Buzz
The ocean's surface pales in comparison to the mysteries lying just below our feet. These wonders, ranging from a few meters to several miles deep, are waiting to be uncovered—some with massive investments and expert teams, others with just a simple shovel and light.
From groundbreaking experiments to haunting relics of the past, and undiscovered life forms that have evaded humanity’s notice for centuries, the underground world holds captivating secrets. Here are ten astonishing things happening beneath our feet.
10. The Hunt for Dark Matter
Deep within an abandoned gold mine, about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) below South Dakota’s Black Hills, 250 scientists from 37 institutions are working in the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) to make significant strides in the elusive quest for dark matter.
This endeavor is known as LUX-ZEPLIN, where LUX stands for Large Underground Xenon, and ZEPLIN stands for ZonEd Proportional scintillation in Liquid Noble gases. Pretty straightforward, right?
The mission? To solve what could be the final missing piece in the dark matter puzzle. In simpler terms, while we know all about the visible matter in the universe—from rocks, water, and gases to protons, electrons, and particles—there's not enough of it to account for the universe's total mass.
To crack this mystery, LUX-ZEPLIN is on the hunt for a sort of physics unicorn: a weakly interacting massive particle, also known as WIMP. The setup involves a 1.5-meter-tall (five-foot) tank containing a quarter of the world’s annual liquid xenon supply. If a WIMP happens to pass through, it could bounce off a xenon nucleus, triggering a flash of light or photon—offering scientists a glimpse of dark matter.
The facility's extremely deep location helps shield the experiment from the persistent background noise that has long hindered dark matter research. The experiment is expected to run for about five years.
9. 20,000 Bodies Beneath a City Park
New York City, a vibrant metropolis, began with an astonishing lack of foresight in its early days. As late as the 1790s, officials didn’t anticipate the rapidly growing city expanding even a mile northward, much less overtaking the 21.7-kilometer-long (1-mile) island of Manhattan.
In 1797, the city acquired farmland to establish a potter’s field for the impoverished, criminals, and victims of disease. This plot was situated just under a mile north of the city’s burgeoning urban expansion. When Yellow Fever struck, devastating waves of the highly contagious disease swept through New York City until 1803. The field quickly became overcrowded, reaching its limit by the early 1820s.
In 1827, Mayor Philip Hone, driven by real estate ambitions, revealed plans to convert the potter’s field into a public square. In the rush of development, the bodies were never moved or reburied. The potter’s field was renamed ‘Washington Military Parade Ground’ to mark the 50th anniversary of the nation's founding and was later shortened to Washington Square Park.
As noted in the 2005 book Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City: 'While estimates vary, it seems likely that over 20,000 people were buried in the land… they remain to this day under the grass and pavement of Washington Square.'
The real estate maneuver paid off handsomely: Property values in the area skyrocketed by 240% within the next five years, largely driven by New York University’s expansion in the area.
8. Extreme Resilience
At the end of last year, scientists discovered a remarkable array of life thriving in the freezing darkness 200 meters (650 feet) below the ice in Antarctica’s Ekström Ice Shelf. Seventy-seven distinct species of worms and bryozoans, a type of moss animal, were found in waters as cold as -2° (28°F). This discovery is reshaping how scientists view the potential for life in such harsh, submerged environments.
While similar creatures have been observed elsewhere in Antarctica, finding such a forbidding location brimming with life is unprecedented. 'This may give us clues into how life in polar seas survived glaciations,' said David Barnes, a marine ecologist at the British Antarctic Survey.
To reach this astonishing underground location, researchers used a specialized hot water drill to bore through the thick ice and lowered cameras more than 60 stories down. Carbon dating showed that life had been thriving there for nearly 6,000 years.
Similar cases of surprising life forms have been found across Antarctica. In many of these instances, microbes appear to survive on crushed bedrock deep beneath the continent’s surface. Occasionally, larger creatures are discovered, including sponges nearly half a mile below the ice—an exciting find that one researcher compared to 'finding a bit of the rainforest in the middle of the Sahara.' While not as deep as other discoveries, this latest one still broadens our understanding of the environments capable of sustaining life.
