The Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano located 300 miles off Oregon’s coast and 4,900 feet beneath the Pacific Ocean, is showing signs of an imminent eruption. Magma buildup has caused the seafloor to swell, and daily earthquakes have surged—currently at a few hundred per day.
Marine geophysicist William Wilcock from the University of Washington says while the volcano may erupt in late 2025, it could also erupt as early as tomorrow, highlighting its unpredictability.
Past eruptions in 1998, 2011, and 2015 involved thousands of earthquakes and massive lava flows. When it erupts, the number of quakes could spike to 10,000 in 24 hours. Despite the intense activity, Axial poses no danger to coastal towns due to its depth and distance from land. It is, however, a valuable research site.
Experts from the University of Washington and Oregon State University are monitoring it closely with advanced underwater sensors. The eruption is expected to be non-explosive, similar to Hawaiian lava flows, and will offer scientists a rare chance to study underwater volcanic behavior in real-time
