Why in the news?

• The Axial Seamount underwater volcano near the Oregon coast could erupt soon, scientists have warned, following the detection of more earthquakes in the region.

Axial Seamount

• Type: Submarine volcano (seamount)
• Location: On the Juan de Fuca Ridge, about 480 km off the coast of Oregon, USA, in the northeast Pacific Ocean.
• Depth: Summit lies about 1,400 meters below sea level.
• Nature: One of the most active and best-studied underwater volcanoes in the world.
• Geological Background:
  • Lies on a divergent plate boundary between the Juan de Fuca and Pacific plates.
  • Continuous seafloor spreading causes magma to rise through fissures, creating new oceanic crust.
  • It is also the site of a mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal system, with vents emitting superheated, mineral-rich fluids.