During a deep-sea expedition on a ridge north of Hawaii, scientists discovered a seafloor formation that resembles a pathway built of yellow bricks. The research vessel Nautilus made this unusual discovery while exploring the Liliuokalani Ridge in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

"This is the road to Atlantis," exclaimed one researcher. "Yellow brick road?" another responded. "This is bizarre... Are you serious?" added a third team member upon encountering the formation at a depth exceeding 3,000 meters.

Scientists explain that the formation is the result of fractured hyaloclastite rock material - volcanic material created during high-energy eruptions. The characteristic 90-degree fractures, which create the appearance of bricks, were caused by stress from heating and cooling cycles associated with multiple volcanic events.

Research shows that only a fraction of Earth's ocean floor has been visually examined. A 2025 study estimates that in 67 years of deep-sea exploration, humans have surveyed between 0.0006 and 0.001 percent of the deep seafloor - an area of approximately 3,823 square kilometers, smaller than the US state of Rhode Island.