Scientists are puzzled about the origin and seismicity of a submarine volcano in the Indian Ocean near the island of Mayotte, Comoros. Credit: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center
New Volcano, Old Caldera
By Alka Tripathy-Lang
December 15, 2020
In May of 2018, a barrage of earthquakes struck Mayotte, the seismically quiet easternmost island of the Comoros archipelago, which stretches between Africa and Madagascar. After months of investigating the unexpected, intense seismic activity, French scientists discovered a new submarine volcano in the Indian Ocean approximately 50 kilometers east of the island. This new seafloor feature is, by volume, the largest documented underwater volcanic eruption in history, and both volcanic and seismic activities continue today.
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