A guyot is a flat topped seamount. Guyots show evidence of having been above the surface with gradual subsidence through stages from fringed reefed mountain, coral atoll, and finally a flat topped submerged mountain. The Emperor Seamounts are an excellent example of an entire volcanic chain undergoing this process and contain many guyots among their older examples.
Guyots were first identified by Harry Hess who collected data echo-sounding equipment on a ship he commanded during World War II. The data showed the configuration of the seafloor where he saw some undersea mountains that had flat tops. Calling these guyots (after the 19th century geographer Arnold Henry Guyot) Hess postulated the were once volcanic islands that were beheaded by wave action. Yet they were now deep under sea level. This idea was used to help bolster the theory of plate tectonics.
External link
Wilde guyot map from Texas A&M
