Baltic Sea anomalyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Baltic Sea anomaly is a 60-metre (200 ft) diameter circular rock-like formation on the floor of thenorthern Baltic Sea, at the center of the Bothnian Sea, discovered by Peter Lindberg, Dennis Åsberg andtheir Swedish "Ocean X" diving team in June 2011. The team reported that the formation rests on a pillarand includes a structure similar in appearance to a staircase, leading to a dark hole.

Commentators have suggested that the structure could be a World War II anti-submarine device, a battleshipgun turret, sediment dropped by a fishing trawler, or a flying saucer. Geologists have stated that it is mostlikely a natural geological formation.

Contents

1 Discovery

2 Description

3 Chemical composition4 Reaction

4.1 Criticism

4.2 Alternative explanations

5 See also

6 References

7 External links

DiscoveryThe discovery was made on June 19, 2011 by the Swedish-based "Ocean X Team" during a dive in theBaltic Sea between Sweden and Finland while searching for an old shipwreck. The group describesthemselves as treasure hunters and salvage operators who specialize in underwater searches for sunken"antique high-end alcoholic beverages and historic artefacts".[1] In March 2012, Ocean X formalized apartnership with entertainment producers Titan TV to produce a TV documentary series and documentaryfilm.[2]

DescriptionAccording to Ocean X, the formation has an appearance of "rough granite", is round, 3 to 4 metres (9.8 to13.1 ft) thick and approximately 60 metres (200 ft) in diameter, stands on an 8-meter (26 ft) tall pillar-likefeature, and is located at a depth of 85 to 90 metres (279 to 295 ft). There is also another smaller object not

far away.[3][4][5][6] The object is at the end of what resembles a 300-metre (980 ft) "runway".[7]

The Ocean X team has published one additional close-up sonar scan on their Web site and nine additionalclose-up sonar scans on their YouTube page that appear to show a 90-degree angle and other features of theobject.[8][9]

On their second expedition, they reported that they found something that looks like a staircase and a roundblack hole that goes directly into the structure.[10]

Chemical compositionA sample recovered by divers was reportedly found to contain limonite and goethite. Israeli geologist SteveWeiner claimed that these materials are "metals which nature could not reproduce itself";[11] however,Swedish geologists Fredrik Klingberg and Martin Jakobsson say that the chemical composition of thesample resembles that of nodules that are not uncommon in sea beds, and that the materials found, includinglimonite and goethite, can indeed be formed by nature itself.

Stone samples have also been analyzed by Volker Brüchert, an associate professor of geology at StockholmUniversity. According to Brüchert, most of the samples that were brought up from the sea bottom aregranites, gneisses and sandstones. Among the samples was also a single loose piece of basaltic (volcanic)rock, which is out of place on the seafloor, but not unusual. "Because the whole northern Baltic region is soheavily influenced by glacial thawing processes, both the feature and the rock samples are likely to haveformed in connection with glacial and postglacial processes. [...] Possibly these rocks were transported thereby glaciers", explained Brüchert.[12]

ReactionWhile a former Swedish naval officer speculated that the sonar image could show the remains of a WorldWar II German anti-submarine device,[13] and Discovery.com contributor Benjamin Radford considered thatit could be a damaged gun turret from an old battleship,[14] scientist Charles Paull of the Monterey BayAquarium Research Institute told Popular Mechanics it was more likely simply a rock outcrop, sedimentdropped from a fishing trawler, or even a school of fish.[15]

Göran Ekberg, marine archaeologist at Sjöhistoriska museet (Maritime museum) in Stockholm was quotedas saying, "A natural, geological formation can't be ruled out. I agree the finding looks weird since it'scompletely circular. But nature has produced stranger things than that."[10] Martin Jakobsson, professor ofmarine geology and geophysics at Stockholm University also examined images from the dive and said, "I'mguessing it's some sort of sandstone. But to make things clear, I've only seen the media images, and I needmore material before making an official statement."[16] Danish archaeologist Jørgen Dencker said theformation was quite possibly a grouping of rocks deposited by Ice age glaciers.[4] Other experts say that theformation may be a pillow basalt, a moraine, or the product of a hydrothermal vent.[17]

Although Ocean X spokesman Lindbergh maintains that the formation contains unnaturally straight linesand other constructions, according to Zmescience.com writer Tibi Puiu, "If anything...this discoveryperfectly illustrates man’s power of fitting patterns together, something that has allowed for one of the

world’s greatest scientific discoveries to be made, but which also plunged man in making dementedclaims."[18]

Criticism

The single sonar image provided by Ocean X has drawn criticism from various sources.[17] Hanumant Singhof the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has said that it cannot be trusted. Stating that a cheapinaccurate instrument was used for the image,[19][20] he added that it had been improperly wired andcalibrated. MSNBC said media comparisons to a flying saucer were likely suggested by graphic outlinesdrawn onto the sonar image, said to resemble the fictional spaceship Millennium Falcon.[17] Paull of theMonterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute characterized the discovery as “curious and fun, but much adoabout nothing."[15]

