A submarine volcano located approximately 300 miles off the Oregon coast, known as Axial Seamount, is showing signs of a potential eruption for the first time since 2015. Scientists monitoring the site have reported over 1,000 daily earthquakes, suggesting increased volcanic activity. The underwater volcano, which sits nearly 4,626 feet below sea level, has been swelling, indicating that it may erupt through the surface with “very fluid lava” sometime before the end of the year.
Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist and research professor at Oregon State University, noted that the behavior of Axial Seamount resembles that of Hawaiian volcanoes, which are known for their fluid lava flows. “They tend to inflate like a balloon in between eruptions,” Chadwick explained, emphasizing the significance of the rising seafloor as a signal of potential eruption.
In 2015, the volcano had a considerable eruption that released an impressive volume of magma, with lava flows reaching a thickness of 450 feet—roughly two-thirds the height of Seattle’s Space Needle. Despite this intensity, Chadwick clarified that the eruption poses no imminent danger to human activity. The depth of Axial Seamount means that an eruption may go unnoticed from the ocean surface, even for those boating over the site.
The volcano is situated at a complex boundary between tectonic plates, which contributes to its volcanic activity. In the past three decades, Axial Seamount has experienced three eruptions—in 1998, 2011, and 2015.
Additionally, while the Axial Seamount is a focal point of interest, researchers are also keeping an eye on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, an active fault line that could potentially lead to significant seismic events affecting coastal areas from northern California to Vancouver, Canada. Fortunately, the distance between the Cascadia Subduction Zone and Axial Seamount means that these events are unlikely to have a cumulative effect on one another.
Overall, while there is a potential for eruptive activity, both scientists and communities can take comfort in the fact that the seafloor’s depths provide a buffer, and there remains a significant understanding of monitoring these geological phenomena.