Explorers Found “Yellow Brick Road” at Bottom of the Pacific Ocean

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As a gamer with a penchant for both virtual worlds and real-life mysteries, I was utterly captivated by the serendipitous discovery of the underwater “Yellow Brick Road” off the coast of Hawaii. Having spent countless hours traversing digital landscapes, it’s quite surreal to find a physical manifestation of such an iconic symbol from a beloved tale like Oz.

In early 2022, a group of ocean researchers were deploying an underwater exploration robot to investigate the Liliʻuokalani Ridge, which is situated within Papahānaumokuakea Marine National Monument. While they were examining the peak of Nootka Seamount off the coast of Hawaii, they came across something peculiar among the marine worms and seabed deposits.

Upon spinning their vehicle, they encountered what seemed like a road stretching out ahead, paved with yellow bricks and hinting at an old, submerged civilization. The layout instantly brought to mind the Yellow Brick Road from Oz, expected to play a significant role in Universal’s upcoming movie version of the Broadway musical Wicked.

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Where to Find the Pacific Ocean‘s Yellow Brick Road

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The submerged “Yellow Brick Road” is now recognized as a broken pattern of hyaloclastite rock, which originated from a sequence of underwater volcanic explosions. Scientists hypothesize that numerous eruptions in the vicinity shaped this apparent roadway through natural phenomena. During underwater eruptions, distinctive 90-degree fractures emerge due to thermal shock and rapid cooling, giving the appearance of bricks neatly arranged in rows on the ocean floor.

In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, a magical tornado transports Dorothy directly onto the Yellow Brick Road, kick-starting her extraordinary journey. However, in L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy is placed somewhere else and must locate the Yellow Brick Road before embarking on her adventure. Yet, researchers from Ocean Exploration Trust stumbled upon an underwater fragment of the Yellow Brick Road quite unexpectedly.

In Baum’s novel and its well-known 1939 film adaptation, the Yellow Brick Road stands out as a memorable element, partly due to the introduction of Technicolor. In the magical land of Oz, Dorothy (portrayed by Judy Garland) initially discovers it, and this path guides her towards the Wizard. On our Earth, it’s often said that every road leads to Rome; however, in Oz, at least the ones made of yellow brick, seem to lead to the Emerald City.

It’s quite possible that the whimsical avenue that served as inspiration for Baum was reminiscent of the sunny brick roads in Holland, Michigan, a place he spent his childhood years. Nowadays, there’s a tribute called the Yellow Brick Road in Humboldt Park, where Baum once resided. This memorial honors the exact location where Baum wrote his enchanting tales and functions as a link between our reality and a realm where monkeys soar through the skies and witches engage in battles.

The fact that the underwater Yellow Brick Road wasn’t constructed by a wizard but by natural forces doesn’t diminish its magic. Instead, it adds an extra layer of intrigue to imagine a road being laid out not by workers in a distant land, but by fire, water, and time, right here on our own planet.

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2024-11-08 00:46