A volcano beneath the Pacific Ocean is showing signs that it may erupt in 2025, according to researchers who have been studying it for decades. Axial Seamount, located roughly 300 miles west of Oregon, is inflating as magma builds beneath its surface, a pattern scientists have observed before past eruptions.
Axial Seamount has been identified as the most active underwater volcano in the northeast Pacific, with documented eruptions in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Researchers have monitored the volcano’s activity closely, and recent findings indicate it is following the same pattern seen before those previous events.
🚨🇺🇸 SLEEPING GIANT STIRS: MASSIVE UNDERSEA VOLCANO SET TO BLOW OFF U.S. WEST COAST
Scientists warn Oregon's 3,600-foot underwater volcano Axial Seamount is inflating like a balloon, triggering 500+ earthquakes daily as it preps for its next performance.
The good news?
This… pic.twitter.com/ziTNn13kIL
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 31, 2024
William Chadwick, a research associate at Oregon State University, noted that Axial Seamount’s behavior has been remarkably consistent. “It seems to have this pretty repeatable pattern from one eruption to the next,” he said. The site is equipped with instruments that send real-time data to researchers onshore, allowing continuous monitoring of its movements.
My favorite volcano Axial Seamount is ready to erupt again! Updated forecast blog from Bill Chadwick et al. Looking forward to seeing some fresh lava flows very soon… video from last years expedition w/ @whoi @TAMU #nsffunded #deepsea #volcano #erupt https://t.co/V4oyL4WLnf pic.twitter.com/i2MKoJJB49
— Julie Huber, PhD (@JulesDeep) July 23, 2024
Though the volcano is expected to erupt, scientists say it will not impact communities along the West Coast. The eruption would take place nearly a mile beneath the ocean’s surface, making it undetectable to those on land. “When Axial Seamount erupts, it’ll look a lot like a Hawaiian lava flow eruption,” said Mike Poland from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
Axial Seamount is a shield volcano, meaning that its eruptions produce steady lava flows rather than violent explosions. Scientists have been using the site as a case study to improve long-term volcanic forecasting methods. Since the volcano is located far from populated areas, it provides a safer environment for testing eruption prediction models.
"If you were on a boat above the volcano, you wouldn't know at all that it had erupted."
Scientists are predicting that a mile-deep volcano off the west coast of the U.S. will erupt some time this year — deep enough and far enough away from the coast that it won't threaten human… pic.twitter.com/zY99wTlS1r
— Lt.Annette Nicholson (@Annette65740700) February 2, 2025
During a June 2024 research expedition, remotely operated vehicles were sent to the seafloor to collect more information on the volcano’s activity. Scientists believe that continued monitoring of Axial Seamount will contribute to better understanding how volcanic eruptions can be predicted with greater accuracy.
