Thousands of strange holes discovered off California coast

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I came across an article this morning and pondered if it was a kind of missing link.

Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) were surveying the deep seafloor off Big Sur [in California] when they discovered the strange holes. The larger holes, described as pockmarks, are on average about 600 feet across and 16 feet deep. In a statement, MBARI noted that it first discovered some of the pockmarks in 1999. However, subsequent surveys by MBARI and other organizations have revealed over 5,200 pockmarks spread across 500 square miles.

Source: Thousands of strange holes discovered off California coast

The reason why I found this interesting is because there is another similar strange finding on land, called the Carolina Bays. Scattered along the eastern coast of the United States from southern New Jersey to northern Florida are approximately 500,000 elliptical depressions collectively called the Carolina Bays. The size of these depressions range from 200 feet to 7 miles along the major axis. One of the interesting aspects of the Carolina Bays is that they occurred during recent geological time. Otherwise the depressions would have been eroded and filled in. Any event that is capable of producing a half million craters is a significant global event.

Another recent article describes:

The research, published in the journal Palaeontologia Africana, suggests an asteroid strike with "global consequences" occurred 12,800 years ago. This devastating strike caused mass destruction, wiped out many species of animals and led to climate change, during an episode event known as Younger Dryas.

“Our finding at least partially supports the highly controversial Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis (YDIH)," University of the Witwatersrand professor Francis Thackeray said in a statement. "We seriously need to explore the view that an asteroid impact somewhere on earth may have caused climate change on a global scale, and contributed to some extent to the process of extinctions of large animals at the end of the Pleistocene, after the last ice age.”

The asteroid strike, which was officially verified in Greenland in November 2018, left a 19-mile crater and may have caused the disappearance of the Clovis people, a mysterious prehistoric group that vanished without a trace, according to The Sun. The crater was first discovered in July 2015, but it took until November 2018 to confirm its source. According to NASA, the massive hole is "one of the 25 largest impact craters on Earth" and is said to have "rocked the Northern Hemisphere."

Thackeray and the other researchers discovered a “platinum spike” at a mining site in South Africa, including a sample about 12,800 years old. Platinum is rare on Earth but has been seen in large quantities in asteroids, giving some credence to the theory that the asteroid wiped out species, cooled the planet and caused global devastation. There are 28 other spots around the world with platinum deposits similar to the one found in South Africa, suggesting that a plume of platinum-rich dust was kicked into the air around this time.

Source: Giant asteroid strike 13K years ago had 'global consequences,' shocking study says

I generally concur with the YDIH theory although I would substitute the word comet instead of asteroid. Comets since they have less cohesive strength than asteroid (because they are generally made up of volatile ices) will fragment readily. An example of this can be observed when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 broke apart and stuck Jupiter in July 1994.

That IS a thing. Most of the craters on the Moon look like random buckshot fired from a shotgun. But there are odd locations on the moon where are craters that fall en eschalon - form a straight line. As if an object approaching the moon disintegrated before it hit the moon's surface.

But....

The question remains.

How many of these holes would it take to fill the Albert Hall?

The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the United Kingdom's most treasured and distinctive buildings. It can seat 5,272. The hall is an ellipse, with major and minor axes of 83 m (272 ft) and 72 m (236 ft). The great glass and wrought-iron dome roofing the hall is 41 m (135 ft) high.

Now the (> 5,200) depressions underwater near Big Sur average 183 m (600 ft) across and 5 m (16 feet) deep.

As a rough approximation, the 5,200 depressions observed thus far would equate to around the volume of 3,500 Albert Halls.

The original size of these depressions were probably much larger when they were initially formed and have been filled in with sediment over the past few thousand years.

The outlines (are therefor areas) of the depressions are probably the same, but their depths (and therefore volumes) would decrease with sedimentation over time.

So these California holes were much bigger than the 4000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire?

At least some of the "holes" off Big Sur were likely created by US Navy anti-submarine operations during WWII. Similar holes can still be found near one of Mussolini's "secret" WWII submarine bases. While ordinary depth charges might cause a crater a couple-dozen meters across, anti-submarine bombs and torpedoes could cause even bigger craters.

Were there US Navy anti-submarine operations during WWII in this region. There is a Point Sur Naval Facility but it was built in 1957. The facility was used as a large sonar detection systems for tracking subs. That mission doesn't sound compatible with testing/training of anti-submarine bombs and torpedoes.

Do you have a source that would validate your theory that the depressions in the area around Big Sur were caused by these weapons. During WWII submarine protection of the West Coast of the U.S. was provided mainly from airfields in San Diego and Moffett Field, California. Moffett Field is located 109 miles from Big Sur.

Yes. But I think the question was said in jest and I am not good at British Humor. Apparently John Lenon wrote a song for the Beatles called "A Day in the Life" which was included in Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Part of the lyrics for the song were:

I heard the news today, oh boy
four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire
and though the holes were rather small
they had to count them all
now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
I'd love to turn you on.

But Albert Hall was very upset with the lyrics and asked the Beatles to change the lyrics.

In a letter to Beatles manager Brian Epstein, the Hall’s then chief executive, Mr Ernest O’Follipar told the band that the “wrong-headed assumption that there are four thousand holes in our auditorium” threatened to destroy its business overnight.

The actual letter is displayed here. Royal Albert Hall was ‘furious’ over Beatles lyric, newly discovered documents reveal

The song on Sgt Pepper was the first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this thread. Wondered how long it would take for someone to get the reference.

But I didn't know about the folks who ran the real Albert Hall getting upset about the song.

The Beatles DID say that "the holes were rather small"(but they had to count them all).

I think the line "Now we know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall" refers to the material used to fill the holes, and not the holes themselves. I could be wrong, though.