The mysterious noise from the deep ocean turned out to be an “echo” of a 1979 experiment: the equipment left deep scars on the seabed and disturbed the ecosystem for decades.
Almost half a century later, researchers have determined the origin of the mysterious scraping sounds that had been recorded in the central Pacific Ocean. As it turned out, their source was a deep-sea mining experiment conducted back in 1979 in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), which is rich in nickel, manganese, copper, and cobalt, Wionews reports.
During the testing of specialized equipment for underwater mining, the ocean floor sustained severe damage that is still “echoing.” Scientists note that the region’s marine ecosystem has not recovered: many organisms have disappeared, and primitive species have not returned.
“The scars left by the mining machine 44 years ago look as if they were made yesterday,” said Dr. Adrian Glover, one of the authors of the study published in Nature.
According to specialists, this case clearly demonstrates that human intervention in deep-sea ecosystems can have consequences that persist for hundreds of years.
