15,000 Perfectly Circular Holes Appeared on the Ocean Floor off the California Coast

15,000 Perfectly Circular Holes Appeared on the Ocean Floor off the California Coast

Scientists have discovered thousands of mysterious holes in the seabed off Big Sur, Calif.

Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) were surveying the deep seafloor off Big Sur when they discovered the strange holes.

The larger holes, described as pockmarks, are on average about 600 feet across and 16 feet deep. In a statement, MBARI noted that it first discovered some of the pockmarks in 1999. However, subsequent surveys by MBARI and other organizations have revealed over 5,200 pockmarks spread across 500 square miles.

Thousands of smaller holes, known as micro-depressions. have been discovered. Researchers have spotted around 15,000 micro-depressions, which are, on average, 11 feet across and three feet deep.