“Three quarters of all of the volcanic activity on Earth takes place at mid-ocean spreading centers,” said Deb Kelley, a University of Washington principal investigator. This reality renders the Axial Seamount, a mile-wide seamount volcano that lies 300 miles off the coast of Oregon, even more relevant as it heads toward a possible eruption by the close of 2025. The volcano last erupted in 2015 and has, since then, become the subject of researchers who aim to sharpen their knowledge of volcanism beneath the ocean.
Axial Seamount is no ordinary submarine volcano; it’s the world’s most well-equipped submarine volcano, says Scripps Institution of Oceanography geophysicist Mark Zumberge. This industrial-strength monitoring equipment, including the Regional Cabled Array, enables scientists to visualize seismicity, hydrothermal flow, and chemical changes in real time. This sensor suite and artificial intelligence-driven analysis has turned Axial Seamount into a natural laboratory for scientific study of submarine eruptions.
Expectation of eruption is founded on inflation and seismic patterns. Volcanic inflation, caused by magma buildup under the surface, has reached intensities similar to those preceding prior eruptions. A consistent trend of inflation of roughly 13 cm yearly in recent patterns is supplemented with varying numbers of daily earthquakes, which show movement of magma. University of Washington professor William Wilcock describes how “lava flows spread across the caldera, and lava-filled fissures open up to the north or the south,” signaling the start of an eruption.
Though there is some possibility of an eruption, there is no direct threat to life or coastline. Seamount eruptions at Axial are shield-style eruptions like those at Hawaii where lava erupts from fractures instead of explosions. Oregon State University volcanologist Bill Chadwick guarantees that “if you were on top of it on a boat, you would never know it.” Volcanism does provide the one-of-a-kind opportunity to observe volcanic processes in the process, adding to worldwide knowledge of mid-ocean ridge processes.
The impacts of eruptions by Axial Seamount are wider in scope than for volcanologists. Observations from monitoring this volcano can improve techniques for anticipating more dangerous locations. The 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, which produced a deadly tsunami, serves as a reminder that submarine volcanic eruptions pose potential danger. Axial Seamount itself poses no immediate threat, but the lessons learned here could provide a way to prevent risks from other sub-sea volcanoes.
Another subject of interest is the interaction between volcanicism and oceanic settings. Hydrothermal vents, frequently found in volcanic settings, harbor specialized organisms adapted to survival in harsh environments. Kelley describes “snowblowers” a cloud of hot fluid chock-full of microbes—as one of the more fascinating finds, describing the mode by which life flourishes in these hostile environments. These environments are hardy since nascent life occupies surfaces after only a short time being blanketed by lava flows.
As scientists track Axial Seamount, they perfect techniques for predicting eruptions. The Submarine Volcanism Group mapped the volcano’s geologic history, uncovering patterns of deformation and magma chamber behavior. Such ongoing study not only makes the world a better place to learn about, but prepares us for the next volcano, whether it is erupting under the sea or on dry land.
Overall, Axial Seamount is a testament to the wonders of nature and the capabilities of scientific investigation. Its uniform behavior and thorough monitoring make it an invaluable location for understanding the processes of volcanoes, providing information that could potentially save lives in the future. While the world waits and observes its next eruption, the discoveries from Axial Seamount continue to set the tone for the future of volcanic science.
