An underwater volcano off the coast of Oregon may be about to erupt

A recent study found increased seismicity and swelling at Axial Seamount, suggesting an eruption could occur sometime this year.

About 300 miles off the coast of Oregon, an underwater volcano appears to be rumbling to life.

Scientists who have been monitoring the vast submarine volcano for decades say a flurry of recent activity — including an uptick in earthquakes in the vicinity, and swelling of the structure itself — signals that it’s ready to erupt.

Current forecasts project that the volcano, known as Axial Seamount, could erupt anytime between now and the end of the year, according to Bill Chadwick, a volcanologist and research professor at Oregon State University.

A 3D image of Axial Seamount bathymetry.Oregon State UniversityChadwick and colleagues at the University of Washington and the University of North Carolina Wilmington have been using a network of sensors on the seafloor to eavesdrop on the volcano.

Over the past few months, the instruments have picked up clues that Axial Seamount is stirring. In late March and early April, for instance, researchers were recording more than 1,000 earthquakes a day. The volcano has also been steadily swelling, a telltale sign that it’s filling with molten rock, Chadwick said.