They are being likened to illustrations from The Lord of the Rings, but these pictures of a craggy landscape do not come from a fantasy world.
Instead, they reveal a hidden volcanic landscape buried deep beneath the sea off southern Australia.
Scientists from the University of Adelaide, the University of Aberdeen and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation used 3-D seismic reflection data gathered as part of oil exploration efforts to map the terrain buried deep underneath sediment on the sea floor.
They found a "multitude" of ancient volcanoes reaching up to 625m high that were created by eruptions that happened 35 million years ago.
Dozens of ancient lava flows stretching 34km long and 15km wide were also discovered beneath the sediment.
Researchers hope the images, which are published in the American Geophysical Union Journal, will improve understanding of how volcanoes develop when they erupt underwater.
Dr Nick Schofield, from the University of Aberdeen’s School of Geosciences, who co-authored the study, said: “We have been able to map these ancient lava flows in unprecedented detail, revealing a spectacular volcanic landscape that bring to mind illustrations from Lord of the Rings.
“Submarine lava flows are inherently more difficult to study than their counterparts on the earth’s surface due to their inaccessibility, and the technology we have used is similar in many ways to what is used to produce ultrasound images of babies, but for the Earth.
He added: “By using this technique, we have a unique insight into a landscape that has remained hidden for millions of years, highlighting the growing importance of seismic data in studying submarine volcanism.”