7. A Hidden City Below the Streets
While cities like Edmonton and Ottawa experience colder temperatures at -7.3°C (18.8°F) and -6.5°C (20.3°F) on average in winter, Montreal stands as the coldest true metropolis in North America. It is the second-coldest of its size globally, with Harbin, China taking the lead. Harbin’s metro area, with over 10 million people, sees a shocking average winter temperature of -11.8°C (10.8°F).
Montreal’s winter average sits at a chilly -6.2°C (20.8°F), but with its position along the St. Lawrence River, the cold feels even more intense. Over time, the city has developed a creative solution to the freeze: a sprawling network of subterranean spaces. Beneath the frozen streets lies an expansive system of malls, tunnels, and transport hubs that let Montrealers remain shielded from the bitter cold.
Referred to as le Réso, this vast underground complex stretches over 32 kilometers (20 miles) of walkways that link subway stations, office buildings, and residential complexes, with a variety of dining and shopping opportunities along the way. The convenience of Montreal’s underground lifestyle is so comprehensive that many residents skip their coats entirely, knowing they’ll never need to step outside. This is true not only for commuters but also for students and tourists, who can easily navigate from dorms or hotels to schools, museums, theaters, and more without braving the outdoors.
Montreal’s underground isn’t just practical—it’s a draw in itself. It boasts attractions like an ice rink and frequent public art exhibits, turning the underground spaces into an engaging cultural experience for all who visit.
6. Alas, nothing, regrettably.
No list of hidden wonders would be complete without mentioning a myth that led to what is arguably the most absurd television show in history. I'm referring to, of course, The Curse of Oak Island.
Nestled off the south coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, Oak Island isn't particularly large—just about one mile long and half a mile wide. For more than 200 years, adventurers have been seeking an elusive treasure whose origins could be linked to a variety of figures, from pirates like Captain Kidd and Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach to secretive organizations such as the Freemasons and the Knights Templar.
In 2006, Michigan brothers Rick and Marty Lagina purchased a 50% share in the company that owns the island, joining the ranks of treasure seekers. Since then, their efforts have ranged from fruitless to downright absurd, further diminishing the credibility of reality television—a feat in itself. They uncover small items and claim it signals that 'something bigger' is out there, and the cycle repeats.
And the cycle continues. And continues. By 2021, The Curse of Oak Island had aired its eighth season, stretching out 138 hour-long episodes filled with men digging pointless holes and speculating about where the next one should go. It’s like watching a squirrel searching for a hidden acorn—though, to be fair, the squirrel has the advantage of a real acorn. Perhaps it's time to catch up on the nothingness of Season 9!
5. Thankfully, nothing.
On an inconspicuous street in Berlin, not far from the massive Holocaust Memorial, sits a parking lot surrounded by typical 1980s-style East German apartment buildings. Until 2006, there was no hint of the dark historical importance of the land beneath it. Today, a modest plaque informs those passing by of the grim truth buried below: the bunker where Adolf Hitler met his demise.
Locally derisively called the 'Führerbunker Parking Lot,' this paved-over site was once part of the Reich Chancellery gardens. It’s the place where the Nazi leader spent the last 3½ months of his life, retreating there on January 16, 1945, as Berlin’s bombing made it too perilous to remain above ground. It was here that he would mark his final birthday, receiving a rather grim gift—the first of the Soviet shells hitting Berlin. Nine days later, he married his long-time companion, only to take his own life the following day. A rather unromantic honeymoon.
Hitler’s final days were marked by delusion, paranoia, and, for those in the bunker with him, a sense of impending doom. While he held futile military strategy meetings, reviewed Berlin’s crumbling defenses, and continued to ignore the approaching reality, those around him scrambled to find excuses to leave, eager to escape the inevitable.
While much of the bunker was demolished during Berlin's reconstruction, some sections still remain. These are sealed off, not only to prevent vandalism but to guard against even more sinister tributes.
4. Drug Trafficking
While a 3,218-kilometer (2,000-mile) wall stretching across the U.S.-Mexico border may slow down the already record-breaking levels of illegal migration, it’s unlikely to have much effect on the persistent issue of drug trafficking. Mexican cartels have long had both the resources and the incentives to take their operations out of sight—underground, to be precise.
Frequently, their destination of choice within the United States is San Diego, where the suburbs extend right up to the border. The area offers vast industrial zones, complete with large, nondescript warehouse buildings that provide the perfect cover. This has led to the creation of a hidden underground transportation network, serving as both a receiving point and a processing hub. This practice is so widespread that San Diego even has a dedicated Tunnel Task Force, staffed with both local and federal law enforcement officers.
The most extensive of these tunnels was uncovered in March 2020 at a warehouse in the San Diego suburb of Otay Mesa. Spanning nearly 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) and reaching a depth of 9 meters (30 feet), agents described this passageway as the most advanced they had ever encountered, complete with a rail and cart system to quickly move drugs, forced air ventilation, and high-voltage electrical systems.
Known as 'Baja Metro' by border agents, the tunnel also featured an elevator at its entrance and an intricate drainage system. The bust resulted in the seizure of over two tons of drugs, including 590 kilograms (1,300 pounds) of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $30 million.
3. The Biggest Living Organism on Earth
Many people can name the largest animal on Earth—the blue whale. And they might even recall the world’s largest tree: the Giant Sequoia, with its tallest specimen reaching 84 meters (275 feet) tall and a base diameter of an incredible 11 meters (36½ feet).
However, to find the largest living organism, we need to go underground. Discovered in 1998, a single fungal organism in Oregon’s Malheur National Forest spans an area of 9 square kilometers (3½ square miles)! That’s one colossal fungus living beneath the surface.
Known as Armillaria ostoyae, the reason so few are aware of this record-breaking life form is because it exists almost entirely underground. Armillaria ostoyae is not a mushroom but a network of fungal threads and cords called hyphae. As a parasitic fungus, it invades tree bark and root systems, expanding across the forest floor in search of new hosts to infect. Though it occasionally surfaces to reproduce, the vast organism remains largely hidden from view.
Recently, false images of Armillaria ostoyae have circulated online. One depicts a mushroom the size of a house, towering over astonished onlookers. Another shows a mushroom stalk as thick as a tree trunk. These fabricated fungal photos have led many visitors to the national park to arrive expecting something entirely different, leaving them disappointed.
2. Trees Communicating
Recent research has revealed that trees are far more aware, complex, and social than once thought. Beneath the surface, through their roots connected by fungi, bacteria, or other plants, trees share crucial information about their environment, such as drought conditions and disease. They can even 'lend' each other nutrients or water, showing a much more communal approach to survival than previously understood in the plant world.
This fascinating phenomenon has been dubbed the Wood Wide Web, a term that predates its famous digital counterpart, the World Wide Web, by approximately 500 million years. In 2019, an international study covering 1.2 million forest plots and nearly 30,000 species unveiled the first global map of the underground networks that form this secretive system.
While trees may compete for sunlight above ground, beneath the earth they are remarkably cooperative. Through the Wood Wide Web, trees send chemical, hormonal, and slow electrical signals to share vital information, ranging from impending droughts and parasitic dangers to nutrient shortages and potential soil toxins. This network functions as an early warning system, embodying a 'rising tide lifts all ships' philosophy.
The success of the Wood Wide Web relies heavily on mycorrhizal partnerships, where plants and fungi form symbiotic relationships. Research has shown that this underground system plays a key role in mitigating climate change through carbon storage, though it is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of rising global temperatures.
1. The Gateway to Hell
Deep in Turkmenistan’s isolated Karakum Desert lies a captivating tourist spot that attracts thousands every year. Known as the Darvaza Gas Crater, it serves as a chilling reminder of both nature’s might and human folly.
In 1971, when the region was still part of the USSR, a team of Soviet geologists ventured into the Karakum Desert in search of oil (a resource the country had in abundance). They believed they had discovered a large oil field and began drilling operations.
But instead of oil, they had found a vast natural gas pocket that couldn’t bear the weight of their equipment. The ground gave way, pulling their drilling rigs into a massive collapse, setting off a chain reaction in the soft, unstable sedimentary rock. By the time the dust settled, multiple craters had formed, the largest measuring 70 meters (230 feet) in diameter and 20 meters (65 feet) deep. Well done, team.
Things took a turn for the worse. In the wake of the incident, wildlife in the surrounding desert began to die off, a result of the craters’ high methane content. In addition to being highly flammable, methane also depletes oxygen in the area, making it inhospitable.
The scientists decided to set the crater on fire, thinking the natural gas would burn off in a few weeks. Unfortunately, their calculations were off. Now known as the Gates of Hell, the craters have been burning continuously for over fifty years.
