Off the coast of Oregon, thousands of feet beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, scientists are watching an active volcano that may erupt for the first time in a decade. The site, known as Axial Seamount, is being monitored by researchers at the University of Washington through an extensive underwater observatory network called the Cabled Array.
A rare view into Earth’s geology
Housed within UW’s College of the Environment, the Cabled Array is one of the largest underwater observatories in the world. Its network of sensors spreads across the ocean floor, sending back real-time data, including images and video, to help researchers study seismic activity and changes in the seafloor.
Axial Seamount isn’t a typical volcano. It sits above a fixed hotspot — a place where molten rock rises from deep within the Earth’s mantle toward the crust. As tectonic plates slowly shift above it, the hotspot stays in place, creating a chain of volcanoes over time.
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Axial Seamount, one of the most active underwater volcanoes in the world, has recently been triggering over 1,000 small earthquakes a day.
“It’s pretty unusual,” said William Wilcock, a professor in the UW School of Oceanography. “It’s a genuine hotspot, and the volcano itself is quite large, rising about 3,600 feet above the seafloor.”
In March and April, scientists detected early warning signs of an eruption, including more than 1,000 small earthquakes per day. Additionally, the volcano is filling with molten rock.
At the end of 2024, researchers warned the volcano could erupt sometime in 2025. That led to new questions: Would it cause earthquakes or tsunamis that threaten the Pacific Northwest?
Experts say there’s no cause for alarm
According to UW scientists, the volcano is too deep and too far from the shore to pose any real threat to people on land. Because it’s located miles below the surface, they say the chances of a tsunami or damaging seismic activity are low.
Unlike eruptions on land, this one likely wouldn’t be seen or felt by most people, even if it happened tomorrow.
Life thrives at extreme depths
Despite the intense heat of underwater vents blasting water at more than 700 degrees Fahrenheit, the area around Axial Seamount supports a rich and complex ecosystem.
“Most of the seafloor is relatively plain,” said Deborah Kelley, a professor in the UW School of Oceanography and director of the Regional Cabled Array. “But when you get to the vent fields, you realize that the volcano is an oasis of life.”
In the absence of sunlight, microbes use volcanic gases to produce energy, forming the base of a food web that supports giant tubeworms, spider crabs, clams, fish and octopuses.
Waiting for the eruption
Axial Seamount has erupted three times in recorded history; in 1998, 2011 and 2015. While scientists don’t know exactly when the next eruption will happen, they plan to capture it using live video and data from the seafloor.
Meanwhile, scientists are also currently monitoring nearby Mount Rainier, which sits less than 70 miles from Seattle.
contributed to this report.
