Remote underwater volcano likely erupting beneath the Pacific Ocean’s surface

In the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a volcano is probably erupting deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, but scientists don’t know for sure because it is so inaccessible. According to all available evidence, the Ahyi Seamount started erupting in the middle of October, the USGS reported on Monday. About 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Honolulu is the Northern Marianas.

According to Matt Haney, a USGS research geophysicist, scientists are trying to determine whether the activity is due to shallow earthquakes or if something exploded from the crater. Researchers are looking at satellite data to see if any water is discolored, which might indicate that material is erupting from the volcano.

According to Haney, “There’s nothing right now that suggests that this eruption will intensify and become a large volcanic eruption.” Nevertheless, he said, mariners would want to stay away from the vicinity. Approximately 1,400 miles (2250 kilometers) away at Wake Island, hydroacoustic sensors detected activity from an undersea volcanic source last month.

Scientists are using signals to determine the source of the Volcano

Scientists examined the signals to determine that the source of the activity was probably Ahyi Seamount, the USGS stated in a statement, with assistance from the Laboratoire de Geophysique in Tahiti and data from seismic stations in Guam and Japan. Recently, there has been a decrease in activity, according to the statement.

A large conical submarine volcano called the Ahyi seamount. Its peak is 259 feet (79 meters) below the water’s surface. It is situated approximately 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Farallon de Pajaros Island, also known as Uracas.

“There are no local monitoring stations near Ahyi Seamount, which limits our ability to detect and characterize volcanic unrest there,” the agency said. “We will continue to monitor available remote hydro phonic, seismic, and satellite data closely.”

The Mariana Volcanic Arc, a chain of more than 60 active volcanoes that extends over 600 miles west of and parallel to the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, includes the seamount.