Movie courtesy of NSF and NOAA.

Undersea Volcano Erupts

This spectacular video shows an underwater volcano erupting nearly 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean. West Mata Volcano is on the sea floor between the islands of Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. These movies were taken by the remotely-operated robotic submarine Jason in May 2009.

Scientists think that about 80% of volcanic eruptions on Earth occur in the oceans. Most volcanoes are in the deep sea. Although the water around the volcano is both hot and acidic, extremophile microbes and specially adapted shrimp somehow manage to survive in this hostile environment.

Right-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac) here to download a copy of this movie in QuickTime format.

Last modified February 22, 2010 by Randy Russell.

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