Major Underwater Volcano Off US Coast Is Showing Signs of Impending Eruption, Scientists Say

An underwater volcano called axial Seamount, located about 300 miles off the coast of Oregon, is exhibiting signs of a potential eruption. Scientists are observing over 1,000 daily earthquakes and a notable bulge on the seafloor, indicative of volcanic activity. Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist from oregon state University, explained that this volcano behaves like others in Hawaii, inflating between eruptions. However, he assures that there is no threat to people on land or at sea, as the eruption is unlikely to cause explosions or significant impacts nearby.Experts from the University of Washington also stated that this eruption will not trigger major seismic events or tsunamis. Researchers are eager to study the eruption to gain insights into geological processes, with predictions suggesting that it may occur by the end of 2025. Axial Seamount is recognized as the most active submarine volcano in the Northeast Pacific,with a history of eruptions in 1998,2011,and 2015.


Something is brewing a few hundred miles off the coast of Oregon.

An underwater volcano known as Axial Seamount is showing signs that it will soon erupt, NBC News reported.

Scientists have seen telltale signs that an eruption is coming — including a growing bulge accompanied by more than 1,000 earthquakes a day, according to Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist and professor at Oregon State University.

“This volcano is similar to the ones in Hawaii that erupt very fluid lavas,” Chadwick told NBC.

“They tend to inflate like a balloon in between eruptions. At Axial, the seafloor is actually rising, and that’s a big signal.”

As alarming as all of that sounds, Chadwick said there’s no danger to people on land — or even at sea.

“There’s no explosion or anything, so it would really have no impact on people,” Chadwick said. “Even if you were out on a boat right over the seamount when it’s erupting, you probably would never know it.”

The University of Washington also said residents don’t need to fear.

“An eruption at Axial Seamount also has nothing to do with seismic activity on land, so Pacific Northwesterners don’t need to worry about this event triggering a major earthquake or tsunami,” an announcement by the University of Washington’s College of the Environment said.

“That said, while most of us are happy to remain at a safe distance from volcanic eruptions, the researchers we spoke to were eager to see as much of this one as possible.”

It explained that “scientists are excited because it is giving us a window into some of the most important geological and biological processes on Earth.”

According to a blog post by Chadwick and Scott Nooner of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Axial Seamount has been declared “the most active submarine volcano in the NE Pacific, with known eruptions in 1998, 2011, and 2015.”

Because of that distinction, it is home to the world’s first underwater volcano observatory, dubbed NeMO.

Researchers at the American Geophysical Union conference announced last year that the volcano was about to explode, IFL Science reported.

It quoted Chadwick as predicting it would likely blow by the end of 2025, though the publication added that predicting a volcanic eruption more than a few hours in advance is tough to do.

When it does blow, researchers will be watching their monitoring equipment and gathering data.

“Whatever it does, we’re going to learn something new,” said William Wilcock of the University of Washington’s School of Oceanography.




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