A massive volcano 4,500 feet below the Pacific Ocean is expected to erupt in 2025, according to scientists. However, researchers say they still don’t know what it will take to trigger the next eruption or exactly when it will happen.
The Axial Seamount, located hundreds of miles off the coast of Oregon, has been showing signs of increased activity since its last eruption in 2015. The volcano’s reservoir has been refilling with magma, causing it to rise gradually. However, the rate of inflation has been slowly decreasing, and seismic activity has decreased significantly.
Researchers believe that a brief spike in seismic activity could be a sign that an eruption is imminent, but the current data suggests that nothing is happening at the moment. “Not much” has changed with the volcano lately, says Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist with Oregon State University.
When the Axial Seamount erupts, it will spew enormous amounts of lava into the ocean for days or even months. However, the eruption poses no threat to humans, as it won’t trigger tsunamis or earthquakes on land. Instead, it will provide researchers with a unique opportunity to study the major processes operating on our planet.
The Axial Seamount is part of a larger ocean monitoring effort, which includes over 900 ocean-based instruments and more than 660 miles of undersea cables crisscrossing the volcano. However, the National Science Foundation’s proposed budget cuts for fiscal year 2026 could put this work at risk, affecting researchers like Deb Kelley, who is leading the maintenance mission to recover and restore the instruments.
Kelley hopes to continue her work on Axial Seamount next summer but acknowledges that the future of the project remains uncertain due to the funding cuts.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/08/20/underwater-volcano-oregon-erupt/85737862007