Underwater Volcano Off Oregon Poised for Eruption, Scientists Say

Deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, 300 miles off Oregon’s rugged coast, a geological giant is stirring. The Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano towering 4,900 feet from the ocean floor, is showing signs of an imminent eruption, potentially its first since 2015. Scientists are buzzing with anticipation, tracking the subtle rumbles of this submerged beast.

Unlike its land-based cousins, Axial Seamount’s fiery outbursts won’t rattle coastal towns or spark tsunamis. Its remote location and depth ensure it’s a spectacle only the ocean’s denizens might witness. The volcano, born from a hotspot where molten material surges from the Earth’s mantle, is a testament to the planet-shaping forces at work beneath two-thirds of our world’s surface, according to marine geophysicist Maya Tolstoy.

Recent data reveals the volcano’s restlessness. Earthquake activity is ticking up, with 200 to 300 quakes daily and occasional spikes to 1,000, driven by tidal forces. Professor Deborah Kelley, a seasoned oceanographer, notes that the seamount’s inflation has already surpassed levels seen before its last eruption. Yet, she predicts a surge to over 2,000 quakes per day will signal the magma’s final push to the surface, unleashing lava flows across the caldera and fissures stretching up to 25 miles.

When the eruption hits, it’ll be a brief but intense show. Magma will breach the surface within an hour of peak seismic chaos, followed by a month-long ooze of lava. While the Pacific Northwest remains untouched, scientists are eager to study this event to better understand the volcanic processes shaping our planet.