What researchers though was a shipwreck at 1,900 meters below turned out to be what looked like rocks in the shape of a giant flower.
Upon closer inspection the research team discovered they were looking at an asphalt volcano, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) news release reported. The finding was made in the Gulf of Mexico.
Many volcanoes are made up of "mud, shale, and salt" eruptions, the news release reported. This particular asphalt is believed to have been made in the same process that creates oil and gas; the substance is altered once it comes into contact with cold seawater.
Oil platforms are plentiful in the Gulf of Mexico and are often pumped to shore to use for energy purposes. Many of the reservoirs have existed for so long that the oil has literally been "cooked" over millions of years.
The high heat that causes this cooking effect evaporates many of the oil's components, leaving a "thick, gooey, remnant," behind, the news release reported.
In refineries the gooey substance that is left behind after gasoline is extracted can be heated up, and mixed with sand and lighter oil to pave roads.
In the event of a deep-sea asphalt volcano the material is squeezed out in "huge ropey masses," the news release reported. The cold seawater dissolves and shrinks the structures, making it so that the asphalt can no longer flow. This eventually results in the formation of fractures and cracks.
"This process would explain the basics of what the NOAA explorers discovered today. A massive plug was squeezed out at the seafloor. It then split into separate extensions that continued to flow until they became brittle and cracked apart. Once the petals of the giant lily were in place, animals that like hard surfaces had a new home," the news release reported.
