Researchers aboard the E/V Nautilus made a discovery on the floor of the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, finding a geological formation resembling a yellow brick road. Geologists later determined that the brick-like patterns were the result of natural volcanic processes. Understanding how lava cools and fractures underwater could provide clues about the formation of other deep-sea features. The discovery was part of a broader seafloor mapping and geological analysis mission led by researchers aboard the E/V Nautilus.