During the Atlantis II Seamounts dive in 2014, the team encountered this unusual patch of very smooth, almost polished lobate lava tongues covered in a glassy manganese coating. Interestingly, unlike much of the surrounding seafloor, this area was devoid of life.
Lobate Lava Tongues
Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts 2014. Download largest version (jpg, 1.5 MB).

During the Atlantis II Seamounts dive in 2014, the team encountered this unusual patch of very smooth, almost polished lobate lava tongues covered in a glassy manganese coating. Interestingly, unlike much of the surrounding seafloor, this area was devoid of life.

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