Follow the 'Yellow Brick Road' to Geologic Features of Liliʻuokalani Ridge Seamounts | Nautilus Live

What may look like a "yellow brick road" to the mythical city of Atlantis is really an example of ancient active volcanic geology! Our Corps of Exploration have witnessed incredibly unique and fascinating geological formations while diving on the Liliʻuokalani Ridge within Papahānaumokuakea Marine National Monument. At the summit of Nootka Seamount, the team spotted a "dried lake bed" formation, now IDed as a fractured flow of hyaloclastite rock (a volcanic rock formed in high-energy eruptions where many rock fragments settle to the seabed). The unique 90-degree fractures are likely related to heating and cooling stress from multiple eruptions at this baked margin. Throughout the seamount chain, the team also sampled basalts coated with ferromanganese (iron-manganese) crusts from across different depths and oxygen saturations as well as an interesting-looking pumice rock that almost resembled a sponge.

Our exploration of this never-before-surveyed area is helping researchers take a deeper look at life on and within the rocky slopes of these deep, ancient seamounts. Scientists are studying the microbial communities residing within the ferromanganese crusts found over rock surfaces and how the characteristics of the crusts vary from region to region in ocean basins as well the microorganisms that live on and within them. These studies will help provide baseline information on the living communities of seamounts which can inform management and conservation measures.

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[Lishadra]

“What’s that weird rock?”
“Idk. Maybe a sponge?”
“Let’s poke it”
I like these people

[shawnkenneth]

I'm disappointed that no sample was taken from the brick-looking formation.

[rattlersix]

I'm addicted to watching these dives but this is the kind of thing that frustrates me, never knowing the answer to what was seen, whether it's something really odd like this or something more mundane like they aren't sure the name of a fish. I wish they had a section of their website that showed a few pics of the most interesting things seen on each dive and a explanation of what it was, or what the scientists think it might have been.

[sendeth]

You need a gamer on your team. A gamer would figure out a way to grab those samples while moving full speed and avoiding enemy fire. Not having any enemy fire would just make it easier.

[ianrhett]

Stunning. And how fascinating to hear the team communicate and coordinate, several people literally co-operating a mechanical science puppet miles deep. And doing it so professionally and politely. From an organizational perspective, this feels like the best of human communication. I wonder if there's a framework or technique or if it's just the result of experience co-operating mech. Or maybe they're all Canadian. And it was also like watching a really cool TV show. Everyone had a vibrant personality, a role, and for a minute I thought this was a react video. Livestreaming from the bottom of the ocean. Unreal. THANK YOU!

[geoffreytumboh-oeri]

Always great watching people nerding out on their specialties. 😁
The excitement when they saw the yellow rocks was classic.

[Lylaris_or_Garuk]

I remember these on the livestream! I was there, it was extremely amazing to see something like that!
I’m just waiting until those crappy “top five” Yt channels use this as “evidence” for Atlantis/aliens lol

[jaycepero]

I got hooked watching footage like this as a kid because of Cousteau. I owe him and everyone who does undersea exploration a great debt because they helped form my curiosity which has always served me well in life.

[truth_beauty]

Was there a reason for not getting sample of the "yellow brick road" or investigating it further? Can you go back and get a closer look and some samples??

[JamesFenczik]

I wish we could get video like this of The Cuban Underwater Formations off the coast of the Guanahacabibes Peninsula in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba.

[andreeadoria]

So what was it? The last one? A rock or a sponge? 😳 I really want to know! Oh, and that yellow "road" looks like clay. Which is soo interesting to me.

[KariBear_]

So fascinating!! Thank you for all your work and research.

[jstevh]

Cool. Way more like undersea adventures in discovery. Love added info. Helps with context. Solid.

[chrisvinicombe]

Damm I missed all of these moments during the dives. Time difference plus lenth of dives is a cruel mistress. The yellow brick road was particularly fasinating 😀

[shayneoneill]

Man it'd be fun to have one of these guys to have a drive around (I'm presuming its a drone, and piloted from the surface?) and just explore. We know more about whats in space around our solar system than whats in our ocean, and when you think about it, thats pretty bizare.

[GalacticTechTrails]

please explore all of the ocean floor. love yours truly, humans.

[ddbb]

When they turned back before they noticed the "yellow brick road, " it looks as if that is a long road going way off. Then they go the other way and show where it looks like a road in the middle of the ocean. Wow. They didn't even really see it except the"bricks" on ground. Terrain anomaly maybe...

[ИванВ-пг]

The ridge is located in a large marine reserve, the area exceeding all American national parks in total. Until now, no more than three percent of the bottom in this area has been studied.

In a video published by scientists, their comments on the find are heard. According to one of the team members, they stumbled upon the "road to Atlantis", as if paved with yellow bricks.

In fact, such "masonry" most likely was the result of heating and cooling of the rock during numerous eruptions, so that the bottom of the lake that once existed was covered with cracks with regular angles.

[SoloSart]

I feel like I have seen this type of bricks fractures shown on the "yellow bricks road" before. Maybe la palma, maybe Hawaii. Amazing things!!! Thanks a lot

[HeathBlythe]

I'm sorry, but this is almost therapeutic to me.

As a photographer, I'd love to add E/V Nautilus's crew and backstage action to my portfolio. There must be a lot of people, working hard to make this boat perform well and float, so that these scientists can do their incredible jobs.

Thank you for these videos. Keep it up!