Axial Seamount is also the most active submarine volcano in the Pacific Northwest, having erupted multiple times since it was first discovered. Its most recent eruption was in April of 2015, causing thousands of underwater earthquakes to be detected and for the surrounding ocean floor to sink about 2 metres.

In the depths of the Pacific Ocean, 470 kilometers off the Oregon coast, a drama is unfolding. Axial Seamount, one of the most active underwater volcanoes in the world, is swelling with magma. Scientists believe it will erupt before the end of 2025—a bold prediction, but one based on decades of monitoring and a unique volcanic rhythm.

Underwater eruptions may seem distant to folks on land, but they have global significance. The 2022 Hunga Tonga event, for example, triggered a tsunami that caused an estimated $90 billion in losses.

It, of course, is the Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano off Oregon which scientists predict will erupt this year. The Axial Seamount is the most active submarine volcano in its northeasterly swath of the Pacific Ocean,