Axial Seamount has been in the news a lot lately – let’s talk about it.
About Axial Seamount
Axial Seamount is located about 300 miles (480 km) off the coast of Oregon and is the most active submarine volcano in the northeast Pacific Ocean, with known eruptions in 1998, 2011, and 2015. From studying the volcano’s past behavior, scientists learned that Axial has effusive lava flows, like those you see at Kīlauea, not explosive eruptions like what occurred at Mount St. Helens on May 18th, 1980. Axial Seamount is 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) below the ocean surface. For scale, the tallest building in the United States, One World Trade Center in New York City, is 1,776 feet (541 meters) tall. Axial Seamount is 2 and a half times that height below the surface of the sea.
Due to its depth below the sea’s surface and relatively calm style of eruption, it poses no threat to people or ocean travel. Therefore, Axial Seamount is not monitored for public safety by the U.S Geological Survey (USGS). This is true for similar submarine volcanic systems near the U.S. mainland. The USGS focuses its effort on volcanoes that pose a threat to life and property.
Who Monitors Axial Seamount?
Oceanographers and marine geologists have long had an interest in the Axial Seamount because deep-sea exploration had discovered evidence for recent eruptions there. With funding from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other sources, scientists at Oregon State, the University of Oregon, and other institutions created the world’s first deep-sea volcano observatory, called the New Millennium Observatory (NeMO). NeMO provides real-time data originating from Axial through a variety of undersea cables to a shore station in Pacific City, Oregon. Axial was chosen as the site of the underwater volcano observatory due to its frequency of eruption, not because of any hazard potential. NeMO is now one data point on the Ocean Observation Initiative (OOI) Regional Cabled Array network, which monitors and studies submarine volcanoes and movement of the Juan de Fuca plate.
A unique fact about the three previous eruptions at Axial Seamount is that they have been preceded by uplift of the seafloor by dozens of inches. This behavior makes them somewhat predictable, similar to the ongoing pattern of uplift observed at the summit of Kīlauea, which has produced a series of eruptive episodes since late December of 2024. When scientists have the opportunity to observe a repeated pattern of behaviors at a volcano, it becomes easier to forecast eruptions.
Why does it matter?
While Axial Seamount does not pose a threat to life and property, it teaches us a lot about both plate tectonics and how to monitor submarine volcanoes. Axial Seamount is an ideal training ground , offering real-world experience with cutting-edge techniques and data collection in a dynamic, accessible environment.
There are submarine volcanoes through the world that do pose a safety threat, like Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai. This submarine volcano in Tonga produced one of the most powerful eruptions of the 21st century on January 15, 2022, with a massive explosion that generated a tsunami reaching Japan, South America, and the U.S. West Coast. Submarine eruptions can be deadly, globally disruptive and hard to predict due to their locations. However, learning from a benign submarine volcano like Axial, will help scientists better understand, monitor, and provide warning of future eruptions at more hazardous volcanoes.
The bottom line – Axial is exciting, not hazardous.
Where can I got to get more information?
You can learn more from the scientists doing work at Axial at the following sources:
Axial Seamount has been in the news a lot lately – let’s talk about it.
About Axial Seamount
Axial Seamount is located about 300 miles (480 km) off the coast of Oregon and is the most active submarine volcano in the northeast Pacific Ocean, with known eruptions in 1998, 2011, and 2015. From studying the volcano’s past behavior, scientists learned that Axial has effusive lava flows, like those you see at Kīlauea, not explosive eruptions like what occurred at Mount St. Helens on May 18th, 1980. Axial Seamount is 4,600 feet (1,400 meters) below the ocean surface. For scale, the tallest building in the United States, One World Trade Center in New York City, is 1,776 feet (541 meters) tall. Axial Seamount is 2 and a half times that height below the surface of the sea.
Due to its depth below the sea’s surface and relatively calm style of eruption, it poses no threat to people or ocean travel. Therefore, Axial Seamount is not monitored for public safety by the U.S Geological Survey (USGS). This is true for similar submarine volcanic systems near the U.S. mainland. The USGS focuses its effort on volcanoes that pose a threat to life and property.
Who Monitors Axial Seamount?
Oceanographers and marine geologists have long had an interest in the Axial Seamount because deep-sea exploration had discovered evidence for recent eruptions there. With funding from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other sources, scientists at Oregon State, the University of Oregon, and other institutions created the world’s first deep-sea volcano observatory, called the New Millennium Observatory (NeMO). NeMO provides real-time data originating from Axial through a variety of undersea cables to a shore station in Pacific City, Oregon. Axial was chosen as the site of the underwater volcano observatory due to its frequency of eruption, not because of any hazard potential. NeMO is now one data point on the Ocean Observation Initiative (OOI) Regional Cabled Array network, which monitors and studies submarine volcanoes and movement of the Juan de Fuca plate.
A unique fact about the three previous eruptions at Axial Seamount is that they have been preceded by uplift of the seafloor by dozens of inches. This behavior makes them somewhat predictable, similar to the ongoing pattern of uplift observed at the summit of Kīlauea, which has produced a series of eruptive episodes since late December of 2024. When scientists have the opportunity to observe a repeated pattern of behaviors at a volcano, it becomes easier to forecast eruptions.
Why does it matter?
While Axial Seamount does not pose a threat to life and property, it teaches us a lot about both plate tectonics and how to monitor submarine volcanoes. Axial Seamount is an ideal training ground , offering real-world experience with cutting-edge techniques and data collection in a dynamic, accessible environment.
There are submarine volcanoes through the world that do pose a safety threat, like Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai. This submarine volcano in Tonga produced one of the most powerful eruptions of the 21st century on January 15, 2022, with a massive explosion that generated a tsunami reaching Japan, South America, and the U.S. West Coast. Submarine eruptions can be deadly, globally disruptive and hard to predict due to their locations. However, learning from a benign submarine volcano like Axial, will help scientists better understand, monitor, and provide warning of future eruptions at more hazardous volcanoes.
The bottom line – Axial is exciting, not hazardous.
Where can I got to get more information?
You can learn more from the scientists doing work at Axial at the following sources: