem found under the sea.
Researchers saw all sorts of starfish-like creatures, crabs, worms living on the sandy ocean bed, with other more complex animals like eels and fish are caught in the location. 'Ered Lithui' currently rests approximately 1.6 miles underneath of the Indian Ocean.'
The goal of the Investigator is to map the ocean floor and examine what marine life is living there in the deep depths. Discovering new animals in science is an integral part of the mission, cites the Daily Advent.
Plans for two marine parks were announced by the Australian government, said the scientist. Parks Australia will use all the data from the expedition for management.
The discovery of an underwater volcano in Australia, the Eye of Sauron under the Indian Ocean, is an oddity to research.
