Satellite data revealed around 20,000 new deep-sea mountains, doubling the number of mountains previously known to scientists. According to the satellite observations, the newly discovered sea mountains are between 700-2,500 meters long.
![](https://themorningnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Mount_Everest_as_seen_from_Drukair2_PLW_edit-1024x557.jpg)
Scientists Used A New Technique
Instead of using sonar which is expensive, scientists used satellite observations which provide the coverage of the world’s oceans. They used the imagery to look for 1 centimeter bumps on the surface of the ocean. The bumps are caused by gravitational effects of sea mountains that change Earth’s gravitational field slightly.
![](https://themorningnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/20220325_nid_pao_pao_seamount-1024x677.jpg)
Scientists Confirmed The Seamounts
The scientists cross-checked their findings with sonar maps of the ocean floor in order to confirm that the discovered seamounts were real. David Clague, a marine geologist said that the seamounts can pose to submarines as the mountains are high enough to hit them.