Was the legendary lost civilisation Atlantis found in the Canary Islands?
Mountain That Sank Beneath the Waves Discovered Off Canary Islands: Possible Origin of Atlantis Legend
Researchers in Spain have uncovered a large seamount with three inactive volcanoes off the coast of Lanzarote that may have inspired the legend of Atlantis. This newly discovered underwater mountain, dubbed Mount Los Atlantes, is located about 31 miles (50 kilometers) in diameter and lies 1.4 miles (2.3 km) below the ocean’s surface.
Luis Somoza, the head of a project studying volcanic activity off the Canary Islands, suggests that this discovery could be the origin of the Atlantis legend. Somoza, a geologist with the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), noted that these submerged islands still retain features such as beaches, cliffs, and sand dunes.
Mount Los Atlantes would have been a series of islands during the Eocene epoch, around 56 to 34 million years ago. Once the volcanoes became inactive, the solidified lava caused the islands to gradually sink into the ocean. Some beaches now sit just 200 feet (60 meters) below the ocean’s surface.
During the last ice age, when sea levels were lower, these inactive volcanoes might have resurfaced as islands, providing habitats for wildlife. As sea levels rose, they sank again beneath the waves.
The team discovered Mount Los Atlantes while exploring the seabed off Lanzarote’s eastern coast using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at depths ranging from 330 to 8,200 feet (100 to 2,500 meters). This dive was part of IGME-CSIC’s Atlantis project, which aims to better understand underwater volcanic and hydrothermal activity in the region.
The research team will now analyze samples collected from Los Atlantes to date the volcanic rocks and determine when the islands began sinking. They also plan to return to the submarine volcanoes of the Canary Islands during an expedition next year.
Source: Was the legendary lost civilisation Atlantis found in the Canary Islands?