• Scientists warn of rising submarine volcanic activity off Oregon’s coast.

• Partial seafloor collapse could threaten nearby marine life.

Experts expect a massive underwater volcano located about 480 kilometers off the coast of Oregon, USA, to erupt sometime in 2026, following recent studies showing increased seismic activity and gradual uplift of the seafloor caused by rising magma beneath the ocean floor.

“Axial Seamount” is considered one of the most active submarine volcanoes, having erupted previously in 1998, 2011, and 2015, with possible undocumented eruptions as well.

The volcano sits on the edge of a spreading tectonic plate within the Juan de Fuca Ridge, which naturally increases its volcanic activity.

Bill Chadwick, a researcher monitoring the volcano via his scientific blog, reported that an eruption could occur in mid to late this year, while seismic and thermal activity continues to be closely observed.

Potential hazards mainly include partial collapse of the seafloor caused by flowing lava, which solidifies rapidly into “lava pillows” and “sheet flows,” potentially killing marine life near the volcano due to extreme heat.

Volcanic activity also heats hydrothermal vents, releasing large amounts of mineral-rich hot water, forming what are known as “black smokers.”

With each eruption, magma rises in the volcanic chamber beneath the seabed, causing the volcano to swell and the seafloor to bulge upward; when most lava flows onto the seafloor, the chamber loses support, causing the caldera to subside by roughly two meters, as occurred in 1998, 2011, and 2015.

Despite these phenomena, scientists emphasize that a full collapse of the volcano’s flanks, which could trigger a catastrophic underwater landslide or a possible tsunami, remains extremely unlikely.