Undersea 'Tornado' Captured On ROV Video

[EnolaGaia]

A remotely operated vehicle surveying the seafloor off Queensland happened to encounter and record a small 'tornado' that had formed. The funnel vortex is well-formed, of apparently modest size, and moves slightly across the seafloor before dissipating. Researchers are still trying to figure out how it formed and what it represents.

Researchers baffled by 'completely weird' underwater tornado

Researchers said a tornadolike formation caught on camera off the coast of Australia was "completely weird."

Schmidt Ocean Institute researchers were performing live commentary on a live-stream video of a remotely operated vehicle dive in Coral Sea Marine Park, off the Queensland coast, when the underwater tornado appeared on the sea floor.

The commentators described the formation as "amazing," "completely weird" and "really unusual."

Marine geologist Robin Beaman, one of the scientists performing the commentary, said the formation was reminiscent of a benthic storm, which involves waves traveling under the surface and creating turbulence near the ocean floor.

The scientists said they do not know the cause of the whirling water.

SOURCE: https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/0...etely-weird-underwater-tornado/6411590607461/

VIDEO: Link available at the source article cited above. The "tornado" was recorded at circa 49:00:00 within the very lengthy overall video.

 

[Frideswide]

The researchers' commentary is just...

 

[Mythopoeika]

It's a waterspout or dust devil, but underwater. For the same reasons (clash of temperatures).