Advertisement

Updated August 10th, 2020 at 16:02 IST

The Blue Hole Mission aims to understand the unique, unexplored feature of the ocean floor

The Blue Hole is located in the Gulf of Florida & is an ecological diversity hotspot that attracts several marine creatures. Here is everything you need to know

Reported by: Sneha Chugh
Blue Hole
| Image:self
Advertisement

Have you ever wondered, “What is the blue hole”? The Blue Hole is located in the Gulf of Florida and is an ecological diversity hotspot that attracts several marine creatures. The Blue Hole called ‘Green Banana’ is about 300 feet deep and opens at about 155 feet below sea level. According to Independent reports, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will fund a mission to explore the Blue Hole, this month. The Blue Hole is also known as the Green Banana or the Sink Hole. This team will comprise of members from Georgia Institute of Technology, Florida Atlantic University, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the US Geological Survey.

ALSO READ: NASA's OSIRIS REx Spacecraft One Rehearsal Away From Asteroid-sampling

This mission will help to answer several questions about the Blue Hole. With this mission, researchers hope to know if the water inside the Blue Hole differs from the ocean water. Further, researchers also aim to know about the unique features of the hole. The process of its formation also remains unknown to researchers. According to some studies, the Blue Hole has been created by freshwater springs. According to the study, the freshwater springs flush out materials from beneath the seafloor, which in turn, leads to the creation of a gap.

ALSO READ: Beirut Blast: NASA's Satellite Images Show Scale Of Destruction; Pics Inside

This area is reportedly famous amongst divers, since the water here is extremely clean as compared to the rest of the ocean. The Blue Hole mission will be like a NASA probe to another planet. However, in this case, the lander will be placed in the Green Banana. This will help scientists to collect samples of the Blue Hole. These samples will help them study the difference in environmental conditions.

ALSO READ: NASA's Hubble Telescope Uses Moon As Mirror To Search For Signs Of Extraterrestrial Life

Further, this mission also aims to gather information about the unique features of the ocean floor. According to a study, Blue Holes that crop up near one another might be connected to each other. The study also claims that the springs may have formed as a result of underground hidden cave network.

 

nasa

Statements given by officials:

Emily Hall, a staff scientist at the Mote Marine Laboratory said that the mission was initially going to take place in Spring. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the mission got postponed according to CNN. She also said that several people had compared the Green Banana Mission to a space mission. However, Hall said that they were not sure what kind of information would be unearthed from this mission. The researchers would, however, try their best and keep exploring, she concluded.

ALSO READ: NASA Locates Helium Structures In Solar Atmosphere, Gathers Full Global Map

All images sourced from Unsplash

Advertisement

Published August 10th, 2020 at 16:02 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Baltimore bridge collapse
a few seconds ago
Carol Burnett and Elvis Presley
a few seconds ago
Mukhtar Ansari Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in 1990 Arms Licence Case | Live
a minute ago
BREAKING: Mukhtar Ansari Suffers Heart Attack, Admitted to Hospital in Serious Condition
4 minutes ago
Tammannah Bhatia
11 minutes ago
Alaya F
12 minutes ago
Neha Dhupia
13 minutes ago
Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal
14 minutes ago
Ankita Lokhande
15 minutes ago
Beans
18 minutes ago
As of March 28, at least 143 people have died as a result of the concert hall attack in Moscow.
19 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo