An underwater volcano, Axial Seamount, located 300 miles off the Oregon coast, is showing signs of a potential eruption, though experts assure it poses no threat to land or seismic stability.
Scientists have indicated that the Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano situated more than 4,900 feet beneath the Pacific Ocean and approximately 300 miles off the Oregon coast, may erupt later this year. This would mark the first eruption since 2015.
The volcano is formed by a geological hot spot, where molten material from the Earth’s mantle rises toward the crust. According to the University of Washington’s College of the Environment, as tectonic plates move over this stationary hot spot, it results in the formation of long chains of volcanoes over time.
Maya Tolstoy, a marine geophysicist and dean of the university’s College of the Environment, explained, “Over two-thirds of the Earth’s surface was formed by volcanic eruptions at these mid-ocean ridges. Axial Seamount is a direct result of these fundamental processes that continue to shape our planet today.”
Despite the potential for an eruption, scientists have reassured the public that there is no cause for alarm. The blog post from the University of Washington states, “Axial Seamount is much too deep and far from shore for people on land to even notice when it erupts. 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.”
The initial indication of an impending eruption will be a noticeable increase in the frequency of earthquakes in the vicinity of the volcano. Deborah Kelley, a professor at the UW School of Oceanography and director of the Regional Cabled Array, noted, “The volcano has already surpassed the inflation we observed in 2015, but the earthquake activity is still quite low.” Currently, the region is experiencing between 200 to 300 earthquakes daily, with occasional spikes reaching around 1,000 due to tidal influences.
Kelley added, “If what we learned in 2015 is correct, I would expect to see more than 2,000 earthquakes per day for a few months before the eruption.” These quakes are indicative of magma moving closer to the surface.
William Wilcock, also a professor at the UW School of Oceanography, elaborated on the eruption process. “That period lasts about an hour, and then the magma reaches the surface,” he explained. “Lava flows spread across the caldera, and lava-filled fissures open up to the north or the south, reaching as far as 40 kilometers (about 25 miles).” He noted that while seismic activity tends to decrease rapidly in the days following an eruption, the volcanic activity itself may continue at a slower pace for about a month.
As scientists continue to monitor the Axial Seamount, they emphasize the importance of understanding these underwater geological processes and their implications for the environment.
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