The surface of the ocean floor in the vicinity of the Axial Seamount. Archive photo.
The Axial Seamount, an active underwater volcano situated in the Pacific Ocean several hundred kilometers off the coast of the U.S. state of Oregon, is exhibiting heightened activity and could undergo a new eruption before the year concludes. This assessment comes from Fox News, referencing insights from William Chadwick, a geophysicist at the University of Oregon.
According to Fox News, the volcano has previously erupted in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Located approximately 480 kilometers (about 300 miles) from the Oregon coastline, the Axial Seamount is known as the most active submarine volcano in the region. Scientists who are closely monitoring its activity predict that the next eruption is likely to occur by the end of 2025. “I expect its eruption to happen by the end of the year,” confirmed geophysicist William Chadwick.
Chadwick also specified that the forthcoming eruption is not anticipated to be “explosive,” meaning it is unlikely to generate a tsunami, thus posing no risk to coastal communities.
In June, researchers recorded more than two thousand seismic tremors at the volcano within a single day. Since then, hundreds of tremors have been registered daily. Furthermore, the seafloor surrounding the volcano has risen to a level comparable to that observed just before the 2015 eruption, a clear indicator of magma shifting beneath the Earth`s crust.
The Axial Seamount holds the distinction of being the world`s first underwater volcanic observatory. Its ongoing monitoring is a collaborative effort between the University of Oregon and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth