EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -seamount, large submarine volcanic mountain rising at least 1, 000 m (3, 300 feet) above the surrounding deep-sea floor; smaller submarine volcanoes are called sea knolls, and flat-topped seamounts are called guyots .

Detailed explanation-2: -A seamount is an underwater mountain with steep sides rising from the seafloor. This  4, 200-meter ( 13, 800-foot) high seamount, dubbed “Kahalewai, ” was mapped during the Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin expedition and was found to be almost 1, 000 meters taller than previously thought.

Detailed explanation-3: -Seamounts-undersea mountains formed by volcanic activity-were once thought to be little more than hazards to submarine navigation. Today, scientists recognize these structures as biological hotspots that support a dazzling array of marine life.

Detailed explanation-4: -Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise hundreds or thousands of feet from the seafloor. They are generally extinct volcanoes that, while active, created piles of lava that sometimes break the ocean surface.

Detailed explanation-5: -But seamounts that erupt and grow to reach the surface have their conical tops flattened as a result of both erosion and coral reef growth. When these flat-topped seamounts eventually sink back down to deep water, they are called guyots.