Something special is happening under the Pacific Ocean – and scientists are afraid.
For weeks, seismic sensors have captured a scary increase in tremor from a hidden giant: axial seamount, the most active volcano to the northwest Pacific. This submerged animal, buried almost a mile underwater, sits ominously 300 miles from the Oregon coast.
When Magma rose and swelling in the ocean to its turning point, experts fear that strong eruption can be immediate – perhaps even over the next 24 hours. However, the real question is not * if * it throws it – it is * how bad * it could get and what else could cause under the waves.
** The underwater volcano in the Pacific Northwest is ready to explode, scientists warn **
According to urgent warnings, geologists could be the most active volcano in the northwest of the Pacific.
Axial Seamount is located about 300 miles from the Oregon coast and over 4,900 feet under the Pacific Ocean. Experts at the National Science Observatory Observatory Initiative found the main increase in seismic activity, driven by a magma rising under the seabed.
Marine Geophysic William Wilcock of the University of Washington explained that the seabed has returned to the height it achieved before the last eruption in 2015 – which it creates this pressure again. “Every day we see hundreds of small shocks, although it is less and less than what we saw just before the eruption in 2015,” he said. Yet he warned: “It could explode later this year or tomorrow – there is no way to predict it.”
During the 2015 event, he released about 8,000 earthquakes, produced lava flows up to 400 feet, and caused almost eight feet to sink the ocean bottom. The activity of the earthquake has risen in recent weeks, especially since May 6, with a dramatic tip observed on April 13.
Despite the intensity, scientists say that eruption does not pose a threat to the coastal communities.
Axial seamount is too deep and too far from the ground to cause noticeable effects above the water. However, if it explodes, the earthquake rate could jump from hundreds to more than 10,000 within one day, scientists predict.
According to Mike Poland of the Yellowstone Observatory, Axial is among the best monitored submarine volcanoes on the ground. “It is fascinating to observe because it is so active, but it is not dangerous,” he said. Axial is a volcano of a shield, similar to the shape to Hawaii, with a wide slopes and lava that flows smoothly than violently.
The eruptions were previously documented in 1998, 2011 and 2015. At the end of 2024 Geophysicist William Chadwick, Oregon University, and his team noted that the volcano surface turned to the level before 2015, which made them predict the eruption between the middle of 2024 and the end of 2025.
Recent reports confirm swarms of hundreds of small shocks a day, which can indicate that magma is moving up. These findings were presented at the annual meeting of the US Geophysical Union last December.
Wilcock noted that a sudden explosion of seismic activity would mean a final warning sign, usually lasting about an hour before Magma reaches the seabed. As soon as the eruption begins, the earthquake recedes rapidly, but the lava still flows for several weeks.
Scientists want to capture the event using an extensive network of ocean sensors and tools based on the University of Washington’s College of Environment. Real-time data will help to refine the methods of volcanic prognosis for axial seamount, but also for more dangerous volcanoes around the world.
For example, the Hunga volcano eruption in Tonga 2022 has released a destructive tsunami that caused $ 90 billion estimates, which affected the country from Hawaii to Japan and South America. While the remote location of Axial excludes such a widespread impact, its activity remains a valuable window into the Earth’s geological power – and science of predicting it.
**Conclusion:**
While the upcoming eruption of axial seamount is no threat to the coastal population, it is an extraordinary opportunity for scientific discovery. As one of the most monitored underwater volcanoes in the world, Axial geologists offer a rare chance of studying eruptions in real time – collecting critical data that can one day improve the prediction of more dangerous volcanic events elsewhere.
With the installation on seismic activity and swelling of the seabed at the level of pre-period, high readiness experts remain. Whether the eruption occurs tomorrow or months since now, it is clear that the axial seamount will continue to be a vital window into the powerful and often unpredictable geological processes of the country.