Near the underwater mountains of the Atlantic Ocean, scientists discovered a 'Lost City', in 2000 to be precise. When exploring the ocean with remotely operated vehicles, scientists saw a 'blue light' and found the area. This area is known as a hydrothermal field.
You can see a building formed from a pile of toadstool mushrooms and a giant monolith standing 60 meters tall. The 'tower' was found at a depth of 700 meters below sea level. According to scientists, a site like this has never been found before in the Atlantic Ocean, although it is possible that a hydrothermal field like this exists somewhere that has not been detected.
This building has a 'chimney' that spews gas as hot as 40°C. It is home to many snails and crustaceans. Larger animals such as crabs, shrimp, sea urchins and eels are rare, but still found.
This is the Lost City, a towering ecosystem in the middle of the North Atlantic. It's completely unique, with life found nowhere else on Earth. And if someone wants to destroy it? There's nothing you could do about it. No laws. No consequences. Welcome to the High Seas... pic.twitter.com/mdG5wOsr5h
— Open Ocean Exploration (@RebeccaRHelm) August 22, 2022
Uniquely, the hydrocarbons produced by the 'Lost City' were not formed from atmospheric carbon dioxide or sunlight, but by chemical reactions on the deep ocean floor. Since hydrocarbons are the building blocks of life, it opens up the possibility that life originated in habitats like these.
Because of the information it contains, some experts are calling for the 'Lost City' to be registered as a World Heritage site to protect this natural wonder before it is too late. Unfortunately, scientists aren't the only ones intrigued by the unusual terrain.
In 2018, it was announced that Poland had won the rights to mine the deep sea around The Lost City. While there are no valuable resources to be dredged up in the thermal field itself, the environmental destruction of the 'Lost City' could have dire consequences for the preservation of the site. Thus launched Science Alert.