Underwater Volcanoes: Can We Know When They'll Blow?

Ever thought about volcanoes under the sea? One of these, off Oregon's coast, is about to erupt. Scientists say it might happen by the end of 2025. This volcano, named Axial Seamount, is the most active in the Northeast Pacific. It's been quiet since 2015, but now it's swelling again. This could mean an eruption soon. Axial isn't dangerous to people, so it's a great place for scientists to learn. They can study it closely and maybe even figure out when it will erupt. That's something we can't do with volcanoes on land.

There are lots of volcanoes under the sea. In the Pacific alone, there might be 4, 000 for every million square miles. That's a lot! Axial is the best-studied underwater volcano. This is because it erupts often, sciencists can get real-time data from it, and it acts the same way before each eruption. This helps them test guesses about when it will happen. Scientists think they will guess right this time. They have two big clues: the volcano is swelling like a balloon, and there are lots of earthquakes nearby. Even with these clues, it's hard to be 100% sure. But studying Axial can help us learn about land volcanoes, which can be dangerous.

Actions