Scientists discovered a strange noise coming from the depths of the Mariana Trench – the lowest point in the ocean.
Strange sounds were detected deep in the Pacific Ocean. The trench is measured at 36,070 feet (10,994 meters) at the Challenger Deep. This is 7,000 feet deeper than the height of Mount Everest.
While much of the trench is undiscovered, scientists had a look at what the unexplained noise could be. The sounds were first detected ten years ago, but new artificial intelligence developments have made it possible to discover the source.
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In 2014, scientists surveying the area picked up a noise they couldn’t identify. The description was of a low grumble followed by a high-pitched note.
(Image: Xinhua)
At first, whales were thought to be the source of the sound. However, after comparing the call, no matches could be discovered. Since then, the mystery mainly remained untouched and left unsolved.
Recently, new developments allowed scientists to work out what’s going on. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) utilised to to work through hours of audio recordings.
AI technology trawled through 200,000 hours of audio recordings of different ocean sounds. The vast records are difficult to go through alone, but the new developments means more discoveries can be made.
Their study found that the noise was being made by Bryde’s whales. The species live in warm and tropical waters and are known to constantly move around the oceans.
Bryde’s Whales look similar to a blue whale, and belong in the same family as them and humpbacks. They’re named after Johan Bryde, a Norwegian who built the first whaling stations in South Africa in the early 20th century.
They measure between 13 and 16.5 metres long, with females being bigger than males. They’re thought to weight around 40,000kg.
Experts think the whales use the calls to locate one another as they travel underwater. There’s still much of the trench to discover, however, with only four people have ever reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
An American explorer called Victor Vescovo explored the bottom of the trench for around four hours. The dive was later confirmed to be 10,972m, which broke the previous record by 11 metres.
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