- 2 days ago
A powerful underwater volcano in the Pacific is showing clear signs of increasing activity, with rising seafloor levels and growing magma pressure indicating a possible eruption in the near future. At the same time, researchers are tracking shifts along major fault zones that point to the buildup of stress capable of triggering a future megaquake. These events reflect the ongoing movement of Earth’s crust and the intense geological forces shaping the planet’s most active regions. Animation is created by Bright Side.
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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00:00Get ready, because one of the Pacific Ocean's most active volcanoes might blow any minute now.
00:06Scientists monitoring Axial Sea Melt, a gigantic underwater lava factory just off the coast of Oregon,
00:13say it could erupt literally any time between today and early 2026 at the latest.
00:19Yes, it's underwater, but don't get tricked by the ocean's cover.
00:23This beast is almost three times taller than the Empire State Building.
00:26This volcano is inflating like a souffle at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
00:31And scientists are so excited they will live-stream it. Seriously!
00:35So, here's the thing. This volcano will explode at any moment now because, well, it's inflating fast.
00:43Over the past few months, researchers have noticed that the seafloor is literally rising.
00:48It's like Axial is doing its best impression of a waterbed filled with molten rock.
00:52Scientists call this inflation, which sounds like something you'd complain about after Thanksgiving dinner.
00:58But in volcano terms, it means magma is piling up underground, causing the seafloor to bulge like a souffle that's this close to collapsing.
01:08Now, an underwater volcanic eruption might not sound so exotic.
01:11After all, most volcanic activity on Earth happens under the sea.
01:16Believe it or not, there are more than a million submarine volcanoes quietly churning lava beneath the waves as you watch this.
01:24The ocean floor is Earth's biggest volcanic hotspot.
01:28What makes Axial Seamount so thrilling is that it's under intense scientific surveillance, unlike any other underwater volcano.
01:35It's like the star player in a volcanic reality show, with a network of ocean-bottom instruments giving researchers real-time updates on magma movements, seismic tremors, and crust deformation.
01:48In fact, Axial Seamount hosts the world's first-ever underwater volcanic laboratory.
01:55Scientists have been keeping a constant eye on it since the 1990s, when they installed sensors that now relay live data straight from the seafloor.
02:03This kind of monitoring is unheard of elsewhere, and has turned Axial into a geological celebrity, one whose behavior we can track with remarkable precision.
02:14Besides, Axial is hilariously predictable.
02:17It erupts roughly every decade, and right on cue, it's gearing up for another performance.
02:24By mid-2024, it had inflated to nearly the same level as before its last eruption, which means the countdown is on.
02:31Scientists are so confident in its schedule that they've set up a volcanic advent calendar, waiting for the day when Axial decides to pop.
02:41But hold on!
02:42Axial Seamount isn't just your average underwater volcano.
02:46It's got style, personality, and a geological identity of its own.
02:52Now, most underwater volcanoes, called seamounts, tend to look like cones or flattened domes.
02:57Axial laughs in the face of tradition with its unfashionably rectangular caldera, a 2x5-mile crater that looks like it was designed by a geologist with a ruler and a grudge against curves.
03:10Most volcanoes opt for the classic circular look, but Axial, it went full avant-garde.
03:16This caldera is punctuated by fissures, vents, lava channels, and mysterious dome-like structures that rise hundreds of feet high.
03:26It's like the volcano is wearing a funky geometrical crown instead of the usual rounded hat.
03:32What's more, Axial's location is like prime real estate for geological fireworks.
03:37It sits right where two major forces collide, literally.
03:40First, it's on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, an underwater mountain range formed where two tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart, like a zipper being undone.
03:51Second, it's purged atop the Cobb Hotspot, a deep mantle plume that acts like Earth's sneaky magma espresso machine, pumping molten rock from deep inside the planet and fueling a whole chain of seamounts.
04:03To put it plainly, it's like the tectonic plates are reluctant dance partners, sliding away from each other, while the Cobb Hotspot acts as the DJ, turning up the heat and keeping the magma party going.
04:17This dual influence creates a complex plumbing system inside the volcano, with magma chambers filling, draining, and shifting in ways scientists are still trying to decode.
04:27The competition between the spreading plates and upwelling magma is what gives Axial its unique geological fingerprint.
04:35And it's also why this volcano keeps surprising us.
04:39Now, we said that Axial's summit isn't just a crater.
04:42The truth is that inside, the action gets even weirder and cooler.
04:47Well, hotter, but you get it.
04:49Axial hosts black smoker hydrothermal vents, which blast superheated water at temperatures exceeding 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
04:58This is no ordinary underwater hot tub.
05:00These vents create one of Earth's most extreme environments, where bizarre creatures thrive in total darkness and scalding heat.
05:09Giant tube worms, crabs, colonies of bacteria, and even octopuses live off the mineral-rich plumes that gush from these vents,
05:17forming ecosystems completely independent from sunlight and photosynthesis.
05:21It's like an alien world beneath the waves, thriving off the volcano's fiery breath.
05:28These vent communities are crucial to science, not just because they're strange, but because they may resemble the earliest ecosystems on Earth.
