Video footage from Australia’s new ocean-going research vessel Investigator's discovery of extinct volcanoes off the coast of Sydney.

Australia’s new ocean-going research vessel Investigator has discovered extinct volcanoes likely to be 50 million years old, about 250 km off the coast of Sydney in 4,900 m of water.

The chief scientist for the voyage, UNSW marine biologist Professor Iain Suthers, said while we searching for the nursery grounds for larval lobsters, the ship was also routinely mapping the seafloor when the volcanoes were discovered.

IN2015_03 Volcanic cluster centre at 33 31 S, 153 52 E (transcript)

The centre of the volcanic cluster is 33 31 S, 153 52 E, which is 248 km from Sydney Heads. The cluster is 20 km long and six km wide and the seafloor 4890 metres deep, with the highest point in the cluster rising up to 3998 metres.

5 comments

  1. T. Egolf

    15th July 2015 at 1:13 am

    Is the photo correctly oriented to true north?

    1. Sarah

      20th July 2015 at 8:59 am

      Hello T. Egolf

      The still image of the volcano cluster is orientated that the top of the page is true north.

      Cheers

      Sarah

      1. T. Egolf

        20th July 2015 at 11:16 am

        Thanks Sarah. That’s what I suspected but couldn’t be sure.

  2. Phill Olsen

    13th July 2015 at 8:22 pm

    well done! what a fantastic asset for Australia the RV Investigator is and it cost less than one joint strike fighter!

  3. Joy Hirst

    13th July 2015 at 2:03 pm

    This latest discovery is ground breaking (pardon the pun). Fantastic. It is also a revelation to know the Investigator has the capability of mapping the sea floor at any depth.

    I look forward to your news posts and photos.

    best wishes
    Joy

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