Giant Undersea Volcanoes Found Off Antarctica

A chain of giant, undersea volcanoes has been found off Antarctica, scientists say.

Newfound undersea volcanoes around the South Sandwich Islands are seen in a 3-D sonar image.

Image courtesy British Antarctic Survey

All told a dozen previously unknown peaks were discovered beneath the waves—some up to 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) tall, according to the British Antarctic Survey.

The volcanoes were found near the U.K. territories of the South Georgia Islands and South Sandwich Islands (see map) during a monthlong mapping expedition, which used multibeam sonar to fill in a 370-mile (600-kilometer) by 90-mile (150-kilometer) gap in existing seabed maps.

"It was amazing finding them," said Phil Leat, a geologist volcanologist with the survey. "There were so many of these volcanoes we had no idea about."

Read More: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/07/110715-undersea-volcanoes-antarctica-science-tsunamis/