05:36Some researchers believe life on our planet may have originated in similar deep-sea hydrothermal environments billions of years ago.
05:45Studying them could also help us search for life on icy moons, like Europa and Encelis, where similar vents might exist beneath their frozen surfaces.
05:54When Axial erupts, it's like a natural reset button for these communities.
05:59The lava wipes everything out, but within months, life comes roaring back, proof that even in the most hostile environments, real estate is always in demand.
06:10For those worrying about tsunamis or coastal disasters, relax.
06:16Axial eruptions are the underwater equivalent of a slow cooker.
06:20The immense water pressure keeps things chill, well, scalding, but not explosive.
06:25So the worst thing that happens is some lava decorates the seafloor, and a few crabs have to find new vents to squat in.
06:32This means no massive ash clouds or explosive blasts that could reach the surface.
06:37Instead, lava oozes out and spreads across the seafloor, sometimes traveling for miles.
06:44But for scientists, this eruption is the golden ticket.
06:48Understanding Axial's patterns could help predict eruptions elsewhere, even on land.
06:53Plus, its bizarre ecosystems offer clues about how life might survive on other planets.
06:59Not bad for a volcano that mostly just sits around looking rectangular.
07:04Still, the volcano's activity can be heard in the form of thousands of small earthquakes every day.
07:11Thousands!
07:12As if the volcano itself was groaning and creaking, preparing to burst open.
07:17Again, we won't feel a thing.
07:19But at least, they'll help scientists track the magma's movements and the volcano's eruptive cycle.
07:25Now, one of the coolest parts of this story is that scientists are preparing to livestream Axial's next eruption for the first time ever.
07:34Imagine watching an undersea volcano in action, live, as it's painting the ocean floor with fresh lava.
07:41It's like a front row seat to a natural fireworks display, thousands of feet beneath the waves.
07:46The livestream will come courtesy of the Ocean Observatory's initiative, which maintains a series of fiber-optic cables linking Axial's instruments directly to shore.
07:56It's the Wi-Fi of the deep sea, and it's about to broadcast molten rock in HD.
08:03And there's another twist.
08:05Scientists have noticed a curious pattern in Axial's eruptions.
08:08All three of its most recent eruptions, in 1998, 2011, and 2015, happened between January and April, the months when Earth starts moving away from the Sun.
08:20So why?
08:21Well, it might have something to do with the Moon's gravitational pull.
08:25The Moon's orbit causes ocean tides to rise and fall, which changes the pressure on the seafloor and could help nudge the magma chamber to its breaking point.
08:34I guess the Moon isn't just a romantic light in the night sky.
08:38It might be the ultimate volcanic whisperer.
08:42So, one thing's for sure.
08:44When Axial goes, it'll be the best documented underwater eruption in history.
08:49So, keep your eyes peeled.
08:51This is one natural spectacle you won't want to miss.
08:55And who knows?
08:56If we're lucky, we might even get deep-sea eruption ASMR out of the deal.
09:02Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be refreshing the live feed like it's a Taylor Swift ticket sale.
09:08On January 26th, 1700, one of the biggest earthquakes in history hit off the coast of the United States.
09:17It had a magnitude of 9, which puts it in the top 10 most powerful earthquakes ever recorded.
09:24This earthquake triggered a huge tsunami and changed the coastline all the way from southern British Columbia down to northern California forever.
09:35Back then, the area wasn't very popular.
09:37But thanks to some clever research, scientists figured out exactly what happened that day by looking at old geological records, tree rings, and even some history from Japan.
09:48On the same day as the earthquake, a massive tsunami also hit Japan's eastern coast.
09:56For a long time, no one connected the two.
09:59But in the 1980s and 90s, researchers realized the tsunami in Japan had been caused by the earthquake in the Pacific Northwest.
10:07They were also able to pinpoint the exact day, January 26th, 1700.
10:14They even found old trees in coastal Washington that had all perished around the winter of 1700, which matched up perfectly with the timing of the earthquake.
10:24The earthquake came from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a fault where the Juan de Fuca Plate slides under the North American Plate.
10:34This fault stretches about 700 miles, from northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia to Cape Mendocino in California.
10:43The pressure from the moving plates builds up over time, and eventually, another big, devastating earthquake will hit the same region.
10:50It's just a matter of time.
10:54By looking at the geological records, past tsunami deposits, and signs of land-level changes, scientists can figure out how often these huge earthquakes happen.
11:05Emergency planners have been preparing for the next big quake, often calling it the big one.
11:11Scientists believe earthquakes in the Cascadia Subduction Zone happen every 200 to 1,000 years.
11:17And since the last major one was over 300 years ago, the Pacific Northwest is definitely due for another.
11:25When it happens, the earthquake is expected to be as big as the one from 1700.
11:31But this time, it'll affect around 15 million people.
11:35The devastation will be severe.
11:37Buildings will collapse.
11:38Roads and runways will crack.
11:40And bridges will fall.
11:41Communication in and out of the area will be cut off.
11:46But the worst part?
11:47The earthquake will trigger a massive tsunami that might hit parts of the Washington coast in as little as 10 minutes.
