The findings are vital for directing decisions about the accountable management and use of Californias seafloor, including evaluating websites for upcoming offshore wind farm projects.Sur Pockmark Field OverviewThe Sur Pockmark Field, found off the coast of Big Sur, California, spans a location similar to the city of Los Angeles and features over 5,200 of these circular anxieties. The information and samples gathered by MBARI technology helped the research group piece together the history of sediment motions over this part of the seafloor.The group discovered several layers of sandy deposits, called turbidites, in the sediment samples taken from the pockmarks and the sub-bottom images of the pockmark field. We were unable to figure out precisely how these pockmarks were at first formed, but with MBARIs sophisticated underwater innovation, weve gained new insight into how and why these features have continued on the seafloor for hundreds of thousands of years,” said Lundsten.Global Context and Future ResearchSeafloor pockmarks have been found elsewhere around the world. These surveys have revealed more than 5,200 pockmarks spread out over 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles), making this location the largest known pockmark field in North America.The seafloor offshore of this remote stretch of the Central California shoreline has actually historically been one of the least-studied areas of the continental margin off the west coast of North America. For the past 6 years, MBARIs Continental Margin Processes Team has been working to comprehend the origins of the pockmark developments, develop whether they are geologically active, and identify if they are areas of unique biological significance.Past research study by MBARI, BOEM, and USGS took a look at the biological communities within the Sur Pockmark Field.
The findings are essential for directing choices about the responsible management and use of Californias seafloor, including examining sites for upcoming overseas wind farm projects.Sur Pockmark Field OverviewThe Sur Pockmark Field, located off the coast of Big Sur, California, covers an area equivalent to the city of Los Angeles and functions over 5,200 of these circular anxieties. We were not able to figure out exactly how these pockmarks were initially formed, however with MBARIs innovative underwater technology, weve gotten new insight into how and why these functions have actually persisted on the seafloor for hundreds of thousands of years,” said Lundsten.Global Context and Future ResearchSeafloor pockmarks have actually been discovered somewhere else around the world. These surveys have exposed more than 5,200 pockmarks spread out over 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles), making this location the largest known pockmark field in North America.The seafloor offshore of this remote stretch of the Central California shoreline has actually historically been one of the least-studied areas of the continental margin off the west coast of North America.
