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Underwater Giant Awakens: Scientists Warn Pacific Volcano Could Erupt by Year’s End
A massive underwater volcano off the Pacific Northwest coast is rumbling back to life—and experts say it could erupt before the end of 2025.
A Sleeping Titan Beneath the Waves
Known as Axial Seamount, this submarine volcano is located about 300 miles west of Oregon, nearly a mile below the ocean surface. Despite its hidden location, it’s one of the most active and closely monitored volcanoes on Earth.
Rising roughly 3,600 feet above the ocean floor, Axial Seamount sits atop the Juan de Fuca Ridge, a geological boundary where tectonic plates are slowly spreading apart. This rift allows magma to rise, fueling volcanic activity in the region. Axial has erupted three times in recent history—in 1998, 2011, and 2015—and scientists believe another event is likely coming soon.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Warning Signs are Flashing
The Warning Signs Are Flashing
Researchers have detected notable swelling of the seafloor, indicating that magma is once again accumulating beneath Axial’s summit. This inflation is even greater than what was observed before the last eruption in 2015.
Adding to concerns, the area is currently experiencing over 1,000 small earthquakes per day, a strong indication that the volcano is building toward an eruption phase.
No Immediate Threat to Coastal Communities
While the activity sounds dramatic, Axial Seamount isn’t considered a threat to people onshore. Its eruptions are typically non-explosive and consist of lava flows that remain confined to the deep ocean floor. There is no expectation of tsunamis or other hazards to coastal towns.
Moreover, the volcano is not linked to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, the fault line responsible for the feared “Big One” megaquake scenario, so experts say it won’t trigger a massive seismic event on land.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
A Goldmine for Scientific Research
What makes Axial Seamount so important isn’t just its activity—but its accessibility. A network of sensors, cameras, and remotely operated vehicles are stationed in and around the volcano, feeding live data back to researchers. This setup makes Axial one of the only volcanoes in the world where an eruption can potentially be observed in real time.
This could provide a game-changing opportunity for scientists to refine their understanding of undersea volcanic behavior and improve early warning systems.
