When you buy through tie-in on our site , we may realize an affiliate delegation . Here ’s how it works .
A series of relatively new underwater vent has been discovered under the waves of the Pacific Ocean , some of which may even be alive .
The volcanoes were found during an outing to map the seafloor near the Cook Islands in the Central Pacific , about 2,900 naut mi ( 4,700 kilometer ) to the south of Hawaii . If these structures are volcanically combat-ready , the rut that they generate may have spawn a unique andexciting marine habitat nearby , the researchers tell .
The new bathymetric map of the volcanic chain south-southeast of Rarotonga. The top map also compares the new information with the very low-resolution satellite bathymetry.
The Cook Islands are a group of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean , site between French Polynesia and American Samoa . This archipelago was created billion of years ago as the Pacific plate moved over a magma hotspot in the Earth ’s mantlepiece — like to the way the Hawaiian Islands were work . A magma hotspot is a localized area in Earth ’s mantle where unusually hot rock lift toward the surface , causing volcanic activity . Unlikevolcanoesat architectonic plateful boundaries , hotspots occur in the heart of architectonic plates and stay stationary , while the plate above moves over time .
A raging mantle plume from the hotspot brings heat and magma toward Earth ’s cheekiness , which can cause magma from the mantle to erupt onto the seafloor and then cool rapidly in the water . Over prison term , repeated extravasation build up a volcanic bodily structure , forming an subaquatic vent . If the clap continue , the volcano mature large enough to break the ocean surface , form a volcanic island .
Related : Undersea vent off Oregon seacoast could erupt this class , geologist prognosticate
The new bathymetric map of the volcanic chain south-southeast of Rarotonga. The top map also compares the new information with the very low-resolution satellite bathymetry.
Most of the volcano in the Cook Islands are ancient , with their rocks date back ten-spot or even hundred of millions of years . However , theislands of Rarotongaand Aitutaki are made of a combination of older and younger rocks , because they are among the most late island to formover the hotspot — the new sway on Rarotonga dates back only around 1.2 million years .
These newly mapped underwater vent were first theorized in 2024 after research worker discovered that the rocks of one inundate volcano were only 670,000 year one-time . The rock were discovered roughly 37 miles ( 60 km ) southeast of Rarotonga , on a volcano called Tama , and they nock the youngest volcanic rocks discovered in the Cook Islands to escort .
— ' clamber anus ' vent in Tonga coughs up cloud of fume during recent bang — Earth from space
— Alaskan volcano Mount Spurr show activity that will ' most likely end in an explosive eruption , ' scientist say
— Mount Kaputar pink slug : The giant red-hot - pinkish mollusk found only on a single , extinct vent
The team also conjecture that , going southeast from Rarotonga through Tama , there may be several other underwater volcanoes linger on the seafloor , which may also be much younger than the other Cook Islands .
To investigate these complex body part further , the ARTEX 2025 sashay was launched to map out the ocean level in the area circumvent Rarotonga . The squad discovered that there was indeed a series of smaller structures dotted along the seafloor to the southeast of Rarotonga , including a 0.6 - mile - high ( 1 kilometer ) vent named " Pepe " . The squad ’s data is yet to be fully processed , however , and the structures have not yet been confirmed as volcanically fighting .
The researchers trust to return to the area to learn more about the seamounts , or underwater volcanoes , and to collect sample of the rocks to figure out exactly how old they are .
US volcano quiz: How many can you name in 10 minutes?
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again , you will then be cue to enrol your display name .
