A volcano off the coast of Oregon, known as the Axial Seamount, is predicted by scientists to erupt this year. Located about 300 miles west of the Oregon coast, it is the most active submarine volcano in its northeasterly swath of the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists first studied the volcano in the late 1970s and have been monitoring its activity since then. The key factor in predicting an eruption is tracking how much the seamount has swelled with magma beneath the surface. Axial Seamount’s inflation rate increased from a slow pickup to about twice its original rate by June this year, indicating that magma has built up beneath the surface.
Monitoring data suggests the volcano could erupt anytime between now and 2025. Although there hasn’t been an eruption since 2015, recent updates indicate no immediate change in forecast – with the team predicting an eruption will happen this year due to Axial re-inflating to over 95% of its threshold before the 2015 eruption.
Past eruptions have shown that seafloor drops and thousands of earthquakes can occur during volcanic activity. While the predicted impact on humankind is uncertain, underwater volcanoes are generally less hazardous than land-based ones.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/underwater-volcano-off-oregon-will-erupt-this-year-scientists-predict-2000545335