Scientists are predicting that a colossal underwater volcano , the Axial Seamount, could be on the verge of eruption. Located around 300 miles off the Oregon coast in the US , this mammoth natural structure is over a mile long, stands 1,000 meters tall and lies less than a mile beneath the Pacific Ocean's surface. Indications of activity such as swelling and rumbling have been observed, leading experts to believe an eruption may be imminent.
"This particular volcano is probably the best-monitored submarine volcano in the world," said Mike Poland from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, as reported by the Cowboy State Daily. Despite the potential for eruption, experts aren't overly worried. Poland described the volcano as "fascinating " but reassured it "doesn't really pose a hazard".
The Axial Seamount is a shield volcano, akin to Mauna Loa in Hawaii , the world's most active volcano. Shield volcanoes typically produce runny lava flows resulting in gentle slopes, earning their name due to their resemblance to a shield lying on the ground. "When Axial Seamount erupts, it'll look a lot like a Hawaiian lava flow eruption.
It's not an explosive eruption, but calm effusions of lava flowing out of the caldera and across the seafloor," Poland explained. Bill Chadwick, Research Associate at Oregon State University, suggests we may have to wait until the end of 2025 for the eruption, reports The Express US. In an interview with BS affiliate KOIN 6 News, he said: "Because it's had the.