The mysterious underwater volcano may erupt by the end of the year

Scientists have warned that one of the world's most active underwater volcanoes - Axial Seamount - may erupt as early as 2025. It is located almost a kilometer underwater and approximately 1100 km northwest of San Francisco. This was reported by the Los Angeles Times (LAT).

Axial Seamount was discovered only in the 1980s and has erupted three times since then - in 1998, 2011, and 2015. Despite its activity, the volcano poses no threat to the coastal areas of the United States: it erupts lava smoothly, without explosions, like volcanoes in Hawaii or Iceland, and does not cause tsunamis.

Scientists closely monitor the volcano thanks to a system of underwater sensors, and are now recording a characteristic "inflation" of the seafloor surface, indicating an approaching eruption. Similar deformations were observed before previous eruptions, including before Chadwick and his colleague Scott Nooner successfully predicted the 2015 eruption.

Although exact dates are difficult to specify, researchers suggest that a new eruption may occur by the end of 2025. So far, underwater seismic activity remains moderate, but the slow buildup of pressure continues.

Axial Seamount is located in a zone where tectonic plates diverge and sits above a hot magmatic spot - an ideal combination for frequent eruptions. This makes it a unique "laboratory" for studying the predictability of volcanic activity.

Unlike more dangerous volcanoes on land, experiments with forecasts here pose no risk to people. However, as scientists note, successes in predicting Axial Seamount eruptions may help more accurately predict the behavior of more dangerous volcanoes in the future.