Guyots – Guyots (pronounced “Ghe Oh’s”) are “an isolated (or group of) seamount (s) having a comparatively smooth flat top. Also called tablemount(s)” (IHO, 2008). Harris et al. (2014) mapped 283 guyots covering a total area of 707,600 km2. Guyots have an average area of 2,500 km2, more than twice the average area of seamounts. Nearly 50% of guyot area and 42% of the number of guyots occur in the North Pacific Ocean, covering 342,070 km2 (see Table). The largest three guyots are all in the North Pacific: the Kuko Guyot (estimated 24,600 km2), Suiko Guyot (estimated 20,220 km2) and the Pallada Guyot (estimated 13,680 km2).
Bathymetric false-colour image of the Gifford Guyot, located in the Tasman Sea east of Australia (after Geoscience Australia: http://www.ga.gov.au/ausgeonews/ausgeonews200803/survey.jsp
Statistics on guyots (after Harris et al., 2014)
For details of guyot evolution and biota, see entry for “seamounts”.
| Ocean | Guyot Area km2 | Guyot Area% | Guyot Number | Mean Guyot size km2 |
| Arctic | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 |
| Indian Ocean | 67,010 | 0.0941 | 28 | 2,390 |
| Mediterranean & Black Sea | 2,800 | 0.0926 | 2 | 1,400 |
| North Atlantic Ocean | 31,640 | 0.0707 | 8 | 3,960 |
| North Pacific Ocean | 499,990 | 0.610 | 119 | 4,200 |
| South Atlantic Ocean | 133,710 | 0.331 | 43 | 3,110 |
| South Pacific Ocean | 187,900 | 0.215 | 77 | 2,440 |
| Southern Ocean | 13,870 | 0.0682 | 6 | 2,310 |
| All Oceans | 936,920 | 0.259 | 283 | 3,310 |
References
Harris, P.T., MacMillan-Lawler, M., Rupp, J., Baker, E.K., 2014. Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology 352, 4-24.
IHO, 2008. Standardization of Undersea Feature Names: Guidelines Proposal form Terminology, 4th ed. International Hydrographic Organisation and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Monaco, p. 32. http://www.iho.int/iho_pubs/bathy/B-6_e4_EF_Nov08.pdf