Did you know that there are volcanoes underwater? Yup, turns out there are some that you cannot see. While most people only worry about the ones on land erupting, the ones in the sea can pose a threat as well. Now, scientists are warning that the underwater volcano off the west coast of the United States is set to erupt in 2025.
Underwater Volcano Near West Coast Likely To Erupt In 2025
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Daily Mail shares that the volcano is called Axial Seamount. This massive underwater volcano reaches 3,600-feet-tall. While you may imagine you could see something of that size, this particular volcano resides half a mile underwater off the coast of Oregon. Scientists have been observing the area and have noticed seafloor swelling that mimicked swelling seen before an eruption in 2015. Naturally, the scientists are drawing the conclusion that another eruption will follow this seafloor swelling, meaning this underwater volcano is likely to erupt in 2025.
Furthermore, scientists have also reported that seismic activity has increased. Hundreds of earthquakes have been happening around the volcano each day. While the thought of a volcano erupting can be terrifying, this is not Axial's first eruption. In fact, it is "the most active underwater volcano in the northeast Pacific" and it erupts with some regularity. Rather than be nervous for its eruptions, scientists are excited to study it. Including the warning signs leading up to an eruption. If they can learn to differentiate these signs, they can increase the chance of predicting an eruption which could help people better prepare.
Is This Volcano A Threat To The West Coast?
Seeing as this volcano is expected to erupt in 2025, which starts tomorrow, I can see why people on the west coast may be slightly alarmed. Luckily for them, this particular volcano should be of little to no consequence for those on land. As a shield volcano, it does not have very explosive eruptions. Furthermore the Daily Mail shares, "The seismic activity around it is too minimal to cause a tsunami or major earthquake." Therefore, this volcano erupting seems to bring more good news than bad. It is allowing scientists to gain new insight on predicting eruptions and it should not affect the west coast to any severe magnitude.
