Overview

• Instruments recorded a June peak of more than 2,000 earthquakes in a single day, followed by roughly 100 per day, according to researchers William Chadwick and Scott Nooner.
• Located about 300 miles off Oregon and more than one kilometer beneath the surface, the volcano’s offshore depth limits direct human exposure yet does not preclude secondary hazards such as tsunamis.
• Scientists say the elevated seismicity increases the likelihood of an eruption, though signals fluctuate and no reliable timeline can be given.
• Axial last erupted in 1998, 2011 and 2015, with the 2011 event burying hydrothermal vents and destroying local fauna before rapid recolonization was observed within months.
• Axial is among the best-instrumented submarine volcanoes, with seafloor sensors and fiber-optic cables providing real-time seismic and seafloor deformation data to monitoring teams.