Oceanic research reveals massive seamounts near Chile and Peru

Scientific expeditions and research by the University of Chile and the Schmidt Ocean Institute have provided new insights into the geological structures of the eastern Pacific Ocean. Researchers are studying the Juan Fernández Archipelago, which includes Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara, and Alejandro Selkirk islands. These islands are the highest points of vast underwater volcanic mountain chains, such as the Juan Fernández, Copiapó, Taltal, and Iquique ridges, which move under the South American Plate alongside the Nazca Plate.

Additionally, a scientific expedition aboard the vessel Falkor (too) identified four previously unmapped seamounts in international waters between Peru and Chile. The largest of these structures, located in Chilean maritime territory, reaches a height of 2,681 meters and covers an area of 450 square kilometers. This massive geological formation is more than three times the height of the Burj Khalifa, though its peak remains submerged approximately 1,150 meters below sea level.