Science & Technology

Mysterious lines show up in the Caspian Sea

By T.K. Randall
May 2, 2016

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) First noticed by scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center last month, the peculiar lines criss-crossing the world's largest inland body of water have proven rather perplexing.

Captured using the Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 satellite, the photograph shows an area of the Caspian Sea that looks like it has been scoured using a Brillo Pad.

#SciFri puzzler in @NASA_Landsat @USGSLandsat #Caspian image: what causes lines near TyuleniyArchipelago? Trawling? pic.twitter.com/s83h6UP03c

— NASA Oceans (@NASAOceans) April 8, 2016

The answer, as it turns out, is a process known as ice gouging.The water in this region of the Caspian Sea is actually very shallow - only around 10ft deep - and sea ice on the surface is also relatively thin at around 1.6ft thick.

Over time the winds and ocean currents can sculpt this ice in to jagged patterns known as hummocks which can sometimes reach as far as the seabed.

When the wind blows this floating ice around on the surface, the protruding parts underneath can drag along the ocean floor and create the line patterns seen in the satellite image.

Source: Live Science

Tags: Caspian Sea