Researchers from the Ocean Discovery League estimated how little we know about the deep seafloor:
We then used two independent methods to estimate the amount of deep seafloor observed globally over the past seven decades (see Methods). Using the dive-based method, we estimate a maximum visual seabed coverage of 2130 km2. Using the time-based method, we estimate visual seabed coverage of 3823 km2.
Of Earth’s total surface area (510 million km2), the seafloor makes up 360 million km2 (approximately 71%). Of this ocean area, approximately 93% is deep seafloor (≥200 m), yielding 66% of the Earth’s total surface area (~335.7 million km2). In the framework of this global context, our exploration coverage estimates show that deep-sea visual tools have only observed 0.0006 to 0.001% of the deep seafloor since 1958.
We’re never going to find Atlantis at this rate.
