Axial Seamount Volcano Shows Signs of Increased Activity, Potential Eruption Expected by End of 2025

Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano located on the Juan de Fuca Ridge about 300 miles off the Oregon coast, is exhibiting increased seismic activity and inflation, suggesting a potential eruption by the end of 2025. This volcano, the most active in the Pacific Northwest, has erupted in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Researchers from the University of Washington and Oregon State University are closely monitoring Axial Seamount using the National Science Foundation's Ocean Observatories Initiative Regional Cabled Array. This advanced underwater volcanic observatory provides real-time data on seismic events, fluid flow, and changes in temperature and chemistry. The increasing rate of inflation and seismicity are key indicators of a possible eruption. Axial Seamount's eruptions are not explosive and do not pose a tsunami threat to coastal communities. Instead, lava oozes out, forming new seafloor. Scientists hope that continuous monitoring of Axial Seamount will provide valuable insights into underwater volcanic processes and improve understanding of other volcanoes worldwide.