In 2022, during an underwater exploration mission led by the Ocean Exploration Trust in the Pacific Ocean, near Hawaii, a remotely operated vehicle captured images of a peculiar rock formation that resembled a 'yellow brick road.' This discovery occurred while researchers were studying an underwater mountain range known as the Liliʻuokalani Ridge within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). The robotic cameras revealed a remarkably regular fractured rocky surface characterized by straight lines and almost perfect angles.

The images showed a series of blocks that seemed to fit together, as if someone had paved the ocean floor. The team quickly drew visual comparisons to the famous yellow brick road from the story of The Wizard of Oz, a comparison that immediately went viral on social media. Such formations are rarely observed in the ocean, triggering curiosity and speculation about their origin and nature.

The discovery has sparked interest not only for its striking resemblance to a fictional pathway but also for its geological significance. Researchers are now eager to examine whether this formation is a natural occurrence or the result of human intervention, and how it might inform our understanding of underwater geology and the biological ecosystem surrounding it.