11:55It's not a matter of if, but when the Cascadia Subduction Zone will break.
12:00When it happens, it will be the worst disaster the U.S. has ever faced.
12:05Worse than the Hurricane Katrina or Superstorm Sandy.
12:09It'll impact an enormous area stretching from southern British Columbia all the way down through Oregon to northern California.
12:17That means millions and millions of people will be affected.
12:22Fairchild is considered a backup staging area for handling the aftermath of the earthquake.
12:26With Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake being the main one.
12:32For those who will survive the initial quake and tsunami, the aftermath could be just as disastrous.
12:39Aftershocks will follow and transportation will be a mess.
12:43Roads will be damaged or completely blocked.
12:45Airports will shut down.
12:47And most of the main routes, like Interstate 5, will have bridges destroyed.
12:51This means food and water supplies will be cut off, and it will be incredibly difficult for help to get in or for people to escape.
13:01Gas pipelines will most likely be damaged too, and restoring them could take anywhere from a few days inland to weeks or even months along the coast.
13:10Power outages will be widespread within 100 miles of the coast throughout the entire Pacific Northwest.
13:15And water could be out for three to seven months.
13:20Even telecommunications will be down for two to three months across the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and even parts of East Asia.
13:29The good news for eastern Washington is that it will mostly avoid the worst of it, thanks to natural barriers between the west and east sides of the state.
13:37The tsunami may hit the Columbia River Gorge, but it will lose energy quickly because of a sandbar under the river.
13:45The Cascade Mountains will absorb much of the earthquake's impact, so the east side won't feel it as strongly.
13:52And since eastern Washington won't get hit as hard, it'll be up to them to handle the aftermath of the quake.
13:58That means helping western Washington, taking in refugees from the areas that got destroyed, and delivering supplies to where they're needed.
14:05Scientists have looked at other major 8.0 to 9.0 magnitude earthquakes, like the ones in Chile in 1960, Alaska in 1964, and Sumatra in 2004, and Japan in 2011.
14:22These kinds of quakes can shake the ground for anywhere between 6 to 10 minutes, and that's a long time for the ground to be shaking.
14:30Such quakes are super intense, because they happen close to Earth's surface, so it's not just a quick shake.
14:37It's a long, strong one that can cause a lot of damage.
14:41If the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami were to hit tomorrow, over 13,800 people could lose their lives, and about 107,000 people could be injured.
14:52The economic toll in Washington, Oregon, and California could top 70 billion.
14:58To put that into perspective, we can compare these numbers with some other major earthquakes.
15:04In Chile's 1960 earthquake, about 1,650 people lost their lives.
15:10The 1964 Alaska quake resulted in around 140 lives lost.
15:15The 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami took the lives of an estimated 280,000 people.
15:24And the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami caused over 20,000 casualties.
15:32Authorities know about the dangers of the Cascadia Fault, but even with all the planning, no one can say for sure what will be needed when the big quake hits.
15:40Right after the earthquake and tsunami, the areas outside the immediate disaster zone won't be able to help much,
15:48because roads and airports will be destroyed, and resources will be limited.
15:54How can we deal with this kind of disaster and its effects?
15:58We don't have all the answers yet.
16:00Right now, let's focus on the Cascadia subduction zone.
16:04It's a huge fault line that stretches about 620 miles from Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino in California,
16:12sitting about 93 miles off the coast.
16:15It's like one tectonic plate is slowly sliding under another.
16:20When the plates are close to the surface, about 18 miles deep or less, they get stuck because of friction.
16:26Kind of like pushing two rocks together.
16:29Over time, this creates a lot of pressure.
16:31When the pressure finally becomes too much, the plates slip, causing a massive earthquake.
16:38This is called a megathrust earthquake, and it can be huge.
16:43Below the area where the plates are stuck, there's a zone where the plates move really slowly.
16:48We're talking about just a few inches every few months.
16:52This slow movement helps to release some of the pressure,
16:55but it also builds up more pressure on the parts of the fault that are still stuck.
17:00This means that over time, it increases the chances of a huge earthquake happening.
17:06These massive quakes, called Great Subduction Zone earthquakes, can be stronger than magnitude 8.5.
17:13Megathrust earthquakes are the biggest earthquakes that happen.
17:17They can go over a magnitude of 9.0, which is insanely powerful.
17:21Just to put it in perspective, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake releases 1,000 times more energy than a 7.0 and a million times more energy than a 5.0.
17:33These earthquakes happen when a lot of pressure builds up in a part of the fault that's locked,
17:39which means the plate can't move past each other.
17:41When that pressure gets too high, the fault finally ruptures, releasing all that built-up energy in one massive shake.
17:50The Cascadia Subduction Zone is super long.
17:54That's why if it were to rupture all at once, it could produce a large earthquake.
17:59Scientists have studied this region and found that about 18 miles below the surface, the fault is completely locked.
18:05The plates there aren't sliding past each other.
18:09But deeper down, the plates start to slide more smoothly, causing less friction.
18:15This is important because it tells us how much stress is building up in that locked zone
18:20and how it could eventually lead to a major earthquake.
18:25That's it for today.
18:26So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.
18:31Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side.
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