A huge underwater volcano, the Seamount axial, located near the Pacific coast of USAregistered an alarming seismic activity that suggested a possible imminent eruption, according to the experts.
Despite its location more than a kilometer deep under the ocean, it represents a direct danger to marine life, so it generated concern in the authorities.
The Seamount axial is recognized as the most active volcano in its region, a characteristic that makes it a point of interest and constant concern for geophysics. Volcanic eruptions are, by nature, some of the most dangerous natural disasters in the world, capable of triggering a series of other destructive phenomena, such as earthquakes with greater magnitude or even tsunamis, depending on the strength and type of eruption.
William Chadwick, a geophysicist from Oregon State University, and Scott Nioner, from the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, are two of the scientists who are closely monitored by the volcano activity. In a recent publication, they detailed the intensity of the movements: “We had a peak of more than 2,000 earthquakes in a single day in June, but since then the average was about 100 daily”. This fluctuation in the seismic activity rate is a key indicator of internal processes and the accumulation of magmatic pressure within the volcano.
1/5 | Immense source of lava and ashes: the Italian volcano Etna is erupted again. The Etna volcano, located on the island of Sicily, south of the Peninsula, is the most active in Europe and has erupted again. – Giuseppe Dystefano
Chadwick said that “for now nothing seems imminent, since the activity rate constantly rises and down.” “We do not know what will cause the next eruption or exactly when it will happen,” said the researchers in the report. The complexity of precisely predicting these geological events despite technological advances is a constant in this type of disciplines, so scientists are studying seismic activity every day.
The previous eruptions of the Seamount axial were recorded in 1998, 2011 and 2015. The magnitude of the current activity, evidenced by the number of earthquakes, suggested that this could be the greatest to date. While the direct impact on human populations would be limited due to its depth and distance of the coast, the consequences for marine fauna in the area could be considerably devastating.
1/7 | The impressive images left by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland. A volcano began to erupt on Tuesday in southwest Iceland, just a few hours after the authorities evacuated a nearby town and the Blue Laguna spa. – Marco Di Marco
“In 2011 we saw how one of the ventilation areas was complete University of Washington. However, the ability to recover marine life is remarkable: “The fascinating thing is that when we return three months later, there were already animals and bacteria colonizing the area. They are surprisingly resistant ecosystems.”
The constant activity of the Seamount axial is a distinctive characteristic that differentiates it from many others volcanoes. Chadwick warned that, unlike many volcanoes in the world that remain inactive for long periods and suddenly they are reactivated, this “is almost all the time, at least since we study it.”
This continuous surveillance is essential to understand its behavior. This geographical accident is subject to constant and exhaustive monitoring by the scientific community, so there will be no surprises when it finally erupts. It is expected that, thanks to this anticipation and knowledge, the damage to nearby ecosystems is as limited as possible and does not affect human populations.