Located three hundred miles off shore of Central Oregon, volcanic activity is taking place alongside the Axial Seamount, forming a new fissure that produces undersea lava flow and seismic activity. In light of this activity, a volcano eruption is expected to take place off Oregon’s West Coast sometime this week, after the occurrence of two separate earthquakes, one taking place near Vancouver, British Columbia.
The last time an undersea volcano erupted was in 2011. During that year, residents were not prepared for the incident. This time around, however, the undersea volcano eruption is right on schedule. Last September, geologists Bill Chadwick of Oregon State University and Scott Nooner of the Wilmington campus of the University of North Carolina predicted the eruption, keeping readers informed through blog posts and lectures. Last week, they reiterated the coming event, in order to fully prepare everyone for the volcanic eruption.
Seabed Activity Causing The Underwater Volcano In Oregon To Erupt
The volcano eruption is caused by magma being fed into the seamount. The movement of magma toward the surface is responsible for all the tiny earthquakes. Consequently, the sea floor has dropped about eight feet, which is also an indication of the moving magma. The good news is that when the volcano eruption occurs, it will not pose a threat to anyone on the coast.
However, despite that fact that Chadwick and Nooner have been spot on with their predictions for nearly eight months, Chadwick still has his doubts. It is still unclear as to whether or not the volcano eruption will actually take place. Alternatively, a smaller eruption may occur – something like a hiccup of a large intrusion of magma, that can make its way to the surface. Either way, once the underwater volcano in Oregon erupts, Chadwick and Nooner will venture out, sometime in early May, to assess the damage or lack thereof.
Although not representative of the underwater volcano in Oregon, this film depicts a summit up a volcano located in Pucon, Chile:
