According to reports, researchers have found a cluster of submerged volcanoes that are expected to be nearly 50 million years old. The volcanoes have been discovered about 250 kilometres off the coast of Sydney.

The discovery was made unexpectedly when Australian researchers were searching for lobster larvae. As per reports, the four enormous underwater volcanoes were found with the help of sonar mapping of the sea floor.

According to chief scientist for the voyage Iain Suthers, their journey proved to be really successful as they discovered a cluster of volcanoes and were stunned to learn that lobster larvae were using an eddy off Sydney as a hotspot at that time of the year, which was totally unexpected.

Calderas are the four extinct volcanoes in the cluster that are created following a volcano eruption and collaption of the land surrounding them. It formed a crater, with the biggest 1.5 km across the rim and it is above 700 metres from the sea floor.

According to Australian National University's Richard Arculus, who is a world-leading expert on volcanoes, such types of volcanoes help know more about the seafloor. According to Arculus, "They tell us part of the story of how New Zealand and Australia separated around 40 to 80 million years ago. They'll now help scientists target future exploration of the sea floor to unlock the secrets of the Earth's crust".

Prof Arculus said that for the first time multi-beam sonar arm was used in the area and the discovery will encourage more analysis of this kind.