Startlingly round formation with steep, smooth sides found on seafloor off California

It rises about 3,300 feet, has “relatively steep, smooth sides” and is rounded, with a diameter of nearly 3,000 feet, officials say

A mountain would seem to be a tough thing to miss, but a new one has been found off the coast of Northern California.

The seamount, as underwater mountains are called, was discovered by a seafloor mapping drone and its shape is more like a giant tower than a mountain.

It rises about 3,300 feet, has “relatively steep, smooth sides” and is rounded, with a diameter of nearly 3,000 feet, officials say.

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Saildrone, the research company that found it, reports the mount sits 184 nautical miles off Cape Mendocino, which is about 300 miles northwest of Sacramento.

Read more: Sacrament Bee