New Norwegian Land May Arise From the Atlantic Ocean

Deep sea researcher Håvard Stubseid at the Centre for Deep Sea Research at the University of Bergen participated in the polar voyage "Go North" to explore Norway's new continental shelf. Among other things, the researchers studied a dramatic mountain landscape in the deep sea between Jan Mayen and Svalbard. There they made several discoveries.

Along the Mohn's Ridge and the Knipovich Ridge – Norway's part of the volcanic mic-ocean ridge north of Jan Mayen – the researchers on this and another German-Norwegian expedition this summer have discovered new hot springs at a depth of around 3000 meters. West of Jan Mayen and Beerenberg, the sea areas are quite shallow. They are also volcanic.

There is an average of one underwater volcanic eruption in Norwegian deep sea areas every single year. Stubseid says to Forskning.no that the next time such an eruption occurs, Norway may have a new Norwegian island in the Atlantic Ocean.

It is in the areas west of Jan Mayen that volcanic rock approaches the sea surface by only tens of meters.