Jonathan Hill of the Mars Space Flight Facility questioned the motives involved in Ocean X announcements,which included plans to take wealthy tourists in a submarine to visit the site. He was quoted as saying"Whenever people make extraordinary claims, it's always a good idea to consider for a moment whether theyare personally benefiting from the claim or if it's a truly objective observation." He also suggested that itwould have been simple to break off a piece and have it geologically tested, and said that test resultsshowing it was simply rock would not have benefited Peter Lindberg.[17]

Ocean X founder Peter Lindberg responded to charges of poor science and attempting to benefit from thepublicity, saying "First we thought this was only stone, but this is something else. And since no volcanicactivity has ever been reported in the Baltic Sea the find becomes even stranger."[20]

Alternative explanations

Some ufologists have claimed the formation is an alien ship, though no evidence has been found to supportthis conclusion.[14]

See alsoYonaguni MonumentGiant's Causeway

References

1. "About X-team". Ocean X team. Retrieved 25 July 2012.2. "Ocean X Team News". March 2012. OceanX. Retrieved 6 September 2012.3. oceanexplorer.se: 2012-07-09 (http://www.oceanexplorer.se/)4. Danish: 16. juli 2012, videnskab.dk: Nye billeder: Ukendt objekt i Østersøen er ren X-files

(http://videnskab.dk/miljo-naturvidenskab/nye-billeder-ukendt-objekt-i-ostersoen-er-ren-x-files) Quote: "...Objekteter som først antaget 60 meter langt og nøjagtig lige så bredt..."

5. Swedish: 15 jun 2012, expressen.se: Så ser den mystiska cirkeln ut på nära håll (http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/sa-ser-den-mystiska-cirkeln-ut-pa-nara-hall/)

6. oceanexplorer.se: 2012-06-15 (http://www.oceanexplorer.se/page/2/)7. Danish: Bygbjerg, Søren. 17 Jun 2012 "SE NYE MYSTISKE BILLEDER: Ligger der en UFO på havets bund?"

Check |url= value (help). DR Nyheder (BBC News). Retrieved 13 September 2012.8. http://www.oceanexplorer.se/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/456_90D.jpg9. Asberg, Dennis. "Pictures from the object in the Baltic sea". Retrieved 13 September 2012.

External linksOcean X Website (http://www.oceanexplorer.se)Ocean X YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/dempaboda)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baltic_Sea_anomaly&oldid=694011605"

Categories: Ufology Baltic Sea

This page was last modified on 6 December 2015, at 14:34.Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms mayapply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registeredtrademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

9. Asberg, Dennis. "Pictures from the object in the Baltic sea". Retrieved 13 September 2012.10. Swedish: 12 Aug 2012, expressen.se: Trappa senaste fyndet vid mystiska cirkeln

(http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/trappa-senaste-fyndet-vid-mystiska-cirkeln/)11. "Cirkeln är minst 14 000 år gammal". Retrieved October 10, 2013.12. Wolchover, Natalie. " 'Mysterious' Baltic Sea Object Is a Glacial Deposit". Thu, Aug 30, 2012. LiveScience.com –

Yahoo News. Retrieved 31 August 2012. "The divers recently gave samples of stone from the object to VolkerBrüchert"

13. Waugh, Rob (13 July 2012). "Sonar scans show that 'UFO' at bottom of Baltic sea may actually be a top-secret Nazianti-submarine defence lost since the Second World War". Daily Mail. Retrieved 25 July 2012.

14. "Unidentified Sunken Object: Probably Not Alien". News Website. discovery.com. Retrieved 29 June 2012.15. Main, Douglas (January 2, 2012). "Underwater UFO? Get Real, Experts Say". Popular Mechanics.16. Calleberg, Av Maria (25 July 2012). "Så ser den mystiska cirkeln ut på nära håll (Such is the mysterious circle out at

close range)". Expressene.se. Retrieved 25 July 2012.17. Wotchover, Natalie (2012-06-29). "Baltic Sea 'sunken UFO' begins to smell like an elaborate scam". msnbc.

Retrieved 7 July 2012.18. Puiu, Tibi. "So called Baltic Sea "UFO" mystery solved, other questions arise". Published on Mon, Jun 18, 2012.

zmescience.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.19. Radford, Benjamin. "Second 'sunken UFO' claim doesn't really hold water". 2/1/2012. NBCnews.com. Retrieved

16 August 2012.20. "Divers claim 'Baltic UFO' shuts down all electronics within 200m". 2012-06-27. Retrieved 7 July 2012.