Esmeralda Bank
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Esmeralda Bank is a massive submarine volcano with three summit cones oriented along a N-S line. Their summits are from 43 to 140 m beneath the sea surface.
Quick Facts
Location: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Latitude: 15° N
Longitude: 145.25° E
Elevation: -43 (m) -141 (f)
Volcano type: Submarine
Composition: Basalt - Andesite
Most recent eruption: Unrest in the Holocene
Threat Potential: Low/Very Low*
*based on the National Volcano Early Warning System
Summary
Esmeralda Bank is a massive submarine volcano with three summit cones oriented along a N-S line. Their summits are from 43 to 141 m beneath the sea surface. The highest, middle peak contains a 3-km-wide caldera open to the west and several parasitic cones. Frequent sulfur boils and water discoloration have been observed, which have variously been attributed to eruptive events or solfataric activity. From the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.