First-Ever Detailed Undersea Map Of Ram Setu Completed By ISRO With NASA Satellite Help: Here's All About It

Scientists from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have in association with NASA's ICESat-2 satellite for the first time created a detailed map of the submerged Ram Setu.

This comprehensive 10-metre resolution map, created from data collected over six years is the first for an undersea structure, as per a report by Times of India.

This unique map spans 29 metres long and rises 8 metres above the seabed.

Published by scientists from ISRO's Jodhpur and Hyderabad National Remote Sensing Centre, the map provides intricate details about the Ram Setu using water-penetrating photons from NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite.

ISRO scientists used advanced laser technology from the US satellite to develop this map. Led by Giribabu Dandabathula, the team discovered 11 narrow channels, each with a depth of 2-3 metres, allowing water to flow between the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait.

The underwater ridge consists of a chain of limestone shoals. The team used 3-D-derived parameters such as contours, slope analysis, and volumetrics to determine the bridge's current physical characteristics.

Ram Setu, an ancient bridge connecting Dhanushkodi in India to Talaimannar Island in Sri Lanka, holds cultural significance as it is mentioned in the Ramayan. Until the 9th century AD, Persians referred to this bridge as 'Sethu Bandhai'. Temple records in Rameswaram indicate that the bridge was above sea level until 1480 when a storm destroyed it.