Stay Curious

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND UNLOCK ONE MORE ARTICLE FOR FREE.

Sign Up

VIEW OUR Privacy Policy


Discover Magazine Logo

WANT MORE? KEEP READING FOR AS LOW AS $1.99!

Subscribe

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

FIND MY SUBSCRIPTION
Advertisement

Underwater volcanism caught in action

Discover why underwater volcanoes dominate the Earth's surface and what recent findings reveal about explosive eruptions.

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

Most people don't realize that a majority of the earth's volcanoes are underwater. That is to say, the mid-ocean ridge system that runs along the bottom of all the major oceans can be considered one big volcano. However, thanks to its location deep underwater, we have only had second- or third-hand evidence of eruptions at mid-ocean ridges or seamounts.

Not any longer according to my graduate alma mater, Oregon State University. An active eruption was captured at Brimstone Pit in 2006, near Guam, by a team looking for hydrothermal activity at the sea's bottom. The eruption appears to be a very gassy eruption - explosive undersea activity! The research team were able to record the sounds of the eruption from Brimstone Pit (also known by the less sexy name NW Rota-1) and see some of the glowing from the extruded lava (although apparently there wasn't much lava that they could ...

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe
Advertisement

0 Free Articles