All these volcanoes scattered around the planet have already been mapped using sonar (sonar), which uses sound waves to detect objects hidden under water. The most complete collection to date was published April 6 in the journal Earth and Space Science. It can provide a better understanding of ocean currents, plate tectonics and climate change.

what is known

Until now, only a quarter of the Earth’s seafloor has been mapped with this method. The 2011 “Census” revealed more than 24,000 seamounts formed by volcanic activity. But according to an article in the journal Science, there are still more than 27,000 objects undiscovered by sonar.

The new study also shows that scientists don’t have to rely on sonar to study what’s going on in the ocean. Radar satellites can not only measure the height of the ocean, but also see what is hidden in its depths.provides a better understanding of the topography of the seafloor.

The scientists took data from several satellites, including the European Space Agency’s CryoSat-2, and found that they could detect underwater crests up to 1,100 meters high, the lower limit of the seamount. According to the study, scientists estimate that using this technology they can predict the height of small underwater volcanoes with an accuracy of about 370 meters.

• Among other things, the researchers mapped a group of seamounts in the northeast Atlantic that could help explain the evolution of the mantle plume that feeds more than 100 volcanoes in Iceland.
• These updated maps will also provide a better understanding of ocean currents and the “emerging currents” that occur when ocean floor water comes to the surface;