Scientists have, for the first time, directly observed the creation of new seafloor in the Indian Ocean, marking a rare opportunity to witness Earth’s crust regenerating itself. The event occurred in 2024 when a series of earthquakes caused more than three feet of new seabed to form. The findings were published in the journal Nature, led by marine geophysicist Jean-Yves Royer, whose team had recently installed monitoring instruments in the area as part of the OHA-GEODAMS observatory project.

The observatory, consisting of 15 monitoring stations, was designed to detect seismic and geological changes on the ocean floor. Just two months after installation, the instruments captured detailed data as a section of an undersea ridge collapsed by about 13 feet and its sides moved apart by over three feet. Using underwater microphones and pressure sensors, the researchers traced the process to high-pressure magma pockets deep within the Earth that forced molten rock upward, forming new crust.

The equipment will continue collecting data until 2027, and researchers hope the project will inspire similar studies in other rapidly expanding seafloor regions.