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researcher exploring the Indian Ocean have distinguish the cadaver of a collapsed underwatervolcanowith an uncanny resemblance to the all - seeing " Eye of Sauron " from J.R.R. Tolkien ’s famous phantasy series " The Lord of the Rings , " as well as two other seafloor structures named after places in Tolkien ’s in-between - ground .
Theeyeis really an oval - shaped low measure 3.9 miles ( 6.2 kilometre ) long by 3 miles ( 4.8 km ) astray . Called a caldera , this elephantine divot is leave over from the ancient collapse of a recondite - sea vent . The caldera is surrounded by a 984 - human foot - magniloquent ( 300 meter ) rim , giving the impression of eyelids , and an every bit tall cone - shaped pinnacle at the center , which looks like a pupil , according toThe Conversation . The strange social structure is turn up 174 mi ( 280 km ) southeastward of Christmas Island ― an Australian external territory off mainland Australia ― at a depth of 10,170 feet ( 3,100 m ) .
A map showing off the locations of all three features named after places in Mordor.
A team of researchers key out the structure while onboard the ocean research vessel Investigator , own by Australia ’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation ( CSIRO ) , on the 12th day of an expedition to Australia ’s Indian Ocean Territories . The researchers used multibeam sonar to create 3D mathematical function of the caldera and the surrounding seafloor .
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Like other calderas , this one form when the peak of the original vent collapsed , agree to the researchers .
A map showing off the locations of all three features named after places in Mordor.
" The liquified magma at the base of the vent transformation upwards , leaving empty chambers [ below ] , " chief scientist Tim O’Hara , older conservator at Museums Victoria in Australia , write in The Conversation . " The slight , upstanding crust on the surface of the dome then collapses , creating a large , crater - like structure . "
The area surrounding the volcanic crater is also home to two other noteworthy structures .
" Our volcanic ' heart ' was not alone , " O’Hara wrote . " Further mapping to the south discover a smaller sea mountain covered in legion volcanic cone cell , and further still to the south was a larger , mat - topped seamount . "
Continuing the connectedness to Tolkien ’s phantasy epic , the researchers named the cone - covered mountain Barad - dûr , after Sauron ’s chief stronghold , and the seamount Ered Lithui , after the Ash Mountains , both of which are found alongside the Eye of Sauron in the evil kingdom of Mordor .
The Ered Lithui seamount is part of a clump of seamount thought to date back about 100 million years , O’Hara wrote . The Ered Lithui seamount was once above the water ’s surface , giving it its flat top , and it has bit by bit sunk to around 1.6 miles ( 2.6 km ) below sea stage .
Over million of years , sand and sinking junk — particulate thing , including plankton , excrement and other constitutional issue — have cake the seamount in a chummy level of deposit around 328 foot ( 100 m ) deep . However , the caldera remain relatively uncovered , advise it may be importantly new , O’Hara said .
" This sedimentation rate should have smothered and partially veil the caldera , " O’Hara write . It also " looks surprisingly entire for a complex body part that should be 100 million class honest-to-god . "
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This freshness suggests that the volcano was created , and afterward collapse , after the seamount start sinking into the ocean .
" It is possible that volcano have proceed to stock long after the original innovation , " O’Hara drop a line . " Our restlessEarthis never still . "
in the beginning published on Live Science .
