Puzzling Sight Captured by NASA

In a vibrant blue and green photo captured recently by NASA, scientists noticed mysterious markings on the floor of the Caspian Sea. 

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Intrigued by the peculiar lines, the scientists reached out to the public on Twitter to ask what they thought the marks were. Some suggested the lines were caused by fishing ships out trawling in the water. But earth scientist Stanislav Ogorodov knew that these marks weren’t man-made.

“Undoubtedly, most of these tracks are the result of ice gouging,” said Ogorodov in his study. 

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In his research, Orgorodov notes that the part of the Caspian the marks appear in is very shallow; only about 10 feet deep. The sea ice that forms here in the winter is usually about 1.6 feet thick, meaning most of it never touches the seafloor. 

However, because the ice is “warm” and thin, that gives rise to relatively weak ice cover that is easily sculpted by wind and currents, according to NASA. These pieces of ice are pushed together, creating jagged “hummocks,” which can reach the seabed. When the hummocks are pushed around by the currents or the wind, the parts that stick out drag on the ocean floor, creating the patterns captured by the satellite images.

The Caspian Sea lies to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and is the world’s largest inland body of water. It is home to about 850 animal and more than 500 plant species.

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