Discovering Atlantis: Scientists Uncover Sunken Islands off Canary Islands Thought to Be the Lost City

A team of researchers discovered several islands that had sunk into the sea. ocean millions of years ago in what is now Spain. According to them, this could be the source of the famous legend of the lost city Atlantis.

The islands are still slowly sinking

The islands were located in an underwater mountain that has three volcanoes now inactive and is about 50 kilometers in diameter. Its base is about 2.3 km below the surface of the ocean.

The discovery was made by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) at a depth of between 100 and 2,500 meters while exploring the seabed off the east coast of Lanzarote, the easternmost of the Canary Islands. This work aims to gain a better understanding of the volcanic and underwater hydrological activity in the area.

According to the team, the islands are still slowly sinking. They would have lived between 56 million and 34 million years ago. As soon as the volcanoes stopped erupting, the lava strengthened and became more dense, causing the islands to sink into the ocean.

Despite this, some of the features of these places are still intact. Explorers found beaches, cliffs and even sand dunes. According to them, this sand that now covers the volcanic rock was deposited when the islands sank.

Some of these beaches are just 60 meters below the surface of the ocean. The team will now analyze the samples collected so far on the volcanic rocks and identify when the islands began to sink. The information is from Living science.

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The legend of Atlantis

• Scientists have nicknamed the newly discovered seamount Monte Los Atlantes, after the legendary civilization the ancient Greeks described as being swallowed by the sea as punishment from the gods for the immorality of its citizens.
• The legend of Atlantis comes from the writings of Plato in the 4th century BC
• Ancient texts tell of a great civilization that developed on an island off the Iberian Peninsula around 9600 BC.
• This civilization was characterized by a special technological development, with many natural resources, a large army and a large population.
• According to legend, Atlantis started several wars of expansion, but ended with Athens.
• After the defeat, Zeus would have decided to punish the Atlanteans because of their thirst for power.
• The island was then hit by a strong earthquake, being swallowed by the sea and disappearing forever.