Underwater volcano off Oregon coast ‘ballooning' with lava — and set to erupt for first time since 2015
A submarine volcano 300 miles off the coast of Oregon could erupt for the first time since 2015, spewing 'very fluid lava' into the sea where scientists were recently recording more than 1,000 daily earthquakes.
Axial Seamount has exhibited increasing volcanic activity, with scientists able to measure the swelling of the underwater structure in the Pacific Ocean — indicating that the top could blow off with lava any time between now and the end of the year, NBC reported.
'This volcano is similar to ones in Hawaii that erupt very fluid lavas,' Bill Chadwick, volcanologist and research professor at Oregon State University, told the outlet.
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4 The Axial Seamount has exhibited a surge in volcanic activity.
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'They tend to inflate like a balloon in between eruptions. At Axial, the sea floor is actually rising, and that's a big signal.'
In 2015, Axial Seamount had a massive eruption that leaked out a surreal amount of magma, with one lava flow measuring 450 feet thick, the report stated.
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'For reference, that's about two-thirds the height of the Space Needle in Seattle,' Chadwick explained. 'That's a lot of lava.'
Despite the intensity of the explosion, the volcano poses no threat to humans.
Shockingly, the Axial Seamount, located 4,626 feet below sea level, is so deep underwater that an eruption may not even be noticeable from the waters just above, scientists said.
'Even if you were out on a boat right over the seamount when it's erupting, you probably would never know it,' Chadwick told NBC News.
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4 The submarine volcano could erupt for the first time in ten years.
Tim – stock.adobe.com
4 An eruption in 1998 produced this submarine lava flow.
volcano.si.edu
The underwater spewer is located between the two tectonic plates that are separating — which puts pressure on the seafloor, fueling volcanic activity.
Axial Seamount has erupted three times in the past 30 years — in 1998, 2011, and 2015.
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The submarine volcano isn't the only seismic activity West Coasters may have in store.
4 The Axial Seamount is located 4,626 feet below sea level.
NOAA
Hundreds of miles of Pacific Northwest coastline could tumble into the sea if the Cascadia Subduction Zone, an undersea fault line about 100 miles off the North American coast, is hit by 'The Big One,' according to a recent study.
The 600-mile earthquake hotspot could see shorelines from northern California to Vancouver, Canada, sinking 6 feet or more.
Luckily, the Cascadia Subduction Zone is 'located quite a distance away' from Axial Seamount, Forbes reported Friday — so there shouldn't be fears of an Earth-shaking one-two punch.
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Associated Press
21 hours ago
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The deck is located in Oregon's Willamette Valley, where rainfall measures 40-60 inches each year. Sampling began with the first rains after the deck surface was completed in October 2021. Samples were analyzed for concentrations of copper, the primary active ingredient in CA-C. The highest copper concentrations were found in samples taken at the very start of the study, shortly after the deck was completed. According to lead researcher Dr. Gerald Presley, that was to be expected. 'Those higher initial levels are due to residual surface deposits of preservative not fully absorbed into the wood fiber washing off with the rain,' he explained. 'But even those highest copper concentrations were quite low.' Within a few months, Presley said, the copper concentrations in rainwater runoff samples stabilized to well below one part per million (ppm). Similarly, copper levels in soil samples taken from directly beneath the deck and points downslope from the deck were indistinguishable from those taken upslope from the deck. 'Two years in, samples from below the deck did not differ from other locations. We could not detect any copper increase resulting from the preserved wood deck,' Presley stated. Copper in soil samples ranged from 50.3 ppm to 54.4 ppm, well within the normal range for background copper levels in the Willamette Valley and significantly below the 140 ppm threshold the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality considers to be 'elevated.' OSU researchers returned to the deck in its fourth year of service to sample rainwater runoff again. In samplings taken during the fall of 2024, copper concentrations were dramatically lower than the already low concentrations found in the initial sampling. The average copper concentration of all runoff samples collected in the fourth year was well below 0.5 ppm. These data prove that preservative loss from preserved wood decking remains negligible as the structure ages. Presley said the study confirms that preservatives in pressure-treated wood used by consumers will stay right where they belong, protecting the wood from decay and insect damage. The study's results refute concerns often voiced on the internet and elsewhere about the dangers of preservatives from preserved wood polluting the environment. 'Often lost to these unfounded fears are the many benefits of using preserved wood,' said Butch Bernhardt, executive director of Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI). 'The wood is sustainable, renewable and easy to maintain. Thanks to pressure treating with preservatives, those decks and other projects can last for decades in place.' Bernhardt said the wood deck study and an earlier OSU research project confirming the safety of preserved wood garden boxes offer science-based answers to questions consumers have about using preserved wood. 'Some people have concerns. We get that, it's only natural,' he said. 'The takeaway from these studies is there's no reason to be worried about the preservatives causing damage. People can relax and appreciate the natural warmth, long life and simple enjoyment these preserved wood decks and garden boxes have to offer.' Initial findings from Dr. Presley's deck study, Monitoring metal migration from a pressure-treated and sealed deck, were published in the Proceedings of the International Research Group on Wood Protection in 2024. The complete peer-reviewed study is expected to be published later this year. Dr. Presley, PhD, is an assistant professor in Oregon State University's Dept. of Wood Science and Engineering. A white paper detailing the deck study is available from WWPI at Details on the OSU garden box study are available in the publication PreserveTech: Safe Garden Boxes Using Preserved Wood at # # # About WWPI WWPI represents preserved wood treaters, preservative manufacturers and others serving the industry throughout western North America. For more than 75 years, WWPI has provided technical support and market outreach supporting the use of preserved wood in outdoor applications. Timm Locke Western Wood Preservers Institute +1 503-806-4831 [email protected] Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
