The iconic Yellow Brick Road caught the attention of Nautilus.
the Hawaiian Islands region, in 2022. An unexpected find greeted the team – a desiccated lakebed with a peculiar appearance resembling that of a golden path.
While conducting a survey of the Liliʻuokalani ridge, the exploration vessel Nautilus stumbled upon an eerie scene. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM).
Home to a vast array of marine life, PMNM stands as one of the world's largest conservation areas. Spanning an area larger than all US national parks combined, this expansive wilderness has only had about 3 percent of its seafloor explored. Boldly pushing the boundaries of this uncharted territory, researchers at the Ocean Exploration Trust are venturing deep into the depths of over 3,000 meters beneath the ocean's surface. And the most exciting part? The exploration is open for anyone to witness. about 3 percent of its seafloor.
In April 2022, a highlight reel showcasing the expedition's footage was uploaded to YouTube. The clip featured the unexpected discovery of the road to Oz by researchers manning the deep-sea vehicle.
"It's the road to Atlantis," a researcher on the radio can be heard exclaiming. "The yellow brick road?" another voice counters. "This is bizarre," adds another member of the team. "Are you kidding me? This is crazy."
Despite the depth of about a thousand meters beneath the ocean, the lake bed found by researchers on top of the Nootka seamount appears remarkably dry. The team reports through their radios that the soil bears a resemblance to a "baked crust" that could be easily removed. Upon closer inspection, they observe that a small portion of the volcanic rock has split in a manner reminiscent of bricks.
The discovery of the unique 90-degree fractures was deemed to be highly uncommon by the researchers. The caption to the YouTube video suggests that these fractures are likely a result of multiple eruptions and subsequent heating and cooling stress at this particular area reads . From a first glance, one may mistake this effect as a pathway to an enchanting new world. In a sense, this is not entirely inaccurate. This path serves as a promising indicator that we are on track to uncovering more about the mysterious geology of Earth. To find out more about the 2022 E/V Nautilus expedition, visit their website here.