Underwater Giant: The Next Big Eruption

The Pacific Northwest is home to a powerful underwater volcano. This volcano is called the Axial Seamount. It is located 300 miles off the coast of Oregon. It is also more than 4, 900 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The Axial Seamount is a mile-wide volcano. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the region. It last erupted in 2015. This eruption caused roughly 8, 000 earthquakes. It also produced lava flows that were 400 feet thick. The ocean floor sank nearly eight feet because of the eruption. Scientists have been keeping a close eye on the Axial Seamount. They have noticed that the seafloor is swelling. This swelling is a sign that magma is building up beneath the surface. The seafloor has already inflated to the level it reached before the 2015 eruption. This means that the volcano could erupt at any moment. The Axial Seamount is part of a chain of undersea volcanoes. This chain extends between Oregon and Alaska. It is a young shield volcano. This type of volcano has a low profile and a broad shape. When it erupts, it will look like a Hawaiian lava flow. It will not be an explosive eruption. Instead, it will be a calm flow of lava across the seafloor. The Axial Seamount is not a threat to human communities. It is too deep and too far from shore for people to notice its eruptions. It also has no impact on seismic activity on land. Scientists are excited about the upcoming eruption. They see it as a major research opportunity. They plan to use high-tech instruments to monitor the eruption from start to finish. This will help them gather data and images of the event as it unfolds. The Axial Seamount has erupted three times in the last 30 years. This makes it one of the most active volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest. Most volcanoes on land are not as active. They spend a lot of their time slumbering. The Axial Seamount, on the other hand, has a pretty active magma supply. This means that it is always getting ready for the next eruption. Scientists have been monitoring the volcano closely. They have noticed that seismic activity has increased. There are hundreds of earthquakes around the volcano per day. This is a sign that magma is creeping closer to the surface. The upcoming eruption of the Axial Seamount will provide an opportunity for scientists to learn more about how these powerful geological structures work. Even though Axial is not a dangerous undersea volcano, the forecasting capabilities scientists have gained from studying it could help them predict eruptions from those that are. For example, in January 2022, an extremely powerful eruption of the Hunga underwater volcano in the Tonga archipelago in the southern Pacific Ocean triggered a tsunami that caused an estimated $90 billion in damages. The West Coast won't have to worry about Axial causing an event like that. But its eruption will provide an opportunity for scientists to learn more about how these powerful geological structures work.