An underwater volcano, shaking with 1,000 tiny tremors every day, could erupt soon. Here's what scientists are saying
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An underwater volcano off the Oregon coast in the US is showing strong signs that it may erupt soon. Known as the Axial Seamount , this submarine shield volcano lies nearly a mile beneath the Pacific Ocean's surface and about 300 miles offshore, along the Juan de Fuca Ridge.The Axial Seamount has erupted several times in the past, with its most recent events taking place in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Scientists now believe it could erupt again before the end of 2025. The seafloor around the volcano has begun to swell, a signal that was also observed before the 2015 eruption. In addition, the area is experiencing a surge in seismic activity , with more than a thousand small earthquakes recorded each day. According to Forbes, these warning signs suggest that 'something big could be brewing under the sea.'Monitoring the Axial Seamount is possible thanks to the Ocean Observatories Initiative's Regional Cabled Array, a high-tech network that provides real-time data, video, and high-resolution imagery. Researchers consider it the most closely observed patch of seafloor in the world.Although the volcano may erupt soon, experts say the eruption poses little risk to people on land. Its underwater location means there is no danger of a tsunami or earthquake being triggered.Still, the eruption is of great scientific importance. Studying volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges could improve forecasts for eruptions of land-based volcanoes, which pose much greater risks to human life. Researchers are also interested in how hydrothermal vent ecosystems recover after being buried by lava. This work could provide insights into deep-sea mining and help make such operations more cost-effective in the future.
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Economic Times
10 hours ago
- Economic Times
An underwater volcano, shaking with 1,000 tiny tremors every day, could erupt soon. Here's what scientists are saying
TIL Creatives AI generated image: The Axial Seamount has erupted several times in the past, with its most recent events taking place in 1998, 2011, and 2015. An underwater volcano off the Oregon coast in the US is showing strong signs that it may erupt soon. Known as the Axial Seamount, this submarine shield volcano lies nearly a mile beneath the Pacific Ocean's surface and about 300 miles offshore, along the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The Axial Seamount has erupted several times in the past, with its most recent events taking place in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Scientists now believe it could erupt again before the end of 2025. The seafloor around the volcano has begun to swell, a signal that was also observed before the 2015 eruption. In addition, the area is experiencing a surge in seismic activity, with more than a thousand small earthquakes recorded each day. According to Forbes, these warning signs suggest that 'something big could be brewing under the sea.' Monitoring the Axial Seamount is possible thanks to the Ocean Observatories Initiative's Regional Cabled Array, a high-tech network that provides real-time data, video, and high-resolution imagery. Researchers consider it the most closely observed patch of seafloor in the world. Although the volcano may erupt soon, experts say the eruption poses little risk to people on land. Its underwater location means there is no danger of a tsunami or earthquake being triggered. Still, the eruption is of great scientific importance. Studying volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges could improve forecasts for eruptions of land-based volcanoes, which pose much greater risks to human life. Researchers are also interested in how hydrothermal vent ecosystems recover after being buried by lava. This work could provide insights into deep-sea mining and help make such operations more cost-effective in the future.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
An underwater volcano, shaking with 1,000 tiny tremors every day, could erupt soon. Here's what scientists are saying
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel An underwater volcano off the Oregon coast in the US is showing strong signs that it may erupt soon. Known as the Axial Seamount , this submarine shield volcano lies nearly a mile beneath the Pacific Ocean's surface and about 300 miles offshore, along the Juan de Fuca Axial Seamount has erupted several times in the past, with its most recent events taking place in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Scientists now believe it could erupt again before the end of 2025. The seafloor around the volcano has begun to swell, a signal that was also observed before the 2015 eruption. In addition, the area is experiencing a surge in seismic activity , with more than a thousand small earthquakes recorded each day. According to Forbes, these warning signs suggest that 'something big could be brewing under the sea.'Monitoring the Axial Seamount is possible thanks to the Ocean Observatories Initiative's Regional Cabled Array, a high-tech network that provides real-time data, video, and high-resolution imagery. Researchers consider it the most closely observed patch of seafloor in the the volcano may erupt soon, experts say the eruption poses little risk to people on land. Its underwater location means there is no danger of a tsunami or earthquake being the eruption is of great scientific importance. Studying volcanic activity at mid-ocean ridges could improve forecasts for eruptions of land-based volcanoes, which pose much greater risks to human life. Researchers are also interested in how hydrothermal vent ecosystems recover after being buried by lava. This work could provide insights into deep-sea mining and help make such operations more cost-effective in the future.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
This underwater volcano is giving 1000 tremors every day and might erupt in 2025
Earth gives us some rare opportunities to get a glimpse of what's actually happening inside its deep and dynamic core, and one such moment is happening deep beneath the Pacific Ocean. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Under miles of water, lies a submarine volcano quietly gearing up for what could be its next eruption. While this event may not be noticeable on the land, it holds a significant scientific value. The underwater volcano that could erupt soon About 300 miles away and nearly a mile beneath the surface and off the coast of Oregon is an Axial Seamount, a submarine shield volcano that has erupted in 1998, 2011, and 2015. According to the American Geophysical Union, another eruption may happen before the end of 2025. Axial sits along the Juan de Fuca Ridge, where two tectonic plates, the Juan de Fuca and Pacific, are pulling apart. This, along with its geologic hotspot origin, makes it unique and active. Location of Axial Seamount (Photo: Wikimedia commons) What makes this special to the scientists This Axial Seamount is fitted with a vast undersea network of the Ocean Observatories Initiative's Regional Cabled Array, which provides real-time data, video, and high-resolution images via fiber-optic cables stretching from the Oregon coast to the volcano summit. Researchers call this the most monitored patch of seafloor in the world, according to Forbes. This observatory has already allowed scientists to get a glimpse of the past eruptions live and study seismic changes and magma build-up beforehand. How do the scientists infer the possible eruption Scientists believe the Axial Seamount could erupt soon because of two major signs. First, the seafloor around the volcano has started to swell, reaching levels similar to what was seen right before its last eruption in 2015. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Second, there's been a big increase in small earthquakes, over 1,000 tiny tremors a day, as magma moves and builds pressure beneath the surface. According to Forbes, these clues suggest that something big could be brewing under the sea. Will this eruption impact the people on the land? Although powerful, this volcano lies far underwater, so there's minimal danger to land, and no risk of a tsunami or earthquake triggered by its eruptions. Scientists are eager to capture the eruption because it could reveal new information about volcanic behavior at mid-ocean ridges and, potentially, inform forecasts for dangerous land volcanoes. How will this impact the ecosystems? Eruptions at Axial highly disrupt hydrothermal vent ecosystems, but studies have shown life bounces back surprisingly fast. Scientists hope to see how microbial and animal life returns after being buried by lava, which could be helpful in making deep-sea mining budget-friendly and economical.
