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Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Scientists warn massive underwater volcano is 'ready' to ERUPT... and will release millions of tons of lava
An underwater volcano off the West Coast is predicted to erupt at any moment, and the world can watch it happen live. Axial Seamount, located roughly 300 miles off Oregon 's coast on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, is the most active volcano in the Pacific Northwest. Scientists monitoring the underwater beast recently set up a camera near its peak, allowing the public to tune in the moment it explodes. The livestream runs daily at 2:00, 5:00, 8:00, and 11:00 ET and PT in 14-minute segments on the Interactive Oceans website. 'The HD video focuses on the 14-foot tall actively venting hot spring deposit called 'Mushroom' located within the ASHES vent field on Axial Seamount, located on the western side of the volcano,' the Ocean Observations Initiative said in a statement. The vent sits atop an ancient lava flow, where radiating cracks are lined with white bacterial mats and small tube worms, which are clear signs of warm fluids slowly seeping through fractures in the basalt. Its last eruption, in 2015, was a massive event that triggered roughly 8,000 earthquakes, unleashed lava flows hundreds of feet thick, and caused the seafloor to suddenly collapse by nearly eight feet. Volcanologist Bill Chadwick told KGW: 'It's at or almost at that inflation threshold where it erupted last time. So, we think it's ready. ' The volcano sits more than 4,900 feet below the Pacific Ocean's surface and is showing intense signs of an impending eruption as pressure steadily increases beneath the seafloor. This dramatic shift occurred when the volcano's underground magma chamber emptied abruptly, reshaping the seafloor across a 25-mile radius. According to Chadwick, a volcanologist and research professor at Oregon State University, the Axial Seamount acts a lot like the volcanoes in Hawaii and is set to spew out over a billion cubic feet of 'very fluid lava' weighing millions of tons at any moment. 'They tend to inflate like a balloon in between eruptions. At Axial, the seafloor is actually rising, and that's a big signal,' Chadwick said. Based on the 2015 eruption, he added that this year's magma explosion could produce a lava flow that's nearly as tall as Seattle's Space Needle. In recent weeks, there has been a massive uptick in the number of earthquakes under the seamount, caused by this magma pushing to the surface. The number of underwater quakes is expected to skyrocket during this event, rising from several hundred per day right now to 10,000 earthquakes within a 24-hour period as magma flows out of the seafloor volcano. According to a recent study, the efforts to predict Axial Seamount's next eruption since 2015 have failed because the seafloor's swelling slowed steadily between 2015 and 2023. However, the rate of swelling has recently sped up again, and the total rise is close to what it was before the 2015 eruption. Chadwick began investigating Axial in November 2024 after noticing the seafloor swelling to nearly the same height as before the most recent eruption. 'The volcano has suddenly woken up,' he stated in a 2024 study. This awakening is marked by rapid changes in the volcano's shape and behavior, particularly through a process called inflation, where magma pushes upward, causing the seafloor above to swell. Think of it like blowing up a balloon until it pops. The 2015 eruption marked a turning point for underwater volcano monitoring, thanks to the Ocean Observations Initiative, which installed a network of GPS, pressure sensors, and a high-definition camera system near the seamount. Axial has a well-documented history of eruptions recorded in 1998, 2011, and 2015. While the earlier two eruptions were detected only after the fact, the 2015 event was the first caught almost in real-time, paving the way for more precise forecasts. Despite its power, experts say Axial Seamount poses no threat to human communities. It's too deep and too far offshore for people to notice when it erupts and has no impact on seismic activity on land. 'It is probably the best-monitored submarine volcano in the world,' Chadwick said. Monitoring Axial offers scientists a rare chance to better understand underwater volcanic eruptions, events that are harder to see and predict than those on land.
USA Today
28-05-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Experts say Hawaii's Kilauea isn't done erupting. And it's not the only volcano rumbling.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists predict Hawaii's Kilauea volcano to erupt in the near future after an eruption May 25 sent lava spewing more that 1,000 feet into the sky. Since December 2024, Kilauea has erupted about once a week, making it one of the world's most active volcanoes, the U.S. Geological Survey says. Kilauea isn't the only volcano erupting. More than 50 volcanic eruptions have been reported around the world this year. The eruptions contribute significantly to earthquakes of all sizes, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. About the Kilauea eruption in 2025 The Kilauea eruption that produced the 1,000-foot plume occurred in a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park about 200 miles and several islands southeast of Honolulu. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory status report says the lava poses no immediate threat to people who live in the area. Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. Other volcano eruptions and the Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped region in the Pacific about 25,000 miles long that contains more than 450 volcanoes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The ring, NOAA says, extends "from the southern tip of South America, along the West Coast of North America, across the Bering Strait, down through Japan and into New Zealand." Its volcanoes extend farther south into Antarctica. "Three out of every four live volcanoes on Earth are here,' National Geographic says. 'Almost all earthquakes happen here, too." The Ring of Fire is the result of plate tectonics − moving slabs of rock millions of square miles across. They can collide with or pull away from one another. Heavier plates can slide beneath lighter ones, heating and melting the rock and creating magma. Volcanoes form as the magma rises through the Earth's crust. How volcanos differ in shape and size How many volcanic eruptions have occurred in 2025? Fifty to 70 volcano eruptions are recorded around the world each year. According to the Global Volcanism Program, 54 volcanic eruptions have been confirmed this year as of May 2. A dozen of those eruptions have been in new locations. Underwater volcano lurks off the Oregon coast The massive undersea Axial seamount volcano reaches more than 3,600 feet above the seabed about 300 miles off Oregon. It last erupted in 2015. 'A year ago, Axial seemed to be taking a nap, but now it's waking up, and we think it's likely to erupt before the end of 2025,' Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist with Oregon State University and part of a team that's studying the volcano, told USA TODAY at the time. A series of instruments placed around the volcano indicates a reservoir has been refilling with magma since its last eruption, gradually inflating so that it's bulging upward. Overall, the undersea volcano continues to grow but it "sure doesn't seem like anything is imminent," he wrote. CONTRIBUTING Elizabeth Weise and Jim Sergent/USA TODAY
Economic Times
24-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Massive underwater volcano off Oregon coast could erupt soon; scientists weigh risk of 9.0 earthquake and Pacific tsunami
TIL Creatives The Axial Seamount lies deep in the Pacific Ocean, drawing increased scientific attention as it shows signs of an imminent eruption (AI generated image) Beneath the cold waters of the northeast Pacific Ocean, roughly 700 miles northwest of San Francisco, an ominous geological force is rumbling. Scientists warn that the Axial Seamount, one of the most active underwater volcanoes on Earth, could wouldn't typically spell disaster, but its location raises bigger questions. Could this undersea eruption spark a chain reaction along the Cascadia subduction zone, resulting in the long-feared magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a catastrophic tsunami striking the Pacific coastlines of Oregon, Washington, and California? Also read: US may get hit by a 1,000-foot 'Mega-Tsunami' within 50 years, wiping out these cities off the mapExperts say the answer is no. But the timing and intensity of Axial Seamount's activity is still giving them pause. No tsunami threat, but concerns about earthquake risk remain Volcanologist Bill Chadwick of Oregon State University has studied Axial Seamount for decades. He says the volcano is far enough from the Cascadia fault that an eruption will not trigger the so-called "Big One", the massive earthquake scientists have long anticipated along the Pacific Northwest coast. Axial Seamount is located too far away to influence the tectonic plates responsible for Cascadia's seismic threat. 'Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood... kinds of volcanoes have more gas and are more explosive,' Chadwick explained. "Axial is more like Hawaii and Iceland."Unlike explosive land-based eruptions, which can kill people and cause widespread destruction, the Axial Seamount's underwater eruptions ooze lava quietly. 'The magma is more fluid, so the gas can get out without exploding,' Chadwick inflation indicates eruption is nearStill, what's happening at the volcano is far from routine. The seafloor surrounding the Axial Seamount has started to inflate again, something scientists have seen before every past eruption. Since 2024 began, the rate of inflation has been steady, and Chadwick is confident enough to go public with his forecast. Also read: Two quakes in Pacific ocean, but no damages or tsunami warnings issued 'At the rate of inflation it's going, I expect it to erupt by the end of the year,' he said. Chadwick and colleague Scott Nooner, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, posted their prediction to their blog in July last time they made a similar forecast, in 2015, the volcano erupted seven months later. But predicting eruptions isn't foolproof. "It wouldn't shock me if it erupted tomorrow," Chadwick said, 'but I'm thinking it's not going to be anytime soon on the whole.' A hot spot for eruptions and data Axial Seamount sits atop the Juan de Fuca Ridge, where tectonic plates diverge and new seafloor forms. What makes it even more volcanic is that it also rests over a geological hot spot, rising plumes of superheated magma that power frequent double threat of tectonic and hot spot activity makes Axial Seamount one of Earth's most consistently active volcanoes. It erupted in 1998, 2011 and 2015. Its reliable activity has turned it into the best-monitored underwater volcano in the world.'In between eruptions, the volcano slowly inflates—the seafloor rises. Then during an eruption, the volcano deflates and the seafloor drops,' said oceanographer William Wilcock of the University of Washington. Also read: Earthquake in US: Tremor jolts Massachusetts, New England. Residents share their experiences Underwater eruptions still reshape marine life Though it won't create a tsunami or reach the ocean's surface, an eruption can still be dramatic under the sea. Lava flows spread across the seafloor, destroying any sea life in their path and potentially damaging expensive sensor equipment that monitors the area. 'There's all this heat that takes a long time to dissipate,' Chadwick said. 'Microbial mats can grow and it almost looks like snow over a landscape.'Whales and other large sea creatures won't be impacted, as they live near the surface. But deep-sea habitats may not fare as well. Forecasting a rare glimpse into Earth's inner workings Scientists are optimistic that their work at Axial Seamount will offer broader insight into volcano forecasting, especially for eruptions that pose real danger on land. But they also acknowledge that catching these eruptions live remains a challenge. Also read: Mega earthquake in USA? 10,000 US residents at risk from underwater fault line in the Pacific 'You have to be in the right place at the right time,' Chadwick said. Eruptions may last only days to a few weeks, and scientific vessels are scheduled years in Axial Seamount might erupt before 2025, the next planned expedition to study it is set for the summer of 2026."There's no problem of having a false alarm or being wrong," Chadwick noted, because no communities are directly at risk. Still, he said, 'maybe there's lessons that can be applied to other more hazardous volcanoes around the world.'For now, scientists continue to monitor this restless giant under the sea, one that may erupt quietly, but not unnoticed.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Massive underwater volcano off Oregon coast could erupt soon; scientists weigh risk of 9.0 earthquake and Pacific tsunami
Beneath the cold waters of the northeast Pacific Ocean, roughly 700 miles northwest of San Francisco, an ominous geological force is rumbling. Scientists warn that the Axial Seamount, one of the most active underwater volcanoes on Earth, could erupt. This wouldn't typically spell disaster, but its location raises bigger questions. Could this undersea eruption spark a chain reaction along the Cascadia subduction zone, resulting in the long-feared magnitude 9.0 earthquake and a catastrophic tsunami striking the Pacific coastlines of Oregon, Washington, and California? Also read: US may get hit by a 1,000-foot 'Mega-Tsunami' within 50 years, wiping out these cities off the map Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 오돌토돌 팔뚝, 긁지말고 이렇게 해보세요 현명한소비자 Undo Experts say the answer is no. But the timing and intensity of Axial Seamount's activity is still giving them pause. No tsunami threat, but concerns about earthquake risk remain Live Events Volcanologist Bill Chadwick of Oregon State University has studied Axial Seamount for decades. He says the volcano is far enough from the Cascadia fault that an eruption will not trigger the so-called "Big One", the massive earthquake scientists have long anticipated along the Pacific Northwest coast. Axial Seamount is located too far away to influence the tectonic plates responsible for Cascadia's seismic threat. 'Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood... kinds of volcanoes have more gas and are more explosive,' Chadwick explained. "Axial is more like Hawaii and Iceland." Unlike explosive land-based eruptions, which can kill people and cause widespread destruction, the Axial Seamount's underwater eruptions ooze lava quietly. 'The magma is more fluid, so the gas can get out without exploding,' Chadwick added. Volcano inflation indicates eruption is near Still, what's happening at the volcano is far from routine. The seafloor surrounding the Axial Seamount has started to inflate again, something scientists have seen before every past eruption. Since 2024 began, the rate of inflation has been steady, and Chadwick is confident enough to go public with his forecast. Also read: Two quakes in Pacific ocean, but no damages or tsunami warnings issued 'At the rate of inflation it's going, I expect it to erupt by the end of the year,' he said. Chadwick and colleague Scott Nooner, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, posted their prediction to their blog in July 2024. The last time they made a similar forecast, in 2015, the volcano erupted seven months later. But predicting eruptions isn't foolproof. "It wouldn't shock me if it erupted tomorrow," Chadwick said, 'but I'm thinking it's not going to be anytime soon on the whole.' A hot spot for eruptions and data Axial Seamount sits atop the Juan de Fuca Ridge, where tectonic plates diverge and new seafloor forms. What makes it even more volcanic is that it also rests over a geological hot spot , rising plumes of superheated magma that power frequent eruptions. This double threat of tectonic and hot spot activity makes Axial Seamount one of Earth's most consistently active volcanoes. It erupted in 1998, 2011 and 2015. Its reliable activity has turned it into the best-monitored underwater volcano in the world. 'In between eruptions, the volcano slowly inflates—the seafloor rises. Then during an eruption, the volcano deflates and the seafloor drops,' said oceanographer William Wilcock of the University of Washington. Also read: Earthquake in US: Tremor jolts Massachusetts, New England. Residents share their experiences Underwater eruptions still reshape marine life Though it won't create a tsunami or reach the ocean's surface, an eruption can still be dramatic under the sea. Lava flows spread across the seafloor, destroying any sea life in their path and potentially damaging expensive sensor equipment that monitors the area. 'There's all this heat that takes a long time to dissipate,' Chadwick said. 'Microbial mats can grow and it almost looks like snow over a landscape.' Whales and other large sea creatures won't be impacted, as they live near the surface. But deep-sea habitats may not fare as well. Forecasting a rare glimpse into Earth's inner workings Scientists are optimistic that their work at Axial Seamount will offer broader insight into volcano forecasting, especially for eruptions that pose real danger on land. But they also acknowledge that catching these eruptions live remains a challenge. Also read: Mega earthquake in USA? 10,000 US residents at risk from underwater fault line in the Pacific 'You have to be in the right place at the right time,' Chadwick said. Eruptions may last only days to a few weeks, and scientific vessels are scheduled years in advance. Although Axial Seamount might erupt before 2025, the next planned expedition to study it is set for the summer of 2026. "There's no problem of having a false alarm or being wrong," Chadwick noted, because no communities are directly at risk. Still, he said, 'maybe there's lessons that can be applied to other more hazardous volcanoes around the world.' For now, scientists continue to monitor this restless giant under the sea, one that may erupt quietly, but not unnoticed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This underwater volcano off Oregon Coast is set to erupt in 2025: What to know
An active underwater volcano in the the Pacific Ocean off the Oregon Coast is predicted to erupt in 2025. The Axial Seamount volcano is located nearly a mile beneath the sea approximately 300 miles off the Oregon Coast, just west of Astoria and along the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The volcanic activity the Axial Seamount has recently displayed has scientists on their toes as it may be due for another eruption soon. The underwater volcano has experienced three eruptions in the last 30 years, the most recent ones happening in 2011 and 2015. According to USA Today, the volcano has 'erupted about 50 times over the last 800 years, about once every 15 years on average.' Here's what to know. Researchers at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center are monitoring the Axial Seamount's activity in real time by using approximately 660 miles of undersea cables. Known as the Regional Cabled Array, it uses more than 140 instruments to constantly monitor activity. Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist and research professor at OSU, said their observations have revealed a pattern. 'It's at or almost at that inflation threshold where it erupted last time. So, we think it's ready to erupt,' Chadwick told KGW earlier this year, adding its activity has picked up in the last year. The pattern Chadwick spoke of shows rises in the seafloor that indicate magma is slowly accumulating and moving beneath the volcano's surface, causing an increased number of small earthquakes. Even if the Axial Seamount volcano erupts this year, there is no danger to people. While it is said the eruption could cause a series of small earthquakes, they aren't likely to be felt on land due to the volcano's depth and how far offshore it is. The lava flows that come from Axial Seamount will have no effect on the surface of the ocean either and will only reshape the seafloor. If the researcher's predictions come true, the underwater volcano will provide a better understanding of how to predict volcanic eruptions. Ginnie Sandoval is the Oregon Connect reporter for the Statesman Journal. Sandoval can be reached at GSandoval@ or on X at @GinnieSandoval. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Underwater volcano off Oregon Coast predicted to erupt in 2025
