Geologists are not sure what to make of seven craters which were recently discovered off Iceland’s north coast, RÚV reports. The craters, located on the seabed near the town of Dalvík in North Iceland, may have been created by anti-submarine weapons.
Geologist Ögmundur Erlendsson says the craters are one of several unsolved riddles Iceland Geosurvey (ÍSOR) has mapped on the seabed close to Iceland’s coast. Ögmundur and geologist Árni Hjartarson presented their findings at ÍSOR’s annual meeting today. The geologists’ research was supported by data from the Icelandic Marine and Freshwater Research Institute and the Icelandic Coast Guard, as well as several international expeditions and depth measurements from fishing vessels.
“We have not found any clear reasons for them,” Ögmundur says about the craters. “Whether they are natural or manmade. We are inclined to think they were created by depth charges during the war years.” Depth charges are anti-submarine weapons which detonate underwater, creating powerful hydraulic shocks.
Other phenomenon recently discovered on the seabed near Iceland include crevices and craters, some of them surprisingly far from geologically active areas. Fissures 50 metres (164 feet) deep and 300-500 metres wide have been found northeast of the country, spanning over an area stretching 50-90 kilometres (30-56 miles) long.
The continental shelf has only recently been mapped in its entirety, though the mapping completed is rudimentary. Ögmundur hopes to see more detailed maps made in the coming years.
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