2 days ago
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Iron from steel and coal manufacturing is changing the North Pacific ecosystem: Study
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Yahoo
2 days ago
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When is the next full moon? The June Strawberry Moon is special. Here's why, what it is
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Best Florida viewing of rare 'Major lunar standstill' The June full moon is called the Strawberry Moon because it's tied to wild strawberry harvesting, which is a spring food staple to the Native tribes in North America. 'The June full Moon got the name 'Strawberry Moon' from a number of North American native tribes, since the wild strawberry reaches peak ripeness and is ready for harvesting in June,' The Almanac says. 'Because of the importance of the wild strawberry as a spring food staple, the name 'Strawberry Moon' was given to the June full Moon by the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota, Lakota, Chippewa, Oneida and Sioux tribes… Several tribes use other berry-related names for the June full Moon, depending on which berries are most prominent in their homelands.' Here are some other names for the June full moon, according to the Farmers' Almanac: Blackberry Moon, used by The Creek of the southeastern United States Raspberry Moon, used by The Shawnee of Ohio and Pennsylvania Berries Ripen Moon, used by The Haida tribe of Alaska Windy Moon, used by The Choctaw of the southern Great Plains Honey Moon or Mead Moon, from Anglo-Saxon traditions Rose Moon, used in much of Europe Lotus Moon, used in China In 2024, to honor the first white buffalo calf being born in Yellowstone National Park, Farmers' Almanac named June's full Moon the 'White Buffalo Moon.' June's full moon will be special. It will be the lowest full moon since 2006 and the last until 2043. And it may also appear golden or orangey in color, due to how low it will sit on the horizon. "In the Northern Hemisphere, it will be the lowest full moon seen until 2043, staying unusually close to the horizon " according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. Look for the full moon at 3:44 a.m. ET June 11, about 22 degrees above the southern horizon." The last time the full moon was this low was 18.6 years ago, according to in what's known as a major lunar standstill. It won't happen again until 2043. This full moon may even appear golden, orange, or even reddish. Because June's full moon will sit so low on the horizon, pollutants in the air could make it look golden or orangey, which often happens while the moon is rising. If you've ever spotted an orange or yellow-ish moon high in the sky on a night that there isn't a lunar eclipse, it's due to pollutants in the atmosphere — like dust, or smoke from wildfires or brush fires. The particles of pollutants scatter light and can make the moon look yellow-ish, orange or even red sometimes. The moon most often appears red, yellow or orange when it's rising or setting, which is more common than seeing a discolored risen moon high in the sky. 'Atmospheric particles tend to scatter shorter wavelengths of light more than longer wavelengths. Orange and red light, which have longer wavelengths, tend to pass through the atmosphere, while shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue, get scattered,' Wonderopolis says. 'That's why the Moon — and the Sun! — look orange or red when they're rising or setting. At those times, they're low in the sky close to the horizon and their light must travel through the maximum amount of atmosphere to reach your eyes.' June's full moon is the closest full moon to the summer solstice, which falls on June 21 this year. The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Why is the moon orange? The 2025 blood moon passed in March. What to know Every year in June, the summer solstice marks the exact time when the sun reaches it northernmost point in the sky, according to EarthSky. In the Northern Hemisphere, the June solstice marks the shortest night and longest day of the year. The summer solstice occurs at 10:41 p.m. ET on Friday, June 20 this year. According to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, 'Every 18.6 years, our moon reaches the extremes of its orbit around the earth… The moon rises and sets at its most northerly and southerly positions on the horizon." This is called a major lunar standstill. We entered the current major lunar standstill six months ago, in December. Major lunar standstills are possible because the moon and sun don't follow the same path across our horizon. And the moon's orbit around the earth wobbles. The imperfectness of the moon's orbit around earth means that it gradually rises and sets at different points across the horizon over the 18.6-year-period between Major Lunar Standstills. In simpler terms: It takes just over 18-and-a-half years for the moon to wobble from south, to north and back. During the December full moon, known as the Cold Moon, the moon officially reached its northernmost position, where it will stay positioned for about two years – that's where the 'standstill' part of the name comes from. But that doesn't mean it will appear at the same place in the sky every night for two years, because the moon still goes through its phases. 'While this back and forth travel on the horizons occurs, we still observe the moon going through its familiar phases. That means each day the moon rises and sets in a slightly different phase and just less than an hour later in time,' The Griffith Observatory says. 'This can make observing the major lunar standstill challenging. The best standstill viewing is when the moon is full.' To see the June Strawberry Moon from Florida, look toward the southern horizon at 3:44 a.m. ET on Wednesday, June 11. Can't pull yourself out of bed? You can see it later, but that's the time it will reach its peak. Although a full moon only stays truly full for a moment, it still appears full to the naked eye for a few days. 'The moon appears full to the eye for two to three nights,' according to EarthSky. 'However, astronomers regard the moon as full at a precisely defined instant, when the moon is exactly 180 degrees opposite the sun in ecliptic longitude.' Make sure you have a clear view since June's full moon will only be positioned about 22 degrees above the horizon. There are 12 full moons each year, one in every month. Each month's full moon has a nickname or a variety of nicknames. Including the Strawberry Moon in June, there are seven full moons left in 2025. Here's a list of 2025's full moon dates: January 13: Wolf Moon February 12: Snow Moon March 14: Worm Moon April 12: Pink Moon May 12: Flower Moon June 11: Strawberry Moon July 10: Buck Moon August 9: Sturgeon Moon September 7: Corn Moon October 6: Harvest Moon November 5: Beaver Moon December 4: Cold Moon This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Full moon in June 2025 will be Strawberry Moon. Why it's special
